SWAT: The University of Agriculture Swat (UoAS) and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) have signed a Rs. 25 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a state-of-the-art Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at the university campus.
The MoU was signed by UoAS Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Dawood Jan and PMD Director Ejaz Ahmad. The ceremony was attended by senior faculty members, university officials and PMD representatives.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Dr. Dawood Jan said accurate and localized weather information was essential for supporting farmers in mountainous areas. As the province’s first Mountain Agriculture University, UoAS requires reliable weather data to strengthen research focused on climate-resilient agriculture.
He said real-time, hyperlocal weather data from the station would support crop planning, irrigation scheduling, and pest and disease forecasting. It would also provide timely information on extreme weather events, helping farmers and local communities prepare for weather-related risks.
PMD Director Ejaz Ahmad said the department was expanding its network of weather stations across the mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which face increasing climate-related risks.
According to PMD, the Rs. 25 million project will be fully supported by the department, with the Automatic Weather Station to be installed at a strategic location within the UoAS campus.
The ceremony concluded with the exchange of MoU documents and a group photograph. Prof. Dr. Dawood Jan thanked PMD for its support and described the weather station as the “eyes and ears” of the university’s climate-smart agriculture agenda.