Presentation by: Bonizella Biagini 4.1 Climate services in support of NAPs   This event will bring together experts involved in the provision of climate services and testimony from countries of how climate services are being used to support decision-making and effective adaptation. The event will start with brief statements, and will be followed by a panel discussion, where participants from the floor will have the opportunity to engage the panelists with questions or comments. The panel will demonstrate the practical benefits of climate services in support of climate risk management and adaptation to climate variability and change. It will also provide lessons learned through various activities being implemented at regional and national level.

1. Climate Information for Resilient Development and
Adaptation (CIRDA) and
its relevance to the NAPs
Dr. Bonizella Biagini
Manager
CIRDA Programme, UNDP
NAPs EXPO 2016, Bonn, Germany

2. Outline
 Importance of Climate Information for NAPs and
concrete adaptation actions
 Technology & communication gaps – views from the
field
 A new vision to find pragmatic solutions
 Bringing in the private sector
 The last mile
 Country Profiles
2

3. National Adaptation Plans
• Established under the Cancun Adaptation
Framework (2010)
• A continuous, progressive and iterative
process which follows country-driven,
gender-sensitive, participatory and fully
transparent approach
• Objectives as agreed by the COP (Decision
5/CP.17)
– Reduce the vulnerability to the impacts
of climate change, by building adaptive
capacity and resilience
– Facilitate the integration of climate
change adaptation, in a coherent
manner, into relevant new and existing
policies, programmes and activities, in
particular development planning
processes and strategies, within all
relevant sectors and at different levels

5. NAPs and Climate Information
Climate Information-CI (Data, Products, Services) is necessary to know and manage climate risk
CI is also fundamental to integrate adaptation into policies and actions
•Cancun Adaptation Framework calls for the strengthening of enabling environments for adaptation.
•Cancun Agreements: Parties agreed to include climate change observation systems and related information
management within the priorities for technology transfer
•Paris Accord: cooperation to strengthen scientific knowledge on climate, systematic observation of the climate
system and early warning systems in a manner that informs climate services and supports decision-making
(Art.7.7)

6. Information for Adaptation
Lack of CI is a major
cause of low adaptive
capacity in Africa
Data must be accurate,
comprehensive, timely,
and consistently
maintained (sustainable)
Data must be
communicated and
understood by end users
(policy makers,
communities, etc.)
6
CIRDA Programme designed in response to African LDCs’ recognition that adaptation can not
be achieved without reliable climate and weather data – currently not sufficiently available
Image of global radar network: Source WMO Radar Database
http://wrd.mgm.gov.tr/db/search-basic.aspx?l=en
http://wrd.mgm.gov.tr/db/search-basic.aspx?l=en

7. Realities on the ground
7
Accessibility
Power and Communications
Quality Control
Pictures from actual field missions

8. Communication gaps
8
Synoptic AWS - Uganda
SMS based SYNOP Reported to GTS

9. Support
• Data and tech transfer
• Identify and reach end users
• Mainstream/integrate data into development
planning (NAPs)
• Financial sustainability planning/PPP
partnerships
11 Partner countries.
Objectives
• Support climate services in their efforts to collect,
analyse and disseminate climate information for
long term planning and adaptation
• Provide timely, high quality climate information to
reach the last mile
• Enable policy makers and vulnerable communities
to make informed decisions
• Save lives and livelihoods
What is CIRDA
Benin
Burkina
Faso
Ethiopia
The Gambia
Liberia
Malawi
São Tomé
and Príncipe
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Sierra Leone

10. 10
CIRDA Approach:
Intentional design/implement/evaluate
Developing a “concept of operations” is the first and
perhaps essential step in the planning methodology for
designing an end-to-end, observing/monitoring to
forecasting/warning system

11. Non-traditional approaches have potential to support the
development and sustainability of weather observing networks
11
Emphasis is on meteorological systems engineering and leapfrog technologies
to establish the above sequence of actions.

12. A new vision for climate services
Technologies are now available that can provide high quality climate and weather
information at low cost and can be linked to mobile communication
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Images from the site installation in Uganda: Sensors were installed on Mobile
Telecommunications towers, guaranteed power, security – communications still an issue
Integrated Lightning
sensor with all in one
AWS
• Temp / Humidity
• Pressure
• Wind Speed / Dir
• Solar radiation
• Separate
Automatic Rain-
gauge

13. What are the advantages
Shared hosting services on cloud platforms – data is available in real time
13
Real Time Network view Real Product view (Operational)

14. The private sector link
• Companies providing weather
observation, analysis and
communications are increasingly able to
support NHMSs
• There are many commercial needs for
weather services (eg aviation,
agriculture, etc.) that can potentially
provide revenue supporting NHMSs
Partnerships will contribute more broadly to sustainable development goals
There is a continued need to support NHMS to provide CI as a public good
particularly to the poorest and most vulnerable

15. ‘The Last Mile’
Engaged with the Brown Institute for Media Innovation (Columbia University) and IRI to
promote the Climate Action Hackathon to create software applications to end users.
Some of the products they developed in 24 hours:
The Last Mile is the final, most crucial stage for CI. It focuses on the end user, the
communities and policy makers.
- Knife’s Edge : Analysis “dashboard” to enable ag extension officers
to infer climate/weather information for their practice and
application; collated, analysed data can then be sent to farmers
via push SMS or by scheduling in person meetings
- Climar: climate information sharing platform that provides
tailored advice in 4 local African languages to different sectors of
the economy (call in push service)
- #mLisho: SMS (text messages) providing sustainability and market
information to nomadic pastoralists based on predictions of range
land productivity
- Climate Frame: Frames data by defining specific actions that are
executed when defined weather events occur; Information
provided pictorially via sms

16. Conclusions
 Climate Information (Data, Products, Services) is necessary to develop
strong NAPs
 Many vulnerable countries still need reliable data
 Technology transfer/purchase is not enough without local capacity,
including training, operation and maintenance
 Gathering and processing data in not sufficient without communication to
the end users (including policymakers)
 NAPs preparation and implementation offer an opportunity to identify this
gap at the national level and to access the necessary resources to address
this issue
16

17. Thank you
Dr. Bonizella Biagini
Manager
CIRDA Programme, UNDP
bonizella.biagini@undp.org
www.adaptation-undp/projects/cirda
www.undp-cirda.blogspot.com
Twitter @bonizella

18. Benin
Context
 Climate Impact: Changes in
precipitation, and sea-level rise
threaten the country’s productive
infrastructure with severe impacts
on both food security and income.
 Initial capacity: Lack of reliable
hydromet forecasting means (lack of
human and technological capacity)
CI/ EWS Project Focus
 Upgrade observation infrastructure
to provide EWS and climate services
with real-time data.
 Train NHMS in the use of real time
data to create tailored forecasts
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Training on forecasting
 Purchase and correct installation of
hydromet equipment including full EWS
system and central servers
Impact
 Able to issue flood and hydrological
warnings in all parts of the country.
 EWS system with capacity to collect
digitally the information from
equipment in the field. Allows the
creation of tailored forecasts.
 Institutional agreement for SOP to
quickly disseminate EW alerts and save
lives. 18

19. Burkina Faso
Context
 Observation network coverage of only 25%
with very few stations reporting reliable
data. Limited budget for equipment
maintenance. No real time data.
 Lack of SOP or communications strategy
for the dissemination of weather
information.
 Lack of hydromet EWS
CI/EWS Focus
 Upgrade to an automatic network,
providing the services with real-time data.
 Unified SOP with all service providers and
involving telephone companies
 Increasing human capacity
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Technical specifications of hydromet equipment
and review of their correct installation.
 Integration of real-time data into the forecasts and
Early Warning
 Development of a unified SOP
 Outreach to mobile phone providers
Impact
 Observation coverage now at 75% nationwide.
 A SOP has been developed, this will have a direct
impact in lives saved.
 Currently procuring equipment for EWS that will
include information from new AWS.
 Partnership with Airtel for collecting rain fade
information
19

20. Ethiopia
Context
 Lack of consolidated data. Exchange of
data among institutions is demand-based
impeding the automatic integration of
data for EW and climate services.
 No real-time data on surface- and ground
water levels impedes the Ministry of
Water's capacity to fulfil its mandate.
CI/EWS Focus
 Upgrade to an automatic network,
providing the services with real-time
data
 Training staff on the use of real-time data
 Product development and delivery
(including EWS)
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Reviewing the installation of equipment;
 Data transmission and management;
 Data analysis and product development training;
 Information delivery and last mile efforts
Impact
 Network of automatic weather stations provides a
foundation to build weather and climate products
and services
 With installation of automatic water level sensor
networks, can start working towards integrated
water resources management, including water
allocation planning.
 Training in the installation, operation and
maintenance of high-tech automatic weather and
hydrological stations, improves the likelihood of
sustainability 20

21. The Gambia
Context
 Coastal erosion and salinization are
major challenges
 Agriculture employs 75% of the
population and makes up 20% of
GDP
CI/EWS Focus
Strengthen EWS and national climate
monitoring and adaptation capabilities
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Purchase of hydro met equipment and
data server, drafting of technical
specifications for EWS and pilotsonde
 Signed MoU with the aviation sector
Impact
 Increased physical and technical capacity a
to monitor and forecast weather and long-
term climatic changes
 Capacity to enhance the financial
sustainability of observation system due to
signed MOU and enhanced capacity to
communicate climate information
21

22. Liberia
Context
 Extreme loss in capacity
(infrastructure and personnel) of
Met Department due to civil war
and Ebola outbreak
CI/EWS Focus
 Create a streamlined, customized
and consolidated EWS informed
by accurate climate information;
 Increase the distribution of
monitoring stations;
 Establish communications
channels to disseminate climate
information
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Support in entering into an operations contract
with a service provider- lightning based EWS
leverages off of the neighbouring sensors in West
Africa to improve the overall system performance.
 Support in acquiring and installing an end to end
EWS using innovative and cost effective
technologies
Impact
 End to end EWS and agreement with service
provider will rebuild almost immediately EW and
forecasting capacity of Met Department
 Expansion of Met Department’s capacity in data
analysis and interpretation and its prioritising
development of commercial products and services
will ensure long term sustainability
22

23. Malawi
Context
 Highly vulnerable to severe
flooding and droughts
 Declining observation and
processing infrastructure
 Lack of regional cooperation
CI/EWS Focus
 Enhance its monitoring
capabilities with a strong
emphasis on hydro and water
management
 Implement an EWS
 Create the capacities to deliver
the climate information for
adaptation planning
particularly for agriculture.
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Outreach to last mile services like HNI 3-
2-1 Service (push service via cell phone)
 Training on forecasting
 Regional outreach
Impact
 Directorate for Climate Change and
Meteorological Services (DCCMS) are in the
process of application development to
integrate all sources of data
 DCCMS currently provide weather
information to the HNI 3-2-1 service that
generates an average usage of 350,000 calls
 The next phase of the project includes the
deployment of the lightning based EWS and
the integration of the hydrological data into a
multi-hazard early warning system 23

24. Sao Tome and Principe
Context
 Climate and hydrological monitoring
network with 20% of national
coverage.
 Limited infrastructure and capacity to
produce accurate forecasts and EW
 No EWS
CI/EWS Focus
 Increase coverage of observation
network
 Increase capacities of Met and Water
Departments
 Enable an EWS
UNDP Support (CI/EWS +CIRDA)
 Implementation and operationalization of the
hydro-meteorological services and equipment
 Aid in integrating new equipment into an EWS.
 Support in purchase and installation of satellite
distribution system (SADIS)
Impact
 Improved network coverage
 Community and national staff equipped and
trained in communicating EW- Last Mile
 Training in the installation and maintenance
of new hydromet equipment- improves
sustainability
 Improved forecasting capacity for aviation
due to SADIS 24

25. Sierra Leone
Context
 Extreme loss in capacity
(infrastructure and
personnel) through years of
civil war and the Ebola
outbreak
CI/EWS Focus
 Upgrading the
meteorological and
hydrological observation
networks and create the
internal capacity to emit
EW and climate services
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Support in entering into an operations contract
with a service provider- lightning based EWS
leverages off of the neighbouring sensors in
West Africa to improve the overall system
performance.
 Support in acquiring and installing an end to end
EWS using innovative and cost effective
technologies
 Outreach to the private sector (mining most
promising)
Impact
 End to end EWS and agreement with service
provider will rebuild almost immediately EW
and forecasting capacity of Met Department
 Expansion of Met Department’s capacity in
data analysis and interpretation and its
prioritising development of commercial
products and services will ensure long term
sustainability
25

26. Tanzania
Context
 Limited real-time met data received. Lack of
capacity and data management inhibited it being
used in forecasting and processed in EW.
 No real time data of hydrological information
resulting in lack of water allocation planning
capacities.
CI/EWS Focus
 Improve the coverage of automatic weather
stations; create the real time data ability to
generate EW and improve the quality of climate
information products; create an EWS
 Product delivery to end users (new and existing
products)
 Improve the Ministry of Water's (MoW)
integrated water resources management capacity
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Integration of real-time data into the forecasts; quality
checking of installation of new hydromet equipment;
 Transition from an analogue to a digital workflow at
the MoW and the Basin Boards;
 Facilitated the automated exchange of data and
information at an institutional level
Impact
 Met department is looking at ways to use the new
real-time data in their forecasts;
 The MoW are halfway through with the installation of
their automatic weather and hydrological stations
 3 Government Agencies are working on an MoU to
facilitate the free and automated exchange of data
and information
 Work has started on the Emergency Operations
Centre, which will be operational 24/7, and from
which early warnings will be sent out 26

27. Uganda
Context
 In the midst of a modernization
strategy of Met Agency (UNMA)
 Limited financial support for the
maintenance of equipment
 Outdated infrastructure and lack of
technical capacity
 Automatic data collected not
shared to end users (institutional
agreements)
CI/EWS Focus
 Strengthen the weather, climate
and hydrological monitoring
capabilities, EWS and available
information for adaptation
planning
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Training on PPPs and product development
 Design of an integrated network of synoptic stations, AWS and lightning
sensors.
 Facilitated discussions with service provider and tower hosting company
for placement of equipment- reduced installation time and assured
security, power and communications
 Comprehensive handover and training plan to ensure effective skills
transfer from provider to UNMA
 Outreach to private sector and end users
Impact
 Installed an end to EWS that will allow the communication of tailored
forecasting and access to real time data available immediately through
web interphase
 PPP agreement with a service provider to potentially generate USD 1
million in revenue. The provider will supply at no cost 500K in services to
UNMA as part of the agreement
 Launching of a HNI 1-6-1 Service to provide weather information to
Airtel phone users
 Generated interest from commercial providers who are engaging with
UNMA to package and disseminate industry specific products
27

28. Zambia
Context
 Limited amount of working AWS, real
time met data collected is not being
integrated into forecasting workflows
 Data from the automatic water gauges are
not publicly available nor optimally used
for water resources management
purposes
CI/EWS Focus
 Expand the network of automatic weather
stations and train staff in its operation and
maintenance;
 Use the real-time AWS data in forecasting,
thus improving the forecasting;
 Developing new weather and climate
information products
UNDP Support (CI/EWS + CIRDA)
 Expansion of the AWS network and integration
of data
 Training in the assimilation of real-time data in
the forecasts;
 Use of automatic water level gauge data in
integrated water resources management;
 Facilitating the exchange of data between
agencies
Impact
 Improved forecasts resulting from new AWS
 Telemetric data transmission ensures that
problems at weather stations are noticed
quickly;
 Trained staff starting to use AWS data, paving
the way for product development 28