Building an early warning system is very important to overcome weather and climate related issues, as well as building collaboration, coordination and cooperation among the IGAD member countries.
Addressing participants during the GHACOF 69th in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Director of the Kenya Meteorological Department who is also the Permanent Representative of Kenya with the World Meteorological Organization WMO, Dr. David Gikungu, acknowledged the importance of the GHACOF forums where seasonal forecast are also shared to be very critical.
Dr. Gikungu charged that the rain seasons especially the (MAM), March, April and May seasons are very important and critical especially for the lower part of the region, saying it’s referred to as the long rains.
He stresses the importance of informing everyone about the season and what is foreseen, whether it’s about food for humans or fodder for livestock and much more.
“I beseech all stakeholders to build synergy by working together, in order for users to understand what the forecast we are sharing with them is about and what it means to them as well as how it applies to their different sectors” Dr. Gikungu adds.
Speaking concurrently, at the GHACOF 69th forum, the Director General of the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, Fetene Teshome, commended (ICPAC), Igad Climate Prediction and Application Centre, for granting them the opportunity to host the GHACOF, citing its importance to the IGAD member states.
“The weather and the climate has no boundaries, so collaboration, coordination and cooperation among member countries is very important for Africa. Emphasized Teshome.
Teshome indicated that early warning for all initiatives, building an early warning system is very important to overcome weather and climate related issues.
“Member countries can provide timely and accurate weather and climate information for the communities at the grassroots level and also play a significant role to provide advisory services for socio-economic sectors as well as advising decision makers on weather and climate related aspects” he cited.
He also commended the organizers for initiating the forum, saying it’s very important to converge different societies together and also the user communities from different socio-economic sectors.
Nevertheless, he added that it’s very useful to provide weather and climate short-term, long-term, medium-term weather and climate advisories, while stressing the need of downscaling the same information to national and regional levels as well.
Dr. Abdi Fidar, the Officer in Charge at Igad Climate Prediction and Application Centre, ICPAC,, noted that as IGAD region faces increasing climate variabilities and extreme droughts, floods, and rising temperatures, forums like GHACOFs and the likes, are critical for building a shared understanding of risks and fostering collaboration to mitigate their impacts.
The theme of the GHACOF 69th forum, is Climate Services for Closing the Early Warning Gap Together, by taking timely actions and accurate climate information in bridging gaps in preparedness and response.
