The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Climate Services Centre in collaboration with the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics of the Republic of Angola (INAMET) organised the First National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) in Luanda, Angola on 28-30 October 2024 as a key initiative focusing on strengthening the nation’s capacity to produce and effectively utilise climate services. The forum which is being held under the theme: In the Frontline of Climate Action to deliver services in Angola marks a major initiative in fostering structured collaboration between climate information providers, policy makers, researchers, and end-users, setting a foundation for enhanced climate resilience across sectors.
This milestone event attracted the participation of representatives from various national sectors, including agriculture, water resources, energy, health, and disaster risk management. In addition to national stakeholders, international organisations involved in climate services and resilience-building also attended, further underscoring the collaborative approach necessary to tackle the far-reaching impacts of climate change.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Surekha Ramessur, Senior Programme Officer for Meteorology at the SADC Climate Services Centre, highlighted the severity of the current El Niño event, which has exacerbated drought conditions across Southern Africa. Ms. Ramessur expressed deep concern over the challenges posed by widespread drought, as national drought emergencies have already been declared in six SADC countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. She further noted that Angola and Mozambique are also experiencing critical levels of drought-induced food insecurity, with approximately 1.8 million people in Angola facing food insecurity, according to a recent FEWSNET report. The drought has also negatively impacted hydropower generation, worsening load-shedding issues across the region.
Ms. Ramessur also highlighted the significant strides made through the Climate Services for Africa (ClimSA) programme, which has introduced impactful activities to enhance climate service engagement in Angola. These initiatives aim to strengthen the interaction among climate service users, researchers, and providers, fostering a more coordinated approach through the establishment of User Interface Platforms (UIPs). Implemented at both national and regional levels, these UIPs are designed to create structured pathways for delivering climate services across sectors, aligning with the objectives of the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) Global Framework for Climate Services. Earlier this year, in March, a second workshop brought together stakeholders who actively contributed to mapping Angola's climate services landscape and identifying key priority areas for UIP setup. This exercise not only provided crucial insights but also helped lay the foundation for a unified climate service framework, tailored to Angola’s unique climate challenges and needs.
The forum’s objectives include:
- Strengthening national climate services by building the capacity of INAMET experts and stakeholders to effectively implement the NCOF.
- Establishing National User Interface Platforms (NUIP) with tailored guidelines for Angola’s priority areas, agriculture and water.
During the forum, INAMET will release a seasonal climate outlook for Angola, developed in collaboration with stakeholders to produce customised climate products. This forecast will be instrumental in shaping mitigation and adaptation strategies for key sectors like agriculture, water, energy, and disaster risk reduction, ultimately bolstering Angola’s resilience to climate impacts.
The NCOF will also focus on downscaling the SARCOF-29 regional forecast to a national level, creating specific seasonal climate outlooks for sub-seasons extending from October 2024 to March 2025. By co-producing customised climate products in collaboration with water, agriculture, and disaster risk reduction sectors, the forum aims to ensure that climate information is both actionable and relevant. Ultimately, the NCOF supports Angola’s national adaptation strategies and resilience-building efforts, providing a roadmap for addressing climate variability and enhancing preparedness.
