Dr. Garvin Cummings has been confirmed as the Chief Hydrometeorological Officer (CHO) with effect from May 23, 2019.
Dr. Garvin Cummings , CHO, Hydromet Department
His confirmation comes after being appointed Deputy CHO in July, 2011 and serving as acting CHO since 2015.
Dr. Cummings joined the Hydrometeorological Service in 1997 as a Hydrological Technician within the Water Resources Section. His outstanding performance in the field and constant academic advancements made way for him to soon be promoted to several supervisory and managerial positions.
While serving as the acting CHO, Dr. Cummings successfully attended and represented Guyana at a number of national and international weather, water, climate and ozone related conferences including the 30th Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol and the recently concluded 18th World Meteorological Congress – all while effectively managing the day to day operations of the Hydrometeorological Service.
Over the years, Dr. Cummings has also worked with many local and international agencies and stakeholders to further build and develop the Hydromet Department’s research, monitoring and regional and international network development capacities.
The new CHO is the holder of a Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) from the University of Genoa, Italy, a Master of Science Degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management (Water Resources Management) from The University of West Indies, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of South Wales, United Kingdom and Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Civil), University of Guyana. He has also attended several weather, water and climate related professional training exercises in Germany, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Jamaica and Thailand, to name a few. Dr. Cummings holds the distinction of being one of the first staff members of the Hydrometeorological Service to attain a doctoral degree.
When asked to comment on his appointment, Dr. Cummings said that he remains committed to providing outstanding service to the people of Guyana through the Hydromet Department.
“I’m indeed humbled by this opportunity to serve the people of Guyana through the Hydrometeorological Service. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously, especially given Guyana’s vulnerability to hydrometeorological hazards. I look forward to continue working with the team here at Hydromet and our partners to advance Guyana’s thrust towards climate resilience and disaster risk reduction; while ensuring that the Service adequately responds to demands for high quality climate services,” Dr. Cummings said.
Dr. Cummings currently sits on several National and International policy development Boards and committees, while also serving as the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI). He has also functioned as the Chairman of the Environmental Assessment Board of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Dr. Cummings also worked as a lecturer at the Guyana School of Agriculture in 2007 to 2008 and 2010 to 2011 and the University of Genoa in 2014. Additionally, Dr. Cummings has also co-authored several publications in peer reviewed journals in the areas of flood nowcasting, remote sensing, flood risk management and weather research and forecasting.
