OREANDA-NEWS. January 20, 2014. A Loan Agreement for the Second National Hydromet System Modernization Project (Roshydromet-2), financed by an IBRD loan, has been signed today  by Alexander Frolov, Head of the Federal Service on Hydrometeorology and Environmental  Monitoring  of the Russian Federation, and Michal Rutkowski, World Bank Country Director and Resident Representative in Russia.

The Loan Agreement has been signed in accordance with a Government of the Russian Federation Directive guiding the Russian Federal Service on Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring to ensure the implementation of the project.

On September 17, 2013, the World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors approved a USD 60 million loan to co-finance the Second National Hydromet System Modernization Project (Roshydromet-2). The total project cost is USD 139.50 million, including USD 79.50 million earmarked in the Russian Federation’s Foreign Borrowing Program.

The main objective of the project is to assist the Russian Federal Service on Hydrometeorology and Environmental  Monitoring to further enhance the national capacity to deliver reliable and timely weather, hydrological and climate information to the Russian citizens, regional and municipal governments, and sectors dependent on weather, water, and climate. It will also foster country’s capacity to integrate into the global system of meteorological services. The project’s activities will be implemented from 2014 to 2019.

“The project aims to meet the growing demand from Russian state and society for hydrometeorological information. It will also help address in a timely manner current challenges related to climate change and increase in the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters,” said Alexander Frolov.

The project will finance investments in capacity building, infrastructure system enhancement, and quality of service delivery. The project has three components:

Strengthening of Information Communication Technology infrastructure and systems delivering weather, climate and hydrological data and information;

Modernization of observation networks; and

Institutional and regulatory strengthening, improved service delivery to clients, and better preparedness for emergencies.

The project aims to achieve the following results:

Improved accuracy and timeliness of basic weather forecasts. At the end of the project, the forecasts with 168 hours lead time will exceed 70 percent accuracy for the main administrative centers of Russia against a baseline of less than120 hours lead time in 2011;

Improved accuracy of seasonal river flow forecasts in the reservoirs in the Volga river basin, whereby at the end of the project the accuracy of seasonal water inflow forecasts will exceed 85-90 percent against a baseline of 75-80 percent in 2011;

Increased number of sectoral users of Roshydromet’s data with anticipated annual growth of 5 percent; and

Improved client satisfaction, which is expected to reach 65 percent in 2015 and 75 percent at the end of the project.

The project complements the results of the first National Roshydromet Modernization Project and will further support climate change monitoring.  It will assist Roshydromet in achieving its mid-term modernization goals set up by the Russian Government in The Strategy for Activities in Hydrometeorology and Related Areas until 2030 (with consideration of climate change). The project will help to further strengthen the hydrological network and services, over and above the 7 percent of network modernized in the course of the first project, and enhance information systems for weather, climate, and hydrological forecasting.

“The project will contribute to sustainable development and effective protection of the national economy and human lives from extreme weather and climate related disasters. It will also help to strengthen Russia’s contribution to global public goods and further its role in the World Meteorological Organization and as a regional leader,” said Michal Rutkowski.