On 24^th July 2023, ILRI’s Mazingira Centre hosted a training workshop on the use, maintenance, and diagnostics of weather stations by TAHMO (Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory). The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of local technicians, students, and researchers to effectively maintain their TAHMO stations to allow them to collect high-quality weather data and contribute to enhanced environmental monitoring efforts. Under the support of Mazingira’s Vincent Odongo and Sonja Leitner, Victor Omoit, the TAHMO country coordinator and Data Quality Manager, provided valuable guidance on practical applications. Below is a recap of the event and the impact it had on the participants.

The Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO) seeks to establish a dense network of weather stations across the African continent. These weather stations collect real-time weather and climate data, contributing to improved weather forecasts, climate research, and environmental monitoring. TAHMO’s mission addresses the scarcity of reliable weather data in many African regions and fosters greater understanding of climate patterns and trends. This information is useful for various users like crop farmers, who can plan their cropping season better, livestock keepers, who can react to upcoming droughts and feed scarcity earlier, up to local and international researchers who want to monitor climate change patterns and predict future climate scenarios for Africa.

The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of the technicians, students and researchers working at the Mazingira Center’s in efficiently maintaining their network of TAHMO weather stations across Kenya (currently 9 stations). We learned how to correctly set up the weather stations, assess measurement and data quality, provide regular maintenance, and conduct troubleshooting in case of problems. One common problem we have experienced is caused by monkeys who love to play with our stations and sometimes cause damage. In the workshop, we’ve learned simple repairs that we can do ourselves, which will help us to keep instrument downtime to a minimum and reduce costs.

The participants of the TAHMO training workshop were happy about the interactive discussions and active knowledge sharing in both directions. The expertise and hands-on support of Mr. Victor Omoit will help us to confidently diagnose and troubleshoot our TAHMO weather stations in the future. As the Mazingira Center continues its journey as a vital part of the TAHMO network, the knowledge gained from this workshop will undoubtedly contribute to more accurate weather data, better climate research, and improved environmental management efforts in the region. With every individual’s commitment to harnessing the potential of TAHMO, Africa takes a significant stride towards building a more resilient and sustainable future.

This workshop was financially supported by the CGIAR Initiative on Livestock and Climate and the ESSA project.