Hassan Magulumali
The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Abdallah Mitawi, has called on the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) to strengthen its weather monitoring, forecasting and early warning systems to support sustainable development across the country.
Mitawi said TMA plays a critical role in national development, noting that reliable weather information is essential to sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, trade and a wide range of public services.
He said Tanzania needs a strong meteorological institution equipped with qualified experts, modern technology and up-to-date equipment capable of meeting the country’s growing needs.
According to Mitawi, weather forecasts should be taken into consideration from the early stages of implementing development projects and other economic activities. He warned that ignoring meteorological information could expose investments to risks and undermine the sustainability of development projects.
Mitawi also commended TMA for being recognised as a Centre of Excellence at both the East African and regional levels, describing the achievement as consistent with the aspirations of Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050.
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He said the recognition reflects Tanzania’s ambition to become a leader in knowledge and innovation, with the capacity to provide expertise and solutions that other African countries and the wider world can learn from.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary further praised TMA for achieving an 89.1 per cent accuracy rate in weather forecasting, attributing the progress partly to investment in technology by the Sixth Phase Government.
He also highlighted the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving weather forecasting and urged TMA to continue investing in and upgrading modern technologies to position the institution among the world’s leading meteorological agencies.
On rainfall forecasts associated with El Niño conditions, Mitawi commended TMA for continuing to provide weather information to the public and institutions that could potentially be affected.
He urged the Authority to broaden stakeholder engagement, particularly with the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI), the Ministry of Education, as well as security and defence organs.
He said stronger coordination among these institutions would enhance preparedness and enable authorities to respond earlier to potential weather-related risks.
Earlier, TMA Director General Dr Ladislaus Chang’a said the Authority continues to monitor weather conditions, issue forecasts and provide early warnings to the public and relevant institutions.
He assured stakeholders that TMA would continue working closely with various sectors while expanding public awareness and education on weather and climate information.
In a presentation on TMA’s operations, Egidius Bonyeza said the Authority is continuing to strengthen its monitoring, analysis and forecasting systems.
He added that the adoption of modern technologies would remain a key priority as TMA works to improve the accuracy, reliability and accessibility of weather information across Tanzania.
