Climate Services for Increased Resilience in the Sahel

Many African countries are extremely vulnerable to droughts, floods and other extreme events caused by natural climate variability. They face even greater risks in the future as human-induced climate change increasingly alters the weather and climate patterns that societies have come to depend on. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Sahel will experience higher average temperatures over the course of the 21st century and changes in rainfall patterns. These trends will affect the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, desertification, sand and dust storms, desert locust plagues and water shortages.

The aim of the "Climate Services for Increased Resilience in the Sahel" project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is to enable society to better manage the risks and opportunities arising from climate variability and change, especially for those that are most vulnerable to climate-related hazards.

More specifically, this new project will develop the capabilities of the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) as a Regional Climate Center to better support Meteorological Services in the Sahel. It will also develop capacities in Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal to maximize the use of, and benefits from, weather and climate products delivered by ACMAD and other centres.