Report on the installation of automatic weather stations in Somalia
Down2Earth project aims to expand remote sensing and in situ observation capabilities to improve preparedness to water scarcity within Horn of Africa drylands (HAD). By expanding station networks, better preparedness to future risks to water scarcity within the HAD will be realized. The project has procured and installed 10 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) within Somalia. The identified sites where installation was done are; Qardho in Bari region, Badhan in Sanaag region, Guriceel in Galmudug, Abduwaq in Galgaduud region, Hobyo in Mudug region, Dhobley in Lower Juba, Burao in Togdheer region, Erigavo in Sanaag, Hudur in Bakool region and Doloow.
The support between partners i.e., Ministry of Energy and Water resources, Somali Civil Aviation Authority and Ministry of Agriculture which has made installation run smoothly. All the AWSs have been installed and are operational. Some of the parameters being transmitted by the AWS are Wind speed and Direction, surface Air pressure, Air temperature and relative humidity, solar radiation, precipitation and soil moisture and temperature which are remotely accessed at 15-minute intervals from the AWS network.