In September 2018 TAHMO was invited by Winrock International to participate in a workshop in Dakar, Senegal on: ‘‘Sustainable Climate Information Services (CIS): Expanding CIS delivery through innovative financial and business arrangements’’.
After the welcome speeches done by Julia Bradley-Cook (USAID); Filipe Lucio (GFCS Director, WMO); and Robert O’Sullivan (Winrock International) who also gave a brief introduction of the Sustainable CIS project and a review of the agenda.
The workshop was divided into two sessions: A review of metrics to assess the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) capacity and a review of the NMHS financial planning tool. In summary, the workshop allowed the organizers to present both Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) metrics:
1. Observations and Monitoring; 2. Research, Modeling, and Prediction; 3. Climate Service Information System; 4. User Interface Platform; and, 5. Capacity Development.) and the WMO NMHS Categories (1. Basic Climate Services; 2. Essential Climate Services; 3. Full Climate Services; and 4. Advanced Climate) Services. These two schemas were combined by WMO to create a new framework to guide the NMHS enterprise in identifying their needs and finding resources through either donor, private or PPP.
Dr Theophile MANDE, the representative of TAHMO in the workshop contributed to the discussion by sharing TAHMO’s experience in working with NMHSs reporting on both positive elements and challenges.
In terms of challenges four groups could be identified:
Administrative challenges
Having MoU signed with NMHSs (which is sometimes really difficult and it can take several years);
Having NMHSs staff involved in the station installation, monitoring
and
maintenance;
Have experienced localhost (Not enough skills or
overexploited
competences);
Need a lot of
localhost
(at least one per village where we have stations installed).
Economic challenges
Acquire the stations
The cost of the installation and maintenance
Paid field staff (Engineer; Directors; local Host)
Equipment challenges
Local conditions (access to sites; safety etc.)
Sensors breaking; dust and batteries
Software update
Station cleaning (rain gauge)
Data sharing challenges
On this particular challenge, several questions arise: How to share data? With who? Under which conditions (free, sell)?
For TAHMO these data have to be free at least for scientific needs but deep exchanges with NMHSs are necessarily knowing that data production is their first activity and source of income.
Success
TAHMO achieved building strong relationships with several NMHSs with around 25 MoU signed and a network of more than 500 stations installed from which more than 90% are running. The data collected is frequently checked by TAHMO QA/QC team which ensures good quality data. These data are also easily available through the network.
TAHMO’s participation and contribution at the workshop were very much appreciated by the organizer and an appointment was made for the next workshop.
On behalf of TAHMO, Dr. MANDE thanked WINROCK and its partners for inviting TAHMO to this workshop which appears to be very rich and relevant for both NMHS and Private structures such as TAHMO. A details study of these approaches will be done by TAHMO aiming to adapt them to their needs; the representative of TAHMO believes that this tool (if accepted and used by NMHS after validation) will help improve both (administrative and financial) relationships between NMHSs and Private Sectors which will be clear and win-win.
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