Abstract
Poor access and use of accurate, timely and appropriate climate information consistently to inform decision making in African countries pose a huge dilemma for sustainable development. The existing climate data observations networks coverage are sparsely distributed. Development strategies and plans are not adequately informed by climate science due to the limited reliable and useable climate data and information produced by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and other relevant institutions. This paper describes the climate information needs of Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Tunisia, the status of the climate information systems (CISs), gaps and recommends improvement in the generation, processing and use of climate information. A study involving in-depth desk studies, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and policy dialogue was conducted. Results revealed that the CISs in the target countries have weak forecasting and alert systems for weather events and low capacities of stakeholders in climate prediction, development of climate products and information to support long-term planning, climate adaptation and resilience. The quality and appropriateness of data collected needs to be improved through networking, development and use of innovative technologies and capacity building. Institutionalizing climate data management training within climate data collection stations, creating modern real-time CISs by strengthening the capacities of national and regional institutions to use and disseminate climate information, is paramount. The capacity of the ministries involved in climate data management to deploy appropriate climate information and best practices to effectively implement climate-proof policies and practices should be enhanced to increase climate resilience and productivity.
 Key words: climate information needs, climate service, adaptation, mitigation, capacity
Highlights
Despite having contributed the least to global warming and having the lowest emissions, Africa faces exponential collateral damage due to the low adaptation capacity and high exposure to climate extremes (African Development Bank, AfDB, 2019)
The overall goal of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the specific climate information needs of selected countries as they plan their development agenda, build resilience and the adaptive capacity to climate change
There exists a climate information system either established by the government or through a collaborative funded program or project. These functions of the climate information systems vary according to the level of sophistication and advancement, demand and usage of information for decision-making and operation and the relevance of climate information for climate adaptation and mitigation in the target countries
Summary
Despite having contributed the least to global warming and having the lowest emissions (about 7%), Africa faces exponential collateral damage due to the low adaptation capacity and high exposure to climate extremes (African Development Bank, AfDB, 2019). Many African countries are witnessing severe climatic stress, manifested in high incidences of weather‐related shocks, including drought, storms, flooding and extreme temperature (Thornton et al, 2014) The impact of these shocks on Africa’s economy is further aggravated by the widespread poverty increasing the vulnerability of a large proportion of the population in many African countries. A recent initiative is the Climate for Development in Africa Program (ClimDev) that was designed to overcome
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