The workshop is organized under the Project being built on the Implementation of the initial activities of the strategic programme on reduction of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in West Africa.

It includes the 12th Meeting of ECOWAS Directors of Meteorology, 2nd – 4th August 2016 and the Meeting of Ministers in charge of Meteorological Services in ECOWAS Member States, 5th August 2016.Specifically, the experts and government officials would be looking at the ECOWAS strategic meteorological programme and its Implementation Strategy.

Conscious of the role of National Meteorological Services in the socioeconomic development of the respective countries, the ECOWAS Commission birthed a collaborative, effective and harmonious mechanism in the domain of meteorology (weather and climate services) in order to guarantee the coordination and strengthening of meteorological activities in Member States.

The Commission thereafter established the Committee of Directors of National Meteorological Services to discuss and agree on the way forward for the implementation of their programme of activities at the regional level.

This Committee recommended a Strategic Programme for ECOWAS on Meteorology (weather and climate services) leading to the formulation of a strategic programme specifically in aid of this.

In taking the aforementioned decisions, the Commission took into consideration the continental and regional initiatives on environment initiatives such as, the New Partnership for Development in Africa (NEPAD) launched in 2002, the ECOWAS Environment Policy, ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) in the framework of CAADP, ECOWAS Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction and the ECOWAS Plan of Action for the reduction of vulnerability to climate change in West Africa among others.

Pursuant to strengthening the capacity of meteorological services of ECOWAS countries, the 12th Meeting of ECOWAS Directors of Meteorology in Abuja aims at validating the Meteorological Plan of Action for the region as well as the status of implementation of the recommendations of the 11th session of the Committee held in Banjul in 2014.

Another goal of the workshop is to exchange and discuss new initiatives on the production and dissemination of weather and climate services for users and to make recommendations for the implementation of activities during the next two years.

In addition to the ECOWAS Meeting of Ministers for Meteorology, the meeting will bring together Directors of Meteorological Services and Permanent Representatives of countries with the World Meteorological Organization. It will also draw participation and contributions from regional organizations working in the area of weather and climate services as well as development partners.

The experts’ session will be followed by that of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for Meteorology (weather and climate services). The main objective of the Council of Ministers’ meeting is the adoption of the ECOWAS Meteorology Programme and its implementation Strategy.