From May 4-6, 2021, ECCAS, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the World Bank co-organized the second ECCAS Hydromet Forum. This second edition, which was held virtually, aimed to share and consolidate achievements in the field of hydromet services at the regional level. Participants exchanged ideas on modernizing hydromet services in ECCAS member states to better contribute to climate-resilient development and adaptation planning. The audience was presented with analysis and diagnosis models, namely the ECCAS regional framework and the early-warning services modernization plan of action for National Hydro-Meteorological Services (NHMS) agencies, which was validated in 2021 by ECCAS member states.
The virtual event was attended by 180 participants — including 40 women — from civil society, academia, parliamentarians from the REPARC network, the private sector, and sub-regional institutions such as the new Center for Climate Application and Forecasting in Central Africa. Also in attendance were the national focal points for DRM and experts on hydrology, meteorology, agriculture, and DRR.
ECCAS issued a series of key recommendations to improve hydromet services in the region. These areas for priority intervention include:
- Designing new training plans to ensure that hydromet products and services can be delivered in short, medium-, or long-term scenarios and use existing training opportunities based in regional centers.
- Developing partnerships between the ECCAS region, organizations responsible for transboundary basins, and other regional and international organizations to share hydromet data and information.
- Creating public-private partnerships to create holistic solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of hydrometeorological networks and services through cost and revenue sharing arrangements over time.
- Securing these public-private partnerships with an appropriate institutional, legal, and regulatory framework.