The Initiative

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“The world’s poorest are also the world’s most vulnerable when it comes to the impact of climate change, and the least equipped to deal with its consequences. Today you find cell phone towers in almost every part of Africa. We have never been able to establish weather monitoring on that scale, until now.”
Kofi Annan

“This initiative may prove to be one of the most important for African meteorology in decades.”
Michel Jarraud, Secretary General, World Meteorological Organisation

Weather Info for All

The initiative

A practical solution for adaptation to climate change through the delivery of accurate weather forecasts and early warnings to communities throughout Africa.

Annual Global Monitoring 1-15/10/2008 SYNOP reports made at 00,06,12 and 18 UTC at RBSN stations

		WMO Secretariat The designation employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the WMO Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city of area
Climate change alters weather patterns and causes an increased number of extreme weather events, and impacts heavily on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. Africa is one of the continents worst affected by climate change, and also has the weakest weather monitoring system, with only one-eighth of the WMO required weather monitoring density. Climate change renders traditional knowledge unreliable. Without accurate weather forecasts farmers are unable to make informed decisions, such as when to seed and harvest their crops. Fishermen are also at risk with each year some 5’000 people’s lives being claimed on Lake Victoria alone due to storms and accidents. Accurate weather information is also crucial to understand and take action against the spread of climate-sensitive diseases, as well as for development planning purposes and for expanding access to insurance.

The Weather Info for All is an innovative public-private partnership that strives to support local communities worst impacted by climate change through the improvement of weather monitoring, starting in Africa.

By 2010, around 90% of the African population will have cell phone coverage. The Initiative harnesses this growth of telecommunications services to install automatic weather stations (which report on humidity, temperature and other basic measures) at mobile network sites across the African continent. These locations are ideal as they provide connectivity, power and security. The weather stations will send raw weather data to national meteorological services who, in partnership with wireless service providers, will deliver more accurate forecasts and early warnings to farmers, fishermen, and local communities. Relevant partners will also make the raw data available to scientists, researchers, and civil society.

The Weather Info for All is a major pan-African effort to reinforce national weather monitoring and forecasting, and the global sharing of this information. Read the flyer (pdf, 299 KB)

Better weather monitoring and forecasting will contribute to saving lives and livelihoods and boosting development progress in a variety of ways:

> Adaptation to climate change: Accurate information about changing weather patterns assists communities to adapt to climatic changes.
> Agriculture: Accurate weather information leads to improved agricultural planning and decision-making.
> Development planning: A better understanding of local climate conditions enables better planning and implementation of development strategies.
> Disaster risk reduction: More accurate weather information and early warnings allow for better preparedness to severe weather events, reducing their socio-economic cost.
> Health: Weather forecasts allow for the implementation of preventive measures against climate-sensitive diseases and epidemics, such as malaria, cholera, and dengue fever.
> Insurance: Greater and more accurate weather information provides the basis for weather-index insurances, and allows for the expansion of insurance policies to farmers.
> Finance: Farmers whose crops are insured through weather index policies have greater possibilities for accessing finance, which can help farmers increase crop yields and incomes.