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Otar Shamugia: "A new calibration laboratory will ensure compliance with the standard of the meteorological measuring instruments "
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr Otar Shamugia together with the Deputy Minister Mrs Nino Tandilashvili and the Acting Head of the National Environment Agency Mr. Teimuraz Mtivlishvili inspected the new calibration laboratory of meteorological measuring instruments.
"One of the priority areas of the environmental policy is to improve the monitoring network to identify natural disasters and establish early warning systems. Important steps have been taken in these directions. We already have modern meteorological radars, which can be used to determine the amount, motion and intensity of precipitation throughout Georgia; Moreover, meteorological radars enable natural hazard forecasting, and information is obtained on possible natural disasters, which undergoes processing, and thereafter, the information is timely delivered to the relevant agencies. Henceforth, a calibration laboratory equipped with the latest calibration equipment will ensure the proper operation of meteorological measuring devices in compliance with the standard," Mr Otar Shamugia said.
Currently, there are 160 points for hydro-meteorological observation across the country. The expansion of the monitoring network is envisaged under the framework of the ongoing project “Scaling-up multi-hazard early warning system and the use of climate information in Georgia", which is funded by the Green Climate Fund. Ultimately, more than 300 hydro-meteorological stations and checkpoints will operate across the country by 2024.
The hydro-meteorological stations aim to measure meteorological and hydrological parameters in different parts of the country and disseminate data at both national and international levels. Most stations are fully automated and require regular maintenance/calibration work.
The new calibration laboratory will be fully equipped with the latest calibration equipment and will ensure planned calibration of hydro-meteorological stations located throughout the country, which will improve the quality of measurement, regarding atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, and will minimize the measurement errors of hydro-meteorological parameters.