Moroccan team wins Vilho Väisälä awards

Moroccan team of experts from the Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM) have won the international 9th edition of Vilho Väisälä Awards.

The experts team composed of Chemseddine El Garrai, Abdelazize Ait Hra, Youssef Darrari and Rabia Merrouchi, are the first winners of this award at the continental level and in the Arab world.

The team’s project report entitled “Unified AWS Data Collection, Integration and Processing Systems (UNI-AWS DCIPS)”, published by the Directorate of Meteorology.

“Crowning a work related to the development and use of instruments and methods of observation” was awarded to experts from the DGM.

Omar Chafki, Director General of Meteorology and WMO council member, attended the awards.

During this edition of the WMO Executive Council, Chafki was appointed as a member representing Africa on the “Policy Advisory Committee”.

This Committee advises the Executive Council on any matter related to WMO strategy and policy referred to it by the Council.

The Vilho Väisälä Awards is held every two years by the Executive Council of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), that goes to an “outstanding” paper published in a scientific journal, or to an “important” technical report, project report or abstract of a successfully defended PhD or MSc thesis, in regards to specific criteria.

The awards aim to encourage and stimulate the development of capacity in instruments and methods of observation for the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) in developing countries.