WMO CREWS Workshop Burkina Faso: Calitoo sunphotometer
Summary
In the framework of the WMO CREWS (Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems) initiative, AEMET (State Meteorological Agency of Spain) has organized a workshop on the use of the hand-held sun photometer Calitoo aimed at meteorologists and technicians of ANAM (Agence Nationale de la Météorologie de Burkina Faso).
This workshop is part of the first phase of the development of a SDS warning system for all western and northern African countries. This system is based on the pilot project of a warning advisory system successfully working in Burkina Faso since October 2018.
An outline of the content and objectives of the workshop is provided below:
Background
More than 500 million people live in West and Northern Africa, a region stretching from the Gulf of Guinea in the west to the Red Sea in the east and covering areas such as the Sahara desert and the Sahel. The Sahara is the most extensive desert on Earth and the main emission source of mineral dust into the atmosphere. Airborne dust does not only affect the desert itself, but, especially in winter and spring, is dragged to densely populated areas of the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea, where it causes a deep deterioration of air quality and triggers serious health problems. High concentrations of dust also affect agriculture, aviation, due to the drastic reduction in visibility, and other socio-economic sectors.
Workshop Objectives
Use of the Calitoo sunphotometer.
Participants
Meteorologists and technicians of ANAM
Funding
Activity and equipment financed by AEMET
Agenda
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