At least 36 meteorological and hydrological technicians of the department of fisheries and water resources were awarded certificates over the weekend at a colourful ceremony held at the Banjul International Airport.
The graduates were awarded certificates after attending a nine-month intensive entry level meteorological and hydrological technicians course at the department of water resources training school.
Kebba Jawo, head of the training school, in his report, said the department of water resources during the past few decades had a clear commitment for the capacity building and human resources development of its personnel to develop and strengthen the national meteorological and hydrological services as they are rapidly changing and advancing.
He noted that to meet the growing needs of meteorological and hydrological services, personnel engaged in the provision of the services must therefore possess adequate knowledge and skills to deal with the increasing scientific and technological development.
As a result, he continued, the department of water resources training school was established and inaugurated in 1985, adding that since its establishment the training school had offered training programmes at World Meteorological Organization (WMO) level technician Class 1V for meteorological and hydrological personnel.
Mr Jawo said further that the training programme was conducted in conformity with education and training requirement for the basic instruction packages for meteorological and hydrological personnel as outlined in World Meteorological Organization document number 1083 to provide personnel with the foundation knowledge and skills necessary for entry into meteorological and hydrological profession.
It forms the basis for further specialization, lifelong learning and professional development to meet both national and international requirements in response to evolving science and technology, he said.
The trainees underwent vigorous training in both academic and professional subjects to meet the requirement for entry level meteorological and hydrological technicians through hard work and dedication, he said.
He thanked the director of the department of water resources for all the support given to them.
Pa Ousman Jarjue, director of water resources, said weather and climate are essential for livelihood and way of life, saying every year at the global and national level people are affected negatively by the impact of climate variability.
To reduce this loss, he cautioned, the economy needs to become more climate-weather resilience through action that would increase adaptive capacity on communities.
This, he added, could be done through improved targeting forecasting, early dissemination of accurate and easily understandable information delivery of services and products.
It was against this backdrop, he stated, that The Gambia’s first NAPA project to strengthen the Gambia early warning system towards climate change was developed to address some of the issues and in the strive to meet the standard at International civil Aviation Organization to air-safety provided equipment to the Banjul International Airport for measuring wind and pressure.
He highlighted some of the achievements of the department in providing education for some of their technicians in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, adding that it demonstrates the strives of the government to ensure the country is provided with adequate, reliable and timely information to both the civil aviation authority and the Gambian population at large.
