Dr. E. Mpeta- Ag.  Director Research & Applied Services

The Research and Applied Meteorology Division is made up of the following three sections, which are headed by managers:

• Agrometeorology and Remote Sensing Section
• Hydrometeorological Section
• Environment and Research Section

Agrometeorology and Remote Sensing Section

The main functions of the Division are:

• To prepare the national agrometeorological, hydrometeorological and environmental meteorological data bank;
• To provide general and user specific agrometeorological, hydrometeorological and environmental issues related to Meteorology to various users;
• To liaise and provide technical support to various users of agrometeorological , hydrometeorological and environmental meteorological information, and to foster collaboration on environmental issues with other authorized government departments and other related institutions.
• To carry-out research in climate variability, climate change, interaction of weather to humans, plants, soils, livestock, environment, etc;
• To conduct and supervise research in a given field of specialization in Meteorology;
• To collaborate in teaching of Meteorology at University level;
• To collaborate with the Food Security Department in the monitoring of agricultural conditions for purposes of early warnings on the food situation in the country.
• To collaborate with the Disaster Management Department of the Prime Minister's Office.

The Section provides weather advisories to the farming community through weather forecasts and outlooks issued by Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) including the pre-season climate outlook.

The section also monitors and collects agrometeorological data at agrometeorology stations based within Agricultural Research Stations.

The section also monitors crop and pasture conditions and meteorological elements by use of Remote Sensing.

On the basis of the data so gathered, the section quantifies the impact of meteorology on agriculture and livestock, and in collaboration with the Food Security Department gives early warning advisories to the government on the food situation.

The division produces monthly and dekadal agrometeorological bulletins.

The hydrometeorology section deals with processing, analysing and archiving hydrometeorological data for example computation of rainfall intensity, duration and frequency. The section also monitors dam levels at hydropower generation stations and river discharge for the major rivers in Tanzania and issue advisories and warnings as appropriate.

The section also outputs various hydro meteorological research works.

The main objective of the Environment and Research section is to engage in and coordinate research and development in meteorology and atmospheric environment; to foster collaboration on environmental issues with relevant institutions, and other government agencies and departments; and to educate the public on the impact of pollution on weather, climate and the environment. Some of the functions of the section are:

• Carry out research in Climate Change, Climate Variability, Numerical Weather Prediction, etc.
• Analysis of rainwater samples for pollution detection and archival of the data.
• Maintain inventory of pollution emmission sorces in major urban centres in the country.
• Conduct lectures in Meteorology at the Sokoine University of Agriculture.
• Coordinate Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change activities in the country.
• Follow up activities related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention for Combating desertification (UNCCD).
• Promote and co-ordinate research activities on Meteorology and related fields within and outside the Agency,
• Promote research on regional Numerical Weather Prediction simulation models.