We are implementing the project in Musanze in northern Rwanda, a city that has among the most extreme weather conditions in the world. The city is in a region argued to be the lightning capital of the world. Due to the neighboring volcano mountains, the city often receives extreme rainfall that causes flooding. Musanze is a bustling city and top tourism destination in Rwanda and host over 90,000 residents.The city has high population and structure density. In the countryside, residents practice small-scale farming. Facilities that raise livestock are also at risk as these animals tend to shelter under trees in storm situations. Most of the food and agriculture-related critical facilities are privately owned farms that may own sizeable herds of livestock. There are added lightning strike vulnerability on entertainment and outdoor recreation activities.

Farmers

Our main target group are low-income earners in Musanze city: city dwellers, business people, tourists, tour guides, hotel owners and farmers.
City dwellers, business people, tourists, tour guides, hotel owners and farmers.

The goal is to turn the project into a self sustainable business through the sale of weather products. Further we would add concrete advisory services to the weather data, e.g. use the weather data for weather index-based insurances. To achieve this, we will engage in additional marketing to help reach wider public. We will explore and implement soil related services. i.e. explore opportunities in measuring soil data, earth observation and geo-information data and translate data into useful advice.
To further enhance the sustainability of the project, SWC will seek partnership with government agencies like Meteo Rwanda, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Disaster Management among others.

The primary goal is to implement a weather information system in Musanze city of Rwanda. The system generates weather predictions and information that is made available to a wide variety of users on phone and web application. Alongside that, the system will issue alerts on flood and lightning.

• SWC’s staff will have enough capacity and required skills to offer weather and climate-related training, monitor the early warning and weather predictions; SWC will improve its professional network and capacity.
• SWC's capacity is built to effectively provide early warning for floods & lightning information, weather forecast and predictions to tourism, agricultural, urbanization & health stakeholders
  • The following activities will be carried out
    * Satellite weather data subscription
    * Collect, store and combine data from AWS and satellites
    * Develop data communication chain for weather predictions
    * Develop weather prediction system (WRF)
    * Develop weather information and alert delivery channels (SMS, USSD, Mobile app and Geo portal)
    * Evaluate weather prediction system and information delivery systems
• SWC's capacity is built to effectively respond to training needs in weather and climate services for tourism, agricultural, urbanization & health stakeholders (Businessmen, tours & travel agencies guides, tourists & researchers, small & large - scale farmers, GoR bodies, city residents) in Musanze city;