FMI-Azerbaijan EU Twinning project on track
Photo: Pixabay.Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has been implementing the EU-Twinning Project with National Hydrometeorological Service (NHMS) under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) in Azerbaijan for a year now. The project is implemented together with the LHMS Lithuania and OiEau France, which are acting as Junior member states of the consortium, and now the two-year project has reached its midterm. In cooperation with the EU-Twinning the capacity of NHMS is being strengthened for the NHMS to be able to operate an Early-Warning System with modern technologies and weather forecast models. The first half of the project has included making assessments of the gaps needs and drafting of strategies and future plans for trainings and infrastructural modernizations.
After successful implementation of the first half, it is now the time for the implementation of the training program and technical improvements.
"The work so far has been very interesting and productive. NHMS and MENR seem to be very committed to work in achieving the project goals and eventually to improve the capacity of the Azerbaijani society in adaptation to the severe weather events and effects of climate change", says Ljubov Liman, resident Twinning Advisor of FMI. Government of Azerbaijan currently pays high attention to climate change adaptation and allocates enough investment to activities on mitigation and adaptation of different sectors to climate change. This includes among others development of renewable energy sources, development of early warning system and investment on modernization of hydrometeorological observation network.
In recent years, new automatic hydrometeorological stations have been installed in the NHMS observation network. In addition, two new doppler weather radars are also installed in different parts of the country to improve efficiency of forecast and Early Warnings. All these activities are also well in line and supportive to the implementation of the Twinning project.
More information:
Head of Group Matti Eerikäinen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, tel. +358 40 7031434, matti.eerikainen@fmi.fi