22:00
MINISTER
OF TRANSPORT, HON. DR HARRISON MWAKYEMBE TO PARTICIPATE ON THE SECOND
SESSION OF THE AFRICAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON METEOROLOGY (AMCOMET).
Honourable
Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe Minister of Transport will join other Ministers
responsible for Meteorology from the Africa countries for the second
session of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET)
to be held in Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe from 15-19 October, 2012.
Permanent Representatives of National Meteorological Services with WMO
in African Countries are attending this Ministerial session whereby Dr
Agnes Kijazi is the current Permanent Representative from Tanzania.
The
main objective of the conference is to develop an integrated African
strategy for meteorology to meet challenges such as climate change and
extreme weather hazards and to focus on how to improve weather and
climate services for sustainable development.
The
meeting, to be held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from 15-19 October,
2012, is organised by the World Meteorological Organization, the African
Union Commission and hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe. It follows
on from the inaugural 2010 First Ministerial Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Meteorology in Africa, which adopted the Nairobi
Declaration calling for the strengthening of National Meteorological and
Hydrological Services in Africa. The then Deputy Minister of
infrastructure that time was presented by the deputy Minister
Hon.Hezekiah Chibulunje.
World
Meteorological Organization indicated that Meteorological services in
Africa fall under the responsibility of various ministries, such as
Transport, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Environment. These
necessitate the importance of strengthening the institutional framework
of weather, climate and hydrological services to meet the many
challenges facing the continent.
It
is further indicated that Africa covers one fifth of the world’s total
land area but has the least developed meteorological observation network
of the world. It amounts to only one eighth of the minimum density
required by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Moreover most
meteorological services have insufficient human and financial capacity.
Despite
the constraints, there are some examples of successful provision of
weather and climate services in Africa and these include, Severe Weather
Forecast demonstration Project in Southern and Eastern Africa where
Tanzania participated in both projects and Tanzania Meteorological
Agency was able to give early warning of floods that occurred in the
country on the October to December, 2011 rainfall season.
Issued by: Public Relation Office; Tanzania Meteorological Agency
