WMO Regional Association for Africa seeks to strengthen early warnings and climate services

WMO Regional Association for Africa seeks to strengthen early warnings and climate services

Joel Oladele, Abuja 

The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Regional Association for Africa convened virtually from 13-15 May 2024 to address pressing challenges related to weather, water, and climate across the African continent. 

The meeting came amid ongoing devastating floods in East Africa and severe drought in southern Africa, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened early warning systems and climate services.

In a statement signed by the Public Information Officer, WMO Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Kosmos Akande-Alasoka, he noted that the meeting brought together heads of national meteorological and hydrological services from across Africa.

According to him, the session aimed to tackle key issues such as enhancing observation networks, improving climate services, promoting sustainable water management, and fostering regional cooperation.

In her opening address, WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo emphasized the invaluable role of meteorological and hydrological knowledge in safeguarding lives, protecting property, supporting sustainable development, and enhancing community resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.

“The application of meteorological and hydrological knowledge is invaluable in safeguarding lives, protecting property, supporting sustainable development, and fostering community resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.

“Our collective efforts in harnessing weather, climate and water data for the betterment of society are crucial amid the growing impacts of climate change,” Saulo noted.

WMO President Abdulla Al Mandous echoed this sentiment, stressing WMO’s commitment to bolstering Africa’s capacity to deliver essential weather, climate, and water services crucial for sustainable development. This includes investing in education, training, and capacity enhancement of national meteorological and hydrological services.

“WMO is working to ensure that Africa has the capacity to deliver the weather, climate, and water services that are essential for sustainable development.” Mandous said 

The Regional Association for Africa (RAI), led by President Fetene Teshome, highlighted initiatives like the Early Warnings for All in Africa program, aimed at strengthening national multi-hazard early warning/alert systems to ensure effective responses to risks, covering every citizen with early warning by 2027.

“This Regional Association is conscious of implementing the Early Warnings for All in Africa which seeks to strengthen national multi-hazard early warning/alert systems and to better enable an effective response to risks, to ensure that every citizen is covered with early warning by 2027,” said Fetene Teshome, President of the Regional Association for Africa (RAI) and Permanent Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to WMO.

The importance of early warnings has once again been highlighted by extreme weather gripping different parts of the continent. Devastating flooding from exceptionally heavy seasonal rainfall has caused hundreds of casualties in East Africa, destroying infrastructure and crops and killing livestock. Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and the United Republic of Tanzania are among the worst hit countries. 

Southern Africa is currently facing an extreme environmental and humanitarian crisis as a severe drought grip the region, and impacting countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.

The waning El Niño event, alongside a phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole, and high sea surface temperatures are playing a role. But the excess energy trapped in the atmosphere and ocean by human-induced greenhouse gasses is also having a major influence by turbo-charging the extreme weather.

In view of Africa’s exposure to extreme weather events, the Regional Association meeting will discuss the importance of efficient and reliable climate-related services. It will adopt resolutions and decisions to strengthen observational networks, improve forecasting systems, and build capacity for climate adaptation and mitigation. It will also highlight the significance of sustainable water management practices, emphasizing monitoring of hydrological systems and promoting transboundary cooperation.

Accurate and timely weather, water, and climate information are essential for informed decision-making. Therefore, investments in observation infrastructure and disseminating relevant information are vital to safety of life and property against hazards such as tropical cyclones, droughts and floods. 

Discussions at the three-day session will include flood and drought management, capacity development, and integrated health science and services.

Regional collaboration has remained a cornerstone in addressing meteorological, climatological, and hydrological challenges through resolutions and decisions to promote regional networks, share data across borders, and undertake joint research initiatives.

The virtual session will focus on implementing the WMO Strategic Plan 2024–2027, addressing key priorities such as the implementation of the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) and the WMO Information System (WIS), and advancing the WMO strategy for service delivery through digital transformation. 

The session will also address the effective implementation of resolutions and existing gaps and provide input for future WMO activities. Participants, principally permanent representatives, hydrological advisers, and stakeholders, are expected to actively shape strategies for a more resilient and sustainable Africa.

The World Meteorological Organization is the United Nations System’s authoritative voice on Weather, Climate and Water.

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