Seasonal weather and climate fluctuations have significant impacts on society, via agriculture, food security, water, health, natural disasters and the environment. These can be a major brake on economic progress in the developing world. Climate thus sits at the nexus of the two principal development concerns, poverty and sustainable development. Concerns about climate change and the emergence of scientific forecasting of El Niño have set the stage for a fresh approach to addressing the problems of preparing for the coming season and managing climatic risks. Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) were first initiated in 1996 and gained momentum as a regional response to the major El Niño event of 1997/98. Since that time they have rapidly become the main regional mechanism for the formulation and dissemination of seasonal climate forecasts to policymakers and other climate information users. In many regions RCOFs continue to convene regularly before,
during, and after key rainfall seasons. Globally more than thirty have been held to date, employing a variety of approaches. The Forums bring together climate scientists, operational forecasters and climate information users to formulate climate outlook guidance and to discuss the implications of probable climate outcomes for climate-sensitive sectors. In the process a substantial amount of experience and
knowledge has been gained in the generation, communication and application of seasonal climate information. This report summarizes the results of a global review of the effectiveness of the RCOFs and related activities. Through an exhaustive stakeholder-driven process, drawing on the experiences of hundreds of organizations,
the review has sought to identify key issues, constraints and opportunities for improving the forum process and its contribution to the management of climate variability and change. Proposals are made to advance the goals of the RCOFs to reduce vulnerability to climate variability and change in sensitive regions and sectors
