Zambia Seeks to Improve Weather Forecasting for Urban Communities
The Zambian government has underscored the urgent need for enhanced weather forecasting tools to better protect its citizens from the increasing impacts of climate change.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Dr. Douty Chibamba, made the remarks during the official opening of the Weather and Climate Information Services Early Warning for Southern Africa (WISER-EWSA) Co-Production and Co-Design Meeting in Lusaka.
Dr. Chibamba emphasized the disproportionate impact of climate change on urban communities, particularly those in disadvantaged areas.
He highlighted the challenges posed by irregular rainfall, droughts, and extreme weather events, which disrupt livelihoods and exacerbate poverty.
To address these challenges, the Zambian government, in collaboration with the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of Leeds, is implementing the WISER-EWSA project. This initiative aims to improve access to early warning systems and enhance the capacity of weather forecasters.
A key component of the project involves training meteorologists in nowcasting, a technique that provides short-term weather forecasts. The Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) is also expanding its network of automatic weather stations to gather more data for accurate predictions.
Dr. Chibamba stressed the importance of involving communities, especially vulnerable groups like women and people with disabilities, in the development and dissemination of weather information. The goal is to ensure that early warnings reach those who need them most and that they understand how to respond to them.
Zambia aims to build resilience to climate change and protect its citizens from the devastating impacts of extreme weather events, by investing in improved weather forecasting and early warning systems.
