Indian Ocean Data Rescue Initiative – Tanzania Meteorological Agency

1. 1ST MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN DATA RESCUE INITIATIVE – INDARE-SC GENEVA, SWITZERLAND29 SEPTEMBER- 01 OCTOBER, 2014 Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) By Ms. Janet Loning’o Manager, Climatology and Climate Change Section Janeth.loningo@meteo.go.tz

2. INTRODUCTION • Tanzania is located in the Eastern side of the continent of Africa between latitude 01°S to 11°S and longitude 29.5°E to 40°E. • It covers an area of some 945,087 square kilometers (km2). The land covers 886,000 square kilometers and water 59,050 square kilometers including the islands of Mafia, Pemba and Zanzibar.

3. TANZANIA

4. Climate data status • The historical meteorological data are important for monitoring climate change, climate variability and has a critical role in decision making. • Meteorological data observation began in Tanzania from 1890s along the coast and spread gradually to the mainland. • Majority of the older files have undergone tremendous deterioration due to chemical and biologically-induced degradation as well as physically-induced loss of strength resulting from regular handling and use. Other records being produced from the fields are also kept in the archive. • The contents of these files are still useful and urgently need to be rescued and preserved.

5. Climate data status • Large percentage of the historical climate data are still in paper form and are at greater risk of being lost as the paper are deteriorating fast, in case of fire outbreaks, if not well preserved causing the knowledge database or the important data gathered over years to be wasted. Situation Before

6. Climate Data Archive Situation After

7. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT • The overall objective is to convert all available paper-based observed meteorological data into computer based electronic images. • The move is geared towards facilitation of long term safety and preservation of the historical meteorological data useful in implementing the strategic mission of TMA of providing quality, reliable and cost effective delivery of meteorological services in Tanzania.

8. APPROACH/METHODOLOGY • Training of relevant personnel (TMA and outsourced) on data rescue. • Building Inventory, document the records and acquire a data management software. • Purchase relevant hardware and software for processing images such as High-Speed Document Scanners. • Indexing process Purchase High-End Web Content Application Server.

9. MAIN ACTIVITIES • Build infrastructure for scanning (computers, scanners, camera, networking, and backup preparation). • Scanning of the various manuscripts and archiving. • Data Entry, Quality checks, proof reading, indexing and backup of the digitized records.

10. TARGET LOCATIONS ALL SYNOPTIC STATIONS WITH ALL BASIC FORMS HOLDING CLIMATOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS STORED IN OUR ARCHIVES.

11. CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA • Daily Rainfall Cards – Form 496 • Daily Maximum and Minimum Temperatures – form 509 • Observation registers – form 444 • METAR registers – form 646 • Evaporation registers – form 446 • Sunshine registers – form 92 • Radiation registers – form 616

12. CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA … • Hourly tabulation of temperature and relative humidity – form 639A&B • Rainfall charts and Monthly tabulation of rainfall intensity – form 92A • Pilot balloon ascents – form 293 • Radio sonde ascents – form • Agro meteorological documents – forms 1-5 • Monthly rainfall Ledgers

13. TMA Data Rescue Initiatives • TMA worked briefly with International Environmental Data Rescue Organization (IEDRO) in which some pilot balloon ascents data were rescued, • The process involved creating images and construction of time series, • Challenges included use of camera which made the whole process slow and thus not user friendly.

14. TMA Data Rescue Initiative • IEDRO: Data digitization used an ordinary Cannon camera.

15. TMA Data Rescue Initiative - IEDRO BUKOBA STATION

16. TMA Data Rescue Initiative - IEDRO BUKOBA STATION

17. Challenges • Lack of enough equipment/facility such as computers with enough capacity to store the bulk amount of the data. • The handwritten data ink fading away. • Data can be taken as waste paper, even more dangerous exposed to fire outbreaks or water. • The long-term data also poses a threat to health of the personnel who are working on it as part of their daily duties. • No enough room results to pilling up of the records leading to hideout of the small insects.

18. Current initiatives and future plans • TMA is currently collaborating with UK Met and DFID in data rescue project. The project aim at digitizing data from selected parameters which are more crucial to sectors more vulnerable to climate change • Data inventory exercise is in progress. • Through this initiatives it is expected a more efficient data rescue and digitization strategy will be developed.

19. Conclusion and Outcome • Data recue and digitization of historical climate data still remain one of the biggest challenge in an efforts to enhance data availability and accessibility • Large percent of historical climate data is still not digitized and is at greater risk of being lost • TMA will continue to enhance efforts to ensure that all historical climate data are digitized and call for support from international organizations/collaboration.

20. THANK YOU ASANTE