Africa hosts high-level forum to boost climate resilience

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

The African Union Commission (AUC), in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), is hosting a joint forum to strengthen access to climate and weather services across Africa.

The event, taking place in Windhoek, Namibia, from 23 to 27 June 2025, brought together more than 300 participants under the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) and the Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) programmes.

Delegates include government representatives from 49 African countries, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Climate Centres, civil society groups, media, academia, private sector actors, and international partners such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNDP, UNEP, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), EUMETSAT, and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Public Information Officer, WMO Regional Office for Africa, Kosmos E. Akande-Alasoka, said on Wednesday that the forum aimed at advancing the role of climate and weather services in building resilient economies and communities across Africa.

“It also provides a platform for sharing experiences, promoting collaboration, and showcasing the impact of climate services in sectors such as agriculture, food security, health, water, and disaster risk reduction,” he said.

According to him, AUC Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, H.E. Moses Vilakati, highlighted the continent’s vulnerability to climate change.

“A majority of Africans work in climate-sensitive sectors, with over 60% in agriculture and 95% of cropland dependent on rainfall.

“We must move from seeing climate services as a cost to recognising them as critical investments in adaptation and resilience,” Vilakati was quoted.

He added that the European Union Ambassador to Namibia, H.E. Ana Beatriz Martins, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in Africa.

“Our support aligns with the African Union Strategy on Climate Change and the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System,” he quoted Martins.

ClimSA delivers user-focused climate services to support decision-making in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, while SEWA, part of the Africa-EU Space Partnership, uses space-based technologies to improve early warning systems and disaster response.

Both programmes contribute to key global and regional frameworks, including the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, the AU Strategy on Climate Change, and the Early Warnings for All initiative.