Reliable and accessible climate services are crucial for enhancing climate resilience and are a key component of sustainable development across the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regions. However, despite its importance, the climate services sector faces significant human resource and institutional constraints, limiting its effectiveness. The chronic shortage of skilled personnel, inadequate training, weak institutional structures, outdated technology, difficulty retaining talent, poor communication of climate information, weak knowledge-sharing practices, insufficient funding, limited policy integration and reliance on external expertise collectively hinder the effective generation, interpretation and utilisation of climate services in ACP countries.
The Capacity Building Strategy (CBS) of the ClimSA Programme provides a structured framework to address these gaps. A consultant was engaged to develop this capacity building strategy. The process involved a review of existing capacities and an assessment of the opportunities and constraints affecting the achievement of the programme’s intended results. The principal recipients of the CBS are the Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), but the same approach applies to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and other stakeholders of the climate services value chain. By equipping staff and institutions with the necessary tools and skills, the ClimSA Programme contributes to a workforce better prepared to generate climate services that are more effective and adapted to the needs of policymakers and stakeholders at all levels.
Objectives
The strategy focuses on strengthening climate knowledge and services staff and institutions by enhancing their understanding and application of climate science, improving forecasting, data management and risk assessment, as well as supporting RCCs through the accreditation process to become World Meteorological Organization (WMO) -designated Regional Climate Centres. It also improves the decision-making process by facilitating the integration of climate services into national and regional policies, equipping policymakers with data-driven tools to address climate risks, and facilitating the effective use of climate information in sectors such as agriculture, water management, health, disaster risk reduction and energy.
To do so, the Strategy recommends building technical and institutional capacity through training and skill development at regional, national, and community levels; supporting RCCs in infrastructure, technology and communication advances; and strengthening leadership and governance in climate services value chains.
Strategic Approach
The Capacity Building Strategy is based on a theory of change and six strategic objectives. The framework’s theory of change assumes transformative actions will: (a) implement tools to mainstream climate information into policies, (b) reduce climate risks, and (c) sustainably use climate information to meet needs, supported by enabling conditions, resources, capacity, and technology, with transparent progress monitoring to achieve ClimSA’s objectives by 2025.
The six strategic objectives and a crosscutting mechanism are designed to address the need for developing and sustaining high-quality, innovative, relevant, informative and reliable climate services.
Strategic Objective 1: Stakeholder mapping and updates of need requirements. Comprehensive needs assessments ensure that interventions are tailored to stakeholder priorities, defining the scope of capacity building efforts, policy support and service improvements. An integral part of this objective is co-production and co-design, ensuring stakeholders are active contributors rather than passive recipients. This participatory approach enhances ownership, relevance and impact, aligning training and technical support with real-world needs rather than imposing a top-down model.
Key Activity for SO1: Consultations with stakeholders to guide global discussions. Conducted ahead of the 4th ClimSA Forum held in June 2024, a user need survey gathered inputs from 127 actors across the climate services value chain in 58 countries. The Forum’s discussions on engaging end-users and policymakers that ensued were therefore guided by the survey results. This is a clear example of the application of stakeholder dialogue to keep interventions relevant, demand-driven and impactful.
Strategic Objective 2: Improved, reliable and accurate climate information, systems and applications. The focus is on generating climate services that are relevant and actionable to specific economic sectors. This ensures that climate information is contextually pertinent, and therefore increasing its uptake and impact. An integral part of this approach is leveraging training, knowledge sharing and innovation to produce actionable climate insights in new and more effective ways.
Key Activity for SO2: Development and strengthening of User Interface Platforms. By building successful interactions between climate service providers, researchers and users, User Interface Platforms have become a critical tool to support more responsive and user-driven climate services.
Strategic Objective 3: Mastering the infrastructure, technology support and tool development capacity. This Objective focuses on effectively leveraging infrastructure and technology to enhance climate services. It involves strengthening the capacity to understand, maintain and fully utilise technological capabilities, ensuring climate information is both high-quality and relevant.
Key Activity for SO3: Development of the ClimSA Station, a platform for retrieving, processing and visualising climate and Earth Observation datasets for climate smart decision-making. It is developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC) for the ClimSA Programme, and was installed as prototype to the RCCs from 2021. Its mature version with full integration in the Climate Service Information Systems (CSIS) is now being deployed at the regional level and in national institutions.
Strategic Objective 4: Climate intelligence, innovation and knowledge development. This objective aims to promote a multi- and transdisciplinary approach to climate services. It recognises that climate information does not exist in isolation but is part of a complex system of interrelated factors, both influencing and being influenced by its broader context.
Key Activity for SO4: Development of a Socio-Economic Benefits (SEB) Tool, which generates science-based data to demonstrate the impact of climate services on national economies.
Strategic Objective 5: Institutional, organisational, managerial and leadership capacity. It focuses on strengthening institutional capacities, with a particular emphasis on leadership. This ensures that institutions can effectively and efficiently meet user needs in a timely manner.
Key Activity for SO5: A key example is the process of guiding the regional centre towards certification by the WMO, from the expression of interest through the required stages to achieve full accreditation. This is to make sure that staff receive the required training and support to turn regional climate centres into providers of world-class climate services in their respective regions.
Strategic Objective 6: Communication, outreach and service delivery. This Objective focuses on enhancing the delivery of climate information to maximise its impact on intended users. This involves leveraging appropriate communication channels and user-friendly tools to improve outreach and ensure greater uptake of climate services.
Key Activity for SO6: The Knowledge Management Platform facilitates the exchange of specialised knowledge in a protected environment, free from algorithmic interference. It also enables targeted discussions and the dissemination of relevant information, ensuring that climate insights reach the right stakeholders effectively.
Implementation and Training Programmes
The implementation of the Capacity Building Strategy is structured around different levels of training and knowledge dissemination as well as infrastructure and technology development. At the global level, training focuses on high-level climate risk assessment and policy development, ensuring that all RCCs benefit from a strong knowledge base. At the regional level, the approach includes targeted Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes that enable experts to transfer knowledge effectively within their regions. National-level initiatives prioritise technical skill-building for meteorologists and policymakers, ensuring that the workforce is equipped to handle climate-related challenges. At the community level, training is designed to improve the uptake and application of climate information, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Stakeholder engagement is a fundamental part of the strategy, with key organisations such as the WMO, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the EC-JRC playing a central role. RCCs also contribute significantly to the successful delivery of training programmes and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Ensuring Sustainability and Impact
The Strategy prioritises sustainability by promoting gender inclusivity, ensuring that more women participate in climate services and capacity-building initiatives. It also emphasises user-focused services by tailoring climate information to the specific needs of different sectors. Cost-effective infrastructure investments remain a key component, ensuring that climate service systems are scalable and accessible. Long-term capacity development is essential for fostering self-sufficiency in climate expertise, ensuring that the ACP regions can independently manage climate-related challenges and risks.
Through the implementation of this Capacity Building Strategy, the ClimSA Programme aims to strengthen climate resilience across the ACP regions by equipping stakeholders with the necessary knowledge, tools, and resources to make informed decisions. By fostering strong partnerships and investing in sustainable capacity development, the Programme contributes to a future where climate services play a pivotal role in building adaptive and resilient societies.