Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications Programme

The Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Application programme (ClimSA) is initiated through a partnership between the EU and the OACPS Secretariat.

ClimSA’s objectives are to “contribute to strengthen the production, availability, delivery and application of science-based information, and therefore to provide decision-makers in Members of the OACPS with innovative and collaborative solutions to manage climate-related risks and to support the sustainable development of ACP regions.” (www.climsa.org)

In recognising a warming world, the need for climate adaptation informed by science is now more urgent than ever. Acknowledging the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the Paris Agreement, as well as providing science-based information with reliable data on climate change and climate variability is critical for the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Regions.

The ClimSA Programme’s technical implementing partners are the United Nations World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

The programme aims to foster innovative and collaborative solutions to manage climate-related risks, and to support sustainable development and poverty reduction through the prevention of desertification, the preservation of ecological biodiversity and the sustainable use of water management in ACP countries through the services provided by the regional climate centres (RCCs).

The programme is implemented in seven regions worldwide, and the SADC region is one of them. The SADC ClimSA programme was launched in 2021.

Visit www.climsa.org for more information.

SADC ClimSA Programme

The SADC ClimSA Programme’s overarching objective is to strengthen the climate service value chain through building the capacities of the decision-makers at all levels to make effective use of climate information and services. The specific objectives of the programme are to:

• Provide timely climate information and early warning to support climate sensitive sectors (such as the Water-Energy-Food nexus) for the mitigation of the impacts of climate variability and climate change for poverty alleviation, management of environment and sustainable development;
• Develop and improve, proactive, timely, broad-based system of information/product dissemination and feedback through the improved User Interface Platform), at both subregional and national scales;
• Improve the technical capacity of producers and users of climate information, in order to enhance the use of climate monitoring and forecasting products in climate risk management and environment management;
• Expand and build the capacity of experts on climate knowledge base and applications within the sub-region to facilitate informed decision-making on climate risk related issues; and
• Maintain quality controlled access to databases and information systems required for products and climate service generation and dissemination, risk/vulnerability assessment, mapping, and general support to the national/ regional climate risk reduction strategies.

The specific objectives are to be achieved through providing five key Outputs:

1. Interaction between the users, researchers, and climate services providers in the SADC Regional is structured through a User Interface Platform (UIP).
2. Provision of climate services at Regional and National levels are effectively guaranteed and secured, whilst Climate Service Information Systems (CSIS) are strengthened.
3. Access to Climate Information is improved by strengthening observation networks, communication technology, enhancing climate monitoring systems and conducting Research, Climate Modelling and Climate Forecasting
4. Capacity of ACP regions is enhanced to generate and apply climate information and products relevant to their particular concerns
5. Climate-informed decision-making is enhanced and climate services are mainstreamed into policy processes at regional and nation levels.

Implementation of the SADC ClimSA programme

SADC Secretariat and the EU signed the Contribution Agreement for ClimSA in 2019. The programme is funded under the 11th European Development Fund and the total cost is estimated at approximately USD 8 million. Early discussions between SADC Secretariat and the implementing partners were initiated in 2019.

An important milestone was the appointment of Ws Atkins LTD as the consultancy implementing the Technical Assistance (TA) project for SADC ClimSA. Following on the signing of the TA contract, the TA team was mobilised in April 2021.

The TA team includes experts in technical project management, climate sciences and the generation of decision-relevant climate information, sustainable environmental management and development, economics, engineering, agricultural resilience, disaster risk reduction and stakeholder engagement.

Upon completion of the TA project’s Inception Phase, the first, virtual, PMC sub-committee (Steering committee) meeting on the SADC ClimSA Programme was convened by SADC Secretariat 20 September 2021. The Inception Workshop followed on 21 September with SADC Member States, ClimSA’s implementing partners, the EU Delegation, and other stakeholders represented.

In these meetings, the Inception Report and Detailed Workplan, covering all aspects of the TA project up to its completion in October 2024 was approved by the PMC sub-committee members and the Directors of the National Hydro-Meteorological Organisation (NMHSs) from all SADC Member States without objection.