After Pakistan is heavily hit by the rare flash flood, the country is now stepping up cooperation with Chinese meteorological companies.
“Currently, we are working on the provision of automatic weather stations (AWS) and technologies. If conditions permit, we are also looking to build meteorological labs with our Pakistani partners”, Mr. Zhuge, CEO of ZOGLAB, told the media reporters. ZOGLAB is a professional Chinese manufacturer specializing in instruments for atmosphere and environment.
The quantity and quality of meteorological equipment in China top the world. Chinese meteorological equipment is more cost-effective and economical, for the consumers of South and Southeast Asia, as compared with the same products with the same index and precision made in the US and European countries.
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“A set of automatic weather stations sold at around RMB 300,000 by western countries can be bought at around RMB 200,000 from China”, Mr. Zhuge said, mentioning the AWS for field environment monitoring demonstrated during the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) which ended yesterday in Beijing.
“The cost is controlled at RMB 50,000-60,000. Automatic Weather Station is a very economical option for Pakistan compared with the radars and satellites which require long-term, huge investment”, he maintained.
The Chinese company CEO further said that Pakistan and China can also collaborate to formulate meteorological standards to enhance the accuracy of the data acquired by the existing weather stations.
“Taking a step further, China can provide the meteorological radars, satellite receivers, etc. to Pakistan to set up a three-dimensional meteorological observation system that covers equipment on the ground, in the sea, in the air, and in space”, Mr. Zhuge added.
Moreover, he explained that a meteorological alert is much different from a weather forecast. The former targets meteorological disasters and needs a whole set of observation devices and equipment.
“In this sense, all countries are a community with a shared future in the face of meteorological disasters, and the future lies in data sharing,” CEO ZOGLAB added.
