ACCOF-21

Global Forecasting Centres project a strong El Niño in late 2026, with peak intensity expected between October and December. Africa’s Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) discussed the forecast of the event during a webinar session mid-May 2026. While each episode is unique, Africa must urgently strengthen preparedness and mitigate impacts, especially across climate-sensitive sectors and among vulnerable groups such as children, women, and persons with disabilities. As widely noted, “The question is no longer whether El Niño will occur, but what actions must be taken to reduce its impacts.”

RCCs are central to generating, interpreting, and disseminating climate information. Over the past four years, collaboration among RCCs has deepened, with more structured engagement of governments, disaster managers, agriculture and water stakeholders, health institutions, media, humanitarian actors, and local communities. Yet, sectoral working groups, critical to anchoring User Interface Platforms (UIPs), remain not well constituted. Their establishment, strongly recommended by the African Union Commission (AUC) at the 6th STC on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment, is a priority to ensure ACCOF products translate into actionable, sector-specific services.
In this context, ACMAD, as WMO’s designated continental RCC, together with the AUC through the ClimSA Programme and other RCCs, will convene the 21st African Continental Climate Outlook Forum (ACCOF-21) alongside the continental working group and UIP workshops from 15-19 June 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia.
This forum will unite RCCs and key stakeholders to assess the projected El Niño impacts, harmonize regional outlooks, share lessons, and co-develop actionable climate services and early warnings tailored to vulnerable communities. It will also advance the formal establishment of Continental User Working Groups, ensuring synergy between AUC, RCCs, RECs, sectoral institutions, and user communities.