Agriculture Minister Noel Holder on Friday commissioned a new Climatological Station in the compound of the
Climatologist Komalchand Dhiram explains to Agriculture Minister Noel Holder how one of the instruments at the Climatological Station will be used to gather data
Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. The new station was established as a collaborative effort between the Hydromet Department and the GSA and will see students pursuing certificates and Diplomas in Agriculture benefiting from the facility, as the station will be used mainly for research purposes.
Minister Holder, during his address to the gathering, described the occasion as timely, as it fits into the Ministry’s vision of transforming the sector.
“With data from this station, we will be able to plan, in a scientific manner, improvements in both our agricultural practices and production in this era of global climate change,” the Minister said.
The Agriculture Minister stressed the importance of placing greater emphasis on providing people with the timely information necessary to protect themselves from extreme weather conditions. “Early warnings of danger can not only help communities to respond and adapt to risks posed by climate change, but also raise awareness of the causes and effects of climate chang,” Minister Holder added.
The effects of climate change are magnified and multiplied in poor communities. With these facts being known, global Meteorological centres have focused on generating forecasts. The Agriculture Ministry, through its national weather service’s Hydromet Office, permits the public to be more climate smart, through the use of climate and weather information to make informed decisions.
With the commissioning of the station, the Hydromet Service now has a total of eleven established climatological stations across Guyana which allows them to better monitor weather variables experienced in the various locations, in all the regions. Agriculture being the pillar of the productive sector as it contributes significantly to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product, this station serves as an intervention towards improving agricultural output.
While offering remarks at the commissioning, Climatologist (ag) at the Hydromet Department Komalchand Dhiram, explained that the station will be used mainly for observational purposes. “This is primarily an observational station but to some extent, it will function as a means to carry out seasonal forecasting. With this data, farmers can know what crops to plant during a given season. The more stations we have in a specific grid gives a wider scope which will allow for a more accurate forecast,” Dhiram said.
By introducing a Climatological Station at the Guyana School of Agriculture, an average of 120 students per year will be exposed to practical experience in Agricultural Meteorology. This will assist greatly in enabling students to link the theoretical aspect of climatology with the practical aspect, as students will be able to gain additional knowledge in reading and recording climate data.
More specifically, the instruments will enable the collection of rainfall, air temperature, wind speed, sunshine and evaporation. Data collected will provide opportunities for more focused research in crop production, adaptation, improved resilience and other suitable interventions to cope with the changes in climate in addition to providing an opportunity to undertake analysis in real time in a strategic location.
The Climatological Station was built as at cost of approximately $1.6 million.
