SMHI 2017-2020: WACCA-Ethiopia:WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE SERVICES FOR AFRICA SMHI 2017-2020: WACCA-Ethiopia:WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE SERVICES FOR AFRICA Water and Climate Change information services for Ethiopia (WACCA-Etiopien) är ett landsdrivet initiativ för att stärka och påskynda insatser på nationell och regional nivå i Etiopien i utvecklingen av klimat- och vatteninformation samt tidiga varningssystem. Tillförlitlig klimatinformation är avgörande för att möta nyckelmål i Etiopiens utvecklingsplan s.k. Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II), klimatåtagade s.k. "nationally determined contributions" under klimatavtalet samt Etiopiens climate resilient green economy (CRGE) strategy. National Meteorological Agency, de hydrologiska tjänsterna under Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity och Ministry of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change är skyldiga att tillhandahålla denna information och är de lokala genomförandepartnerna i WACCA-Etiopien. Det gemensamma målet är att utveckla teknisk kapacitet och institutionell hållbarhet för att tillhandahålla dessa nyckeltjänster och detta projekt är ett direkt svar på detta behov. Projektet ska också tillhandahålla skräddarsydd information som utformats för att passa de slutliga användarna med den bästa tillgängliga kunskapen om det framtida klimatet och utveckla regionspecifika lösningar för bästa praxis för anpassning. Water and Climate Change information services for Ethiopia (WACCA-Ethiopia) is a country
driven initiative to strengthen and accelerate efforts at national and regional levels across
Ethiopia in the development of climate and water information and early warning services.
Reliable climate information is crucial to meeting key targets in the growth and
transformation plans (GTP), nationally determined contributions, as well as the climate
resilient green economy (CRGE) strategy. The National Meteorological Agency, the
hydrological services under the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity and the Ministry
of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change are charged with the provision of these
information and are the local implementing partners in the WACCA-Ethiopia initiative. The
common aim is to develop technical capacity and institutional sustainability for the provision
of these key services and this initiative is a direct response to this need. It shall also provide
tailored information designed to fit end-under needs with the best available knowledge about
the future climate, and develop region specific best-practice solutions for adaptation. The WACCA Ethiopia project is designed from the ground up to address specific skills and technical capacity gaps in the water and climate information producing sectors in Ethiopia. It is expected to encompass skills acquisition and technical capacity building of the implementing partners, improved climate information services, improved hydrological information services, strengthened forecasting and early warning systems, and improved communication and dissemination of related information. The Project will strengthen the countrys water and climate information infrastructure improving both the supply of hydroclimatic data, information and services from the relevant authorities and mode of delivery to stakeholders and sectors across the country. The end result is to develop sustainable services providing credible and actionable information for the people of Ethiopia, from decision and policy makers in meeting internally determined climate targets at one end of the spectrum down to enhancing the quality of life and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the vulnerable 
people of Ethiopia, for example, smallholder farmers or pastoralists at the other end.To achieve these objectives, SMHI, in collaboration with local partner organizations, will work to develop and strengthen climate infrastructure for providing information on climate change, future water resources, vulnerability and impacts, as well as hydrological andclimate modeling and forecasts, and efficient data management. Of necessity is the strengthening of information and communication pathways between different services and data providers such as the meteorological and hydrological services as well as the disaster risk management authorities. The line of information and communication between different stakeholders such as the agriculture, energy and health sectors will likewise be addressed at  all levels. This entails providing sector specific information services and targeted, community focused disaster reduction protocols down to the woreda (district) levels. The initial phase of WACCA Ethiopia will be implemented over a period of 3 years