The African Union Commission- Directorate of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) conducted a mission to Lugano, Switzerland, as part of the Intra-ACP Climate Service and Related Applications (ClimSA) programme to assess the progress of the climate infrastructure team. Led by Dr. Jolly Wasambo, AUC-ClimSA Programme Coordinator, the mission that took place 20-24 May 2024 consisted of experts from National Meteorological Services from the African and Indian Ocean regions, together with Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) which are African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), AGRHYMET, Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), Climate Application and Prediction Centre for Central Africa (CAPC-AC), SADC Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC), and two training centers (EAMAC and IMTR) representing the beneficiaries of the PUMA and ClimSA stations.
The assignment was critical to ensure that the supplier, Technavia SA delivers good quality infrastructure to the African beneficiaries who are the Member States, RCCs, Regional Meteorological Training Centers. As part of the contract agreement signed between AUC and Tecnavia SA on November 26, 2023, the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) ensures that all hardware and software specifications and related services (including training) meet the requirements of the bid document. The FAT ensured that Tecnavia SA fully complies with the requirements specified by the client (AUC) in the tender documents. Its success is a first milestone on the way to deployment in the Member States.
In addition, the FAT ensured that the accessibility and availability of the datasets in the ClimSA and PUMA stations can deliver all the services required by the end user, including tailored weather and climate services for different sectors such as agriculture and food security, health, water, disaster risk reduction, and energy.
The PUMA stations are of crucial importance for the African Meteorological Services. The commissioning of the 3rd generation satellites in orbit requires an upgrade of this equipment to ensure better weather tracking and forecasting and to protect people and property from the adverse effects of climate change.
Earlier this year, on 18 March to 28 March 2024, AUC Harsen Nyambe, Sustainable Environment, and Blue Economy (SEBE) Director, led a delegation of the ClimSA programme to EUMETSAT premises in Darmstadt, Germany, and to the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission in Varese, Italy for a Pre-Factory Acceptance Test (Pre-FAT). This coordinated mission is part of the same final FAT mission for the upgrade of PUMA Stations in 59 meteorological and climate structures for 49 African and Indian Ocean countries, 5 Regional Climate Centers and additionally. This Pre-FAT meet allowed AUC to ensure the contractors fully comply with the tender requirements before the final expert inspection conducted in May 2024.
One of the outcomes for ClimSA is to strengthen the capacity of national meteorological institutions to generate and deliver reliable, timely, and sector specific weather and climate information, and to strengthen the entire value chain of climate information services at national, regional, and continental levels. This Pre-FAT enabled Dr. Jolly Wasambo- AUC ClimSA programme coordinator and Dr. Ultrich Diasso- AESA Technical Advisor, Team Leader to inspect the PUMA-ClimSA Station and climate infrastructure which is planned for deployment this year across the beneficiary respective institutions. During the inspection, the delegation got to participated in a workshop organised by EUMETSAT as part of the programme's capacity building and knowledge sharing initiatives.
EUMETSAT and JRC are implementing partners of ClimSA, whose component supports the climate stations with infrastructure and training for the RCC's meteorological experts. Prior to the deployment, several meetings and two missions have taken place since the contract was signed on November 26, 2023, to monitor the progress of the contracted company and to allow Tecnavia to correct any deficiencies identified prior to the FAT.
About the ClimSA Deployment
On November 26, 2023, the AU Commission, with financial support from the European Union, awarded a contract to the Swiss company Tecnavia SA, based in Lugano, Switzerland, as a service provider for the supply and installation of meteorological infrastructure (PUMA stations) and climate infrastructure (ClimSA stations) for the National Meteorological Institutions of the four regions in Africa, the Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) and the Training Centers (TCs). Tecnavia SA will install the equipment in the AUC member countries.
The socio-economic benefit expected from the deployment.
- Efficiency in climate observation on regional and national level
- Numerical prediction
- Forecaster expertise
- Forecast and support for timely national decision making
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How shall communities benefit from weather forecasting
- Safety of life, property and infrastructure
- Transport
- Energy, agriculture and tourism
- Climate policy and environmental protection
The ClimSA programme is funded by the European Union (EU) through the 11th European Development Fund (11th European Development Fund Strategy) and focuses on technical improvements, capacity building, institutional strengthening, awareness raising and improving policy and decision-making at all levels. The AUC has been supporting the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) in Africa through the ClimSA programme since October 20, 2020.
ClimSA continue to rise to the challenge of climate change and create a better and more sustainable future for "The Africa We Want" of the Agenda 2063 flagship programmes.
For more information:
Dr. Jolly Wasambo, wasamboj@africa-union.org AUC-CLIMSA Programme Coordinator at the African Union Commission.
Ms. Diana Chacha, chacha@africa-union.org; AUC-ClimSA Programme Communication, Visibility, and Knowledge Management.
