What is
Hy.dro.met /hī- drō mēt/
Hydrology + Meteorology
The Africa Hydromet Program is a partnership of development organizations working to improve weather, water, and climate services throughout Africa. Investing in people and local economies through the modernization of these services—also known as
Since the program’s start in June 2015, The World Bank Group, The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and other partners have been working together to modernize
Effective and reliable
“Statistics show that 90% of all disasters on the continent are weather and climate-driven.” – CRED’s Emergency Events Database
The African continent has made significant development achievements in the last few decades; annual growth has averaged 4.5%, but weather, water, and climate-related disasters threaten these accomplishments. Although Africa accounts for less than 4% of global gas emissions, the continent is most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, and struggles to adapt. Since 1970, Africa has experienced more than 2,000 natural disasters, with just under half taking place in the last decade. During this time, natural disasters have affected over 460 million people and resulted in more than 880,000 casualties.
Less than 20% of Sub-Saharan African countries currently provide reliable weather, water, and climate services to their people and economies. African governments often juggle competing priorities for investment. Without adequate funding, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) provides limited services needed to contribute to
The Response
The World Bank, World Meteorological Organization, African Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Agence Française de Développment (French Development Agency), and World Food Programme came together in a framework partnership under the Africa Hydromet Program. This program is foremost a partnership to address the development challenge of building climate and disaster resilience in Africa.
Phase I of the program runs for eight years and envisages a total investment of approximately $600 million for the modernization of 15 countries’ hydrological and meteorological services and systems. Phase I also includes the modernization of four regional climate centers for the strengthening of early warning and response systems that fortify African countries and build resilience against climate change and disaster risks.
The Africa Hydromet Program supports African countries in their efforts to provide
The program will holistically address modernization needs at the national, sub-regional, and regional levels, and will equally support the following:
The current portfolio of World Bank
Since 2016, Through the coordinated action of development partners, the Africa Hydromet Program has been active in providing technical assistance and investment support to several vulnerable countries in Africa since 2016.
The World Bank is responding to requests supporting Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal, Togo, and Zambia. Support is being offered to Burundi, Cabo Verde, Congo-Brazzaville, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The World Bank is committed to supporting the modernization of and continues to invest in
In addition to these projects, regional climate centers and sub-regional centers in countries, including Mali, DRC, and Niger, are also receiving support from the program’s partners such as the French Development Agency (AFD), the African Development Bank (Af DB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
To meet the urgent need for modernizing
Partners include:
Projects supported by the Africa Hydromet Program include:
The Democratic Republic of Congo
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, investments combining funds from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and GFDRR will support country efforts to strengthen
Ethiopia
In the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a $10 million
Lesotho
The Africa Hydromet Program works with the Government of Lesotho to strengthen its ability to pre-empt risks associated with climate change and water resources. Through the Climate and Water Risk Analysis and Early Warning Systems Information Management Systems project.
Mali
Through the Mali Country Project, the Africa Hydromet Program works to improve the country’s hydro-meteorological, early warning, and response systems services. The project will benefit highly vulnerable groups, including 80 percent of the country’s population whose livelihoods are dependent on predominantly rain-fed agriculture.
Mozambique
The Africa Hydromet Program supports two projects in the country to promote economic development. One program supported the preparation and implementation of the Enhancing Spatial Data for Flood Risk Management Project, along with GFDRR and partners. This project closed in 2017.
The Climate Resilience: Transforming Hydro-Meteorological Services project, also supported by GFDRR, delivers hydrological and meteorological information services to communities and businesses at risk. The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), from the Climate Investment Funds(CIF), finance this project.
Niger
Protecting lives, communities, and property in Niger, the Africa Hydromet program works to improve the country's resilience against natural hazards through engaging in disaster risk management interventions throughout the country. The Disaster Risk Management and Urban Development Project also works to strengthen the government's capacity to forecast and respond to disasters and emergencies.
Nigeria
Serving a state in Africa’s most populous country, the Africa Hydromet Program, through the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, works to improve the capacity of Oyo State to effectively manage flood risks in the city of Ibadan.
Rwanda
Since almost 50% of power generation in Rwanda comes from small-scale hydropower, the Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration and Conservation project, the program works to enhance landscape management for improved environmental services and climate resilience through GFDRR and with funds from GCF.
Togo
Strengthening the capacity of institutions to manage risks from flooding and land degradation in rural and urban areas, the Africa Hydromet Program is present in Togo through the Integrated Disaster and Land Management Project.
The inaugural African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) Africa Hydromet Forum took place in September 2017, at the headquarters of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The forum brought high-level representatives together to provide strategic insight on improving hydrological, meteorological, and early-warning services to achieve climate and disaster resilience as part of Africa’s sustainable development strategy. Watch: Africa Hydromet Forum 2017
The initiative was led by The World Bank, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the African Union Commission in partnership with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Development Bank (AfDB), The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), the African Development Bank (AfDB), The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Goal
To build consensus and momentum for modernizing weather, water, and climate information services for climate-resilient growth, adaptation planning, and sustainable development.
Objectives
The AMCOMET Africa Hydromet Forum:
More information on the forum can be found via: https://www.gfdrr.org/amcomet-africa-hydromet-forum-2017
The Africa Hydromet Program: Strengthening Climate and Disaster Resilience in Africa.