27 November 2014: The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank held a seminar on improving Africa’s hydrological and meteorological systems in order to capture weather and climate data and disseminate information to assist in development planning. Discussions emphasized the critical role of hydrometeorological services in providing information to support economic development and build resilience in many sectors in Africa, including disaster risk reduction and management, water, agriculture, transport, energy, public health and aviation safety and security.

According to the AfDB, less than 20% of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) are providing adequate services for decision making and development planning, due to weak institutional capacity, degraded infrastructure and inadequate service delivery. The AfDB estimates US$0.8 to $1billion is required to improve hydrometeorological services with a minimum of US$100 to $150 million per year to modernize the systems in Africa.

To address these challenges, AfDB and World Bank officials discussed the importance of partnering on hydrometeorological services. Officials also recognized the importance of the partnership in institutional capacity support and access to advanced technological platforms.

The AfDB and the World Bank agreed to identify instruments to build synergies and add value to and fully utilize existing instruments. A tripartite collaborative platform will be explored where the World Bank, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the AfDB could exchange information, undertake joint analytical work and capacity building and organize joint preparation of modernization projects. It is expected that such a collaboration would also help the CDSF and ClimDev-Africa to mobilize resources and deliver on its operational programmes.

The ClimDev-Special Fund (CDSF) grant facility is expected to channel nearly €20 million to the African regional climate centers to support: the installation of weather prediction systems; institutional capacity development; and a regional climate center for Central Africa. [AfDB Press Release][ClimDev-Africa Website]