According to the deputy director general of the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (Inamet) of Angola, Isidro Tuleni, the authorities plan to install around 400 meteorological stations in the country, foreseen in the strategic plan, "but it is still far from the target".
Currently, the country has around 70 meteorological stations, including synoptic, agrometeorological and hydro-meteorological, spread across the country, a number "still insufficient to respond to the sector's challenges", he said.
The official, who was speaking at the "Worshop on Climate Services of the Southern African Development Community" (SADC), whose works officially started this Tuesday, in Luanda, also noted that Angola "still has a problem with the homogeneous distribution of stations a Nacional level".
Work between Inamet and the Angolan National Space Program Management Office (GGPEN) is already under way to densify meteorological networks across the country, especially in more remote areas.
"This is a big challenge we have at Inamet, because we are not making a homogeneous description of the network of stations, because we have to prioritize areas that have a network so that we can have this efficient data telemetry", he acknowledged.
Lamera Gaspar, coordinator of Inamet's Climate Department, referred in her speech that the collection of data at the institution level does not register any constraints, pointing out, however, the need to improve seasonal forecasts.
According to Inamet management, Angola should soon have a meteorological radar, when more than 100 virtual stations have already been set up in partnership with its French counterpart.
Matias Rabemananjara, interim coordinator of the SADC meteorology section, added that the meeting aims to create communication channels and engagement process with national stakeholders and initiate the technical implementation of activities in the country in focus.
The activity takes place in the Angolan capital under the SADC Climate Services and Related Applications Program (ClimSA), funded by the European Union, in partnership with Inamet and should also "contribute to the adaptation efforts of SADC countries to climate change".
The 'workshop', which runs until Saturday, also proposes to develop capacities for sharing data for the national meteorological and hydrological services of the Member States of SADC in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization.
