Uruguay has a satellite system to monitor the impact of climate change
Government authorities presented a transportable system for the reception, processing and application of multi-satellite integration meteorological data, donated by the People’s Republic of China.
The equipment, whose value exceeds $3,000,000, can be used for environmental monitoring, prevention of extreme weather events and research activities.
The Minister of Education and Culture, Pablo da Silveira, participated in the activity, held at Air Base No. 1; the executive director of the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI), Mariano Berro; the national director of Climate Change, Natalie Pareja, and the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Uruguay, Huang Yazhong. Likewise, authorities from the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU) and the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC) were present.
The donation of the aforementioned system is the result of the memorandum of understanding signed between both countries in 2019. The team will collaborate in the decision-making process regarding the prediction and prevention of extreme climate events and will allow the scientific field to be strengthened, through the promotion of projects research in meteorology and atmospheric sciences. In addition, it will make it possible to evaluate the impact of climate change on the territory and optimize the quality of weather forecasts, in order to improve the economic effect on productive sectors. This tool will be managed jointly by the UTEC and the FAU, in collaboration with other public entities.
In statements to the press, Minister Da Silveira highlighted the importance of the donation, which will provide “satellite data of excellent quality” and which will be renewed four times a day. This will allow information to be collected that can be applied in academic research and the prevention of accidents and natural disasters, which may influence agricultural production.
The transportable system for the reception, processing and application of multi-satellite integration meteorological data is made up of three instruments: antenna, data processing cabin and generator. Its value is 3,022,682 dollars.
