New face of Kredarica: renovation of the climate observatory begins.
With the laying of the foundation stone, they solemnly marked the start of the renovation of the climate observatory at Kredarica, which has been continuously conducting measurements for 70 years. These will be further expanded after the renovation, and Kredarica will be able to stand alongside leading high-mountain observatories such as the German Zugspitze, Austrian Sonnblick, or Swiss Jungfraujoch. Construction work will start this week and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The Slovenian Army will assist with helicopter transports, needing to transport around 900 tons of material.
With the laying of the foundation stone, they solemnly marked the start of the renovation of the climate observatory at Kredarica.
The Director General of the Slovenian Environment Agency (Arso), Joško Knez, emphasized in his speech the importance of Kredarica as the oldest and highest-lying meteorological station in Slovenia. "The climate observatory is extremely important for the long-term monitoring of weather and climate conditions in the high mountains. The measurements we have been continuously conducting there since 1954 represent the longest series of high-mountain observations in Slovenia and are a valuable source of data for climate change research and weather forecasting," he said.
The observatory operates in cooperation with Arso and the Slovenian Army, which together perform monitoring and reporting tasks on weather conditions at the location. Due to the dilapidation of the existing facilities and demanding working conditions, the observatory will be comprehensively renovated.
According to Knez, this renovation will primarily improve working and living conditions for the teams consisting of civilian and military weather observers who work at Kredarica in ten-day shifts, sometimes longer. The facility will be energy rehabilitated and adapted to modern environmental standards, and systems for heating, water supply and storage, and wastewater management will be established.
The new facilities will also enable the continuation of measurements and expansion of observations. As presented by Knez, they will, among other things, begin monitoring greenhouse gases, positioning the station alongside leading high-mountain observatories such as the German Zugspitze, Austrian Sonnblick, or Swiss Jungfraujoch. "At the same time, the observatory will remain a key point for understanding weather conditions in the mountains, which is of utmost importance for protection and rescue in the high mountains," he said.
Construction work as part of the renovation will begin this week, with completion scheduled for the end of next year. The company Eltim was selected as the contractor through a public tender, with the contract value amounting to 1.9 million euros.
The investment is part of the broader SOVIR project (System for Warning about Weather-Related Emergencies), worth almost 29 million euros. It is financed from the state budget and the European Cohesion Fund.
With the signing of the operational agreement on the renovation, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer, and the Minister of Defence, Borut Sajovic, confirmed the joint cooperation of both ministries in the project at the event.
"With the upgrade as part of the SOVIR project, we will, among other things, enable the processing of meteorological data using artificial intelligence and supercomputers, which will further improve the detection of weather and climate changes. Given that Slovenia is above average exposed to climate risks, every euro invested in this area is an investment with a high return," said Kumer.
According to Sajovic, the renovation represents a logistically and organizationally demanding project, "which confirms that we in Slovenia know how to unite forces for a common goal." The ministries will organize the delivery of construction materials and the removal of waste material to the appropriate landfill. The Slovenian Army will assist with helicopter transports. In total, around 900 tons of material need to be transported, according to Sajovic.
Today, Arso and the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief also signed an agreement on further cooperation. The agreement, among other things, regulates data exchange, expert support, and joint public information in the event of natural disasters. At the same time, they signed an operational protocol for action in earthquakes, which specifies the time, content, and method of notification.
Source:
https://www.24ur.com/novice/slovenija/nova-podoba-kredarice-prenovili-bodo-podnebni-observatorij.html