African Countries are highly vulnerable to climate change and variability. As part of the strategy for implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and the National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) which serves as a mechanism for coordinating, facilitating, and strengthening collaboration among national institutions. It aims to improve the co-production, tailoring, delivery, and use of science-based climate predictions and services, focusing on key socio-economic sectors.
Within the framework of the ClimSA Program, ACMAD support the Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) for ECOWAS and ECCAS, as well as Pilot Countries like Cameroon, by providing guidelines and training for implementing the Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOF) and National Climate Outlook Forums (NCOF) respectively. Additionally, ACMAD facilitated the establishment of User Interface Platforms for Agriculture and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Cameroon. This effort aligns with Output 1 of the ClimSA project, which emphasizes the establishment and promotion of User Interface Platforms (UIPs) at Regional and National levels. These UIPs are designed to facilitate effective decision-making in climate-sensitive sectors, such as the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus and DRR.
As a focus Country under the ClimSA program, Cameroon has made significant progress in integrating climate services into national climate change adaptation/mitigation initiatives. In this context, ACMAD, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), ClimSA, and the National Meteorological Department (DMN) of Cameroon, is organizing the First National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The aim of this forum is to initiate a structured dialogue and collaboration between climate information providers, researchers, and end-users in Cameroon.
Objectives :
❖ Strengthen National Climate Services: Build capacity among experts and national stakeholders to produce and implement NCOF;
❖ Promote the Use of the National UIP: National User Interface Platforms (NUIP) tailored to Cameroon’s priority sectors (agriculture and DRR);
❖ Downscale the PRESAC-19 Outlook to National Outlook: Collaboratively work with national stakeholders to downscale the forecast issued at regional level to national scale;
❖ Produce national seasonal climate outlook for the three-month sub-seasons for OND/NDJ 2024;
❖ Facilitate Co-Production: Co-produce customized products (seasonal outlook) with input from stakeholders particularly from Agriculture and Disaster Risk Reduction sectors;
❖ Support National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building: Use climate outlooks and advisories to inform national adaptation strategies and enhance resilience to climate variability and change in the country.
Expected outcomes :
❖Strengthened Capacity: DMN climate experts and national stakeholders will be better equipped to generate and interpret seasonal climate forecasts and integrate climate information into national planning and policy frameworks;
❖Operationalized National UIP: Sensitized the contents of ToRs for Agric and DRR sector for promoting, fostering sustained engagement between climate service providers and users;
❖Downscaled PRESAC-19 Outlook TO National Outlook: Climate experts from DMN with support from ACMAD and CAPC experts downscaled the forecast issued at regional level to national scale;
❖Co-Produced seasonal bulletin/document: Co-produce customized products (seasonal outlook) with input from stakeholders particularly from Agric and DRR sectors;
❖Improved National Climate Resilience: Enhanced ability of national stakeholders to use climate information to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of climate-related risks.
