Global weather firm to boost Kenya's fight against climate change

Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-20 20:48:31|Editor: Zhou Xin
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NAIROBI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Global weather observation systems company Vaisala on Wednesday said it will partner with Kenya in order to boost the fight against climate change.

Vaisala CEO Kjell Forsen told a media briefing in Nairobi that it will collaborate with the meteorological department to collect and monitor the changing weather conditions.

"We will deliver high quality weather measuring systems that will be used to gather accurate data required in combating the climate change phenomenon," Forsen said during a ceremony to open its permanent office in Nairobi, which will serve as a hub for eastern and southern Africa.

The new African hub will offer expanded environment and weather services, including air quality measurement instruments and services in the region.

Forsen said that Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. "The continent has growing demand for high quality weather measuring systems," he added. Vaisala will use the Radiosonde, which is a balloon-borne instrument to transmit weather data using radio.

Radiosonde measures rainfall, humidity, visibility and environmental pressures up to 30 km into the atmosphere.

Forsen noted that climate change is a growing threat to socio-economic development in Kenya and the rest of the African continent.

"While most African nations have already invested in weather observation equipment, they need to continually update their systems in order to enhance their weather forecasting capability," he said.

Since 1980, Vaisala has provided weather observation systems to aviation authorities in Africa. Forsen said that it has so far, equipped Kenya's major airports with the latest weather observation systems.

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