WMO training workshop brings nations together in Tanzania

DAR-Tanzania through the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has organized a training workshop on Regional WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) Centres -RWC Functions and Tools for WMO Regional Association I (Africa) in Eastern and Northern Africa.

Workshop seeks to improve knowledge and skills of the WMO Members in East and North Africa, on Regional WIGOS Centres’ (RWCs) functions, their roles within operation process of the Regional WIGOS Centres and the efficient use of WIGOS tools to perform tasks.

The training workshop is taking place at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Dar es Salaam, from 7th to 11th October,2024, it was officially opened by The TMA Board Chair Hon. Judge Mshibe Ally Bakari who emphasized on the important role of meteorological services for the socio-economic development of most countries in Africa, which largely depend on agriculture and other climate sensitive socio-economic sectors for their development.

“Therefore, enhancing availability of quality meteorological data is a top priority of the National Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Services (NMHSs) in Africa. This include investing in infrastructure for weather observation and monitoring in support of the ”United Nations’ Early Warning for All,”said Hon. Judge Mshibe.

He also thanked the Government of The United Republic of Tanzania for the remarkable investment in weather observation and monitoring infrastructure, and WMO for supporting the development of climate services in Africa including Tanzania.

“We are also grateful for the Systematic Observation Financing Facility (SOFF) initiative, which has approved about 9 million US Dollars to support improvement of weather observation network in Tanzania to complement the Global Basic Observation Network (GBON),”mentioned Hon.Judge Mshibe.

On the other hand, Dr. Ladislaus Chang’a, the Acting Director General of TMA, who is also the Permanent Representative of Tanzania with WMO and the Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the importance of strengthening observation and monitoring of the climate system and enhancing availability of data to support early warning for all initiative and climate change adaptation.

He pointed out that Tanzania through TMA also contribute in providing leadership in climate services, regarding enhancing availability of quality data by hosting the WMO Regional WIGOS Centre (RWC-Dar es Salaam) for the Eastern Africa Subregion responsible for monitoring data availability and quality for stations in WMO Members of the Eastern Africa Subregion.

Moreover, Dr. Chang’a said, “The establishment of Regional WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) Centers aims at supporting regional coordination to establish an understanding on the status of weather observation network, data availability and its quality”.

Earlier, WMO representative, Abubakari Salih Babiker said there has been the challenges of various bad weather events,especially cyclones so our cooperation will help in strengthening early warning of severe and extrem wearther condition and their contribution in reducing loss of life and properties.

The participants are WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS), National Focal Points (NFPs) and technical staff from twenty WMO Regional Association Members in Tanzania, Tunisia, Algeria,

Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Madagascar, Comoros, Sychelles, Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa and Oman as invited WMO Member.

The training workshop will be followed by a two days Consultative Meeting on the concept document on the establishment and operations of RWCs to solicit comments and inputs from RWCs in East and North Africa.