The current level of investment in weather, water and climate services in the continent is generally inadequate.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The Sixth Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET-6) has endorsed the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology, which aims to improve the provision of weather, water, and climate services in Africa. The strategy was adopted by the Heads of African States in 2022.
The ministers also called for increased investment in human resources, hydrometeorological infrastructure, data collection, and service provision to improve the functional capacities of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). This will support decision-making in various socioeconomic development sectors such as agriculture, health, infrastructure, and energy.
The session commended the African Union Commission (AUC), the AMCOMET Secretariat, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and EUMETSAT for their collaboration in implementing the Abidjan Declaration and ensuring a smooth transition from the MSG to MTG satellite system. This will enable members to continue accessing satellite data and other model data to produce tailored weather, water, and climate services, including early warnings.
The ministers also noted with appreciation the participation of AMCOMET Bureau members in various continental and international events, which has raised the visibility of AMCOMET and NMHSs. They encouraged members to attend meetings related to hydromet issues, climate change, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and early warning, including COPs.
The session requested members to host side events in their pavilion or in the African Union pavilion to raise the visibility of NMHSs and boost support from partners to implement the strategy. They also requested the AMCOMET Secretariat to organize a Bureau meeting to re-establish task teams chaired by Bureau members to facilitate the implementation of the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology.
Furthermore, the ministers requested AUC to develop a monitoring tool with the support of the secretariat and facilitate the biennial review of the strategy’s implementation. They also requested members to report on the progress of the implementation of the strategy regularly and contribute to the requested biennial review.
The session noted with satisfaction the decisions of the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE) approving the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology, leading to its adoption by African Heads of States.
The ministers requested members, as well as partners, to increase their investments in human resources, hydrometeorological infrastructure, data collection, and service provision to improve the functional capacities of NMHSs in support of decision-making in various socioeconomic development sectors.
