The growing global population, poverty, access to fresh water and food production, all of which are key aspects of the Millennium Development Goals, are inextricably linked into weather, climate change and natural disasters.

The CCM contributes as a commonwealth network of hydro-meteorological expertise for the benefit of governments and society throughout the globe by:

• strengthening the links between National Hydro-Meteorological Services
• giving members the opportunity to discuss and resolve issues of mutual concern
• sharing climate research and weather forecasting capabilities

The economic well-being of all countries is dependent on their weather and climate and, in particular, on their ability to cope with adverse weather conditions. While severe weather events cannot be avoided, it is possible to mitigate against their impacts - by having effective disaster preparedness measures based on good weather forecasting capabilities.