Virtual meeting on Covid-19 and Hydrometeorological Systems in Africa; Sustaining Observations and Building Resilience in the Hydrometeorological Operating Systems

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 - 20:20
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Africa Union (AU) held a vitual meeting on COVID-19 and Hydrmeteorological Systems in Africa
The Meeting had Participants are drawn from the following such organizations as :
 African Union Commission
 Member States – National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs)
 African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET)
 African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)
 Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
 WMO Regional Office for Africa
 African Development Bank
 UNECA – ACPC and Other UN Agencies
 Regional Climate Centres (RCCs)
 African River and Lake Basin Organizations R/LBOs
 Regional Climate Commissions
 Water Centres of Excellence
 African Civil Society Group: PACJA; ANEW
 African Youth
Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the loss of over 430 thousand lives globally
and over 6000 lives in Africa from WHO reports. Regrettably, and tragically, numbers keep
on rising on a daily basis. Measures to contain the pandemic such as lockdowns come at a
cost including effects on people’s social lives, economic activities, and also operations of the
National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to conduct observations and
provide services. Viewing COVID-19 as a health issue leads to actors focussing most of their
attention on containing the pandemic on a health aspect rather than a multi-sectoral
approach. This view leaves behind the critical component of effective delivery of services by
NMHSs.