ISLAMABAD: In the wake of China’s unflinching commitment to help Pakistan mitigate detrimental impacts of natural disaster like catastrophic flood, torrential rain as well as metrological hazards, Gwadar Port has received equipment of early warning system, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday.
After equipment’s installation and functioning at Gwadar Port, next beneficiary areas are Jiwani and Turbat in Balochistan.
China Metrological Administration (CMA) has doled out the equipment to Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD). The equipment includes the establishment of one mobile vertical observation system, one Beidou Navigation sounding station and three automatic weather stations (AWS) including two backup Aws and large screen.
Talking to Gwadar Pro PMD official said that CMA-PMD collaboration is a part of boosting CPEC capacity for emergency management of major metrological disasters under the Belt and Road Initiative.
He revealed that CMA is also assisting PMD for enhancing its institutional capabilities to meet the emerging hydro-metrological challenges.
“CMA will help PMD strengthen metrological observation network along the CPEC route in Pakistan,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said that for site-selection, transportation, installation, commissioning, daily operation and maintenance, PMD has constituted a three-member team that comprises of Muhammad Tahir Khan, Fayyaz Nazir and Ali Baqadar.
The team will coordinate with the counterpart CMA, he added.
Last year, on March 24, meteorological officers and experts from China and Pakistan held talks on deepening cooperation in meteorological science and technology in Beijing.
According to planning ministry sources, Pakistani delegation also visited relevant agencies under CMA to learn about the progress of the cloud-based early warning support system in Pakistan and discussed customized plans for Pakistan.
“PMD and CMA will strengthen cooperation in monitoring, forecasting, hydrology and communication, and research & training,” the Planning Ministry official said.
China and Pakistan are important members of World Metrological Organization (WMO) Regional Association II.
The bilateral cooperation between the two countries is of vital significance for meteorological development in Asia.
