The Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT) and the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to monitor and combat effects of climate change in the Kunene region.
Esther Kaapanda, an Executive Director in the Ministry of Works and Transport, said her Ministry is expected to provide the necessary expertise in terms of information (daily and seasonal forecasts including extreme events) and capacity building on the IREMA Kunene Project.
“This Ministry is excited to be a part of this project which aims to not only invest in the improvement of an integrated early warning system , but also strengthen public private cooperation to reduce the detrimental effects of extreme weather events in the region through early detection, warning, and action,” she said.
“This ministry, through its Meteorological Service division, plays a fundamental role in the production of early warning system as the custodians of climate and weather information interpretation and communication.”
The IREMA Kunene project aims to put up meteorological instruments in the form of manual and automated rain gauges, and automatic weather stations in collaboration with MTC through their MoU with the EIF.
The name for IREMA Kunene Project is an abbreviation of the Improving Rangeland and Ecosystem Management Practices of Smallholder Farmers Under Conditions of Climate Change in Sesfontein, Fransfontein, and Warmquelle Areas in the Kunene region.
“The addition of these stations will expand the Meteorological Service station network and consequently improve the precision of weather forecasts issued for the project area (Sesfontein, Warmqulle, Khowarib, Fransfontein and Kamanjab),” Kaapanda said.
EIF CEO, Benedict Libanda said in order to mitigate against the systemic risks, development of an Early Warning System, which is an adaptive measure for climate change, using integrated communication systems to help communities prepare for hazardous climate-related events, is extremely important.
“A successful EWS saves lives and jobs, ecosystem and infrastructures and supports long-term sustainability. In fact, early warning systems can also assist in planning, saving money in the long run and protecting economies. Thus, EWS supports people’s livelihoods in a dignified way!”
He said the EIF through the IREMA Project which is being implemented in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, is busy rounding off the consultancy work that developed an EWS tailored for the Kunene region to the tune of N$950,000.
“Through our partnership with the MTC, four Automated Weather Stations have been procured at the cost of N$800, 000. These will be installed at the project’s anchor project areas such as Warmquelle, Fransfoentein, Kamajab and Berseg in Kunene Region,” Libanda said.
