A network of 55 Meteosat DCPs ( of which 50 are already operational ) is being installed in 11 Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) countries within the framework of the SADC-HYCOS project funded by EC for the development of a hydrological information system in the region . A pilot phase of the Western and Central African Hydrological Cycle Observing System ( AOC-HYCOS ) involving 11 countries of western and central Africa was launched in January 2000 with support from the Government of France .