TMA ZONAL MANAGERS TO ENGAGE MORE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE USE OF CLIMATE AND WEATHER SERVICES TO BOOST SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN TANZANIA.

The Director General of TMA - Dr. Agnes Kijazi (third from left) in a group photo with participants and resource persons of Stakeholder Engagement workshop held in Arusha, 3 to 14 July 2017.

Experts on Climate and weather in the Country requested to engage with stakeholders within the country in order to boost socio-economic development as per national economic goal. This was said by the Director General of Tanzania Meteorological Agency Dr Agnes Kijazi while addressing Zonal Managers from various parts of the country during a training workshop on stakeholders’ engagement held in Arusha. “After this training I expect each one to be determined on serving the community with better and quality services and products from our Agency, I would like to see Zonal managers looking for stakeholders around your areas and visit them instead of waiting for them to visit your offices. Weather and climate services have to become part and parcel of the society daily commodity for social and economic development of our country “said Dr. Kijazi. She added that through interaction with stakeholders is easy to get feedback on the services provided. The feedbacks received from few stakeholders we have reached indicate an improvement on our services; however, there are few challenges that we need to work on so as to ensure continuous improvement of our services. We need to work hard to ensure the Agency contribute positively to the intention of our Government of transforming our country into middle-income economy through Industrialization. Weather and Climate services are an important integral part in the construction and operation of Industries. We therefore have obligations of providing quality services to contribute towards achievement of this national goal. She said Dr. Kijazi.

On her side, the UK-Met Office representative Ms. Sandra Coterill thanks TMA management for continual collaboration with UK-Met Office, as she alleged believe through this collaboration TMA will reach its goal of being the centre of Excellency at national and international level. Based on that, TMA and UK-Met Office under the sponsorship of DFiD has organized a two weeks training workshop to enhance experts on how to engage with stakeholders including local media, how to communicate key messages and how to ensure continual improvement through day to day feedback from stakeholder, this will increase TMA service quality, dissemination range and stakeholder database. Said Ms. Sandra.

On behalf trainees, Mr. Daud Amas appreciated TMA and the UK-Met Office for the training workshop and promised to assist the Agency on reaching its goals by serving the community in a timely manner and well emphasize on the day-to-day Agency’s initiatives. Mr. Amas said through zonal managers, TMA will be able to reach a large number of stakeholders within the country and he also promised that all zones would enhance the use of local radios as the easiest and widest channel of disseminating and linking TMA to the society.

Participants of the workshop were TMA zonal managers from the Southern, Southwestern Highlands, Central, Western, Lake, Northeastern Highlands, Eastern and Zanzibar Office together with other experts from TMA headquarters.  The TMA experts also met with a number of local radio journalists from Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara regions on scheduled three days theory and practical training during the media session group work. Resource Persons were from the UK-Met Office and local experts.

RELEASED BY: MONICA MUTONI, COMMUNICATION OFFICER, TANZANIA METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY