26-08-2019, DAR ES SALAAM (Tanzania): The Minister of Works Transport and Communications of Tanzania, Hon.Eng. Isack Kamwelwe (MP), this morning inaugurated the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum 53 (GHACOF 53) organized by the Climate Prediction and Applications Centre of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (ICPAC) in Dar es Salaam.
A number of high level officials and representatives from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the African Development Bank (AfDB), Tanzania Meteorological Authority, and WISER Programme attended the opening session and took the floor in order to deliver official remarks.
GHACOF 53, whose theme is ‘Early Warning for Early Action in Support of Climate Resilience, is to release the climate predictions for October, November and December 2019.
I have been informed that the objective of this forum is to discuss the consensus seasonal climate outlook of the Great Horn of Africa Region for October to December 2019 rainfall season, and that this forum involves climate experts from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in the region; Research Institutions; the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); Development Partners; decision-makers; and users of climate services in climate sensitive socio-economic sectors’, Hon. Eng. Isack Kamwelwe said in his opening remarks.
He continued that early warning information such as the seasonal climate outlook, was ‘critical for achieving sustainable socio-economic development in our countries and the entire Greater Horn of Africa region’.
Hon. Kamwelwe recalled that the economies of most countries in the region depended on ‘climate sensitive sectors such as Agriculture and Food Security, Water, Energy, Health, Marine and Oceanography, Transport and Tourism’.
The Minister concluded that in addition to the usual consensus seasonal climate outlook, the ‘deliberations will come up with resolutions for a more effective early warning system that will contribute in enhancing resilience to weather and climate related hazards, thus mitigating risk of climate sensitive livelihoods to climate variability and change’.
The Director of ICPAC, Dr Gulaid Artan, recalled that ICPAC was ‘a regional climate centre of excellence that creates regional products including long-range forecasts that support regional and national climate activities and thereby strengthen capacity of Member States in the GHA region to deliver better climate services to national users’.
He committed ICPAC to continue ‘to innovate and improve constantly by making a deliberate effort to deliver better climate services to our member countries in the coming years.
Please download the attached statement.
