13 Feb 2013

The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism’s focus is to cover the entire geographical spread of Botswana with weather stations according to the World Meteorological Organisation standard radius of 250km between stations.

Answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said it had been established that Botswana required a total of 25 weather stations to meet this minimum standard.

She said to date, 17 stations were operational while the 18th was under construction at Ncojane. Ms Tshireletso said the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism had no intention of building a station in Lobatse at the moment. "Lobatse will continue to be served by the nearest stations at Good Hope and Gaborone," she said.

Furthermore, Assistant Minister Tshireletso said the cost of a synoptic station and related services was around P18 million.

The MP for Lobatse, Mr Nehemiah Modubule had asked the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism when he intended to have a weather broadcaster (weather forecast station) in Lobatse, given that Lobatse was the only town without weather coverage. ENDS