SASSCAL WeatherNetto support regional weather monitoring ......29 November -2 December2016, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Southern Africa Regional Climate Services Workshop 1 Southern African

29 November - 2 December 2016, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Southern Africa Regional Climate Services Workshop

1 Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), Regionl Secretariat, Windhoek, Namibia, 2 Biocentre Klein Flottbek, University of Hamburg, Germany; 3 Zambia Meteorological Department, 4 Department of Meteorological Services, 5 Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Geofísica, 6 National Botanical Research Institute, 7 Namibia University For Science and Technology, 8 Gobabeb Research and Training Centre, 9 Instituto Superior Politécnico Tundavala 10

University of Stellenbosch, 11 University of Botswana , 12 Institute for Ethnology, University of Hamburg, 13 Deutscher Wetterdienst

SASSCAL WeatherNet to support regional weather monitoring and climate‐related

research in Southern Africa

Jörg Helmschrot1, G. Muche2, T. Hillmann2, K. Josenhans2, J. Kanyanga3, M. Butale4, D. Nascimento5, S. Kruger6, B. Strohbach7, M. Seely8, T. Wassenaar8, C. Ribeiro9, W. de Clercq10, P. Kenabatho11,M.

Schnegg12, F. Kasper13 & N. Jürgens2

Southern Africa Regional Climate Services Workshop29 November ‐2 December 2016, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Helmschrot et al.: SASSCAL WeatherNet

Regional Science Service Centers

German Government (2008):

‐ Two Regional Science Service Centers in Africa

‐ WASCAL (www.wascal.org)

‐ SASSCAL (www.sasscal.org)



SASSCAL StructureCoordinated at UHH, Scientific Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Norbert Jürgens

Coordinated through the Regional Secretariate, WindhoekActing Executive Director: Dr. Yonah Seleti

Kolloquium, 28. April 2015Jörg Helmschrot, SASSCAL, Universität Hamburg

SASSCAL Themes

Kolloquium, 28. April 2015Jörg Helmschrot, SASSCAL, Universität Hamburg

SASSCAL Projects



SASSCAL Climate research1. Establishing of Meteorological Observation Infrastructure in Angolan

Southwest – Province of Namibe (ANG)2. Improving weather observational network across Botswana (BOT)3. Historical and ongoing Climate Data Management (BOT)4. The impacts of climate change on livelihoods and implications for

adaptive strategies in the Kalahari ecosystem of western Botswana (BOT)

5. Historical and ongoing Climate Data Management (GER)6. Development of a user friendly regional climate modeling system (GER)7. Regional climate change assessment and uncertainty analysis (GER)8. Improved weather observation network (NAM)9. Impact of predicted altered climate and reduced fog along the Namib

coast as a result of warming of the Benguela (NAM)10.Climate Change, Impacts and Adaptation (SA)11.Expand, modernize and improve weather observation network, improve

forecasting in Zambia observation network (ZAM)



Introduction

• GCMs predict notable changes in our climate/weather conditions with impact at all scales

• Sparse and inadequate monitoring networks hardly provide reliable data for developing efficient strategies for

• sustainable water and land resources management, • drought and flood risk analyses and forecasts, • and climate change impact assessments.

• Networks are usually driven by national requirements (funds).• Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change

and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL; www.sasscal.org) contributes to the national monitoring networks in order to provide a

consistent and freely accessible data set at regional scale



Existing networks

Challenges• Sparse density• Actuality• Variability of systems

(standards, guidelines)• Responsibilities and

competitions• Technical infrastructure• Data availability/access• Maintenance/age• Lack of funding for staff,

extensions, maintenance



SASSCAL WeatherNet ‐ GOALS

• Establishing a regional weather observation network• Integration with national networks (coverage) and support of

national weather authorities (technical, training)• Built up on existing structures (BIOTA stations, national networks)• Homogenization of information over the region (minimum

parameter set, WMO standards …)• Up‐to‐date technologies (equipment, web‐based real time

availability, open access)• Support for research activities within SASSCAL and beyond

(service‐oriented)• Support for stakeholders and various interest groups (e.g.

‘weather information for breakfast’)

consistent and freely accessible data at regional scale



AWS History and Agreements

Extensions of the existing BIOTA network of 34 AWS stations in Namibia and South Africa

Set‐up a close cooperation with the national weather authorities

April 2013 – AWS Workshop, Windhoek UHH, NCs, PT/DLR, ZMD, BMS, INAMET, NWA,

CTS, NBRI, UJES, NMS, WMO Agreement on time frame, technical design,

WMO registration, staff training Various technologies and providers

Extension by altogether 30 stations in 2013/14 (Angola, Botswana, Zambia) and 80 AWS in 2014/15 (in all SASSCAL countries)

Additional rain/fog gauges in 2015



SASSCAL WeatherNet Components

Installation, operation and maintenance of AWS Developing, implementing, hosting and maintaining a web‐based data access facility (open access)

Data storage, back up and provision Service support (Observation Network and others) Investment of more than 1 Mio. € since 2012



WeatherNet Partners

Scientific partners Weather authorities (ZMD, BMS, INAMET) Stellenbosch University National Botanical Research Insitute University of Botswana ISPT Tundavala Gobabeb Research and Training Center, Namibia

Business partners (Providers) Central Technical Supply (CTS), Namibia (60+ AWS) ADCON Telemetry GmbH, Austria (45+) INOVA, Angola (10) CIMEL, France (5) University of Basel, Switzerland (1) Mike Cotton MSC, South Africa (27)

Local Partners National Parks, communities etc.



AWS installations

Variables

• Rainfall• Air temperature• Relative humiditiy• Solar radiation• Wind speed/direction• Soil temperature• Barometric pressure• Optional (e.g. soil moisture, leafwetness, fog ….)



AWS installations

Fog Measurement

• Juvik‐Cylinder, as identified byGOBABEB

• Accuracy (0,1 mm), sensitivity(stability)

• Double rain gauge approach



AWS installations (2013‐2015)

Logistic challenges import rules/regulations identification of network service providers

Challenges for installations/operation remote locations, local support, mines various providers dependencies on companies (e.g. timing) existing technical infrastructure Safety features (e.g. fencing requirements, local maintenance)

Challenges for IT‐Team 3 different data transmission systems (altogether 7 varying

transmissions systems (GPRS, Sat, internet) varying temporal resolutions needed to be implemented Implementation of new sensors (e.g. sunshine duration) Detection/fixing of malfunctions



Operational challenges

Vandalism and theft Local partners Warning signs Fencing

Technical problems Wind effects ând artefacts stabilization of

rain gauges Insect affection introduction of a metal

mesh in rain gauges is effective Failing GPRS networks effective control

and alert procdure

Cooperation Law restrictions (Zambia) willigness, various interests Personal contacts, skills, trust



Data transmisssion

- Harmonization of 7 different systems (3x GPRS, 2x satellite, 1x internet, 4x manual)

Example Botsuana



SASSCAL WeatherNet Coverage

Current Status

• Regional coverage• 161 M/AWS in operation• 131 online (2016)• Additional M/AWS & rain gauges on selected sites

• 3 experimental networks• Rio Giraul (10 AWS+)• Gobabeb (10 AWS)• Notwane (5 AWS) Detailed assessments on flash flood generation, sedimentation and fog



SASSCAL WeatherNet

near-real time data on www.sasscalweathernet.org



SASSCAL WeatherNet

station information sheet up to date rain and temperature rain summary, frost alert representation of hourly, daily, monthly data (numbers, graphs)



SASSCAL WeatherNet

Statistics for selected variables

visualization of various parameters

SASSCAL Weather mail (daily)



SASSCAL WeatherNet ‐ Operation

Operational control daily weather information mail remote battery control (alert) transmission control tools

Post-Processing data quality control and gap

analysis plausibility checks data filling data harmonization (timewise) data base storage and backup



SASSCAL Weathernet applications

Scientific applications (among others process research (erosion, sedimentation,

biodiversity, local climate effects) climate modelling and forecast fog studies yield forecast

Operational applications FEWSNET/CHG/USGS (WMO) Ministries (MAWF Nambia) weather forecast, flood warning

Public users radio channels, farmers, lodge owners



SASSCAL OADC/KE

• Actually services are hosted at UHH• Transfer to Open Access Data Center / Knowledge Exchange (Windhoek)

• in operation since 09/2014

OADC functionsArchiving of data with SASSCAL CopyrightAccess to SASSCAL data and third party dataOperating the SASSCAL website with up-to-date information

Advising and training of SASSCAL participants on IT mattersEstablishing and maintaining contacts with IT institutions, networks and individuals outside SASSCALs (eg SADC, GBIF, WMO, FEWSNET)Quality assurance / preparation / harmonization of data SASSCALDevelopment and support of offline and online software tools



SASSCAL Data management (DWD)

• Identification and evaluation of the resources at the National Meteorological Services (NMSs) of Angola, Botswana and Zambia for climate data management

• Harmonization of the Climate Data Management System (CDMS) across these NMSs, taking their specific needs into account

• Agreement on implementing CLIMSOFT as CDMS• Cooperation between the NMSs and the German

Meteorological Service to grant the proper operation of CLIMSOFT in the long-term

• Active role in the further development of CLIMSOFT



SASSCAL Data rescue/archiving (DWD)

• Historical climate records available in different archives, partly starting in the 1870s.

• Organizing and support of inventory, archiving and digitization

• Filling gaps of existing climate time series • Assisting with homogenization of time

series• Combination of different datasets e.g.

colonial stations in DWD’s archive with current stations in the SASSCAL region.



Conclusion

• 2016: 161 M/AWS on the ground, 131 AWS online (daily improvements)

• Region‐wide consistent seamless data since 2010 (partially longer records)

• QC‐data freely available on SASSCAL WeatherNET• Variety of tools available, e.g. statistics, dailyreport (and in planning)

• Activities to safeguard historic data

Outlook• Further tools (e.g. SMS alert)• Linkage to other existing networks• SASSCAL 2.0 (further investments (2017‐2021)• Topics: see SASCAL 2.0 Science Plan



Thanks

FUNDED BY

Natotela pakumpela ichumfwilo chenu! Merci! Obrigado! Danke! Thank you very much for your attention and interest!

SASSCAL Regional SecretariateActing Executive DirectorDr. Yonah Seleti ([email protected])

SASSCAL National DirectorsAngola: Chipilica Barbosa ([email protected])Botswana: Casper Bonyongo ([email protected])Namibia: Peter Erb ([email protected])South Africa: Peter Shisani ([email protected])Zambia: Indie Dinala ([email protected])

SASSCAL Scientific CoordinationProf. Dr. Norbert Jürgens (norbert.juergens@uni‐hamburg.de)University of Hamburg

www.sasscal.org

Documents

SASSCAL WeatherNetto support regional weather monitoring ......29 November -2 December2016, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Southern Africa Regional Climate Services Workshop 1 Southern African