Accra, Ghana — UNESCO has handed over nine automated weather stations to the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) to enhance climate resilience and improve early warning systems across Ghana.
The handover ceremony, held on Wednesday, 6 May 2026 in Accra, formed part of the project “Strengthening Resilience on Water-Related Disasters under Climate Change for a Sustainable Society in Ghana,” funded by the Government of Japan.
The initiative is designed to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to respond to climate variability and extreme weather events, including floods and droughts, through improved data collection and forecasting systems.
Edmond Moukala, UNESCO Representative to Ghana, underscored the critical role of accurate meteorological data in disaster preparedness and climate services.
“Accurate, timely, and reliable meteorological data form the backbone of effective early warning systems and climate services. These weather stations are not merely pieces of equipment; they are instruments of anticipation rather than reaction, of prevention rather than response. When effectively utilised, they will help save lives and protect livelihoods,” he said.
Director-General of GMet, Eric Asuman, highlighted the importance of data to the Agency’s operations, particularly in key sectors such as aviation and agriculture.
“Our services support critical sectors of the economy, including aviation and agriculture, and they rely fundamentally on data. While generating and maintaining this data is capital intensive, advances in technology—especially automated weather stations—are helping to ease the burden,” he noted.
The deployment of the weather stations is expected to improve data availability, enhance forecast accuracy, and strengthen Ghana’s early warning systems.
Deputy Director-General of GMet, Ignatius Kweku Williams, expressed appreciation to UNESCO and the Government of Japan for the support and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to operationalising the equipment.
“We are grateful for this support. Our priority now is to ensure the stations are effectively deployed and fully integrated into our systems to enhance service delivery,” he said.
Source: www.climatewatchonline.com
