Africa: SADC to Host the 30th Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum in Madagascar

press release

SADC to host the 30th Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-30) in Antananarivo, Republic of Madagascar from 28th - 30th January 2025.

The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), through the ClimSA programme, which is financially supported by the European Union (EU) funded through the Intra-ACP Climate Services and related Application (ClimSA) Programme, will be hosting the Thirtieth Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-30) from 28th - 30th January in Antananarivo, Republic of Madagascar.

The meeting is integral to the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) in the SADC region. The GFCS aims to strengthen and coordinate the development, delivery, and use of climate services to support decision-making in addressing climate-related risks at national, regional, and global levels. SARCOF plays a pivotal role in equipping the region with timely and accurate seasonal climate forecasts, helping communities prepare for weather-related risks and capitalize on favourable conditions.

The meeting take place against the backdrop of the SADC region's call for a Regional Humanitarian Appeal to assist Member States affected by the El Niño-induced Drought and Floods, as well as other climate challenges such as low rainfall, increased frequency of floods, cyclones, and droughts.

Aligned with the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, which emphasises the integration of environmental considerations into socio-economic development activities, the main highlights of this year's SARCOF is the focus on collaborative strategies to strengthen climate resilience and mainstreaming climate information into decision-making processes across key socio-economic sectors such as agriculture, water and energy

The SARCOF is held biannually; the first one prior to the start of the rainy season and the second one during mid-season, plays a crucial role in identifying climate variability patterns for the season, evaluating the past season and issuing an outlook for the rainfall season. This forum brings together climate service producers, key stakeholders from sectors such as Water, Energy, Food and Agriculture, Health, and the Disaster Risk Reduction, government officials, policymakers, and humanitarian organizations from across the region to deliberate on the implications and mitigation strategies for the upcoming rainfall season to concurrently co-develop an early warning advisory for the region which contributes to climate-driven decision-making for policy and operational users.

The meeting will further provide a platform for discussions on ongoing projects being implemented in the region, and technical exchanges on the latest advancements in climate science and technology, with a specific focus on emerging applications.

The theme for SARCOF-30 is; "Closing the early warning gap together in SADC Region" inspired by the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) focus for World Meteorological Day 2024, underscores the critical need for regional collaboration to enhance early warning systems in the face of escalating climate risks. This forum reflects a shared commitment to addressing the climate crisis through collaboration and innovation and it reaffirms the region's determination to create a safer and more climate-resilient Southern Africa.

The SARCOF-30 will be preceded by a Climate Experts Meeting (CEM) being held from 21st to 27th January 2025 in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The CEM aims to enhance the capacity of Climate Experts in long range forecasting from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of the SADC region and produce the regional Seasonal Climate Outlook for the February to June 2025 period.

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