Collaboration for Digital Transformation of Climate Services in Africa
A Memorandum of Understanding formalizing the long-standing cooperation between WMO and NORCAP (Norwegian Capacity) was signed in June.
NORCAP has a roster of climate services experts working directly with National Meteorological Services, Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), and United Nations agencies in Africa. This roster was created through collaboration with WMO that started in 2015 to support the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). The initial focus of the roster was Africa, given the population’s high vulnerability to climate extremes and their limited coping capacity.
Between 1970 and 2019, Africa experienced 35% of weather, climate, and water-related deaths. Today, only some 40% of the African population has access to early warning systems for weather, climate and water extremes, though a recent IPCC report (AR6) projects that the frequency and intensity of such extremes will increase across Africa due to climate change.
Three NORCAP experts are currently deployed in the WMO Regional Office for Africa to strengthen its capacity and to extend support to WMO Region I (Africa) Members. Their work supports different aspects of the climate services value chain, including infrastructure, services, partnerships and communication.
Further collaboration is planned:
- To support innovation and digital transformation of the climate services value chain in Africa, including the development of an Africa Hazards Watch system
- To improve data transmission to the WMO Global Telecommunication System (GTS)
- To improve access to forecasts from the Global Producing Centres
- To build the capacity of NMHSs in service delivery through training and partnership with the technology companies
The NORCAP/WMO collaboration will contribute significantly to the WMO-spearheaded UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s initiative to ensure universal access to early warnings in the next five years.