The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat through its Climate Services Centre (CSC), in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) convened a workshop under the theme ‘Enhancing Multi-Hazard Early Warning Coordination in SADC: Towards a Unified Response Mechanism’. The workshop was held in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa from 19-22 May 2025.
Some of the objectives of the workshop were to discuss the status of data sharing between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and the SADC CSC and identify challenges and opportunities in strengthening meteorological and climate data exchange.
The workshop further provided a platform for NMHS and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) stakeholders to reflect on the progress, challenges, and opportunities in implementing the Maputo Declaration on the Commitment by SADC to Enhance Early Warning and Early Action in the Region and discussed coordination frameworks between the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), SADC Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC), National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs), and National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs), particularly focusing on harmonising messaging to prevent duplication and conflicting information.
Ms. Mapolao Mokoena, Director for Infrastructure at the SADC Secretariat highlighted that the workshop is convened following the directive from the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Transport and Meteorology, during the meeting held in Harare in February 2025, which directed Secretariat to take urgent steps in strengthening coordination among our institutions, harmonising early warning messages, and ensuring clarity and consistency for end users throughout the region.
Director Mapolao noted that he frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate-related events continue to increase in the region. She said droughts, floods, cyclones, and other hazards have placed an enormous burden on lives, livelihoods, and economies, she emphasised for the need for timely, coordinated, and effective early warning systems.
She pointed out that, despite progress made, challenges remain, as currently, multiple institutions operate with some overlapping mandates, which can sometimes result in conflicting or duplicated messaging, hence, emphasised the need for a unified response which is critical to clarify and consolidate the roles of all the key stakeholders.
Ms. Hlobsile Sikhosana, Director for Eastern and Southern African Regions, World Meteorology Organization explained that their recently released 2024 Climate Report for Africa paints a bleak picture for the continent as Africa remains one of the most vulnerable continents to the impacts of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. She noted that the report underscored the widening gaps in early warning coverage, adaptation finance, and data infrastructure, particularly in least developed countries and small island states.
Director Sikhosana opined that the rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate events, and erratic rainfall continue to threaten food security, water access, health, and livelihoods across the continent. She underlined that the negative effects for climate change are expected to affect Africa’s predominantly youthful population, women and children impacting on the population’s economic activities, livelihoods, and overall health.
On data sharing, she encouraged Member States to utilise the ongoing Africa Digital Transformation Initiative which aims at assisting member states with fully functional web pages that assist them in communicating their forecasts and sharing their products. It further helps countries connect their stations to the global observation network systems filling the long-term gap in data availability for Africa. This initiative and others are our contribution as WMO in helping countries improve data sharing, she said.
For his part, Mr. Ishaam Abader, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Weather Service commended the SADC Secretariat for convening the workshop following the directive by the SADC Committee of Ministers responsible for Meteorology.
He said the workshop aims to harmonise and better coordinate the early warning system in the region and to ensure that there are instruments, frameworks, and guidelines in place to guide the implementation thereof. He said, that will greatly contribute to concerted regional efforts that are aimed at promoting complementarity and collaboration amongst key regional stakeholders and to ensure that meteorological-related services and products reach the most vulnerable communities in the region as effectively and efficiently as possible.
In addition, the 7th PMC Sub-Committee met to review technical and financial progress for the SADC ClimSA Programme, and workplan for the remainder of the programme. The Programme is funded by the European Union (EU) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).
The SADC ClimSA Programme assist SADC Member States to adapt to climate change and climate variability by providing science-based climate prediction and information services into national and regional planning processes. It aims to strengthen the climate services value-chain through building the capacities of decision-makers at all levels to make effective use of climate information and services.
