PRESS RELEASE
16 June 2025, Gaborone, Botswana: The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the Government of the Republic of Namibia, will host the Joint Second Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Forum and the First Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) Forum from 23 to 27 June 2025 in Windhoek, Namibia.
Preceding the forum, the Project Advisory Committee (PAC) and the Continental Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings will take place from 19 to 20 June 2025, providing strategic oversight and guidance to the implementation of the ClimSA programme. The PAC and PSC meetings will bring together key stakeholders to provide direction on strengthening coordination between the AUC, Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), and Member States. The discussions will focus on advancing tailored climate information services to support critical sectors such as agriculture, disaster risk reduction, energy, and health.
The joint forum will be held under the theme “Accelerating Access to Climate and Weather Services for Resilient African Economies and Communities,” aims to spotlight progress and achievements made under the ClimSA programme in promoting climate-informed decision-making, climate risk management, and sustainable development planning across Africa.
The Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) project, under the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme, aims to enhance disaster preparedness and response using Earth observation data and satellite technologies. For the SADC region, SEWA offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems and improve climate resilience across member states. By leveraging space-based information, the project supports more timely, accurate, and coordinated decision-making to safeguard communities and livelihoods.
Both ClimSA and SEWA are aligned with the Windhoek Declaration, which calls for increased investment in resilience, disaster risk reduction, innovative financing, and mechanisms to address loss and damage. As climate threats intensify, these initiatives are essential to building the capacity of African countries to adapt and thrive.
The forum’s primary objective is to demonstrate the impact of ClimSA and SEWA in shaping policy frameworks, driving evidence-based decisions, and promoting climate-smart actions. It will also serve to raise awareness of the socio-economic benefits of climate services and explore strategies to scale their use for inclusive and sustainable development.
Participants will include representatives from across Africa, as well as from the Caribbean and Pacific regions, promoting South-South cooperation and the exchange of best practices.
For Media Enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations, email; blopi@sadc.int or Ms. Anethe Mtambanengwe, email amtambanengwe@sadc.int or email prinfo@sadc.int.
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SADC in Brief
SADC is an organisation of 16 Member States established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) and later, in August,1992 transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security; so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy. Member States are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Issued by the SADC Secretariat 16 June, 2025
Gaborone, Botswana
