The Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with UN Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) Africa, organized on 30 October 2023 a webinar for thirteen priority countries for the Early Warning For All (EW4All) initiative[1] to (a) enhance collaboration between the Resident Coordinators System (RCS) and WMO to support countries particularly at-risk in Africa better to implement EW4All Action Plan successfully; (b) introduce Permanent Representatives to WMO of the 13 African Member States to the UN Resident Coordinators in their respective countries.
 

In his welcome address, the WMO Secretary-General, Prof Petteri Taalas, said that one hundred countries needed EW4All support, that the UN has started with thirty countries, and thirteen of these countries are in Africa, where the need for support is significant. By making such an investment, the countries can save and get back tenfold on return. Besides improving early warning skills, the range of services provided by the national meteorological and hydrological services for various sectors can be enhanced. The beneficial sectors include public safety, agriculture, water resource management, energy, health, tourism, air, ground, and marine transport. 

 
The Director of the UNDCO Regional Office for Africa recalled the devastating impacts of climate change, climate variability, and extreme weather events in Africa and their multiplier effect on attaining Sustainable Development Goals. Biodiversity loss and pollution are some of the multiplier effects across Africa affecting the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. He highlighted that the EW4All initiative is yet another enabler of climate action, and collaboration and coordination will be needed for its success.

Participants at the online seminar included the Directors of the National Meteorological Services of Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, their respective hydrological advisors, UN Resident Coordinators, WMO, and other EW4All pillar leads; UNDRR, ITU, IFRC, among others. The meeting enabled members to understand better the vital work on the ground conducted across the UN System and national institutions, including the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.

The forum also created a platform for a better engagement of UN Resident Coordinators with heads of NMHSs and perspectives on the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation frameworks, capturing their needs for a successful and sustainable implementation of EW4All.

  [1] Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda