African demand for weather and climate services, and business models for private sector engagement

21 February 2018. Webinar.
The Assessing Sustainability and Effectiveness of Climate Information Services (Sustainable CIS) project, which is part USAID’sLearning Agenda for Climate Services in Sub-Saharan Africa, has recently published two blogs and a webinar recording on ‘African demand for weather and climate services, and business models for private sector engagement’ that may be of interest to you all:

Blogs

• The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Delivering Climate Information Services in Africa. Recognizing the role public-private partnerships (PPPs) could play in advancing CIS in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Assessing Sustainability and Effectiveness of Climate Information Services in Africa (Sustainable CIS) project is identifying and piloting effective models for establishing robust PPPs in this sector. While many African countries have experience in establishing PPPs in agriculture, infrastructure and healthcare, PPPs for CIS are still nascent. Successful PPPs require clear motivation and benefit to all parties. Read more here.
• Strengthening Climate Information Services in Africa: Where are the Opportunities? "Climate sensitive information needs to reach the right people for the appropriate decision that needs to be made...it is not just about useful information, but about valuable information based on user needs". This widely agreed-upon statement was made by Youcef Ait Chellouche of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in September 2017, when the Africa meteorology and hydromet community came together to call for regional cooperation, gender-inclusion, and private sector engagement to improve climate information services (CIS). Read more here.

Millions of dollars in investments have been made in weather and climate infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past few decades, yet sustainable Climate Information Services (CIS) remain elusive. This webinar examined what is happening in the African region today, and how CIS developments can be leveraged to create investment cycles that meet the needs of end users.

This webinar drew on the findings from a soon to be published white paper ‘A CIS market assessment and business model review’. The demand for CIS was illustrated through case studies of current markets in SSA. Two private sector actors showcased examples of their work and how they engage with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and other government agencies. Additionally, the demand for services to integrate climate information into infrastructure planning and design decisions was discussed, based on a recent research study.

Speakers:

1. Dimitar Ivanov (World Meteorological Organisation) WMO Public Private Engagement Policy – PPE in the Global Weather Enterprise Context Skip to Dimitar's presentation 08:26 
2. Robert O’Sullivan (Winrock International) Climate Information Services in sub-Saharan Africa – A Review of the Market and Private Sector Engagement Skip to Robert's presentation 18:16 
3. Ari Davidov (Earth Networks) Innovative Meteorological Early Warning Systems and Public Private Partnerships for Climate Change Adaptation in African Least Developed Countries Skip to Ari's presentation 27:58 
4. David McAfee (Viamo) A Sustainable Climate Information Service for Africa and Asia Skip to David's presentation 36:10 
5. Jean-Pierre Roux (SouthSouthNorth) Analysing Demand for Services to Integrate Climate Information into Infrastructure Planning and Design Decisions Skip to Jean-Pierre's presentation 45:50