The National Meteorological Service has Upgraded Weather Equipment

The National Meteorological Service has upgraded weather equipment to monitor sea level and upgraded functionalities of the ‘SURFACE’ Climate Database Management System (CDMS), thanks to the Government of Belize through the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation.  The effort, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Belize’s National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund (G.C.F.), provided two radar water level sensors, one measurement and control data logger, and one weather-resistant enclosure, valued at US$10,301.33 for a total investment of US$40,201.33. The National Meteorological Service, through the ‘SURFACE’ Climate Database Management System (CDMS), provides critical support in climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, health, and the blue economy. It also monitors climate trends in rainfall, temperature, heat waves, and other extremes and shares the latest records of long-term climate change indicators.  On September 2, 2022, FAO signed a contract with Elligence Solucoes Em Technologia Ltda. To upgrade the ‘SURFACE’ CDMS of the N.M.S. for better coastal management; a deliverable under the project “Enhancing adaptation planning and increasing climate resilience in the coastal zone and fisheries sector of Belize,” valued at US$29,900.  According to the Government’s release, the project’s primary goal is to enable the N.M.S. to enhance its data collection and management capabilities. This will enable N.M.S. to measure and process basic ocean wave information that could support coastal monitoring and modelling activities such as monitoring sea level rise, which has yet to be monitored extensively in Belize.