Currently in its second phase, this multi-agency project aims to guide decision-makers and public health authorities in Malawi and Tanzania to provide well-targeted climate services to obtain accessible and accurate climate service information. By strengthening national climate services, the GFCS programme strives to increase the resilience of those most vulnerable to the impacts of weather and climate, such as droughts and flooding, as well as the associated health risks, including malnutrition and vector- and water-borne diseases.
The problem
Climate variability and change threaten the health and wellbeing of populations worldwide through several ways, including vector- and water-borne diseases, malnutrition, and disaster-related impacts. Many African countries, including Malawi and Tanzania, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to pre-existing geographical and environmental conditions, reliance on climate-sensitive practices such as agriculture, and low adaptive capacity.
Enhancing the capacity of national climate services in these countries can have substantial positive impacts on the preparedness and resilience of health and food systems to climate change threats. For example, strengthening user-driven climate services can protect agriculture and food security, as well as enhance health surveillance and preparedness approaches for climate-sensitive diseases (e.g. malaria and cholera). These strategies can be especially beneficial for those communities who are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate and weather threats.
The goal
The overall goal of the programme is to contribute to the increased resilience of vulnerable populations to the impacts of weather and climate-related risks through enhanced capacity of National Meteorological Services (NMHSs). Specifically, this programme aims to strengthen climate services to strengthen the capacity of health, agriculture/food security, and disaster risk reduction strategies to inform decision-making and preparatory processes.
The project
The GFCS programme was initiated in December 2017 and will run until September 2020. WHO is responsible for the implementation of activities under one (Outcome 3) of four outcomes of a multi-agency project. Programme outcomes are:
Outcome 1: Enhanced capacity of National Meteorological Services to provide climate services
This outcome aims to guide the implementation of high-quality and tailored climate services into policy, planning and development processes at the national level.
Outcome 2: Strengthened use of climate information by vulnerable communities for food security and livelihoods
This outcome aims to provide targeted communities (Kiteto, Longido, and Kondoa in Tanzania and Balak and Zomba in Malawi) with climate- and weather-informed advice and enhance their capacity to use this information for agriculture or livelihood related decision-making.
Outcome 3: Strengthened capacity of health professionals for the use of climate information for public health preparedness and resilience to climate-related health risks
WHO is responsible for the implementation of activities under outcome 3, which strives to enhance the understanding, reliability, and use of climate and weather information into health decision-making processes.
Outcome 4 - Increased use of climate and weather information by vulnerable communities to improve disaster risk reduction in vulnerable communities
Outcome 4 aims to increase the capacity of vulnerable communities to use climate and weather information to prepare for and reduce the risk of climate-related disasters.
Partners
The programme is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation (NORAD). Partners include four international and two national agencies: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC; including Norwegian Red Cross and Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre), World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), Global Framework for Climate Services Office (GFCSO) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) in Tanzania, and the Department for Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) in Malawi.
The future
The lives of vulnerable populations in participating countries, namely Malawi and Tanzania, can be improved through enhanced access and understanding of high-quality, action-oriented climate services and policies integrated into national development and planning processes. By increasing the capacity of populations to prepare and respond to climate and weather threats, particularly communities most vulnerable, long-term achievements in regards to the health and livelihoods of these populations can be achieved.