All posts in Uncategorized

Since September 2014, TAHMO, Earth Networks (EN), and African Centers for Lightning and Electromagnetics (ACLE) have been installing modern automatic weather stations around the Lake Victoria basin. The stations are for carrying out a pilot project on severe weather nowcasting based on total lightning detection with the aim of reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage caused by lightning.

In this project, 12 stations will be used to simultaneously detect lightning strikes. In real-time, the data shall be uploaded to an online server, analyzed, and information dispatched to end users. Highly detailed lightning data for storm cell identification and tracking will be provided. Once complete, the system will be able to combine nowcasting and forecasting capabilities and information disseminated to end-users through mobile telephones.

In addition to lightning data, each station provides real-time local weather information and predictions which includes rainfall, wind, temperature, humidity, and dew point.

Data from the project will not only be used to reduce damages, but also provide a detailed understanding of severe weather dynamics around the Lake Victoria region. The analytical information from lightning detection shall be integrated with other datasets for dissemination to end-users via web portals and mobile applications

AS3935 on Lightning network

Soon, it shall be possible to develop real-time lightning location detection systems at a low cost. This is according to research supported by TAHMO that proposes the use of integrated lightweight and low power-consuming gadgets to design lightning networks. The findings were presented at Jomo Kenyatta University (JKUAT) scientific technology and Industrialization conference in November 2014.

One of the biggest advantages of automatic weather stations equipped with cellular modems is the low maintenance required to keep them running. Making regular visits to TAHMO stations in remote areas represents a significant cost to the project, so any efforts to increase the stations’ autonomy save both time and money.

TAHMO weather stations use very little power – 5 AA-size batteries typically provide enough power for 6 to 9 months of operation – but batteries must eventually be replaced by a member of the trained field staff. As you might imagine, solar power is a terrific option throughout many parts of sunny Sub-Saharan Africa, and many scientific-grade weather stations use medium-sized solar panels and NiCad batteries to provide their power, but solar panel theft can be a problem in areas not connected to the power grid.

This year, Jon Viducich built low-profile solar chargers for TAHMO stations currently deployed in several East and West African countries. The chargers are based on a very small, high-efficiency panel measuring just 42 mm x 35 mm (1.65 in x 1.38 in), and include electrical components which prevent overcharging and limit power losses during the night. Each charger uses either one or two panels, depending on the number of times per day the station will report its data, and the electrical components are encapsulated in a transparent silicone material and protected by a UV-resistant polycarbonate box. The final product is quite small, reducing its visibility, and installation takes just a few minutes.

TAHMO has worked closely with Decagon on the design of a new weather station prototype, set to debut in 2015, which will include an integrated, low-profile solar panel. In the meantime, though, these small solar panels provide the power we need to keep the stations running, even in the harshest of environments.

TAHMO Team members doing some observation tests on the proposed site

TAHMO OAU is a subgroup of the TAHMO Nigeria group which met earlier this year in August at FUTA, Akure. The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Nigeria’s most prestigious campus sits on a vast 11,861 hectares of land, most of which remains untapped and undeveloped. Armed with a very positive experience from the August workshop, the TAHMO OAU subgroup has sought to make its impact on the OAU campus which they believe is extremely important in achieving the TAHMO dream of 20,000 weather stations across sub-Saharan Africa.

This was first done with a presentation at the innovation dinner held at Kriscourt Hotel as part of the events marking TEDXIFE 2014. The presentation was well received and required steps are being taken to solidify the openings that emerged.

Currently, a super low-cost but efficient weather station is being set up and will be replicated based on the TAHMO pattern per sq. km throughout the campus area. The group has also developed a relationship with the OAU-met atmospheric group (headed by Prof. O.O. Jegede of Atmospheric Physics). He has gladly offered the group support such as testing and calibrating sensors with the standardized ones of the OAU-Met weather & research station (http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng/).

The group seeks to use innovative ways to solve the most challenging of weather data problems and is currently partnering with the Life and Fitness cycling club for bicycle access in order to ease access to various locations, ZIWAS (Which is into Waste Management and Maximization), etc.

Workshop Participants with the team

Last week, TAHMO launched its pilot project in Accra, Ghana. The two-year pilot will set up a water and weather monitoring system in Ghana’s cocoa region, funded by The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The Kick-off event was chaired by Mr. Nii Boi Ayibotele, the CEO of NII Consult, Chair of the Global Water Partnership of Ghana, and a consultant to the Water Resources Commission of Ghana.  

Together with Farmerline and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi, Ghana), TAHMO will establish 40 new automated weather stations in High Schools across Ghana. Within this consortium, Farmerline, a private company based in Ghana, will use the weather data to provide improved information access for small-scale farmers. Farmerline reaches local farmers through their mobile messaging platform, delivering spoken messages in local languages.

The pilot is connected to the program “Climate Change Education in Schools”, organized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in which students are educated on climate change. The program aims to reach the wider community by motivating students to share their climate education with their parents, peers, friends, and other relatives. The weather stations will help in monitoring local weather and thereby provide a better understanding of ongoing changes in the climate.

During the kick-off workshop in Accra, all stakeholders attended various presentations and meetings. With the groundbreaking ceremony, the project was officially kicked off.

On the weekend of 12, 13 & 14 September 2014, Africa Gathering will organize several events at Africa Utopia, at the Southbank Centre, London, UK. Africa Utopia can be seen as a celebration of all Africa has to offer the world. There will be events on culture, community, technology, fashion, sustainability, and ethical wealth creation. Also, TAHMO will be present as Nick van de Giesen will present in the session on “Data in Africa: The Fuel of the Future“. As the title of the session clearly suggests, all types of data are needed to ensure social and economic growth throughout the African continent. The main goal of TAHMO is to ensure a continuous flow of reliable water and climate data. How to turn these data into prosperity is a central theme of the gathering and of TAHMO. We expect some forward-looking discussions which will be reported in the next Newsletter.

The event will draw together hundreds of professionals, innovators, tech wizards, social justice groups, and grassroots activists together with members of the public to network and collaborate for pan-African development. Marième Jamme is CEO of Africa Gathering and strategic advisor of TAHMO on tech development in Africa and social media.

Signing MoU between Kenya Meteorological Service and TAHMO by John Selker (left) and Nick van de Giesen (middle).

Welcome to the TAHMO Newsletter!  This is our way of bringing the TAHMO community up-to-date with our progress and letting you know about neat opportunities to get involved with the TAHMO program.

As you will read in this newsletter, TAHMO recently passed a major milestone as we moved from simply being a happy group of committed members to a funded program!  The Securing Water For Food initiative is a joint effort of the aid agencies of the USA, Netherlands, and Sweden to identify high-impact business opportunities to use water more efficiently in the developing world.  There were 520 applicants to this program, and after a rigorous selection process, TAHMO was selected as one of the 17 funded programs.  Beyond the obvious importance of this financial support (paying for much of the salaries of our East African team and investment in 150 stations over 3 years), our selection was a great honor and will add significant credibility to our mission and team.

TAHMO recently had several other major advancements.  The Netherlands Science Foundation (NWO/WOTRO) has chosen to fund the installation of 30 TAHMO stations in Ghana, forming the basis of TAHMO West Africa.  NASA has funded the installation of a network of TAHMO stations around Lake Chad (to be installed in February by Dr. Selker), Earth Networks is funding installations around Lake Victoria, and many more installations across Africa are currently in discussion.  A very successful TAHMO workshop took place in Akure, Nigeria, organized by the TAHMO team at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA). At the same time, the TAHMO School-2-School program is gaining momentum, with the first pair of schools now collecting data in Kenya and Idaho, USA.

As always, we are absolutely committed to the success of TAHMO’s mission to develop a sustainable network of climatic observation stations across Africa.  We are pleased with our progress but have a long road ahead.  We deeply appreciate your interest and assistance!

TAHMO has won an award in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ‘Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development program. This was announced on September 1st, during the World Water Week in Stockholm. From a group of 520 applicants representing over 90 countries, TAHMO was nominated, together with 16 other nominees, for its ‘exceptional initiative with high potential for transformative impact’.

Prof. John Selker attended the World Water Week in Stockholm last week to receive the award and to present the TAHMO project.