On the 16th of November in Baku, a side event was organised at COP29 by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), in association with the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), the Secretary of Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) and the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

This event was sponsored under the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Programme, funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (11th EDF). The Programme supports both regional and national capacities directly to address the climate change challenges by enhancing the climate services value chain, in alignment with the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

The theme of the event was on “Enhancing capacities of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services: best practices, challenges and opportunities”. Hosted at the CARICOM Pavilion, the event emphasised on the critical role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in addressing climate challenges. It underscored the urgent need for capacity building, technological innovation and sustainable funding to enable NMHSs to meet the growing demand for climate information and services. This event aimed at sharing achievements, lessons and best practices while fostering collaboration to empower NMHSs for long-term resilience and sustainability across the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions.

Assistant Secretary-General for Environment and Climate Action at the OACPS Secretariat, Ms Cristelle Pratt opened the event, highlighting the essential role of NMHSs in building climate resilience. She stressed how timely and accurate climate information safeguards lives and supports sustainable development in OACPS regions. Ms Pratt lauded ClimSA for its role in addressing capacity gaps and fostering south-south collaboration across the ACP regions, setting a proactive tone for the discussions.

Dr Faka, Team Leader of the ClimSA Programme, detailed the eight key missions of NMHSs in the ACP regions. These include, among others, weather and climate monitoring, forecasting, supporting decision making, raising public awareness, educating communities about climate issues and fostering international collaboration. His intervention advocated for crucial support to NMHSs to allow them to play their role in a changing climate.

 

Prof Chris Hewitt from WMO presented the role of international organisations in coordinating efforts and providing technical assistance. He highlighted key successful stories implemented under ClimSA in the Caribbean, such as the capacity building programme and the implementation of GFCS in Jamaica, in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).

 

The panel discussion featured speakers from the regional climate centres who shared insights into best practices, challenges and opportunities for strengthening NMHSs. The first panellist, Dr Kamoru Abiodun Lawal, a Climate Change Expert with the ClimSA Programme at ACMAD (the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development), presented the institution’s efforts across the continent in key areas such as infrastructure, education and capacity building. One of the notable achievements and best practices highlighted was the establishment of the African Continental Climate Outlook Forum (ACCOF). ACCOF provides a platform for delivering continental climate outlooks, enhancing coordination on methods, data and services across Africa. The forum, now held annually, promotes knowledge sharing and fosters collaboration among countries and regions.

 

The second panellist, Dr Hussen Seid from the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), spoke about the achievements of the ClimSA programme in the Eastern Africa region. He highlighted key success stories in capacity building of national and regional experts through scholarships, access to High-Performance Computing systems and the implementation of internal training programmes that have greatly enhanced climate modelling and prediction capabilities in the region.

 

The third panellist, Mr Terry Atalifo, the Network Coordinator of Pacific Regional Climate Centre at SPREP. He shared insights from the Pacific region, in outlining the best practices for capacity building, including fostering multi-skilling to address human resources constraints, developing new skill sets such as communication, and promoting interdisciplinary training. Some challenges still remain, he admitted, such as retaining specialised skills, a lack of dedicated funding and the absence of specialised training programmes.

 

The outcomes of the side event were the awareness on the critical role of meteorological services in safeguarding lives, managing resources, advancing adaptation to climate change and raising public awareness. Best practices, challenges and opportunities were discussed and the need for collaboration and innovative solutions to strengthen NMHSs were pointed out. Participants learnt about success stories in capacity development schemes, innovative technology applications and sustainable funding. A key message was the importance of continued support to NMHSs for the delivery of accurate and timely climate services to safeguard lives and properties.

 

For more information, download the Concept Note and the presentations below.

download the concept note

download the presentation by OACPS

download the presentation by WMO

download the presentation by ACMAD

download the presentation by ICPAC

download the presentation by SPREP