Uganda is set to lose its International Standard Organization (ISO) for its aviation industry following Parliament’s rationalisation of the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA).
On April 17, 2024, Parliament passed a bill to mainstream UNMA into the Ministry of Water and Environment.
In the international arena, meteorological services are under the stewardship of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – a UN specialised Agency on Meteorology.
WMO and the African Union Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) required all National Meteorological Services to become semi-autonomous entities in order to cope with the required Quality Management Systems of ISO-9001 which covers related Conventions, Protocols and MoUs to which Uganda is a Party.
ISO-9001 is an International Standard that specifies quality management requirements, and whose final objective is customer satisfaction.
This standard requires the designated Meteorological Authority to conform and comply with International Standard Organization (ISO) quality assurance standards and should be certified by an approved organisation in order to serve its customers, including the Aviation industry.
This is largely to ensure compliance with the safety requirements for International Air Navigation, and in line with the World Meteorological Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization standards for Aeronautical Meteorological Services
Security
UNMA is the only service provider of the essential data and information (aeronautical meteorological information) for use by the Aviation Industry to guide the takeoff and landing of local and international aircrafts, among others.
UNMA also provides data and information for Air Defense by UPDAF.
“If rationalised, UNMA may lose this ISO certification and the safety/security standards may be compromised as a result,” said a source in the aviation industry, who preferred anonymity to speak freely.
The loss of the ISO certification could also undermine efforts to promote investment in Uganda’s aviation industry.
ISO 9001:2015 Certification was achieved in 2020 after building the required Quality Management System and Governance competencies.
UNMA’s national coverage of automatic weather stations now stands at 68%.
“Uganda has three Weather Radars each with a modern office and an accommodation block installed and functional in Entebbe, Lira and Rwampara because of the bargaining power of UNMA as a semi- autonomous agency,” said a source.
The government says the rationalisation is meant to cut management costs, saving trillions of shillings of taxpayers annually.
However, the upgrade of Directorate of Meteorology to UNMA corresponded to improved service delivery and a higher rating of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
“For that matter, downgrading UNMA is likely going to negatively impact the service as well as the international rating of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA),” said Davis Olara, an aviation expert.
“Moreso, the security sector is a key user of meteorological services in Uganda. UNMA works closely with Uganda Peoples Defense Air Force (UPDAF) personnel to provide aeronautical meteorological information for the sector through UCAA. This is critical for national security and air navigation safety,” he added.
Tourism
Tourism has become one of the key sectors of the Ugandan economy and Weather and Climate information helps the tourists in planning their travel itineraries.
Tourism also depends a lot on aviation and Aviation in turn depends a lot on Weather and Climate information.
Olara said a stronger UNMA gives confidence to the tourists in regard to the weather they’ll expect when in the country.
“For that matter, downgrading UNMA is likely going to negatively impact the confidence attached to weather and climate services of the country and render Uganda an unpopular / risky tourist destination,” he cautioned.
UNMA’s radars provide critical data to the government about water resource quality and availability; climate change; and air quality among others.
