The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Sub-sectoral Committee Meeting on Meteorology will convene in Harare next week to address the pressing climate challenges facing the region and strengthen meteorological systems to better support decision-making.
The regional bloc, through its Intra-ACP Climate Services and related Application (ClimSA) Programme, will host the Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-29) and the SADC Sub-sectoral Committee Meeting on Meteorology in Harare, Zimbabwe, from August 26 to 30, 2024.
These meetings are crucial for strengthening climate services in the region and addressing the impacts of climate change.
The SARCOF-29 will focus on identifying climate variability patterns, evaluating the past season, and issuing an outlook for the upcoming rainfall season.
Participants will discuss strategies to mitigate the effects of climate-related events, such as droughts, floods, and cyclones, which have become increasingly frequent in the region.
The SADC Sub-sectoral Committee Meeting on Meteorology will review the implementation of the SADC Meteorology Sector activities, strengthen regional meteorological systems, and assess progress on the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications, and Meteorology.
Both meetings will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including climate scientists, researchers, government officials, and development partners.
The discussions will focus on the latest advancements in climate science and technology, with a specific emphasis on disaster risk reduction and anticipatory actions.
These meetings are integral to the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) in the SADC region.
The GFCS aims to strengthen and coordinate the development, delivery, and use of climate services to support decision-making in addressing climate-related risks at national, regional, and global levels.
The meetings take place against the backdrop of the SADC region’s call for a regional humanitarian appeal to assist member states affected by the El Niño-induced drought and floods, as well as other climate challenges such as low rainfall, increased frequency of floods, cyclones, and droughts.
The SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 emphasises the integration of environmental considerations into socio-economic development activities, and these meetings will contribute to this goal.
