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.

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