By Modou Kanteh
The Meteorology Unit under the Department of Water Resources recently received Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) receiving PUMA and ClimSA Stations.
The ClimSA programme, funded by European Union, is implemented in the Regional Economic Communities with the aim to improve the capacity of National Meteorological Services (NMS) in Member States to develop and provide customised, timely and science-based weather and climate information services for decision-making. To achieve this, the AU Commission, with the financial support from the European Union, has contracted the Swiss-based company Tecnavia SA as a service provider to supply and install the meteorological infrastructure (PUMA stations) and the climate infrastructure (ClimSA stations) for the NMS, the Regional Climate Centres and the Training Centres.
The supply and installation of the PUMA Stations are critical for National Meteorological Services in Africa to continue receiving Meteosat Third Generation model data and weather satellite imagery with the new added functionalities for disaster risk reduction, food security and resilience-building, air quality monitoring, among others. ClimSA Stations will support the production of customised climate information for climate-resilient development sectors such as agriculture and food security, disaster risk reduction, energy, health, infrastructure, and water, among others.
Speaking at handing-over event, at the Banjul International Airport in Yundum, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, Mr. Buba Sanyang applauded the African Union and its partners for the support given to The Gambia. He said the support would help equip the Meteorology Unit of the country. “Data is important because it helps in analysis,” the Permanent Secretary said. He said the beauty about the project is that it involved all stakeholders who share data in the region.
The Permanent Secretary appealed to the Meteorology Unit to ensure that the equipment are properly taken care of, so that even after the warranty they can continue to use the equipment without much problems.
