The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have joined forces to organise a capacity building workshop to equip 16 African countries in Africa on how to proactively combat the negative impacts of changing climate.
Themed Early Warning for All (EW4ALL), the two-week workshop which kicked off on Monday has one participant each from the 16 countries and is aimed at educating these individuals on early signs of climate change in order to take proactive measures to mitigate the impact on lives and property.
In his welcome address at the opening ceremony of the training taking place at NiMET Regional Training Centre (RTC), Lagos, Nigeria, the Director General of the agency, Professor Mansur Matazu, noted that recent years have seen significant increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events globally, often leading to huge destruction of properties and loss of lives.
“These extreme events are linked to the changing climate, which the world is still grappling with ways to mitigate and provide effective adaptation mechanisms,” he said.
In view of this, the director general represented by NiMET’s Director of Training, Professor Effiom Oku, revealed that the United Nations (UN), recognising the key role of WMO in creating and sustaining climate resilient societies across the globe, is spearheading a new action to ensure that every person on earth is protected by Early Warning Systems by the year 2027. “Hence, the Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) initiative,” he said.
“At the centre of the EW4ALLinitiative are the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) across the globe. The NMHSs are saddled with the responsibility of observing, measuring, reporting, predicting, and monitoring atmospheric variables to provide adequate understating of atmospheric dynamics and issue early warnings of impending extreme weather events that are hazardous and could lead to disasters.
“To achieve these, strengthening human and infrastructure capacity is critical. Weather has no boundary, and it is no respecter of political or geographical affiliations. All nations on earth must therefore synergise to proactively combat the negative impacts of changing climate by providing actionable impact-based products and services toward mitigating the impact of these weather and climate extreme events on lives and property across the globe.
“It is against this backdrop, that the WMO and NiMet have joined forces to organise this workshop. The workshop targets meteorologists and climate scientists across the sub-region, focusing on capacity building, knowledge exchange, collaboration, and skill acquisition to develop competencies for realising the goal of EW4ALL.
“This workshop signifies a significant milestone in our collective efforts to enhance and strengthen early warning systems in the region, a vital component of our commitment to building resilient communities in the face of increasing climate variability and extreme weather events.
“Over the next two weeks, we will have the opportunity to engage with experts in various aspects of the weather and climate value chain, share best practices, and explore innovative methods.
“These efforts aim to enhance our capacity to predict and respond to weather related hazards. The workshop seeks to comprehend the complexities of weather prediction and develop systems that are accessible, adaptable, and responsive to the diverse needs of our communities.
“The ultimate goal is to empower participants to go back home and implement early warning systems that are robust, inclusive, and leave no one behind. Therefore, we delve into the intricacies of early warning systems, our focus goes beyond addressing technical challenges, but investing in the safety and well-being of our communities,” Mantazu explained.
The 16 countries are Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Congo, Cote Voire, Guinea Buseau, Togo, Gabon, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sirealeone.