China donates US$2.4m worth of meteorological equipment to Namibia

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has donated US$2.4m-worth of meteorological equipment to the government of Namibia, Africa, reports Chinese news agency Xinhua. The equipment includes 10 sets of manned weather observation systems; five sets of automated weather systems; work station software; meteorological communication systems; the FY-3 meteorological satellite data collecting and processing system; and the FY3-3 meteorological satellite information processing and application system. Namibia’s deputy minister James Sankwasa said the donation emanated from a China-Africa cooperation to build meteorological services in Africa to enable the region to respond to the growing needs of its citizens, especially in the areas of disaster prevention and mitigation, climate change and meteorological observation, according to the report. “The recent tropical cyclone Dineo, for example, was tracked using FY-3 Satellite until it dissipated in the Atlantic Ocean,” explained Sankwasa. The early warning system, once operational, would provide timely warning and advisories that could save lives and reduce extensive damage to properties throughout the country.