Statement from the General Director of Sudan Meteorological Authority on World Meteorological Day 2022
Today 23 March is World Meteorological Day, commemorated since 1950 to showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society.
Sudan Meteorological Authority
The Sudan Meteorological Authority (SMA) joins WMO and the rest of the world to officially commemorate World Meteorological day 2022 under the theme — Early Warning and Early Action with a special focus on Hydrometeorological and Climate Information for Disaster Risk Reduction.
SMA has made great strides. Significant milestones and commitment to the provision of weather and climate information services in Sudan since its first establishment in 1937 have been achieved, this is not a simple undertaking. Today, SMA seeks to improve wide access and, use of weather/climate information, use of climate services, and applications for decision-making processes at all levels.
Early Warning system in Sudan
Despite the political and economic challenges that are facing Sudan, our country remains highly vulnerable to climate change’s negative impacts. The unprecedented increase in frequency and severity of extreme events is causing serious disruptions to livelihoods. SMA has, in the previous seasons, issued more warnings on; heavy rainfall, dust storm, thunderstorm, and significant drop or rises in temperature. We have all witnessed devastating floods and drought disasters. Consequently, Early Warning Early action is a must if we are to save lives. There is an urgent need to improve the flood and drought early warning system and impact-based forecast in Sudan. To ensure early warning and early action, SMA is collaborating with relevant social and economic sectors within national meteorological and hydrological services, disaster management authorities, and development:
1. To improve a range of meteorological and climatological products and services and;
2. To enhance warnings, disaster risk management, and proactive participation in the assessment and adaptation to climate change.
According to WMO, impact-based forecasts that inform the public of what the weather will DO are vital to saving lives and livelihoods. SMA is responsible for issuing timely weather forecasts, weather warnings, and climate reports to cover short-term, medium-range, and seasonal products.
Our products are diverse and include; daily, weekly, and monthly weather forecasts, 5- and 10-day bulletins, and seasonal monitoring and evaluation. Weather and climate forecast and warning information issued by SMA is to a large extent accurate.
During the 2021 rainfall season, for instance, SMA predicted and issued flood warnings for Al-Faw, Al-Rahad, and the Blue Nile state. However, the flood damages and losses in these areas could have been reduced if the warning information was used for early action. It is therefore essential to develop an integrated communication system to help communities prepare for such hazardous climate-related events once the warnings are issued. There is, therefore, a need to develop integrated communication systems to help communities prepare for such hazardous climate-related events once the warnings are issued.
Our partners
SMA collaborates with international, national, and local partners to improve Climate Services. To mention just a few, Firstly, the technical and financial support from Finish Meteorological Institute (FMI and the Economic and Commercial Counsellor’s office Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sudan; secondly the two experts from the Norwegian Refugee Council ( NORCAP) who have joined us since July 2021 to help us improve numerical weather prediction, and the weather and climate services stakeholder engagement process. SMA has commenced implementation of the Development and enhancement of the Drought Early Warning System (DRESS-EA project) in Kosti state under our parent Ministry (Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources) supported by GWP. We are also collaborating with FAO on food security and agriculture projects. Other projects are also in the pipeline, hopefully, we will soon get a greenlight on the GCF project submitted under the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCENR) supported by UNEP. SMA calls upon more partners, to join hands in improving Early Warning Early Action.
World Meteorological Day stakeholder engagement workshop
As part of the World Meteorological day commemoration, SMA held a stakeholder workshop on 20th March 2022. The workshop was attended by representatives from agriculture and food security, water and energy, health, disaster risk reduction, and aviation sectors. The aim of the engagement was to raise awareness on the importance of this year’s theme Early Warning Early Action; to build a strong relationship with key national climate stakeholders in all sectors; decision-makers, climate scientists, researchers, and users. The workshop is also meant to strengthen ongoing dialogue and understanding of needs to improve climate-smart decisions. To share information and innovations to accelerate climate early warning-early action within various sectors in Sudan. Lastly, to prepare for the Sudan National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF).
SMA stakeholder workshop on 20 March 2022 at SMA boardroom, held to commemorate world Meteorological Day
Call for stakeholder participation
SMA will, therefore, consistently build capacity to provide timely weather and climate information to save lives and livelihoods for vulnerable communities in Sudan. Nevertheless, SMA resources are constrained, by overwhelming needs. Our major limitation is the capacity to timely engage end-users at the community level and to deliver an impact-based warning. Through the support from various projects supported by our partners, we are developing a process for robust engagement of all stakeholders involved in climate services activities to ensure coordinated efforts.
This is because we are cognizant of the fact that it is projected that climate change could result in an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather/climate events, leading to more intensive flash floods and more recurrent drought and water scarcity in our region. This underpins the twin objectives of Early Warning for Early Action in the context of enhanced stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
Looking to the future, SMA is preparing to issue the main seasonal forecasts for the period June -September 2022 in May. This is the most important season for Sudan, and our forecast may give indications of predicted weather challenges work with stakeholders for preparedness. We are now working towards the National Climate Outlook Forum, a platform for the provision of climate information at relevant timescales through a regular and sustained multi-stakeholder dialogue process between information providers and users at the national level. We, therefore, call upon all our partners to actively support SMA’s activities. Together with partners, SMA remains committed to contributing to the increase of crop production and food security, sustainable development, and poverty reduction in Sudan
I wish you all a happy World Meteorological Day