Michael S Nkalubo Commissioner Meteorology Ministry of Water and Environment CBA 7 Conference Dhaka – Bangladesh, April 2013

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Michael S Nkalubo Commissioner Meteorology
Ministry of Water and Environment
CBA 7 Conference
Dhaka – Bangladesh
Uganda Meteorology Department
simplifies her products to improve
early warning messages for better
planning and decision making
Translation of the Weather Forecast into local languages
initiative in Uganda

2. Presentation Outline
 Role of Department of Meteorology
 Meteorological products
 Instruments and observation network
 Why the new initiative
 Impact at community level
 Impact at National level
 Challenges
 Way forward
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3. Roles of the Department
of Meteorology
Mandate: Meteorology Department is the
government institution mandated to carry out the
tasks of establishing and maintaining weather and
climate observing stations network, collection,
analysis and production of weather and climate
information, to support social and economic
development of the country
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4. Meteorology Department
PRODUCTS
1.Products on past climate
 Historical climate data
 Observed climate change signals
 Climate variability trends and
 Any other statistics, etc
2.Monitor or Observe Current State of Climate
 Real time data
 Information on evolution of ENSO events
 State of Sea Surface temperature
 Surface and upper air anomalies of pressure, winds
and other climate parameters.
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5. Meteorology Department
PRODUCTS cont’d
3. Prediction products
 Civil Aviation Specialised Products
 General Daily Weather Forecasts
 Seasonal Climate Outlooks & their updates
 Climate change Projections up to 50 years for
different parts of the country
 Monthly Climate forecast for Karamoja
(NEW PRODUCT)
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6. Weather
Stations in
Uganda
Synoptic stations
Hydromet stations
Agromet stations

7. Why the new initiative?
Research evidence by ACCRA in collaboration with government found that :
The majority rural end users lack access
Those who get, it comes late
 Complicated Meteorology terminologies
i.e. above normal/ below normal rainfall
Un coordination and misinterpretation of
weather forecast
Lack of trust of modern information
Traditional weather forecast
more trusted
Development planning at all levels
does not take into account of climate changes
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8. What about the initiative?
The overall long term Goal is to: increase the
usage of weather and climate information
in decisions making processes by end
users.
 National expert workshops to downscale
and interpret the weather forecast
and develop advisory messages for all
sectors
 Translation into local languages
 Dissemination through local FM radios,
meetings, mobile phones and news papers
 Piloting in three Districts with plans of
scaling
up
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Funding from ACCRA and
her Consortium members
National experts discussing the MAM 2013 weather
forecast

9. Impact at Community level:
Feedback from rural
communities
• Understandable language: Rural
communities and district staff
appreciated the weather forecast in
their local language for the first time
• Timely and Useful: Communities
mentioned to have received the
information timely and that it was
useful for the first time
• Better preparedness and informed
decisions: i.e. communities testify to
have used the information to prepare
a head of heavy rains – opening up
water drainages, planting short
maturing crops
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Meteorology Staff conduct community
assessment in otuke and Kitgum Districts

10. Impact at National and
Institutional level:
• Improved coordination among experts at national level: for the first time,
Meteorology experts invites other ministries media, research and academia
experts to discuss the weather forecast and its implications
• Usable and harmonized formats of the weather forecast: Different experts
jointly interpret the weather forecast information and develop advisories
per sector which are than translated in local languages and disseminated.
• Reduced misinterpretation of the weather forecast as experience before
• Improved image and relations of meteorology services: In the recent past,
people did not trust Meteorology services, However, this initiative has
opened windows for meteorology to interact with different stakeholders
both at national and local.
 Inviting meteorology staff for live radio talks on weather forecast and
climate change at their local FM stations
 Some Local private FM radio stations have offered free airtime to air the
forecast 10

11. Challenges still exist
• Increasing spacial variability due to climate change
requires expansion of stations
• The pilot project does not cover the whole country
• Low Staffing level yet the equipment used is still
conventional and the services are not decentralised
• How the lessons can inform long term national
level planning and decision making
• Inadequate feedback mechanisms from end
users to the department
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12. Way forward
 fundraising to scale up the initiative
 Working with other development
partners like ACCRA to support forward
looking planning utilising weather and
climate information
Using radio as a principle method of
disseminating in local languages
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13. Way forward
• Need to promote radio listenship groups to
improve dissemination
• Train journalists in the districts including at
community radios
• Synergise with Key stakeholders including
CSOs and private sector
• Strengthen climate modeling for medium
to long term climate scenarios to inform
forward looking decision making 13

14. • Thank You
• For
• Your Kind Attention
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