The World Meteorological Organization’s Systemic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a five-year project aiming to modernise Chad’s meteorological network, improve weather forecasts, and anticipate the consequences of climate events in Chad.
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The US$ 6.98 million project, led by WFP in collaboration with Chad’s National Meteorological Agency (ANAM) with technical support from GeoSphere Austria, involves installing six new surface stations and four upper-air stations, while renovating 27 existing stations across the country. The project prioritizes national capacity-building to enhance synergies between development programmes and maximize the SOFF project’s impact.
“Strengthening ANAM’s capacities through the SOFF project aligns perfectly with the government’s vision and policies, providing users with high-quality forecasts to anticipate climate extremes and mitigate disaster risks affecting populations and natural resources” said Fatima Goukouni Weddeye, Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation, and National Meteorology.
Upgraded meteorological infrastructure will improve the anticipation and management of climate extremes like droughts and floods, while strengthening national capacities through sustainable data management.
“Collaborating along the meteorological value chain is key to leveraging weather and climate data” said Markus Repnik, Director of the SOFF Secretariat. “Closing Chad’s data gap significantly improves weather and climate forecasts for Chad, Africa, and the world, as forecasts beyond three days require global data, including from Chad. SOFF’s investments support Chad’s objectives of increasing climate resilience, protecting communities, and the agricultural sector”
Sarah Gordon-Gibson, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in Chad, noted, “The people of Chad are among the hardest hit by the current climate crisis and face some of the highest levels of food insecurity globally. Reliable meteorological data is essential to anticipate, alert, and respond to crises and their impact on people’s food security”.
The latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis indicates that over 2.4 million people in Chad will face food insecurity by 2025, potentially rising to 3.7 million during the June-August lean season. Food insecurity in Chad is primarily driven by conflicts and a decline in agricultural production, particularly due to recent floods in the south, the country’s breadbasket.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
