The African Union (AU) Commission has urged for increased financing to weather and climate information services in Africa, stating that the continent’s key development sectors are already experiencing widespread climate-induced impacts including biodiversity loss, water shortages, and reduced food production.
The call was made at the joint forum of the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) and the Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) programs at Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
Speaking at the event Moses Vilakati, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment urged AU member states to commit to catalyzing innovative solutions that will fortify Africa’s resilience to climate change.
“A majority of Africans are employed in climate-sensitive sectors, with 55-62 percent of the workforce in sub-Saharan Africa are employed in the agriculture sector and 95 percent of cropland relying on rain-fed farming,” said Vilakati, noting that the sectors are facing complex and vulnerability due to climate change.
The 2019 State of Climate Services for Agriculture and Food Security Report, published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), indicates that climate information and associated services lead to improved agricultural and food security outcomes and benefits.
“The rapid growth of informal settlements, without adequate services, equally amplifies the vulnerability of large populations in urban areas to weather and climate-related hazards,” the commissioner said.
Vilakati said investing in climate services has a strong cost-benefit ratio of one to 10, with potential returns far outweighing the initial investment while he urged the African Meteorological Community to be aggressive in demonstrating the benefits of investing in climate services.
The joint forum aims to improve understanding of the positive impact of climate services and early warnings at sect oral, community, national, regional and continental levels and strengthen South-South cooperation and knowledge sharing among the African, Caribbean and Pacific Regions.
