Since the late 1990s, the World Meteorological Organization has pioneered an innovative global initiative known as Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs). These forums serve as vital platforms that regularly bring together experts and user communities from various institutions across different regions to collaboratively produce reliable climate information. Building on this foundation, the ClimSA Programme is investing significant resources to actively support and strengthen RCOFs across the ACP regions, recognising their crucial role in enhancing climate services and resilience.
RCOFs typically bring together National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), regional institutions, international and national organizations, to discuss climate driven factors and present the outlook for the upcoming season.
The forums are an essential opportunity for stakeholders to share their experiences and challenges, providing real-time, objective and consensus-based climate forecasts, helping reduce climate-related risks and supporting sustainable development in critical sectors to regional economies, such as water management, agriculture, disaster preparedness, health and energy.
The ClimSA Programme, funded by the European Union and spearheaded by the Organisation for the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), has contributed significantly to strengthening the RCOFs process in a variety of ways, in addition to its efforts to establish and strengthen User Interface Platforms (UIPs).
To find out more about RCOFs supported by the ClimSA Programme in the three ACP regions, please see below.
Africa
African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD)
As one of the two WMO-designated Regional Climate Centres in Africa, ACMAD organises the African Continental Climate Outlook Forum (ACCOF) and also supports -among other actions- the other African Regional Climate Centres to organise and conduct their RCOFs.
AGRHYMET organises the regional forums on seasonal agro-hydro-climatic forecasts for the Sahelian and Sudanian Zones as follows.
- PRESAGG – Prévisions Saisonnières en Afrique de l’Ouest et au Sahel par le Groupe de Travail sur les Prévisions Saisonnières en Afrique de l’Ouest [Seasonal Forecasting in West Africa and the Sahel by the Working Group on Seasonal Forecasting in West Africa]
- PRESASS – Prévisions Saisonnières en Afrique Soudano-Sahélienne [Seasonal Forecasting in the Sudanian and Sahelian Zones of Africa]
- PREGEC – Prévention et Gestion des Crises Alimentaires [Prevention and Management of Food Crises]
Climate Applications and Predictions Centre for Central Africa (CAPC-CA)
The CAPC-CA organises, in collaboration with ACMAD, the bi-annual Regional Climate Outlook Forums on Seasonal for Central Africa (PRESAC - Prévisions Saisonnières en Afrique centrale).
IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC)
A WMO-designated Regional Climate Centre since 2017, ICPAC supports the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF).
Southern Africa Development Community Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC)
The Climate Service Centre supports the Southern Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF).
The IOC, in collaboration with the Hydromet Programme, supports the South West Indian Ocean Climate Outlook Forum (SWIOCOF).
Caribbean
Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)
The CIMH organises bi-annually the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF).
Pacific
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Pacific RCC-Network
The Pacific RCC supports the organisation of the Pacific Islands Climate Outlook Forum (PICOF).
For more information about the Regional Climate Outlook Forums, click here.
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