Joint ClimSA & SEWA Forum: Accelerating Access to Climate and Weather Services for Resilient African Economies and Communities

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19 Jun 2025 - 10:19

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In response to the growing climate crisis and its disproportionate impacts on Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC), with support from the European Union through the Global Gateway initiative and AMCOMET with other partners, conveyed a Joint Forum on the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) and the Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) programmes in Windhoek, Namibia, from 23-27 June 2025.

The forum with over 300 participants including Government representatives from the 49 African ClimSA participating countries, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), 6 Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), and counterparts from the Caribbean and Pacific region. The forum was also attended by African Ministerial Conferences (AMCEN, AMCOMET, AMCOW), civil society organizations, the media, academia, private sector, youth and gender groups, and key international partners such as WMO, UNDP, UNEP, JRC, EUMETSAT, ECWMF and ESA.

The Forum aimed to elevate the critical role of climate and weather services in building resilient economies and communities across Africa. It served as a platform for constructive dialogue among policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to share experiences, strengthen partnerships, and identify collaborative opportunities to address climate risks and enhance resilience across Africa.

The one week forum aimed to showcase the impact of climate services, highlighting ClimSA's achievements and practical applications across key sectors such as agriculture, food security, health, water, and disaster risk reduction. It further promoted cross fertilization learning by exchanging knowledge and best practices among stakeholders from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. By advocating for stronger institutional coordination, the Forum reinforced collaboration among RECs, NMHSs, disaster agencies, and international partners.

In the opening statement of the Forum, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) at the African Union Commission, H.E. Moses Vilakati, emphasized that ‘Africa is experiencing complex and multi-faceted exposure and vulnerability to climate change. According to him the majority of Africans are employed in climate-sensitive sectors, with 55-62% of the workforce in sub-Saharan Africa employed in the agriculture sector and 95% of cropland relying on rainfed farming. “We must shift our perception of financing climate services from viewing it merely as a cost to recognizing it as an essential investment in adaptation and resilience building,” he added.

Also speaking at the Forum, the European Union Ambassador to Namibia, H.E. Ana Beatriz Martins, reaffirmed the EU is committed to supporting countries and regions in reducing their vulnerable to climate change impacts. She emphasized the importance of inclusive and sustainable development, aligned with key continental frameworks such as the African Union Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change and Resilient Development" and the "African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System" (AMHEWAS).

ClimSA provides integrated, user-driven climate services that inform decision-making across critical sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, health, and disaster risk reduction in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. Complementing this SEWA, implemented under the Africa-EU Space Partnership, leverages space-based technologies to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems, monitor extreme weather, and inform disaster risk management.

Together these programmes put into action key continental and global strategies, including the African Integrated Meteorological Strategy, the AU Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change and Resilient Development, the Paris Agreement, the SDGs, and the Early Warnings for All initiative. They also align with the Windhoek Declaration, which calls for increased investment in resilience, innovative finance, and mechanism to address loss and damage.

For media inquiries and further information, please contact:

Mr. Molalet Tsedeke | Media and Communication Officer| Information and Communication Directorate| African Union Commission | Email: MolaletT@africa-union.org; WhatsApp: +251-911-630 631.

Dr. Kosmos Alasoka | Communication Officer | WMO-AMCOMET | kakande-alasoka@wmo.int