Identified Challenges to Capacity Development and Technology Transfer as Seen in the Weather Information For All (WIFA) Initiative- A Case for the East African Community (EAC) Member States.

By

Stephen A.K. Magezi[1]

Executive Director,

Rwenzo – Green Associates Ltd

P. O. Box 1299,

KAMPALA- Uganda.

E-mail: -

1  Background

In mid 2008, the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) identified the lack of Meteorological Stations in most parts of Africa as a major barrier towards Poverty Reduction and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Global Humanitarian Forum therefore proposed a Weather Information for All (WIFA) initiative whose main objective was to fill the existing weather information gap to those worst affected and most vulnerable to Climate Change Countries in Africa and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). They proposed that a Pilot Project would be started in East Africa covering the three countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The Project would install 5,000 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in Africa starting with a Pilot phase in the lake Victoria Basin.

The paper discusses the challenges of this otherwise wonderful project idea, ways of overcoming these challenges as well as lessons to be learnt from Capacity Development Technology transfer Projects in Developing Countries.

2  Proposed project Set Up

The initial project Idea was to increase the availability of weather and climate data in Africa. This would be done through cooperation between the Project Supporters (GHF) and the wireless Network operators in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Automatic weather stations were supposed to be set up in recipient countries at wireless Network sites on cell towers in the respective countries. Using the Communications Infrastructure by the wireless Network operators, the data would be sent to some server in Europe (UK) from where the data would be accessible to the global community. At this stage the National Metrological and Hydrological Services were not part of this arrangement. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was not included in the planning or the operations. Unfortunately there seemed to have been no Meteorologist or Hydrologist involved at this delicate planning stage.

Otherwise, this was bound to be a major example of cooperation between the private sector and the Public sector to provide the much needed climate data in Sub Sahara Africa. In all a total of 5000 automatic weather stations were to be installed in sub Sahara Africa and over four hundred would be installed in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). During the pilot phase which was to cover the Lake Victoria Lake Basin, 9 stations were to be installed in Uganda, 9 in Tanzania and 2 stations in Kenya. The main server to host the Data would be installed in UK from where the data would be accessed via internet.

When successful, the project would be rolled out to cover the rest of East Africa and eventually the whole of Sub Sahara Africa. At this stage, the project idea was well understood by the GHF but the NMSs in East Africa had not yet received a project document, and were never clear on how this project was supposed to run. The role of National Meteorological Services was never clear in the project. Nevertheless most people agreed that this project was a wonderful idea and if successful it would address the weather and climate data concerns of the Meteorological Community in general and of sub Sahara Africa in particular.

3  Key Stakeholders

Although it was not abundantly clear at the beginning the key stakeholders in the project were going to be the following: -

·  National Institutions: These were mainly the National Meteorological Services in East Africa and some selected end users who were going to apply the data so required.

·  Partner Organizations: These were to play a facilitating role and include the World meteorological organization (WMO), African Centre of meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) and IGAD Climate prediction and Applications centre (ICPAC).

·  International Partner Organizations: - These were to deal with the financing and other facilitation to make the project a success. They included The Global Humanitarian Forum, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Ericsson, Zain, Orange, and The Earth Institute.

4  Initial Steps and Subsequent Challenges

While the initiative was welcomed by most stakeholders, it was first composed from the Board rooms in Geneva without involving key stake holders such as the National Meteorological Services and WMO. Nevertheless the GHF took the initiative to inform the National Meteorological Services in East Africa at a specially convened meeting in Arusha Tanzania. This time WMO had been informed but the project details were not fully exposed to them. The manufacturer had also been identified without involvement of the stakeholders. Most of the NMSs did support the initiative and soon the selected manufacturer started installing the new automatic stations on a pilot basis within the Lake Victoria Basin. Right from the beginning some concerns which NMSs had feared started to be manifested. The main ones included the following: -

1.  The stations were installed at cello phone towers without any nearby reference station or well proven observation system. Subsequently there was no room for any overlap between data sets from the AWS and traditional manual stations. A recommended over lap should be up to 24 months in case of rainfall especially with increased variability due to climate change. Fig 1 below shows wind sensors being fixed at a cello – phone tower in Uganda. There is a high probability that the tower would introduce error to the wind measurement.

2.  There was no involvement of the key stakeholders from the Developing Countries leading to a lack of a stakeholder responsive Project Document. It was the view of the NMSs that WMO, NMSs and some of the key users should have been consulted at the inception of the project. It was therefore difficult to sell the project to the beneficiaries.

3.  The Project proposed hosting of AWS on Cell Phone Towers contrary to standard WMO guidelines for the installation of meteorological observation stations. While NMSs recognize the need to move towards automation of weather stations so as to increase the density of observing networks and to satisfy new observational needs, it is important that minimum standards of observation are observed. Until adequate research has been conducted regarding the hoisting of AWS on cello phone, it may not be acceptable to include such data in the mainstream data that is exchanged through the GTS.

4.  The data so observed was to be hosted at a server in the UK challenging the principal of National ownership of Meteorological data. NMSs especially in the region could not accept that national data could be archived outside of their states even before it could be checked for consistency and accuracy. States should determine which data is to be exchanged globally, regionally and nationally. There is moreover a data sharing policy in each state which should be observed and respected. This became a major sticking point which if not resolved had capacity to kill the project.

5.  The need to highlight the visibility of the Project Sponsors overshadowed the requirement to ensure standards in Meteorological observations and data management protocols. Apart from increased visibility there was no serious reason why the telecommunication companies insisted that AWS should all be on cello phone towers. It could have been possible for them to extract visibility mileage using other aspects of the project such as associating the data and information exchange with the sponsoring institutions.

6.  Meteorological Departments were not considered key partners in this Project at the Inception/design stage of the project. Until much later did the project designers realize that it would never have been possible for the project to bear results without the direct involvement of national meteorological services in the region.

7.  A major sticking point has been the accuracy of the data so observed from these AWS. There was no way or plan for ensuring that the equipment are calibrated and are measuring to the desired specifications.

8.  While the NMSs were in agreement that data was essential, it was not an end in itself. There was a need to plan on how to develop products from this data that would be directly going to end-users at the lowest level. In this way the objective of addressing poverty levels and hunger would be addressed.

After several meetings and discussions there was an emerging consensus that the project should be saved through addressing a number of those concerns which had been raised.

Fig: 1
Wind sensors being fixed at a cello phone tower

After several meetings, the project agreed that among others:-

1.  First of all, it was agreed that a project document should be developed discussing the roles different stakeholders, the work plan, and methods of project monitoring and evaluation. Such a project document should be owned by all stakeholders.

2.  During Implementation of the project, the proposed AWS would be installed after consultations and in collaboration with the respective Meteorological Departments/Services. In general it was agreed that a number of stations would be installed at former synoptic stations and others in approved stations close to those on cello phone towers. Such stations would provide useful data to compare with what has been collected from the cello phone tower based stations. This was the idea which was codenamed as the WIFA + plus 1 stations.

3.  It was noted that the Sub Saharan Countries have a critical shortage of human resources throughout all the NMSs. The project should address to some extent issues related to capacity building, maintenance and communication links to NMCs. Otherwise there was fear that the project would not deliver fully.

4.  Under the new proposals, the central data server would be placed in the recipient sates of Africa Region (i.e. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). In this way, NMSs would be in control of the data and would decide in collaboration with WMO which of those data would be exchanged through the GTS. Besides, NMSs would be able to check the quality of the data before it can be exchanged.

5.  The project would address the issue of product development such that through modelling and cooperation with global centres, user friendly products, advisories and warnings would be produced and disseminated to end-users at the grassroots level.

6.  The data quality would be ensured through establishing / strengthening the regional calibration centre, and having some reasonable calibration facilities at the National level.

7.  Meteorological Departments would be the key Partners in steering the Project.

With these measures there is a good chance that many of the challenges so far encountered would be minimized.

5  Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward for the Sustainability of Such Projects

From the foregoing, a number of lessons were learnt from this project development and subsequent implementation. The project has been slow to implement due to the listed constraints. The biggest lesson the project designers and implementers have learnt is that it is important to initially identify the key stakeholders before the project is designed so that they can be involved in the project design. Moreover it is important for a regional project to take into account some of the regional imbalances and or variations that could hinder a seamless implementation of the project. In general, the following should be observed: -

1.  There must be stakeholder involvement right from the initiation of the project idea to ensure smooth transfer of technology and acceptability of such technology. If the project is regional, stakeholder involvement will ensure that regional variations and obstacles have been addressed.

2.  There can be no room for compromising Meteorological observation standards regardless of the source of donor funding. This is important because the data that is exchanged is for global consumption. It is incumbent upon each Member State to provide qualified data to preserve the integrity of both national and global prediction models.

3.  For Donor supported Regional Meteorological Projects in developing countries, it is important that MMO is seen to guide and co-ordinate the process. This is important because National meteorological services in Sub Sahara Africa (especially LDCs) see WMO as an honest broker.

4.  Since observed data is internationally exchanged, it is in the interest of all WMO Member States that data from each country is observed in accordance with accepted WMO practice.

5.  Recipient countries of new technology should be involved in selecting the technology ensuring its appropriateness to the specific needs and conditions of the recipient region.

Conclusion

In conclusion the WIFA initiative is the kind of initiative which has been long overdue. It is important to salute Mr. Kofi Anan who introduced this Idea which had failed so many among the past leaders of the World. The WIFA Project, if implemented in accordance with the given recommendations, will bring a fundamental change to the weather map in sub Sahara Africa increasing the available weather and Climate information. This has a great potential for early warning information, improved food security and poverty reduction in general. The WIFA project should therefore be supported.