Dear Martin, could you please introduce yourself briefly?
I am a meteorologist and have been supporting HErZ since 2012 as the head of the competence area "Optimal Use of Information from Weather Forecasts and Climate Monitoring." I facilitate the exchange and the collaboration between the DWD and the HErZ projects on the topic of "Communication and Action" to enable faster developments. With machine learning and new digital data, predictions of weather impacts are developed and their application is tested. The understanding of and actions resulting from weather warnings are examined using social science methods.
If you had to define HErZ in one sentence…
HErZ conducts basic research and teaching in collaboration with universities, research institutions, and the DWD on topics that are important for weather forecasting and climate monitoring at the DWD, but have been underrepresented in Germany in the past.
What small and large HErZ successes are you particularly proud of?
Recommendations for effective communication of weather risks have been developed – based on representative population surveys on understanding weather risks and warnings (here and here). At the same time, we are testing how well-verified, probabilistic, real-time forecasts of weather-related impacts (e.g., fire department call-outs, car accidents, building damage) could support professionals in their work (here).
In collaboration with all participating disciplines, we have developed a Master's module on "Interdisciplinary Natural Risk Research." In this module, students from various disciplines and the DWD gain insight into risk concepts, modeling, and communication, as well as the necessary social science methods, and apply these skills in their own projects, often using real-world topics from the DWD.
Together with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), we have initiated and conducted online "Weather and Society" conferences with participants from over 100 countries (see here and here).
What else is planned at HErZ that you find particularly exciting?
I find the actual implementation of an iterative co-design process (user needs, possibilities, prototypes, verification, and benefit assessment) exciting in order to develop forecasts in such a way that they lead to better actions during extreme weather events. For example, in disaster relief and the use of renewable energies, we can utilize new digital data and artificial intelligence for risk forecasting and build on the increasing willingness of all stakeholders to engage in co-design.