Thoughts shared by the Permanent Secretary

The Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Mr Rainford Simumbwe, addressed participants at the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) Early Warnings for All (EWSA) intensive testbed open day on 5 February 2025.

Simumbwe said, “This testbed…marks a significant step in our efforts to enhance Zambia's ability to deliver timely, accurate and actionable weather forecasts to serve the diverse needs of our people.

“I'm happy to note that the activities of the testbed are already well underway and our dedicated experts and stakeholders are actively engaged in exploring, testing and refining cutting-edge nowcasting products. These will significantly strengthen our weather forecasting capabilities, particularly in short-term forecasting where speed and accuracy are essential.

“The implementation of advanced nowcasting weather forecasts forms part of Zambia's comprehensive climate adaptation strategy. It significantly enhances our ability to provide real-time, relevant and localised weather information that empowers individuals, communities and decision-makers to make informed choices across critical sector sectors, such as agriculture, health, and aviation, but most importantly, in disaster preparedness and response.”

He said this technology is vital in helping the country predict and prepare for extreme weather events such as severe storms, torrential rains, flash floods, and prolonged droughts. All of these can have a devastating impact on communities, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

“Zambia is therefore rightfully proud to be among the leading nations in the region in the development and implementation of nowcasting weather forecasts. It builds on the solid foundation led by the successful hosting of the first testbed in early 2024. We are now advancing our capabilities with this second and more focused testbed.”

He closed with a key question to stakeholders as the project nears its conclusion, “Every project has an end; are we going to be able to sustain the accurate and timely dissemination of information, beyond the life cycle of the project so that we can remain resilient and continue our activities?”