VIENNA, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has in a tender procedure selected UBIMET to provide equipment and services for meteorological and hydrological early warning systems to national weather services in developing countries with a focus on Africa.
Under the Long Term Agreement with the United Nation's global development network, UBIMET will support countries to set-up and further develop weather information systems and services. In particular, UBIMET was selected to supply lightning detection and weather station networks, short-term forecast systems for thunderstorms and to provide weather forecast services as well as maintenance, training and software.
The United Nations Development Programme works in more than 170 countries to integrate issues of climate, disaster risk and energy at the country level. It focuses on building resilience and ensuring that development remains risk-informed and sustainable. A changing climate and exposure to disaster risk present a challenge especially for developing countries. Natural hazards can affect agriculture, health, energy and water resources.
Between 2000 and 2012 more than 200 million people, most of them in developing countries, were affected by natural disasters every year, especially by floods and droughts, says the UNDP in its Human Development Report 2014. That weather and climate are major drivers of disaster risk is also underlined in a recent study from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), which showed that over the last 20 years, 90 percent of major disasters have been caused by floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts, and other weather-related events.
"Precise weather information plays a key role in reducing the vulnerability to natural hazards and improving emergency management," says Dr Michael Fassnauer. "UBIMET is honored to be a partner of the United Nations in creating sustainable development around the globe."
Weather service UBIMET, founded in 2004 in Austria, is a leader in severe weather warnings. The company works with meteorological data and infrastructure from around the world, runs a proprietary numerical weather model and operates severe weather centers on three continents.
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