Vaisala and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) have received approval from Ethiopian and Finnish authorities for a new €13m (US$15m) weather observation and forecasting system project in Ethiopia.
The two organizations will work with the National Meteorology Agency (NMA) in Ethiopia to deliver a turnkey meteorological solution to modernize Ethiopia’s weather and climate observation and forecasting systems and help the country become more resilient to climate change.
The project, which is due to start in Q3 2021, will take around three years. After the implementation period, a three-year maintenance and support period will begin.
“Ethiopia faces hazardous weather events such as droughts, floods, hail and heavy precipitation. These events are expected to increase in both frequency and intensity. To mitigate the impacts, we need action on many levels of society. The importance of reliable weather measurements and forecasts to protect lives and property is constantly growing. Adaptation to climate change is important for all African countries, which are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather phenomena,” said Jarkko Sairanen, executive vice president, weather and environment, Vaisala.
“Through this unique Finnish public-private partnership, we are able to deliver a seamless, integrated solution. Vaisala’s high-end observation system, integrated with FMI’s state-of-the-art forecast production system, covers the whole value chain of the National Meteorology Agency. This will enable much-needed weather-related services for different sectors of society,” added Harri Pietarila, head of expert services at FMI.
The project will be funded through the Finnish Public Sector Investment Facility (PIF), a soft-loan financing instrument administrated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. It is applicable to projects that comply with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries that promote sustainable development and utilize Finnish expertise and technology. This is the first PIF project that has advanced to the agreement stage.