According to a report released in 2018 by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), climate-related disasters accounted for 91% of all major disasters and 77% of direct economic losses. This shows a 9% increase in climate-related economic losses compared to the period from 1978 to 1998.
The changing climate has impacted various sectors, including water, agriculture, energy, peace and security, and infrastructure, which are fundamental to economic integration. This has led to an increase in food insecurity, poverty, and the loss of livelihoods and economic activities and has given rise to health challenges. Economically interconnected countries must collectively address climate-related risks to ensure shared resources' resilience and maintain regional economies' stability.
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region has been adversely affected by climate change and extreme weather events in the last 20 years. To preserve the development progress achieved in the past years and advance the regional economic integration agenda, the SADC Secretariat has developed strategies to strengthen disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience.
In pursuit of these efforts, the SADC Secretariat established the Climate Services Centre (CSC). The SADC CSC provides operational and regional services for monitoring and predicting extremes in climate conditions. The Centre develops and disseminates meteorological, environmental, and hydro-meteorological products. These products play an important role, in enhancing disaster risk management within the region and contribute to ensuring that Member States are well-prepared for weather and climate disasters. Additionally, the Centre delivers training in climate prediction to personnel within the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). This training extends to end-users in various weather-sensitive economic sectors such as agriculture, health, energy, water resources management, and transport in the region, focusing on the application of climate products and services.
To enhance its products and services, the SADC CSC is implementing the SADC Intra-African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Climate Services and Related Applications Programme – SADC ClimSA. The goal of ClimSA is to contribute to the efforts of SADC Member State countries to adapt to climate change and climate
variability by providing science-based climate prediction and information services into national and regional planning processes. The SADC ClimSA provides timely climate information and support to the Water-Energy-Food Security (WEF) nexus.
One of the key activities in the SADC ClimSA Programme is to support the SADC CSC to reach at least the demonstration phase for becoming a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) designated RegionalClimate Centre (RCC). WMO RCCs are centres of excellence whose mandate is to be a provider of climate services for NMHSs. They generate and deliver more regionally-focused high-resolution data and products as well as training and capacity building.
Like many other developing countries, a SADC regional climate services gap analysis study by Focus-Africa (2021) revealed that most SADC Member States do not have sufficient individual capacity to provide a full spectrum of climate services information to the public. However, WMO’s technical experts in climatology, regional cooperation, service delivery, product development and transmission have established mechanisms to improve the institutional capacity of its members. Therefore, having the SADC CSC as a regional centre of excellence for the WMO presents opportunities for improved climate services and capacity for service providers at regional and national levels.
In addition, WMO Members proposed the development of Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) to help fulfil the need for more regionally focused climate services. The designation of SADC CSC as a WMO RCC will enable the centre to provide climate services more focused on the SADC region.
Climate knowledge and information services provided by the SADC CSC empower SADC Member States to safeguard their populations and economies. This is accomplished by preparing the water, energy, food, and health sectors in the region to respond promptly to climate disasters. The information services extended to Member States further enhance their national response to climate-induced disasters. This is accomplished by strengthening the capacity of national climate information service providers in the optimal utilisation of climate services tools.
With the progress made so far towards WMO designation, where most mandatory activities are being implemented, SADC CSC will submit an intent to be designated. After the assessment and recommendation, and upon invitation for demonstration, SADC CSC will present the demonstration for onward processing. During this process, the SADC CSC will continue providing mandatory activities.
The SADC Secretariat is therefore leveraging the designation of the SADC CSC as a WMO-designated RCC to improve the capacity of the CSC and NMHS to provide effective and efficient climate services. This will enhance the region’s response to climate-induced weather events, protect the economy, foster regional integration and accelerate the achievement of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
