World meteorological organization regional association I

Annex to paragraph 4.9

A Use of Internet in Africa for Improving Exchange of Meteorological and Environmental Information

Goals:

1. Strengthening application of meteorology and other environmental data for end users.

B Improve international and national exchange of observational data

Specific objectives

1. Distribution of products to users by email

This will improve the timeliness and quality of products and services by close integration with end users’ business needs. This assumes that end users or intermediaries have access to email. The project will also use the existing observation network of the NMHSs to extend access to these email products.

2. Implementation of Web sites of NMHSs for end users

This links to other efforts to bridge the “Digital Divide”.

3. Acquisition by NMHSs of forecast model products and other information.

4. Collection and interchange of observation reports both nationally and internationally.

5. Remote support, maintenance and distance training.

Decision indicators

• 
  Internet techniques do not necessarily replace current effective systems, they may be supplemented or adapted.
  
• 
  The best choice for each situation will vary according to the circumstances, and will change over time, especially as Internet access becomes cheaper and more widely available.
  
• 
  A permanent connection is strongly recommended.
  
• 
  NMHSs should establish their own domain names.
  
• 
  Use of a local ISP web host versus a host in the NMHS will need to be evaluated.
  
• 
  The continuity of service is vitally important, including contracts or Service Level Agreements
  

Support implications

People – Internet systems will imply support personnel, training and management costs. There are problems of staff being lost to commercial enterprises.

B. Procurement, manufacture, maintenance, repair and calibration facilities

Summary

Goal

Specific Objectives

1. 
   Develop manufacturing capability within the African Region for meteorological observing systems.
   
2. 
   Develop strategic partnerships with industrial enterprises to implement manufacturing capability in the Region.
   
3. 
   Set up Regional centres for maintenance, repair and calibration of meteorological equipment.
   
4. 
   Harmonise and standardise compatible technologies, and resource sharing to reduce operational costs.
   
5. 
   Prepare and disseminate training and instruction manuals for standard instrument systems.
   
6. 
   Harmonise joint procurement procedures and set up joint procurement for the Region or sub-regions.
   

• 
  The failure to catch up with rapid technological developments;
  

• 
  The poor economic environment and scientific innovation in many African countries;
  

• 
  Difficulties to establish stations in remote or inhabitable areas and large water bodies;
  

• 
  Inadequate funds to rehabilitate and operate equipment;
  

• 
  Inadequate personnel caused, in some countries, by the pressure on Governments to reduce its workforce;
  

• 
  Insufficiently trained technical staff to operate and maintain equipment;
  

• 
  Poor telecommunication infrastructure in many African countries;
  

• 
  High telecommunication tariffs and costs of consumables;
  

• 
  Lack of legally binding service contracts between the majority of NMHSs and telecommunication service providers(TSP); and
  

• 
  Civil strife in some countries.
  

The key causes of deficiencies in the GDPS, DM and PWS include:

• 
  Non-automation of NMCs, and lack of facilities and human resource capacities to take advantage of the GDPS, DM and PWS products including interpretation, verification, and use of model outputs and data code formats like BUFR, CREX and GRIB;
  

• 
  A number of countries with potential have not made any notable progress in the operation of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models;
  

• 
  In some countries, PWS studios are lacking;
  

• 
  The data in the majority of the countries was kept in paper form or obsolete electronic media and need rescue and automation.
  

• 
  Acquire and implement Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) equipped with Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) in remote or inhabitable areas and water bodies, where manning of stations is difficult;
  

• 
  Reactivate an optimum number of upper air stations by deploying systems using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and any advances in technology such as glider-sondes, AMDAR etc and ensure continuous operation;
  

• 
  Enhance new satellite data applications such as in monitoring and control of pests, bush and forest fires, rainfall estimation etc;
  

• 
  Rehabilitate the current station network where possible and implement stations at critical data sparse areas;
  

• 
  Provide national and regional capability to produce basic equipment and consumables;
  

• 
  Rehabilitate and implement telecommunication facilities including automation of data collection and exchange at NMCs and RTHs;
  

• 
  Establish sub-regional centre(s) for equipment maintenance;
  

• 
  Provide e-mail and internet facilities at observatories to improve data collection, avail e-mail and Internet facilities to rural communities to reduce the digital divide and enhance the visibility of NMHSs;
  

• 
  Integrate GDPS facilities and provide sub-regional and regional institutions and NMCs with the capacity to carry out research and operationally issue weather, climate, and water resources forecasts, and improve long-term and seasonal forecasts using regional NWP models;
  

• 
  Enhance the research and development facilities and capacity of the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), sub-regional centres and NMCs;
  

• 
  Build capacity for the operation and maintenance of equipment;
  

• 
  Build capacity for GDPS, PWS and DM including the interpretation, verification and use of NWP model outputs, and implementation and use of table driven formats like BUFR, CREX and GRIB;
  

• 
  Rescue and automate national and sub-regional databases;
  

• 
  These solutions should be implemented according to the requirements of the African sub-regions as proposed in the strategy.
  

• 
  The GOS, GTS, GDPS and PWS act as an integrated system, just like the valves of a single heart, in regard to the provision of meteorological and hydrological services, and any solutions must address all the components since the failure of any one of these components would affect the entire system;
  

• 
  Deficiencies in the systems affect, not only the communities in the region, but the entire global community in regard to aviation safety, marine safety, general public safety, safety of property, climate change monitoring and detection with socio-economic implications, disaster reduction, poverty reduction, food security and economic growth amongst many other weather and climate related activities;
  

• 
  The solutions, which include implementation and improvement of GOS, GTS GDPS, PWS and DM at national and regional level, need national, regional and global attention to ensure timely availability of meteorological and hydrological data and products at National, Regional, World Meteorological Centres and World Area Forecasting Centres for the safety and sustainable development of humankind.
  

• 
  This document is a synthesis of problems and proposed solutions for the deficiencies in the GOS, GTS, GDPS, PWS and DM. It provides useful information for the formulation of projects to implement the ''WWW Strategic Plan on the Implementation and Improvement of the Basic Systems In RA I - Africa''.
  

• 
  The failure to catch up with rapid technological developments;
  

• 
  Poor economic environment in many African countries;
  

• 
  Difficulties to establish stations in remote or inhabitable areas and water bodies;
  

• 
  Inadequate or lack of telecommunication facilities in the rural areas;
  

• 
  Inadequate capacities for the operation and maintenance of equipment;
  

• 
  High costs of consumables especially for upper air stations;
  

• 
  Lack of necessary infrastructure such electricity, access roads, computing facilities and security;
  

• 
  Lack of equipment and consumables to recruit ships;
  

• 
  The inability of the majority of national airlines to equip aircraft with AMDAR equipment due to the high costs;
  

• 
  Lack of personnel.
  

The Constraints of Implementing AMDAR in Africa are:

• 
  In Africa only two airlines i.e. South African Airways and Air Mauritius operate AMDAR equipment in some of their aircraft. Few others flying into Africa have AMDAR. The routes are few and frequency is low unlike Europe, American, Australia and Asia;
  

• 
  The majority of national airlines use aircraft that cannot be fitted with AMDAR equipment. Only some aircraft of South African Airways and Air Mauritius carry AMDAR equipment;
  

• 
  It is not clear, to the majority of NMHSs, who should bear the cost of AMDAR equipment.
  

4.2 Proposed strategies for improving the GOS

• 
  Acquire and implement Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) with Data Collecting Platforms (DCPs) in remote or inhabitable areas and water bodies, where manning of stations is difficult;
  

• 
  Improve data collection and retransmission at observing stations;
  

• 
  Rehabilitate the current station network where possible and implement stations at critical data sparse areas including enhancement of marine observation;
  

• 
  Reactivate an optimum number of upper air stations by deploying systems using the Global Positioning System (GPS ) and any advances in technology such as glider-sondes, AMDAR etc and ensure continuous operation;
  

• 
  Implement the systematic observing programmes for the monitoring and detection of climate change with socio-economic impacts; and
  

• 
  Provide national and sub-regional capabilities to produce basic equipment and consumables.
  

• 
  Unreliable and unimplemented links between NMCs and RTHs;
  

• 
  Inadequate funds to rehabilitate and repair and/or replace obsolete telecommunications equipment;
  

• 
  Many NMCs have non-functional or poor data collection and retransmission facilities;
  

• 
  Insufficiently trained technical staff to operate and maintain electronic equipment;
  

• 
  Poor telecommunication infrastructure in many African countries;
  

• 
  High telecommunication tariffs and costs of consumables;
  

• 
  Lack of legally binding service contracts between the majority of NMHSs and Telecommunication Service Providers; and
  

• 
  Civil strife in some countries.
  

5.2 Proposed strategies for implementing and improving the GTS

• 
  Rehabilitate data collection and retransmission facilities at the NMCs. All analogue lines should be converted to digital lines;
  

• 
  Promote the use of advances in telecommunication technology, such as digital HF SSB and satellite based facilities free for use by NMHSs, such as Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) and RANET;
  

• 
  Use dial-up e-mail and internet facilities at observing stations to improve data collection, avail e-mail and Internet facilities to rural communities to reduce the digital divide and enhance the visibility of Meteorological services in remote areas;
  

• 
  Support the implementation of Internet access at all NMCs;
  

• 
  Acquire and install computer based telecommunication systems with facilities for automatic request and retrieval of data from observing stations at NMCs;
  

• 
  Establish links between NMCs and Airports to facilitate the transmission of aeronautical meteorological information.
  

• 
  Rehabilitate data collection and retransmission facilities at the RTHs. All analogue lines should be converted to digital lines;
  

• 
  Implement the remaining critical non-operational links between NMCs and RTHs;
  

• 
  Install AMSS equipped with facilities for automatic request and retrieval of data at RTHs to improve the efficiency of data collection and retransmission, and reduce the operation costs for data collection and retransmission;
  

• 
  Deploy VSAT and other technologies for data collection and retransmission. VSAT is a robust, flexible and highly reliable system for two-way communication between any two points (NMCs to RTHs). However, for cost-effectiveness, a sub-regional approach would be appropriate;
  

• 
  Promote the use of satellite based systems free for use by NMHSs, such as MDD and RETIM, for the reception of data and products;
  

• 
  Explore the use of frame relay for data exchange. Frame Relay Networks are mostly set up by national Telecommunication Service Providers (TSPs) and enable transmission of high-speed data typically over 256Kbps. The system is highly efficient in transferring large data files from any point within a TSP point-of-presence in network. National Meteorological services can be interconnected on Frame Relay Networks so long as they are within TSP point-of presence as is the case with Telkom South Africa and La Reúnion;
  

• 
  Support implementation of Internet servers at RTHs;
  

• 
  Set up sub-regional repair and maintenance centres for telecommunication facilities to facilitate the sharing of expertise available in the region. NMHSs should make it a practise to include relevant telecommunications and electronics equipment training modules during contract negotiations for purchases of telecommunications equipment.
  

• 
  The failure to catch up with rapid technological developments;
  

• 
  Insufficient scientific involvement and poor economic environment in many African countries;
  

• 
  Lack of facilities and human resource capacities to take advantage of the GDPS and PWS products including interpretation, verification, and use of model outputs and data code formats like BUFR, CREX and GRIB;
  

• 
  A number of countries with potential have NOT made any notable progress in research, development and operation of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models;
  

• 
  Most NMHSs do not have facilities for analysis and integration of GDPS products;
  

• 
  Most NMHSs use dial-up internet connections with low speeds;
  

• 
  The capacity to Disseminate and apply Forecasts, Warnings and Advisories is limited in the majority of countries; and
  

• 
  In many countries, PWS studios are lacking;
  

• 
  The data in the majority of the countries is kept in paper form or obsolete electronic media, and need rescue and automation.
  

1. 
   Proposed Strategies for improving GDPS, PWS and DM
   

• 
  Integrate GDPS facilities and provide sub-regional and regional institutions and NMCs with the capacity to carry out research and operationally issue weather, climate, and water resources forecasts, and improve long-term and seasonal forecasts using regional NWP models;
  

• 
  To build capacity for GDPS, PWS and DM including the interpretation, verification and use of NWP model outputs, and implementation and use of table driven formats like BUFR, CREX and GRIB;
  

• 
  To build capacity in ICT, Geographical Information System (GIS) and Climate-modelling;
  

• 
  Enhance the capacities of RSMCs and NMCs with potential for NWP by providing high-speed workstations, or PC clusters and servers for running NWP and other Climate models;
  

• 
  To upgrade telecommunication and Internet facilities of the NMHSs to access products of RSMCs, regional and world Meteorological Centres;
  

• 
  To fully automate the data processing systems and forecasting functions;
  

• 
  To rescue and automate national and regional data bases;
  

• 
  Promote application of information and communication technology (ICT) in public institutions and observing stations to timely provide essential public services and enhance the visibility of the NMHSs;
  

• 
  To improve communication systems for national, sub-regional and regional data and products exchange; and
  

• 
  Enhance new satellite data and products applications such as monitoring and control of pests, bush and forest fires, rainfall estimation etc; and
  

• 
  Acquire and implement the necessary software and high capacity servers for the management of databases.
  

• 
  Training in operation and maintenance of equipment and instruments;
  

• 
  Training in the use of modern and new basic systems techniques;
  

• 
  Training activities on basic systems procedures and IT for WWW development;
  

• 
  Capacity building for GDPS, PWS and DM including the interpretation, verification and use of NWP model outputs and data code formats like BUFR, CREX and GRIB;
  

• 
  Enhance the research and development facilities and capacity of the African Centre of Meteorological applications for Development (ACMAD), sub-regional centres and NMCs; and
  

• 
  Capacity building on weather presentation and dissemination techniques including GIS; and
  

• 
  Capacity building in Climate-modelling.
  

• 
  European Union (EU) funded Meteorological Transition in Africa (PUMA -Preparation for the Use of METEOSAT Second Generation In Africa) project for the provision of METEOSAT Second Generation (MSG) ground satellite receiving systems, including relevant training and outlook activities;
  

• 
  The African world space Radio and Internet (RANET) project initiated by ACMAD, which will improve the availability of meteorological data and products to user communities, in particular the rural communities, by using digital, wind-up and solar radios;
  

8.2 There are also sub-regional projects contributing to the strategy. These include:

• 
  The USA National Weather Service (NWS) funded East African project on enhancement of the availability of weather observations over East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania), using HAM Radio Operators and Volunteer Observers. This project will enhance the availability of data and products at NMCs and in rural areas;
  

• 
  ASECNA SATCOM Project. The SATCOM is providing a unique opportunity for upgrading the RMTN in the Western and Central African area, also including Madagascar. The SATCOM facilities should be used for the upgrade of the RMTN not only for ASECNA countries, as is already being implemented, but also for other RA I Members who could benefit from the SATCOM services. Interconnection with the other sub-regions will be enhanced, in particular, through the participation of the RTH on the MTN (Dakar) in the plan for the Improved MTN being developed by CBS;
  

• 
  The EU funded IGAD project on early warning. This project provides facilities for processing meteorological information, including satellite data, to improve early warnings in the region;
  

• 
  The DMC Nairobi and Harare projects for monitoring and predicting floods and droughts in the respective regions;
  

• 
  Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) project on enhancing meteorological facilities, in particular for tropical cyclone warning services;
  

• 
  USA NWS funded upper air observational data rescue and archival project for seven African countries(Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, And Zambia);
  

• 
  Southern Africa AMDAR project.
  

1. 
   To enhance the availability of weather, climate and environmental data and information for sustainable socio-economic development in Africa.
   

1. 
   Implement Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) at the RBSN stations with appropriate communications to NMCs. Highest priority will be given to GCOS stations.
   
2. 
   Reactivate the upper air observing programs by deploying at each station a system using GPS and associated with a reliable hydrogen producing equipment. Highest priority will be given to GCOS stations.
   
3. 
   mplement regional AMDAR projects and operational programs addressing observations on ascent and descent at the main local airports, and during the en route flight.
   
4. 
   Enhance marine observations through active participation of the countries in the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) Program and the other JCOMM and scientific programs such as ASAP, SOOP, DBCP, PIRATA etc.
   
5. 
   Identify the potential VOS and requests for shipboard equipment and organisation of training of port meteorological officers.
   
6. 
   Identify and prioritise remote locations, inland and coastal waters, where there is a need for observational data. Prepare specifications for AWSs for the priority remote locations, purchase and install.
   
7. 
   Rehabilitate climatological network of stations based on conventional instrumentation.
   
8. 
   Enhance environmental observations
   
9. 
   Implement the maintenance capability for the observational equipment on a sub-regional basis. (See project 4).
   
10. 
    Institute a programme of training in use and maintenance of the equipment. (See project 4).
    

2. 
   Preparation, distribution and application of products necessary for sustainable socio-economic development of Africa.
   

1. 
   Strengthen connectivity between NMCs and RTHs, and between RTHs by taking advantage of advances in communication technologies and improve the efficiency of data collection and exchange by installing AMSSs equipped with facilities for automatic request and retrieval of data. (Those countries where ASECNA operates have special requirements).
   

3. 
   Improve the capacities of sub-regional and regional institutions, and NMHSs with potential to carry out research and development, and operationally issue weather, climate, and water resources forecasts, and improve long-term and seasonal forecasts by acquiring and implementing high-speed workstations, or PC clusters and servers, related model code and software for running NWP and Climate models.
   
4. 
   Improve the capability for post processing of NWP products and other information to deliver end user products.
   
5. 
   Improve the dissemination and applications of weather and climate products.
   
6. 
   Carry out training on public weather skills.
   
7. 
   Carry out training on computer and communications operation and maintenance.
   
8. 
   Carry out training on data processing, modelling, and applications support and development ( e.g. GIS) .
   

2. 
   Use of Internet in Africa for Improving Exchange of Meteorological and Environmental Information.