Leading the Charge: Building Capacity for Africa's Climate Response.

ACBF played a vital role at the African Climate Roundtable (ACR) on 7 and 8 May 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa, urging a focus on building capacity in the African Member States. Executive Secretary Mamadou Biteye called for urgent action on climate change across the continent. He emphasized collaboration across institutions and countries. Biteye highlighted a critical gap: African nations cannot often effectively access and utilize climate funds. ACBF pledged to build human skills and institutional capabilities for a more resilient Africa. To watch the video, go here.

Mbacke Niang, ACBF Director, Programs, Impact and Regional Director of West and Central Africa, co-chaired the sub-roundtable on Early Warning and Technological Innovations to reduce the impact of climate disasters in the continent. The ACR gathers stakeholders from diverse sectors to address pressing challenges in Africa’s climate action and food security landscape. ACBF emphasized the capacity-building role of institutions in the climate action space and called for increased partnerships to enhance critical capacity areas.

1. Provide Early Warning Information to Government and Policy makers & hold them accountable: Make the governments accountable to utilize the information and offer support (financial & technical) to ensure they put to use the information provided. Device ways to hold policymakers accountable and follow through to ensure action on early warning.
2. Streamline EWS efforts: Harmonize existing EWS initiatives to avoid redundancy and leverage available data for scaling up early warning systems while fostering innovation.
3. Foster Cross-Agency Collaboration and set up a coordination platform: Invest in partnerships among various agencies and stakeholders to strengthen EWS management capabilities. Considering that we have a lot of information available to allow for innovation and to influence decision-making, working together will help achieve more than working in silos.
4. Utilize EWS Data Proactively: We need to advocate for proactive utilization of EWS data for long-term disaster preparedness and policymaking, leveraging forecasts extending up to a century ahead.
5. Adapt to Climate Uncertainty: Adapt climate models to address the increasing unpredictability of climate patterns, ensuring decision-making processes account for widening margins of error in early warning information.
6. Enhance Government Engagement: Increase government representation in our roundtable discussions to ensure alignment of policies and secure financial commitments for responsive disaster management strategies.
7. Engage Tech Companies and Innovators: Since we need the digital structure to innovate and share information, we should expand involvement of tech companies and innovators in these roundtable discussions. This will allow the innovators to integrate digital solutions necessary for the operation and advancement of EWS infrastructure.
8. Promote Research and Information Sharing: Invest in research, publication, and knowledge sharing initiatives to disseminate EWS-related insights effectively, enabling informed decision-making and fostering innovation in disaster preparedness and response.
9. Integrate Indigenous Knowledge Systems into (IKS) EWS: Incorporate IKS alongside scientific methodologies to enrich EWS frameworks and make them culturally relevant and context specific. Establish mechanisms for collaboration and knowledge exchange between indigenous communities and EWS practitioners to leverage traditional wisdom in hazard identification, risk assessment, and adaptation strategies. This approach ensures that EWS solutions are inclusive, responsive to diverse cultural contexts, and effectively serve all communities, particularly those in marginalized or remote areas.
10. Integrate Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Early Warning Systems: Explore and implement AI-driven solutions to augment EWS capabilities to improve accuracy and timeliness a of hazard detection, risk assessment, and forecasting. This approach can help with optimal resource allocation and streamlining decision-making processes and enhance overall effectiveness of early warning dissemination to at-risk communities