Weather stations help communities track storms

When Cyclone Nargis ripped across Myanmar’s southern coast in 2008, communities had little advance warning of the Category 4 storm, which unleashed widespread devastation and ultimately claimed 138,000 lives. Now, WWF-Myanmar has installed three automatic weather stations in climate-vulnerable areas of the country, providing communities a way to better predict, track, and plan for natural disasters. And it’s scouting more locations where the devices could help keep people and property safer.

Providing advance warning

The stations send out SMS notifications when they detect certain conditions, such as extreme heat or drops in barometric pressure. In the event of severe weather, scientists can alert local people, giving them time to prepare.

Preparing an at-risk nation

Myanmar is among the countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Extreme weather events, including stronger rainstorms, droughts, floods, and cyclones, have become more frequent in recent decades, threatening ecosystems, human health, food security, and the economy.

Supporting farmers

As climate change makes monsoon seasons less predictable, farmers are suffering from declining crop yields and economic losses. With more precise data from weather stations, they can make better-informed decisions about where to sow crops or when to irrigate them, reducing crop failures while conserving valuable freshwater resources.