In a bid to expedite project implementations and foster closer collaboration, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) convened a productive meeting at PMD headquarters on September 12th. The meeting yielded actionable steps towards improved communication and mutual support for vital initiatives in Pakistan.
Islamabad, Pakistan – September 15, 2023
During the meeting, a pressing concern was addressed – the need for streamlined communication. It was observed that despite the diligent sharing of emails and letters with PMD, responses from the department have been infrequent. Additionally, PMD had requested certain documents that were previously shared via correspondence.
In response, FAO and PMD agreed to nominate focal persons for specific areas of collaboration. This step aims to enhance decision-level support for matters such as Letters of Agreement (LoAs) and inter-agency agreements, technical support for the ACWA (Advanced Citywide Assessment) portal, participation in the ACWA Portal task force, and the review of specifications by the engineering wing.
Discussions during the meeting highlighted key points concerning technical support for the ACWA portal, particularly in the realm of weather data. PMD, with its wealth of real-time weather data, expressed its willingness to support the ACWA portal developer (service provider). It was agreed that PMD would provide real-time weather station data through a CSV link, which Metavystic, the portal developer, would integrate into the ACWA database.
To ensure effective data sharing, FAO will formally request PMD for metadata in a structured format, encompassing essential fields such as dataset details and historical data information. Furthermore, PMD will be requested to specify the type of information, data, advisories, and more to be shared through official channels.
PMD’s senior management has given its consent for RMC-Lahore to become a part of the Punjab ACWA Consortium. This expansion is expected to strengthen the collaborative efforts in the region.
Nominations for the Crop Mapping Result-Sharing Workshop are currently in progress within PMD, with official communication set to follow soon. Additionally, the dedicated engineering wing in PMD will review and provide inputs on the specifications of weather stations for the second batch of procurement.
To ensure access to AWS (Automatic Weather Stations) being installed in South Punjab and Sindh, an inter-agency agreement between the hosting organizations and PMD is in the works. FAO will share the draft agreement with the nominated representative from PMD.
As these collaborative initiatives move forward, FAO and PMD are committed to fostering effective communication and coordination, ensuring the success of projects aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s agricultural and meteorological capabilities. The steps taken during this meeting reflect a strong commitment to working together for the betterment of the nation.
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