ADDIS ABABA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopia-China collaboration in meteorology and early warning systems, propelled by artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, is yielding critical advancements to mitigate climate risks and boost disaster response capabilities, an Ethiopian government official has said.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Asaminew Teshome, deputy director general of the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI), highlighted the growing partnership with the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and other Chinese partners to integrate cutting-edge technologies into the East African country's national weather systems.
Noting that weather and climate systems transcend national boundaries, Teshome emphasized that strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives with Chinese institutions are bolstering EMI's capabilities to achieve its vision of delivering world-class weather and climate services to Ethiopia.
"We are closely working with the China Meteorological Administration in different aspects," Teshome said, highlighting a recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between EMI and the CMA.
He said that under the MoU, the two institutions have identified various priority areas for collaboration, including technical cooperation, capacity building, and joint research on weather and climate forecasting, as well as disaster reduction.
According to the deputy director general, the two sides are also actively collaborating on the promotion and utilization of advanced technologies, including AI, machine learning, and related emerging technologies, to generate more accurate and downscaled weather and climate information.
"We are living in the era of artificial intelligence, the era of modern technologies. In order to enhance and create more accurate weather and climate information, deploying and using new technologies is very important," he noted.
One example the EMI deputy chief touched upon is the ongoing collaboration on the Multi-hazard, Alert, Zero-gap, and Universal (MAZU) system.
MAZU, China's intelligent meteorological early warning solution, is an advanced platform capable of providing tailored services to specific application scenarios. It also integrates state-of-the-art AI and physical forecasting models with monitoring technologies, such as meteorological satellites, to deliver more precise weather forecasts, according to the CMA.
Noting a lack of stakeholder coordination in data exchange as a key challenge hindering disaster response to extreme weather conditions, Teshome said one objective of the MAZU system is to generate more accurate weather information by facilitating data exchange among key stakeholders.
"The MAZU system fills the gaps in data exchange mechanisms. It integrates different satellite products with local meteorological stations. It generates more tailored, more downscaled weather and climate information," he said.
According to the official, the CMA has already finalized the configuration and installation of the MAZU system and deployed it at EMI. Following comprehensive technical training provided by visiting Chinese scientists, Ethiopian specialists are now equipped to manage the platform.
"It is the first-of-its-kind in Africa, and our institute has already successfully secured the MAZU system. We are now starting operationalizing the MAZU system to generate nowcasting, as well as short-range forecasting," he said.
Teshome also revealed the institute's plan to capitalize on this enhanced operational expertise and technical knowledge to share best practices with other African national meteorological and hydrological service institutions.
He further underlined human resource development as a key pillar of this bilateral engagement, with numerous Ethiopian scientists receiving advanced short- and long-term academic training at leading Chinese universities and specialized research facilities managed by Chinese meteorological authorities.
In addition to its headquarters, EMI currently operates 11 regional centers, over 1,400 conventional stations, and 550 automatic weather stations nationwide. These facilities are dedicated to providing high-quality meteorological forecasts, climate research, and early warning advisories to national stakeholders. ■