Side event 4

The African subregions (East, west, Central and Southern) are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, experiencing frequent droughts, floods, and unpredictable weather patterns. These changes have significant implications for agriculture, water resources, health, infrastructure, and overall socio-economic development. The timely provision and integration of climate information into decision-making processes is critical for enhancing resilience, reducing risks, and fostering sustainable development.

Climate information spans a range of timescales including the short term (weather forecasts) to the extended range (weeks to a month ahead), monthly to decadal climate predictions, long term climate change projections, and observations and climate monitoring (current and past). The climate information timescale determines the types of impact-based climate-related actions that can be planned for, either preparatory, responsive or recovery. Despite the growing availability of climate data and services, challenges persist in mainstreaming this information into policies, planning, and practices at the regional, national, and local levels. Barriers include limited technical capacity, insufficient data accessibility, inadequate institutional frameworks, and a lack of awareness among key stakeholders.

The Intra-ACP Climate Services and related applications (ClimSA) programme is an initiative of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) funded under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) aims to strengthen the climate services value chain: from access to information, generation and provision of climate services to engagement and capacity of users to ensure utilization of these services. One of its key objectives is to mainstream climate services into regional and national policies, programming, and development plans, thereby reducing vulnerability to climate impacts and variability, and ensuring sustainable development across the six ACP regions.

To this end, the regional organizations (SADC; IGAD, CILSS and ECOWAS) have made significant progress in mainstreaming climate services into policy processes. For instance, SACD through the ClimSA program has developed a mainstreaming guideline designed to assist non-climate specialists who are responsible for mainstreaming climate information and/or services to do so with adequate signposted support as and when required. Similarly, IGAD/ICPAC and CILSS/AGRHYMET conducted high-level meetings, provided technical support, and coordination with policymakers in climate sensitive sectors at national and regional levels.

ACMAD will contribute in discussions and share opportunities and challenges in mainstreaming the climate information at continental level