IGAD CLIMATE PREDICTION AND APPLICATIONS CENTRE (ICPAC)
THE THIRTY THIRD GREATER HORN OF AFRICA CLIMATE OUTLOOK FORUM
(GHACOF33) AND SECTOR SPECIFIC WORKSHOPS ADDRESSING CHALLENGES
ASSOCIATED WITH REGIONAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
DATE: 18 – 20 FEBRUARY 2013
VENUE: BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI
INTRODUCTION
Climate related hazards are common in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). Disasters associated
with these hazards inflict socio-economic miseries and economic losses in all countries of the
region and these often retard socio-economic development plans. Climate change will lead to
changes frequency, magnitude, and severity of extreme weather and climate events such as
drought, floods, sea level rise, and storm surges. These would threaten sustainable development
efforts including human health, livelihoods and investments, natural ecosystems, resources based
conflicts, achievement of economic prosperity and improvement in social wellbeing, among
others. It is evidence that for sustainable development in GHA, there is need for robust strategies
that incorporate climate smart socio-economic systems. Disaster risk reduction and climate
change adaptation are therefore key priorities in building resilient communities.
At the Summit on the Horn of Africa Crisis in Nairobi, Kenya on 9th September 2011, the Heads
of States and Government of the East African Community (EAC), the Inter-Governmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) and The Republic of South Sudan, called on the IGAD
secretariat to develop the Regional Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Strategy Framework to
reduce the impact of disasters in the region. In this regard, IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience
and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) has been established to harmonize regional and national
resilient building efforts.
Since 1997, an innovative process known as the regional climate outlook forum (RCOF) has been
running in many parts of the world within the framework of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) in collaboration with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services
(NMHSs), regional / international climate centres, among many other partners. RCOFs are aimed
at providing consensus early warning seasonal climate information to support the Regional
Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Strategy Frameworks. To date 32 RCOFs have been held
for the Greater Horn of Africa by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC)
in collaboration with partners. An update for the 32nd Forum was also held on 30th November
2012, in Naivasha, Kenya.
The Thirty Third Greater Horn of Africa climate outlook forum (GHACOF33) will be organized
in Bujumbura, Burundi between 18-20 February 2013 by ICPAC, World Meteorological
Organization (WMO), United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR),
the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO’s Sub Commission for Africa
and the Adjacent Island States (IOC-Africa), NMHSs of ICPAC member countries and many
other partners.
During GHACOF33, several users’ workshops will be held in parallel devoted to:
(a)Agriculture and food security; (b) Health; (c) Water resources; (d) Disaster risk reduction,
Gender, Indigenous Knowledge, Economics of disasters; (e) Indian Ocean systems; (f) Media
and civil society; (g) Regional climate variability and change for the improving the use of
regional climate knowledge in decision making.
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FORUM THEME
Due to the recent severe impacts of climate anomalies on several socio-economic sectors in the
GHA region together with the increasing challenges posed by climate change, GHACOF33 will
focus on “BUILDING RESILIENT FOR ADDRESSING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED
WITH REGIONAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE”.
COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS
The collaborating organizations include National Meteorological and Hydrological Services
(NMHSs) namely Institut Géographique du Burundi; Météorologie Nationale de Djibouti; Eritrea
Meteorological Service; National Meteorological Services Agency of Ethiopia; Kenya
Meteorological Department; Rwanda Meteorological Services; South Sudan Meteorological
Services; Sudan Meteorological Authority; Tanzania Meteorological Agency; Uganda
Meteorological Agency; IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC); African
Development Bank (AfDB); the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of
UNESCO’s Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOC-Africa); World
Meteorological Organization (WMO); UK Met Office/Hadley Centre; Korea Meteorological
Administration (KMA); WMO GPCs; Western Indian Ocean Marine Sciences
Association (WIOMSA); Institute of Marine Science (IMS); and FEWS-NET among others.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants will include users of climate information from various socio-economic sectors and
organizations; oceanographers; climate scientists from the National Meteorological and
Hydrological Services (NMHSs); scholars and experts from universities, research institutions and
regional and international organizations engaged in climate modeling, prediction and applications
for improved regional welfare. The users of climate information and prediction products from
various socio-economic sectors will participate in parallel workshops geared towards outputs for
their specific operations. Various regional and international Governmental and NonGovernmental organizations and the donor community will be contributors to the workshops and
forum.
WORKING LANGUAGE
English and French will be the working languages for the forum.
PARTICIPATION SPONSORSHIP AND LOGISTICS
Participating Organizations are expected to sponsor their nominees. Details of the local
logistics will be provided in January 2013.
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