from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIA has marked a milestone in leveraging data and technology to upgrade its climate resilience capabilities.
The Zambia Meteorological Department has received 15 new automated weather stations from the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL).
This is a €303 000 (US$353 000) investment from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
Zambia has received the equipment in Lusaka in an event held under the theme, “Enhancing Climate Change Response Through Modern Climate Data Infrastructure and Technological Solutions in Zambia.”
Brilliant Habeenzu, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Technology and Science, reaffirmed the Zambian government’s commitment to technological solutions for climate adaptation.
“This project is a strategic intervention supporting Zambia’s transition to a climate-resilient, knowledge-driven economy,” he stated.
Habeenzu stressed the urgent need for reliable data, citing that Zambia’s average annual temperature has increased since the 1960s, leading to critical issues like rainfall variability and energy shortages.
The initiative, he said, advanced the Eighth National Development Plan on Environmental Sustainability by equipping policymakers and local communities with data essential for informed decision-making, agricultural planning, and robust early warning systems.
Prof. Nelago Ndongo, SASSCAL Executive Director, explained, “These stations will generate real-time weather and climate data crucial for agriculture, aviation, energy, water and disaster management.”
SASSCAL has committed €2,9 million ($3,38 million) across six regional member countries under the WeNet project.
Southern Africa is bearing the brunt of climate change, culminating in intermittent floods and droughts. Zambia is emerging from its worst drought in four decades.
– CAJ News