Africa’s Answer to Climate and Weather Challenges: The Africa Hydromet Program

ADDIS ABABA, May 16, 2018— Tesfaye, a grain and legume farmer in rural Ethiopia, takes a break from guiding his grazing cattle to analyze the skies in Chanco, north of the Ethiopian capital. The weather is essential to his livelihood, and it is not always reliable.

“This year, the weather was good, but last year, there was less rain to grow teff, barley, and lentils on my farm,” he said. “It will be very helpful if I know about dangerous storms ahead of time, so I can plan for planting and harvesting.”

Many farmers such as Tesfaye could benefit from reliable weather, water, and climate information—collectively known as hydromet services. These services are essential for livelihoods such as farming, aviation, and tourism, and for people and families–especially for small scale rural farming communities–to achieve climate-resilient development in Africa. The Africa Hydromet Program directly addresses the need for such services and supports governments, communities, and the private sector in their development efforts.

Why Invest in Hydromet?

Hydromet, a combination of hydrology and meteorology, offers real time weather, water and climate updates, early warning, and climate outlooks that can help communities predict and prepare for impending disasters and prepare for disaster risks. Hydromet services also provide the data needed for weather forecasting and offer additional climate and weather-related services. Everyday people, from to students to farmers, and even entire industries including aviation and energy, benefit from hydromet services.

Hydromet services form the foundation for improved weather and climate services for all areas that drive the economy. For example, in aviation, advanced weather forecasting offers vital information that pilots need.  Hydromet services also equip meteorologists, hydrologists, and disaster risk management experts with the data needed to predict, plan and prepare for disasters, so that people everywhere can be safer, more prepared and resilient. For Africa, developing hydromet services is particularly vital, as capacity is low and concerted effort is required to tackle the global challenge of managing disasters and climate risks. Improved hydromet services can save African countries from avoidable damage and loss, ensuring that past and current investments in infrastructure, education, and development are not lost to disasters. Hydromet services can also break the vicious cycle of damage and recovery, so that development investments and livelihoods are sustainable.

Investing in Hydromet Services: The Answer to Achieving Resilient Development in Africa

The Africa Hydromet Program is responding to this development priority by supporting countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (Strengthening Hydro-Meteorological and Climate Services project); Mali, (Mali Hydrological and Meteorological Services Modernization Project); and Niger (Disaster Risk Management and Urban Development Project) and Burkina Faso (Hydromet Modernization Project). The program partners—the World Bank, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and World Food Programme—are supporting many countries as well as regional/sub-regional climate centers in their systemic modernization.

This collaboration is part of a global mission to sustainably modernize hydromet, early warning, and emergency response services. So far, the Bank has programmed about US$900 million in active and upcoming hydromet projects. These investments will translate into life-saving services that protect people, preserve livelihoods, and promote prosperity in climate and disaster hot-spots.

Jerry Lengoasa, chief executive officer of the South African Weather Service, said citizens are directly benefitting from hydromet services.

“Hydromet services are essential to everyday life,” Lengoasa said.  “These services provide us with data, predictions, and information so we can prepare for disasters and effectively design out our long and short-term climate resilience strategies, which is essential to achieving our development goals.”

A host of partner organizations and funding partners including the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Government of Japan, and others support the Africa Hydromet Program. This support directly strengthens early warning and response systems, and supporting African countries to build resilience against climate change and disaster risks, and grow sustainably.

Current efforts are centered on mobilizing global action to manage climate change and variability through hydromet services. Globally, the One Planet Summit in Paris reflects the global commitment to combat climate change and investing in resilience. Hydromet service modernization, through the Africa Hydromet Program, offers an opportunity for real impact in Africa, and worldwide, so that African communities can thrive and countries can achieve their sustainable development goals, built on a platform of climate resilience.