Groundbreaking Ceremony and Media Briefing for the Establishment of Doppler Weather Radar Network in Sri Lanka

In partnership with the Department of Meteorology (DoM), JICA is spearheading the establishment of the Doppler Weather Radar Network in the Puttalam district, which can realize accurate weather observation and weather prediction based on the collected data by the radar. This initiative is a significant step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s improving its climate resilience including not only reducing risks of floods, landslides, and drought but also agriculture and fishery.

The groundbreaking ceremony for starting the construction of the radar, along with a media briefing, was held on December 23, 2024, at the DoM’s District Office in Puttalam. Mr. Naoaki Kamoshida, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, Mr. Tetsuya Yamada, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka, Mr. Dharmathilaka, Additional Secretary for the Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Defence, and Mr. Karunarathne, Director General of the Department of Meteorology have graced this very remarkable event.

The agreement on providing fund for establishing the radar network was signed in 2017 and there was a long way to start the construction due to COVID-19 pandemic from 2020, and the economic crisis from 2022. However, thanks to great efforts by stakeholders of Sri Lanka and Japan, Joint Venture of Japan Radio Corporation and Hazama Ando Corporation was successfully selected by DoM to construct the radar and install the relevant system in August 2024.

In addition to the radar network, JICA has already launched a capacity-building project aimed at improving the DoM’s ability to collect, interpret, and analyze weather data by utilizing the radar to share accurate data with other organizations and civil people and predict weather.

The radar construction and system installation are expected to be completed by 2027, with the radar system fully operational in time. Furthermore, JICA proudly announces the radar inauguration with celebrating the “70^th anniversary of Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA)” in 2024. This milestone highlights the growing importance of technology and international cooperation in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.