WMO urges African countries to increase meteorological service investments

The world's meteorological body on Tuesday urged governments in Africa to consider increasing investments in their national meteorological and hydrological services so that they provide high-quality services.

In a communique issued after a three-day meeting in Lusaka, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said there was need for governments to increase investments, particularly in infrastructure and human capacity development, to enable national meteorological agencies to provide high-quality weather and climate services that meet the sector's specific needs.

According to the communique, stakeholders should quickly convene a pledging conference to mobilize the necessary resources to help governments implement national strategic plans on improving meteorological and hydrological services, and that this should also include the participation of the private sector, development partners and other relevant funding institutions.

It added that governments should support national meteorological services in developing their national strategic plans that were responsive to global and continental plans.

The meeting, held in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), was called to acquaint experts from WMO/AU member states and regional economic commissions on the implementation and resource mobilization plan of the integrated African strategy on meteorology.

The meeting was also organized to discuss a key framework for the effective mainstreaming of weather and climate services into sub-regional and national development policies and plans.

It underscored the need for governments to recognize the importance of weather and climate services in socio-economic development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the need to have climate resilient communities. Endit