Help Desk

Welcome to the SADC Climate Services Centre (CSC) help desk. Our officers with expertise in climate information are here to help. We will aim to respond to your enquiry as quickly as possible. To help us achieve this, please ensure your request is as clear and complete as possible. Through this helpdesk, SADC CSC will address climate services-related queries of stakeholders in the region, and users of the helpdesk can ask questions and seek technical advice and clarifications on SADC climate related products and services directly. Please use the webform below to directly contact the SADC CSC help desk. If you experience any technical issues with the help desk and require further assistance, please contact the SADC CSC help desk team via email infocsc@sadc.int

Ask: Ask our experts about climate information products or services you would like to use or understand. 

Feedback: We like to know what you think about our climate information services. Please leave us your comments and suggestions.

Would you want to be part of the SADC CSC mailing list?

Would you want to be part of the SADC CSC mailing list?
What type of information are climate services users interested in?

Interests of climate services users differ for each sector but generally across all sectors users are interested in seasonal forecasts, heat stress and any other extreme weather events to help in predicting and planning on potential severe events. Below is a table showing some of the key interests for each climate services sector.

SectorInterest

Agriculture and Food Security 

Daily weather forecasts, daily forecasts on extreme rainfall events, false rainfall breaks, droughts, soil moisture, seasonal forecast for rainfall and droughts, temperature forecasts, onset wet season.
WaterSeasonal and 7 day-forecasts, heatwaves
EnergyClimate early warning information on extreme weather hazards such as tropical storms, flooding, and extreme heatwaves.
Disaster risk reductionSeasonal climate outlooks/forecasts, monthly rainfall rainfall forecasts, forecasts using Standard Precipitation Index, seal level rise.
Health Early warning systems for extreme heat, rainy periods, periods of drought, forest fire outlooks.
What benefits does climate services provide to users?

Climate services products improve anticipatory responses of users to get better equipped in addressing climate hazards threatening their respective sector. Information of past, current, and projected climate change identifies national, sub-national or regions most vulnerable to climate risks. Based on such climate projections, stakeholders work together on robust adaptation measures to minimise damage and possible financial losses.

What are climate services?

Climate services are the provision and use of climate data, information, and knowledge to assist decision-making at local, national, sub-national and regional levels through collaboration of various stakeholders. Climate services includes the impact of expected climate hazards such temperature and rainfall on agriculture, health, and other critical sectors. Users of the climate services are expected to use the information to make better decisions on managing identified climate hazards and predict and build resilience on climate shocks. (WFP/ Climate Adapt).

What is climate information?

The WMO/IPCC defines Climate Information as the collection and interpretation of observations of the actual weather and climate as well as simulations of climate in both past and future periods. Examples of climate information products are forecasts, climate models and climate scenarios.

Sponsorship

This website development was sponsored by the European Union under the 11th EDF, which 
funded the SADC ClimSA Programme amongst other global ClimSA programmes.