Workshop report: Training program on ENACTS climate time series, data library and maprooms, Kigali, Rwanda

Meteo Rwanda, in collaboration with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), has implemented the first phase of the ENACTS (Enhancing National Climate Services) initiative. The ENACTS initiative brings climate knowledge into national decisionmaking by improving availability, access and use of climate information. Meteo Rwanda staff has received a number of trainings on the different aspects of generating the datasets and developing climate information products. However, due to the recent reorganization at Meteo Rwanda, as well as updates to the tools used to generate historical data and information products, it was necessary to revise the training and update climate data and information products. The current activities, which are part of CCAFS-USAID Climate Services for Agriculture project, had two major components: (1) data quality control and generating updated climate datasets; and (2) integrating the newly generated datasets into Meteo Rwanda’s maprooms. Sixteen Meteo Rwanda staff members received six days of training on data quality control and generating updated climate datasets, and/or 4.5 days of training on developing and maintaining ENACTS maprooms

Regional Climate Services for Agriculture Project Presentation, and Demonstration and Discussion of Agricultural Maprooms: Launch Events at 44th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum

A joint collaborative initiative between ICPAC, CCAFS and IRI was launched publically through a series of presentations and side sessions at the 44th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF44) in Kampala, Uganda, on 30 August 2016. This initiative is part of the Climate Services for Africa Project, a three-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is being implemented at ICPAC and is intended to roll out climate services in support of Agriculture and Food Security to ICPAC member states (all IGAD and EAC countries) with technical support from CCAFS and IRI. The overall goal of this initiative is to strengthen the capacity of ICPAC and that of ICPAC member countries to develop effective climate products and services for agriculture and food security, for the benefit of smallholder farmers

International Research Institute for Climate and Society

Introduction to Remote Sensing for Monitoring Rainfall, Temperature,Vegetation and Water Bodie

Improving resilience to climate impacts in West Africa through improved availability, access and use of climate information: dialog with users

The stakeholder workshop on “Improving Resilience to Climate Impacts in West Africa Through Improved Availability, Access and Use of Climate Information: Dialogue With Users” was convened by the Centre Regional de Formation et d'Application en Agrométéorologie et Hydrologie Opérationnelle (AGRHYMET) in collaboration with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) with funding and technical support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Stakeholders from six Permanent Inter-state Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) countries were invited, in addition to representatives of five river basin organizations and the African Center of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD). The three-day meeting in Niamey, Niger (January 21-23, 2014) was attended by 40 participants and facilitators. It consisted of five components: • Introduction to AGRHYMET’s latest climate data, tools, and information products; • Training on the use of the tools for data analysis and visualization; • Engagement on the concept of climate risk management in the different sectors; • Soliciting feedback and needs from participants, to assess the value of the available tools and products to users, and inform improvements that are most relevant to stakeholders; and • Exploration of an Advisory Group for improving Climate Services provided by the AGRHYMET Center. The workshop introduced and solicited feedback on data, products and decision-support tools launched to support improved resilience to climate impacts, across sectors, initially targeting the agriculture, water and disaster risk management communities

Workshop Report: Improving Resilience to Climate Impacts in Ethiopia Through Improved Availability, Access and Use of Climate Information: Dialogue With Users

Ethiopia's National Meteorological Agency (NMA) is transforming its climate information services in a way that is unprecedented in Africa, and in many parts of the world. NMA's new innovative products include a 30-year time series of ten-daily rainfall and temperature data for every 10 km grid across Ethiopia, created by combining station measurements and satellite proxies; and an online mapping service providing user-friendly tools for visualization, querying, and accessing informatioff. The workshop presented these tools to a range of users and potential users in order . to: • provide an overview of the themes of climate risk management; • make participants aware of the information and products that already exist • train them in the use of the tool • solicit feedback regarding improvements and/or other climate information products that could assist in risk management practices within the country Workshops participants represented agriculture, water, food security, and disaster risk management, and provided feedback regarding how the tool could be improved

Application of non-linear techniques for daily weather data reconstruction and downscaling coarse climate data for local predictions

Downscaling techniques aim at resolving the scale discrepancy between climate change scenarios and the resolution demanded for impact assessments. Requirements for downscaled climate, to be useful for end users, include reliable representation of precipitation intensities, temporal and spatial variability, and physical parameters consistency. This report summarizes the results of the proof of concept phase in the development and testing of a novel data reconstruction method and a downscaling algorithm based on the multiplicative random cascade disaggregation method using rainfall signals at different spatial and temporal resolutions. The Wavelet Transformed-based Multi-Resolution Analysis (WT-MRA) was used for reconstructing the historical daily rainfall data needed as input for the downscaling methodology, using satellite-derived proxy data. Comparisons with presently used software showed that in all the cases; that is, the reconstructed, generated daily or downscaled daily data, the products developed outperformed the control test by either generating more accurate outcomes or by demanding significantly less parameterizing data

Using climate information in the health sector

Many infectious and chronic diseases are either directly or indirectly sensitive to the climate. Managing this climate sensitivity more effectively requires new working relationships between the health sector and the providers of climate data and information. In Africa, where communities are particularly vulnerable, Ministries of Health and National Meteorological Services need to collaborate to reduce the burden of climaterelated ill health

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Ethiopia: Implementation experiences and lessons learned

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global threat. High levels of AMR to commonly used antibiotics have been reported in East Africa. A situation analysis of AMR in Ethiopia also indicated high resistance levels. To prevent and contain AMR, Ethiopia established a national surveillance network. Objectives: This article describes the steps taken to prioritise AMR and establish the National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System in Ethiopia, as well as present the challenges and lessons learned through implementation. Methods: In April 2017, Ethiopia had developed and approved the National AMR Surveillance Plan for laboratory-based AMR surveillance. The World Health Organization recommendations and Ethiopias’s current microbiology capacity were used to prioritise organisms for reporting. The surveillance system is comprised of a network linking the national reference laboratory with surveillance sentinel sites. Roll-out of the AMR surveillance network occurred in three phases in order to ensure successful implementation. Results: Electronic capture and transmission of data, supply chain for the microbiology laboratory and communication problems were challenges observed after implementation started. Support from Ethiopian Public Health Institute focal persons for data entry, regular scheduled communication establishment and procurement of supplies by the American Society for Microbiology were some of the measures taken to address the challenges. Conclusion: Ethiopia has demonstrated that setting up AMR surveillance in lower resource settings is possible with strong leadership and stakeholder engagement