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African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Contact Executive Director:
executivedirector@atpsnet.org
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WORKAI

The African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) is a transdisciplinary network of researchers,
policymakers, private sector actors and the civilsociety promoting the generation, dissemination, use
and mastery of Science, Technology and Innovations(STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. In collaboration
with like-minded institutions, ATPS provides
platforms for regional and international research andknowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s
capabilities in STI policy research, policymaking andimplementation for sustainable development.

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OBSERVATOIREDU SAHARAET DU SAHEL

Bridging Climate Information Gaps to Strengthen Capacities
for Climate Informed Decision-making in Africa

Science, Technology and Innovation
for African Development

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
Technopolicy Brief No. 54

ISBN: 978-9966-124-88-3

Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane
Dr. Ernest Acheampong

Bridging Climate InformaƟon Gaps toStrengthen CapaciƟes for Climate Informed
Decision-making in Africa

Case Studies from: Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi,
Nigeria and Tunisia

Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane
Dr. Ernest AcheampongAN

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African Technology Policy Studies NetworkVER

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SEI Stockholm
Environment
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OBSERVATOIREDU SAHARAET DU SAHELThe African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is atransdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private
sector actors and the civil society promo ng the genera on,
dissemina on, use and mastery of Science, Technology andInnova ons (STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. In collabora on with likeminded ins tu ons, ATPS provides pla orms for regional andinterna onal research and knowledge sharing in order to build
Africa’s capabili es in STI policy research, policymaking andimplementa on for sustainable development.

NO L O G Y P OLI

Published by the African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)

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P O Box 10081, 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya© 2020NET

WORK

ISBN: 978-9966-124-88-3

Table of Contents
About the Project....................................................................... iii
About the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)..... v
Acknowledgement....................................................................... vi
Key Messages ............................................................................. vii
1.
Introduc on ...................................................................... 1
2.
Methodology..................................................................... 3
3.
Major Findings................................................................... 5
4.
Conclusion......................................................................... 95.
Policy Recommenda ons ................................................ 11
References....................................................................... 15
ATPS Technopolicy Brief Series........................................ 17

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Makingi

ii

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

About the Project
The African Development Bank (AfDB) through its Clim-Dev Special
Fund (CDSF), has supported the African Technology Policy Studies
Network (ATPS) in partnership with the Stockholm Environment
Ins tute (SEI) Africa Centre, IGAD Climate Predic on and Applica ons
Center (ICPAC), Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS), AGRHYMETRegional Centre (ARC), and the Regional Centre for Mapping
Resource for Development (RCMRD) to implement a project tagged“Bridging Climate InformaƟon Gaps to Strengthen CapaciƟes
for Climate Informed Decision-making in Africa”. The goal of thisproject is to reduce vulnerability and foster a food-secure Africa bystrengthening the capaci es of African countries to understand anddeploy appropriate climate informa on and best prac ces to inform
decision-making and support development planning. The projectfocuses on five African countries namely: Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi,
Nigeria and Tunisia.
The selec on of each country within a region is also based on factors
such as being a regional hub; the country that is favourably disposed
to climate change policies and ins tu ons; vulnerability to climatechange impacts; and low capaci es for adapta on and planning.
Recent interven ons through the Intended Na onally Determined
Contribu ons (INDC) set out the pledges and inten ons of thesecountries on climate change mi ga on for the post-2020 period.
Despite programmes and ini a ves to address climate change
issues, these countries are confronted with gaps on the available
climate informa on and low capacity to collect, analyze, and use
robust and reliable climate informa on to inform decision-making
and to mainstream climate change adapta on and risk measures
into na onal development plans and policies.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Makingiii

The project aims to strengthen the capaci es of African countries to
produce, understand and deploy appropriate climate informa on andbest prac ces to support decision-making and support development
planning, reduce the vulnerability of the selected countries andfoster a food-sure Africa. Specifically, the project aimed to: 1) iden fy
and analyze climate informa on needs, provide support for climate
informa on produc on, synthesis, and use; 2) build the capaci es
and knowledge of stakeholders (government agencies, researchins tu ons, extension agents and contact farmers) to produce andu lize high quality, demand-driven climate informa on for adapta onplanning and decision-making; 3) facilitate the mainstreaming ofclimate change issues in regional policy dialogues aimed at raisingawareness on climate change issues to build the understanding,use and mastery of climate informa on; and 4) implement a pilot
climate change adapta on prac ce to support be er mainstreamingof climate change adapta on into government programmes andpolicies.
The findings from this project is expected to inform policies andprogrammes at na onal and local levels that will enable stakeholders
to adequately access climate informa on that will enable them makeinformed decisions in produc on, opera ons, and u liza on among
others. These stakeholders include both individuals and ins tu ons
at various levels.

iv

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

About the African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a transdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private sector
actors and the civil society promo ng the genera on, dissemina on,
use and mastery of Science, Technology and Innova ons (STI) for
African development, environmental sustainability and global
inclusion. ATPS has over 1,500 members and 3000 stakeholders inover 51 countries in 5 con nents with ins tu onal partnerships
worldwide. We implement our programs through members in
na onal chapters established in 30 countries (27 in Africa and 3
Diaspora chapters in Australia, United States of America, and theUnited Kingdom). In collabora on with like-minded ins tu ons,
ATPS provides pla orms for regional and interna onal researchand knowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s capabili es in STI
policy research, policymaking and implementa on for sustainable
development.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Makingv

Acknowledgement
This policy brief was produced by the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) in partnership with Stockholm Environment Ins tute (SEI) Africa Centre, IGAD Climate Predic on and Applica ons
Center (ICPAC), Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS), AGRHYMET Regional Centre (ARC), and the Regional Centre for Mapping Resource for Development (RCMRD) with funding support from theAfrican Development Bank (AfDB). We par cularly appreciate theimmense contribu ons made by Nicholas Ozor, Alfred Nyambane,
Ernest Acheampong, Mathew Imulia, George Kabaka, Abebe Tadege,
Degelo Sendabo, Tinni Seydou, Issaka Lona, Jaoui Khaoula, Samou
Kone, Nabil BenKhatra, Philip Osano and Chidi Onuoha, who were
Resource Persons during the Regional Training Workshop and Climate Change dialogue. We also acknowledge the contribu ons andfacilita ve roles played by Nicholas Ozor, Chuma Ikenze, Ralph Van
Kauﬀman, Malachy Okwueze, Victor Ongoma, Samuel Onuigbo andMichael Madukwe.

vi

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

Key Messages
CommunicaƟon
• Climate informa on communica on is the responsibility of formal
scien fic bodies such as meteorological agencies. However,climate informa on that reaches end-users is usually excessively
technical, ill-matched to their demands and easily leads to themisunderstanding of the uncertain es associated with it.
• The genera on and communica on of climate informa on are
not well linked to development processes and thus not u lizedeﬀec vely to inform sectoral plans and policy decisions.
• The success of bridging climate informa on gaps will depend on
the ability to ins tu onalize two-way communica on between
producers and end-users on a sustainable basis.
• Processes to engage scien sts, policy-makers and prac oners
around the uptake of climate informa on into long-term decisionmaking should be flexible and respond to stakeholders’ changing
needs.
• Establishing partnership and networks creates a common
pla orm for the genera on of well harmonized and consolidated
climate informa on for decision making.
Investments• The eﬀec ve use of climate informa on can enable policymakers
to make investment and planning decisions that are proac ve,
durable and robust for appropriate climate decision-making.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Makingvii• Organiza ons responsible for communica ng climate scienceshould be aware of the social value of the informa on they provide,and the legi macy of the goals pursued by policy-makers. They
must adhere to principles of honesty, precision, transparency
and relevance when communica ng climate informa on.
Capacity and Foresight• Funds for adapta on and mi ga on are available and oﬀer
several opportuni es for African countries.
• African countries must build their capaci es (individual,
ins tu onal and systemic capacity) to access the various
components of the adapta on and mi ga on funds such as theGreen Climate Fund.
• Foresight studies allow countries to eﬀec vely plan, organize andimplement mul ple climate-proof projects in a sustainable andcoordinated way.
• Integra on of foresight studies (scenario planning) into thevarious development planning is cri cal for future adapta on
and resilience building.
• Foresight studies represent a paradigm shi from the tradi onal
(linear) planning method due to the growing complexity anduncertain es of societal challenges.

viii Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

1.

IntroducƟon

1.1 Background
Africa remains the most vulnerable to the impacts of climatechange due to the low adapta on capacity and high exposure toclimate extremes. It is a con nent where the provision of seasonal
climate predic ons and mul -decadal climate projec ons remains
challenging because of a mix of factors, including poor records ofclimate observa ons, poor simula on of inter-annual and decadal
climate variabili es, and limited climate science investments(Shongwe et al., 2009; Washington et al., 2013; Kusangaya et al.,2014; Vincent et al. 2015). Several studies have concluded with ahigh level of confidence on the severity of the current and future
impacts of climate change and the implica ons for Africa’s economy.
The nega ve eﬀects of climate change on social, economic andenvironmental systems have intensified the calls from various
stakeholders, including development agencies, scien fic ins tu ons
and civil society organiza ons to generate and deploy appropriate
climate informa on in African countries (Jones et al., 2014; Vincent
et al. 2015).
The African Development Bank (AfDB) through its Clim-Dev Special
Fund (CDSF), supported the African Technology Policy Studies
Network (ATPS) in partnership with the Stockholm Environment
Ins tute (SEI) Africa Centre, IGAD Climate Predic on and Applica ons
Center (ICPAC), Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS), AGRHYMETRegional Centre (ARC), and the Regional Centre for Mapping
Resource for Development (RCMRD) to implement a project tagged“Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for
Climate Informed Decision-making in Africa”. The goal of the project
was to reduce vulnerability and foster a food-secure Africa by

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

1strengthening the capaci es of African countries to understand anddeploy appropriate climate informa on and best prac ces to inform
decision-making and support development planning. The projectfocused on five countries namely: Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria
and Tunisia.
1.2 RaƟonale
Despite the eﬀorts made by various na onal and interna onal
ini a ves, there is s ll lack of access to consistent climate and weather
informa on to properly inform decision-making at the na onal
and local levels. The density and coverage of exis ng climate data
observa on networks at the country levels are generally describedas poor and sparse (Washington et al., 2006; Parker et al., 2011).
Current development strategies and plans in African countries are notadequately informed by climate science due to the limited availabilityof reliable, useful and useable climate data and informa on producedby na onal meteorological services and research ins tu ons. Climate
informa on and data services are needed to inform decisions in the
climate-sensi ve sectors of na onal and local economies and to
improve the resilience and adap ve capacity of local communi es.
There is, therefore, need for African countries and other stakeholders
at the various levels to put in place robust mechanisms to strengthen
their resilience capacity and to adapt to the impact of the changing
climate. Strengthening the capacity of African countries to generate
and u lize climate predic ons, products, and informa on services
is cri cal for suppor ng long-term adapta on planning andsafeguarding the socio-economic development gains achieved at the
local and na onal levels.

2

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

2.

Methodology

A mixed approach to data collec on and analyses, drawing data fromboth primary and secondary sources were used. Content analysis ofscien fic literature including peer-reviewed ar cles, research papers
and review papers, unpublished literature such as policy documents,
strategy and ac ons plans, project reports, consultancy reports,
donor reports and climate documentaries was done.
Specific documenta on accessed and reviewed from the target
countries, included among others, na onal vision documents,
na onal growth and development strategies, climate change
and adapta on strategies and policies, na onally determined
contribu ons, na onal adapta on programme of ac on, climate
investment plans, na onal environmental policies and strategies,
na onal disaster risk management policies and strategies, na onal
health policies, na onal agricultural policies, na onal water policies,
na onal tourism policies, urban policies and na onal energy policies.
Implicit or explicit in all these documenta ons is the relevance ofclimate change as a causal element or a threat to the achievement of
the goals and objec ves s pulated in these documenta ons.
The ra onale for employing the systema c analysis was to iden fy
the kind of discourses around climate change and the kind of climate
informa on that informed decisions in the target countries. The
analysis was also conducted to iden fy the exis ng gaps in climate
informa on genera on and usage as well as the types of informa on
required to address climate change issues in the target countries.
The outcome of this analysis also informed the selec on of key
stakeholders who were engaged in the stakeholder dialogue at thelearning pla orm.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

3

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the five countries
targe ng key informants from government agencies andministries (including na onal development planning commissions,environmental management agencies, meteorological services
and ministries of environment and natural resources, agriculture,
water, energy, transport and tourism), research ins tu ons, civilsociety organiza ons, universi es, interna onal organiza ons suchas United Na ons Environment and private companies involvedin the genera on of climate informa on and data services. Alsointerviewed were climate informa on users including farmers,
insurance companies, transporters, pastoralists and traders among
others.
These interviews were conducted to interrogate the status andextent to which climate informa on is used in the execu on of themandates of the various agencies, ins tu ons and on the rate ofproduc on and use of climate informa on and services in the target
countries.
A three-day regional workshop that targeted policymakers, scien sts
from research ins tu ons and technical experts from meteorologicaldepartments, sector planning agencies, development agencies andcivil society organiza ons was convened. The regional workshop,
which brought together 50 par cipants represen ng the diﬀerent
categories of key actors was aimed at oﬀering a pla orm for theseimportant representa ves to reflect on the usefulness of climate
informa on services to the formula on and implementa on ofpolicies and plans in the iden fied sectors of the economies of thetarget countries. The two modes of engagement at the workshop
were the focus group discussions (FDGs) and par cipatory dialogue.

4

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

3.

Major Findings

3.1 Climate informaƟon needs and gaps
One of the biggest challenges in responding to climate change is
how to pin down the informa on needed to understand the risks
and hence be able to plan eﬀec vely to address them. Despite thefragmented nature of climate data collec on in the study countries,
it became evident that the current volume of available informa on
is massive. Sor ng through these documenta ons and iden fying
the specific requisite informa on to address the ques ons being
posed may be beyond the capaci es and resources available to bothexperts and decision-makers in the study countries.
There are significant gaps between the ques ons posed by decisionmakers and the answers available. From the discussions held withkey stakeholders, all the study countries experience gaps in the
integra on of climate informa on into na onal policies; in theincorpora on of climate informa on into prac ce at scale; and inexis ng climate data and services.
The lack of a holis c or integrated approach and long-term support
for weather and climate services hinders the use of climate
informa on, par cularly at the local scale. According to the World
Meteorological Organiza on [WMO], (2014), there are several cri cal
gaps in the process of climate informa on genera on, processing anddissemina on in all the study countries. These include: deficiencies inatmospheric observa ons due to the inability to maintain networks;
inadequate communica ons systems; lack of training and capacity
development; incomplete or missing observa ons of vital landsurface parameters such as river discharge and lake levels; restric ve
data policies; ineﬀec ve informa on infrastructures; and the need

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

5to rescue, digi ze and develop historical climate data sets (WMO,
2014). The review of the exis ng gaps suggests that the Na onal
Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in all the study
countries require some form of moderniza on following a long periodof underfunding, poor maintenance and perceived irrelevance due
to low visibility.
Several sectors are sensi ve to climate change impacts. The United
Na ons Development Programme (UNDP) iden fied eight climatesensi ve sectors: agriculture, livestock, fishery and aquaculture;
biodiversity; water; energy and mining; industry; sanita on
and health; urban development and public works, and humandevelopment (UNDP, 2011). Unfortunately, these sectors havenot adequately u lized the available climate informa on in theirplanning and implementa on of plans and projects. However, theavia on sector is the only sector that has u lized climate informa on
op mally to ensure the safety of air transport.
Other sectors such as agriculture have also u lized climate data
admirably but there is s ll need to do more in the sector to address
food security issues as well as build resilience against climate change
impacts. The health sector has only used climate informa on sparingly
in providing early warning in situa ons where there is predicted
adverse weather condi ons that will lead to the spread of certain
weather-related diseases.
3.2 CollecƟon, analysis and disseminaƟon of climate informaƟon
and services
The user needs for climate informa on vary and are very dynamic. It is
not a situa on of one size fits all especially for most African countries.
The sectors of concern for the majority of climate informa on service(CIS) providers vary and are focused on agriculture and livestock,

6

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

water and water resources, financial/planning, environment andnatural resources, energy, research and development, health, media,
construc on/infrastructure, and disaster management (World Bank
Group, 2016). The study iden fied the following common challenges
that confront the process of collec ng, analysing and dissemina ng
climate informa on and services in the study countries.
i).

Lack of sophisƟcated climate tools: The lack of technicaland compu ng facili es at the various agencies hinder theapplica on of technologies and equipment which would improve
the genera on and access to climate informa on. Climate tools
are also not available for local scales and especially for climate
downscaling purposes. Some of the technologies including
satellite-based systems are in limited use by climate service
providers due to lack of technical capacity to apply them.

ii). Quality of climate informaƟon services: Many actors in
the climate informa on system are oﬀering various climate
informa on services and products. However, a key challenge formost of the study countries is the lack of a common frameworkfor sharing of informa on or procedures of opera on directly
defining the genera on of user-oriented climate informa on
products. This hinders the process of review of the climate
products and services products to define and jus fy quality.
iii). Appropriateness of scale: Diﬀerent climate users have diﬀerent
informa on needs and these vary in temporal, spa al and evenin form. The need to decentralize climate informa on to thecounty, state or provincial levels has triggered diverse demandfor climate services that are appropriate for user-level decisionmaking.
Although the na onal or federal level products are expected to
be downscaled to the local, county or state levels, these diﬀerent

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

7

levels create demand for unique products some of which need
to be regenerated. The tools to support such downscaling andthe procedures are also not well developed and/or documented.
iv). CommunicaƟon: The diversity of user needs in the country,
and also the diﬀerence in culture, language, and literacy levels
are key challenges in the development and communica on ofclimate informa on. These are compounded by lack of the righttechnology which allows for equitable access to informa on to
all who need it. Most climate informa on comes in a form thatmight not be readily applied for user-level decision-making either
because they are too technical or the method of dissemina on
becomes a challenge thereby hindering accessibility andapplicability.
v). InterpretaƟon: The applica on of climate informa on requires
an understanding of both the technical aspect of the informa on
and the applica ve needs of the users. This requires the eﬀort
of interpreters such as the agricultural extension agents who
understand the technical aspects of the content of the climate
informa on and also the user applica ve needs. However, thisis usually not the case, mainly because some of the CIS come intechnical languages, or may not have the right content or form
recommended for applicability.

8

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

4.

Conclusion

Climate informa on has not been used eﬀec vely wherever andwhenever it is available in many of the African countries. This is partly
because of the low capacity to collect, interpret and package it for use
by various end-users such as farmers, pastoralists, conserva onists
or the policymakers. This has therefore led to the low apprecia on of
the value of the informa on generated in the various weather sta ons
in some countries. Various sectors in the countries con nue to suﬀer
from risks that could have been prevented or mi gated against if thepeople responsible had the climate informa on packaged usefully
and on me.
There are a few instances where the countries are beginning to put
informa on into valuable use in a few sectors such as agriculture,conserva on, and tourism. In Tourism for instance, short to medium
range forecasts are used to advise visitors on the best days or periods
to visit par cular tourist a rac on sites. Up-to-date data that is
cri cal for climate change analysis and informa on dissemina on
as well as improved understanding of the climate problems in
the context of sustainable na onal development are not readily
available in several countries in a coherent and accessible manner.
There is, therefore, need to reinforce the eﬀorts at pu ng in placea comprehensive climate change informa on management systemthat is updated periodically and readily accessible to all. In the study
countries, stakeholders are fully aware of the impacts of climatechange on socio-economic development, natural resources and theneed for climate informa on.
There are however various challenges caused by limited technicalcapacity, human resource needs, financial challenges, and limited
opera ng environment for climate informa on system provisions.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

9These challenges hinder the provision of climate informa on,
especially at the grassroot levels. These challenges should beovercome but most of all a framework for the collabora on andintegra on of climate informa on system needs to be establishedto properly coordinate climate service within each country. These
countries need to adopt a more comprehensive and coordinatedapproach to the issues of climate change within their na onal
development context than what currently exists.

10 Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

5.

Policy RecommendaƟons

The policy recommenda ons for closing the gaps in climate
informa on services provision were categorized into three themes
namely: communica on, climate informa on u liza on, and fundingfor capacity building and foresigh ng.
RecommendaƟon 1: Improve communicaƟon of climate informaƟon
and services
Climate informa on communica on is usually the responsibility of
Na onal Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) andformal scien fic bodies. However, climate informa on that reaches
end-users is usually excessively technical, ill-matched to theirdemands/needs and easily leads to the misunderstanding of theuncertain es associated with it. The genera on and communica onof climate informa on needs to be linked to development processes
through integra on into sectoral plans and decisions as basic service
deliveries. The success of bridging climate informa on gap will
depend on the ability to ins tu onalize two-way communica on
between producers of climate informa on and the end-users forsustainable outcomes.
It is therefore recommended that:••

Governments should ensure that climate informa on is serviceorientated and integrated into decision-making process fromna onal through to the community levels.
Governments should provide an enabling environment forestablishing partnerships and networks that will create acommon pla orm for the genera on of well harmonized andconsolidated climate informa on for decision-making.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

11•

Governments through the NMHSs should provide pla orms toengage scien sts, policymakers and prac oners around theuptake of climate informa on for long-term decision-making
that is flexible and respond to stakeholders’ changing needs.

•

Organiza ons responsible for communica ng climate sciencesuch as the NMHSs should be aware of the social value of theinforma on they provide and the legi macy of the goals pursued
by policy-makers. They must adhere to principles of honesty,
precision, transparency and relevance when communica ng
climate informa on.

•

Organiza ons responsible for communica ng climate
informa on should endeavour to provide the informa onin the format and amount conceivable by the end-users foreasy applica on in decision-making. Language, the scale, andcontext of the informa on should be considered while choosing
the dissemina on pathway.

RecommendaƟon 2: Encourage the uƟlizaƟon of climate informaƟon
to make key decisions and investments
For eﬀec ve use of climate informa on, decision-makers can aid
in making investments and planning decisions that are proac ve,
durable and robust. Eﬀec ve use of climate informa on also minimizes
the risk that poor decisions can adversely aﬀect – or increase thevulnerability of – other systems, sectors or social groups. Longterm climate informa on is not necessary for every development
ini a ve, but it is crucial to the sustainability and eﬀec veness ofmany targeted investments and planning decisions (par cularly longterm investments with long-lived implica ons).

12 Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

It is recommended that:••

Notwithstanding the need for awareness-raising across a variety
of stakeholders and sectors, considera on should be given toeﬀorts that promote medium to long-term climate informa on
provision in places where there is li le to no demand fromdecision-makers.
Governments together with the relevant stakeholders should
develop policies or provide incen ves for users that make itcompulsory to ensure that climate informa on is consideredas part of the factors used in deciding/developing plans andprojects across all sectors.

RecommendaƟon 3: Explore opportuniƟes for funding and capacity
development in climate science and foresight studies
Funds for adapta on and mi ga on of climate change are available
and oﬀer several opportuni es for African countries to use. These
funds (Adapta on Funds and Green Climate Funds) and capacity
building opportuni es oﬀer African countries the opportuni es
to build their capaci es (individual, ins tu onal and systemic
capaci es). Foresight studies allow countries to eﬀec vely plan,
organize and implement mul ple climate-proof projects in acoordinated way. Integra on of foresight studies (scenario planning)
into the various development planning is cri cal to future adapta on
and resilience. Foresight studies represent a paradigm shi from thetradi onal (linear) planning method due to the growing complexity
and uncertain es of societal challenges.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

13

It is recommended that:•

African Governments should set aside funds to support capacity
building of staﬀ working at the NMHS and those working in therelevant sectors that use climate informa on to make informed
decisions. These funds should be used in organizing required
training for the oﬃcers in the relevant areas of need as well as
in foresight and scenarios building to enhance their capacity inplanning and decision-making. These funds should also be used
to procure advanced and eﬃcient equipment for climate datacollec on, analyses, presenta on and final dissemina on.

•

Researchers and scien sts in the field of climate science needto develop their skills and capacity for accessing the available
funds for adapta on and mi ga on of climate change. This isbecause currently, Africa ranks lowest among the countries thatare able to access the available climate funds for adapta on
and mi ga on.

14 Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

References
Kusangaya, S., Warburton, M. L., Van Garderen, E. A., & Jewi , G. P. (2014).
Impacts of climate change on water resources in southern Africa: A review.
Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 67, 47-54.
Shongwe, M. E., Van Oldenborgh, G. J., Van Den Hurk, B. J. J. M., De Boer, B.,
Coelho, C. A. S., & Van Aalst, M. K. (2009). Projected changes in mean andextreme precipita on in Africa under global warming. Part I: Southern
Africa. Journal of climate, 22(13), 3819-3837.
Vincent, L. A., Zhang, X., Brown, R. D., Feng, Y., Mekis, E., Milewska, E. J.... &Wang, X. L. (2015). Observed trends in Canada’s climate and influence of
low-frequency variability modes. Journal of Climate, 28(11), 4545-4560.
Washington, R., Harrison, M., Conway, D., Black, E., Challinor, A., Grimes, D.,
Jones R., Morse A., Kay G., and Todd M., (2006). Africa climate change:
Taking the short route. Bulle n of American Meteorological Society, 87,
1355-1366.
Jones, L., Roux, J.-P., Sco , C., & Tanner, T. (2014). Background briefing:
Opportuni es and barriers to the uptake of long-term climate informa on
in African decision-making (Future climate for Africa/CDKN report).
London: Overseas Development Ins tute
Parker, D., Good, E., and Chadwick, R., (2011). Reviews of Observa onal Data
Available over Africa for Monitoring, A ribu on and Forecast Evalua on,
February 2011 - revised June 2011, Hadley Centre Technical Note 86.
United Na ons Development Programme [UNDP], (2011).Integrated andComprehensive Approaches to Adapta on to Climate Change (CCAP)
Stakeholder analysis and assessment of climate change adapta on capacity
assessments of key climate change ins tu ons in Cameroon. Launch
document for study implementa on report. UNDP Yaoundé-Cameroon.
Washington, R., James, R., Pearce, H., Pokam, W. M., & Moufouma-Okia, W.
(2013). Congo Basin rainfall climatology: can we believe the climate
models? Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 368(1625), 20120296.
World Bank Group [WBG] (2016): Climate Informa on Services Providers in
Kenya. Agriculture global prac ce technical assistance paper, World Bank
Group, Washington, DC.
World Meteorological Organiza on [WMO], (2014). Annex to the Implementa on
Plan of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS): Observa ons
and Monitoring.

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

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ATPS Technopolicy Brief Series•

Embracing Open Contrac ng in Africa (ATPS Technopolicy Brief
No. 53)•

The Digital Revolu on, Open Science, and Innova on for OpenScience Development in sub-Saharan Africa (ATPS Technopolicy
Brief No. 52)•

Nouvelles approaches de fi nancement de la recherché et deL’innovaƟ on en Afrique (ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 51)•

New Approaches for Funding Research and InnovaƟ on in
Africa (ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 50)•

Towards Eﬀec ve Public-Private Partnerships in Research andInnova on: A perspec ve for African Science Gran ng Councils(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 49)•

Innova ve Prac ces and Policies for Promo ng Biodiversity
Informa cs in Sub Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 48)•

Improving the Relevance of University Training to LabourMarket Demands in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy brief No. 47)•

Developing Policies for Biodiversity Informa cs in sub-SaharanAfrica (ATPS Technopolicy brief No. 46)•

ICTs role in Agricultural Development: Prospects of Land
Poten al Knowledge System (LandPKS) ((ATPS TechnoPolicy
brief No. 45)•

Mainstreaming Gender in the Na onal Science, Technology andInnova on (STI) Policy of Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy brief No. 44)

16 Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

•Social Innova on: An untapped Resource for Inclusive Green
Growth (ATPS TechnoPolicy brief No. 43)•

Policy Axes that can uphold Agricultural Innova ons for Climate
Change Adapta on & Food Security in Central Africa: Case of
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic(ATPS TechnoPolicy brief No. 42)•

Frameworks for Intellectual Property Protec on of Tradi onal
Knowledge in Tanzania (ATPS TechnoPolicy brief No. 41)•

Assessment of Possible Intellectual Property Protec on
Op ons of Tradi onal Knowledge System in Ethiopia (ATPSTechnoPolicy brief No. 40)•

Towards influencing Na onal Legisla on, Policies, Strategies
and Programmes for appropriate Protec on and BenefitSharing of Tradi onal Knowledge (TK) with and by Tradi onal
Herbalists in Uganda. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No 39)•

38 Tradi onal Healers and their provision of Mental HealthServices in Cosmopolitan Informal Se lements in Nairobi,
Kenya. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 38)•

Policy Implica ons for Intellectual Property Systems for
Tradi onal Healers in Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 37)•

Incidence of Indigeneous and Innova ve Climate Change
Adapta on Prac ces for Smallholder Framers’ Livelihood
Security in Chikhwawa District, Southern Malawi. (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No.36)•

Machobane Farming System and its Relevance to Climate
Change Policy in Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 35)

Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

17

18 Bridging Climate Informa on Gaps to Strengthen Capaci es for Climate-informed Decision Making

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African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Contact Executive Director:
executivedirector@atpsnet.org
8th Floor Chancery Building,Valley Road
P.O. Box 10081-00100 Nairobi
Tél: +254 (20) 2714092
www.atpsnet.org

MAPP ING

WORKAI

The African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) is a transdisciplinary network of researchers,
policymakers, private sector actors and the civilsociety promoting the generation, dissemination, use
and mastery of Science, Technology and Innovations(STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. In collaboration
with like-minded institutions, ATPS provides
platforms for regional and international research andknowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s
capabilities in STI policy research, policymaking andimplementation for sustainable development.

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OBSERVATOIREDU SAHARAET DU SAHEL

Bridging Climate Information Gaps to Strengthen Capacities
for Climate Informed Decision-making in Africa

Science, Technology and Innovation
for African Development

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
Technopolicy Brief No. 54

ISBN: 978-9966-124-88-3

Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane
Dr. Ernest Acheampong