By Our Reporter
Tanzania is strengthening its weather monitoring infrastructure and data management systems as it prepares to meet international observation standards by December 2027, a move expected to improve the reliability and timely availability of weather information.
The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) is equipping its technical personnel with skills to use modern monitoring systems developed by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), with a focus on improving the quality of data collected and transmitted from weather stations.
The improvements are important for sectors such as agriculture, transport and water management, which depend on reliable weather information for planning, while timely data can also help strengthen preparedness for extreme weather events.
Speaking during a training workshop in Morogoro on November 12, TMA Director-General Dr Ladislaus Chang’a said effective use of the international systems would help ensure that weather stations collected and transmitted data in line with national and global standards.
Dr Chang’a, who is also Tanzania's Permanent Representative to the WMO and Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said the country was preparing to fulfil the requirements of the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).
Tanzania plans to meet the requirements through 27 surface-based weather observation stations and five upper-air observation stations.
He said building technical capacity and sharing expertise among meteorological professionals would be essential to achieving the target by December 2027.
The workshop, held at Morena Hotel, is part of the implementation of the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a United Nations initiative supporting countries to strengthen weather observation infrastructure and improve the availability of meteorological data.
Earlier, TMA Director of Infrastructure Services and SOFF Project Coordinator Dr Pascal Waniha said the training aimed to familiarise participants with international GBON requirements and the support provided through SOFF financing.
He said the programme focused on improving weather observation, data quality and the timely transmission of information.
Dr Waniha said regional managers, station supervisors and other technical experts were being trained to use the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool (OSCAR) and the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS).
The systems will enable officials to assess the performance of weather observation stations, identify weaknesses and take corrective action to address problems affecting data quality and transmission.
For Tanzania, meeting GBON requirements will involve not only strengthening observation infrastructure but also ensuring that stations operate consistently and provide data that can be used by national and international forecasting systems.
The training is part of TMA's wider efforts to strengthen the capacity of its personnel and improve the performance of the country's meteorological infrastructure.