The African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) has taken part in the 22nd session of the African Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (AWGDRR) and the 3rd Coordination and Co-Production Meeting of the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action System (AMHEWAS). Both were held in April 2025 in Kampala, Uganda, and, according to the organization, marked significant progress toward strengthening EWS across Africa.
African Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction session
Under the theme ‘Moving from Commitments to Action: Delivering on Priorities in the Windhoek Declaration’, the 22nd AWGDRR session focused on operationalizing the program of action for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 in Africa. ACMAD’s director participated actively, presenting ACMAD’s vision and reaffirming the center’s role in delivering climate information services to support disaster risk reduction (DRR) across the continent.
The forum also reportedly offered an opportunity for ACMAD to assess the growing demand for tailored climate information services (CIS) and better understand the challenges surrounding the provision and uptake of such services by end users.
On the margins of this meeting, ACMAD also engaged in the 3rd AMHEWAS product coordination and co-production meeting, bringing together stakeholders from across the continent to strengthen interoperability between situation rooms and accelerate the implementation of the AMHEWAS initiative. Discussions emphasized coordination mechanisms, co-production of early warning products and the integration of innovative tools to support risk-informed decision-making.
Pursuing ACMAD’s goals
As a partner of the AMHEWAS network, ACMAD highlighted that its role consists of delivering multimodel forecasts on extreme precipitation, strong winds and tropical cyclone tracks through the Continental Watch, published biweekly (Tuesdays and Fridays); collaborating with the African Union Commission (AUC) and IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) to produce situation reports; and supporting the delivery of ad hoc briefings to facilitate anticipatory action.
In related news, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) recently announced that they will work jointly over the next five years in various aspects of meteorology including weather forecasting and early warning systems in efforts aimed at enhancing the safeguarding of life and property against hazardous weather events. Click here to read the full story.
