Treat climate information as a strategic public good, climate scientists urge

Climate scientists are calling for weather and climate information to be treated as a strategic public good and an essential component of climate-resilient development.

The Acting Director General of the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA) Edward Muriuki, notes that it is imperative to recognise the importance of strengthening climate information services as part of a broader policy framework that promotes adaptation, resilience and sustainable development.

“This requires an integrated approach that connects scientific knowledge with policy formulation, planning, budgeting, implementation and accountability,” said Muriuki at the WISER Kenya Phase 3 kick-off workshop.

Muriuki said WISER Kenya Phase III is well aligned to the national imperative “to strengthen early warning systems and ensure that climate information informs decisions at both national and county levels,” adding that, initiatives such as Climate Outlook Forums and Participatory Scenario Planning have provided important platforms for translating scientific forecasts into sector-specific advice and practical preparedness measures.

Muriuki said that, through collaboration among national institutions, county governments, technical agencies and communities, the WISER Kenya project has supported capacity development, participatory climate planning, technical co-production and the development of climate information products that are responsive to local needs.

Among the areas the project is working on include; drought monitoring, flood forecasting, hydrological observations and community engagement in generating evidence that can inform future policy and institutional improvements.

He added that the transition to WISER Kenya Phase III “must go beyond sustaining individual activities, to institutionalizing successful approaches, strengthening operational coordination and embedding the use of climate information within established government systems.”

At the meeting attended by community representatives from both Garissa County and Tana River County, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO), the UK Met Office, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA), the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Water Resource Authority (WRA) CPA James M. Mburu said Kenya continues to face unprecedented climate challenges.

He noted that the alternating, severe cycles of devastating floods and prolonged droughts “are no longer distant projections, they are our present reality,” said Mburu and added, “They threaten our food security, disrupt our economy, and place immense pressure on water resources.”

Mburu further said that WISER Kenya Phase 3 presents an important opportunity to strengthen institutional collaboration and enhance the hydrometeorological monitoring network for flood forecasting, early warning, flood risk mitigation and sustainable water resources management.

“For a long time, climate disaster management across Africa was reactive, we waited for the drought to peak or the riverbanks to burst before deploying emergency resources,” he said and added, “Through the WISER Kenya initiative, this phase shifts the paradigm entirely from basic weather forecasting to action-based and impact-based early warnings.”

The WRA boss averred that the forecasting tools being introduced under WISER Kenya initiative will provide a critical window of opportunity to manage water allocation, issue early abstraction warnings, protect fragile catchments, and safeguard infrastructure before a disaster strikes.

The Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) program is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by the UK Met Office and led by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

It brings together national institutions, consortium partners and county governments and community representatives to strengthen the use of weather and climate information for preparedness and early action in Garissa and Tana River Counties.

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