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Weather Station at CEE Jasdan
Weather unpredictability is a major influence on agriculture-based livelihoods such as agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, forestry, etc., particularly in semi-arid regions. Farmers face several challenges due to the uncertainty of current weather forecasts and complexity of agricultural systems.
Information on weather patterns, rainfall, temperature, humidity, drought, flood, light intensity, etc. are important planning inputs. However, the present weather forecasting and data mainly cover large regions and are not reliable for specific local regions and livelihood patterns. The historical local data for specific local areas is also not available.
To benefit from seasonal weather forecasts, the decision-making capacity of farmers needs to be improved and greater emphasis needs to be placed on farmer involvement and a demand-driven weather information approach. Weather prediction systems need to be improved further for locale specific application and for exploiting potential benefits for farmers’ risk management. Participatory processes offer greater scope for identification of cropping pattern determinants, and farmers’ real and perceived need. There is also need for weather knowledge to be created by raising awareness of weather variability impacts for a range of management options among smallholder farmers. Time series information of rainfall, yields and gross margins are essential to understand climate variability impacts and benefits of climate forecasting. Some of the issue can be addressed through establishing local weather stations with people’s participation.
CEE Jasdan, in collaboration with National Collateral Management Services Limited (NCMSL), Hyderabad, has established a local weather station at the Jasdan Field Office. The NCMSL is engaged in setting new standards in the area of risk management for commodities and inventories by providing weather data to insurance companies and commodity exchanges. NCMSL’s mission is to empower stakeholders in commodities and inventories to deal with associated risks.
The weather station includes great features such as forecasting and on-screen graphing. Quick view icons show the forecast at a glance – sunny, partly sunny, cloudy, rain or snow – while a moving ticker-tape display gives more details. Its transmitter sends a data packet to the console every 2½ seconds. The weather conditions that are the most variable (such as wind speed and direction) are updated with each packet, while most other conditions are updated every 10 seconds. It uses a sophisticated forecasting algorithm which takes into account not only barometric pressure, but also wind, rainfall, temperature, humidity, longitude and latitude.
With the weather station, just about every weather variable can be graphed, with averages, highs and lows for most, and go back in time for minutes, days, months, and years. The integrated sensor suite (ISS) combines rain collector, temperature and humidity sensors, anemometer and solar panel into one package – making setup easier. For improved accuracy, temperature and humidity sensors are enclosed in a patented, solar-powered, 24-hour fan-aspirated radiation shield. The shield combines active and passive aspiration to minimize the effects of radiation. The ISS is solar powered. Electronic components are housed in a weather-resistant shelter. The weather station gives the following weather information:
1. Barometric pressure
2. Humidity & Dew Point
3. Rainfall Information: 15-minute rainfall, hourly and monthly rainfall, and rainfall amounts for each of the last 24 storms, yearly rainfall and rate of rainfall.
4. Temperature
5. Apparent Temperature: Heat index (the combined effects of temperature and humidity) and, with the addition of a solar radiation sensor, temperature-humidity-sun-wind index.
6. Wind: 10-minute average wind speed, direction of high speed, and 10-minute dominant wind direction.
7. Wind chill
Given CEE’s main objective of environment education and awareness leading to sustainable development and livelihoods, it is expected that the analysis of the seasonal weather data gathered through the weather station will improve the decision-making capacity of the farmers. CEE is incorporating the weather data in its information servicing activities in Jasdan. A weather information panel has been placed outside the office for community education.
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