SMHI:2023-2025: WACCA-Ethiopia: Water and Climate change for Africa SMHI:2023-2025: WACCA-Ethiopia: Water and Climate change for Africa The project aims to address specific capacity gaps in the weather, water 
and disaster risk reduction sectors in Ethiopia. It focuses on developing human 
technical capacity and the acquisition of requisite skills for information services for weather and water. Projektet syftar till att åtgärda specifika kapacitetsluckor i väder, vatten
och sektorer för att minska risken för katastrofer i Etiopien. Den fokuserar på att utveckla människan
teknisk kapacitet och förvärv av erforderlig kompetens för informationstjänster för väder och vatten. Objectitve: The WACCA-Ethiopia project aims to address specific capacity gaps in the weather, water and disaster risk reduction (DRR) sectors in Ethiopia. It focuses on developing human technical capacity and the acquisition of necessary skills for weather and water information services, including forecast and early warning systems, as well as improved disaster risk communication and action. The project will improve the production and mode of delivery of key climate adaptation tools and skills including data management and information services from the relevant authorities to key stakeholders and sectors across the country. The overarching goal is to contribute towards long-term national readiness against climate extremes, developing a strong and resilient infrastructure for providing credible and actionable weather, water and disaster risk information for the people of Ethiopia. Climate adaptation will need strong institutions with the ability to deliver actionable information for decision and policy makers at all levels to enhance the quality of life and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the vulnerable population in Ethiopia.

Impact statement: WACCA-Ethiopia will contribute to improved climate adaptation action by enhancing the readiness toward natural disasters  which are projected to increase in frequency with climate change  by strengthening the institutional capacity of the national meteorological and hydrological services in Ethiopia.

The project will approach this by building the capacity and skills of personnel at key Ethiopian institutions. The project will contribute to strengthen early warning systems for floods, droughts and other weather- and water-related disasters, allowing for targeted and timely action. This also involves installation and upgrading of relevant meteorological and hydrological systems and data collection infrastructure based on delivered equipment in Phase 1.

The development and effectiveness of the early-warning communication and action will be piloted in selected areas before introducing refined SOPs for early warning systems at a national level. This will be done through continuation of technical training, capacity building and implementation of innovative information and communication technology launched under Phase 1. Adjustments have been made to target and streamline the project to more effectively respond to disaster preparedness, readiness, response and recovery needs.

The focus of WACCA-Ethiopia will be on the promotion of better access to and use of weather and water information and services for decision-making at the community level. The project seeks to improve access to reliable and timely climate information by increasing the capacity of regional and local government officers in the use of climate information. It also aims at increasing local adaptive capacity by ensuring that stakeholders are adequately informed and equipped to understand, use and share climate information with their communities.

The main target groups that will receive capacity building though this programme includes basin administration offices, regional meteorological service centres, hydrological cluster offices, regional and zonal level actors under MoWE, EMI, EDRMC. This includes staff working with forecast and early warning in meteorology and hydrology, data management at key institutions, communication, leadership, and gender mainstreaming who are key users and distributors of the mandated services.

Users of the generated information in the WACCA-Ethiopia Phase 2 project are: 1) institutional and policy makers, 2) general public, 3) actors for disaster risk reduction and prevention. The general public will benefit from using the improved national services, either directly or through institutional users.