From ambition to restraint the WMO, atomic energy, and UN institutional rivalry in the early Cold War

This paper explores the evolving relationship between the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the emerging international governance of atomic energy during the early Cold War. In the mid-1950s, widespread public concern that nuclear weapons testing might influence the weather prompted the WMO to investigate the atmospheric effects of atomic explosions. The organization initially envisioned coordinating international research on atomic weather and proposed the creation of a global network of monitoring stations to measure atmospheric radioactivity. This paper shows how these ambitions unfolded within a rapidly evolving institutional landscape shaped by Cold War geopolitics. The founding of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1957 marked a turning point in the WMO's nuclear engagement. Gradually, the WMO's efforts were curtailed by institutional competition, limited resources for technical assistance, and shifting geopolitical priorities. By the early 1960s, the organization had assumed a supporting role in the emerging architecture of international atomic governance.