Participatory climate services, advanced lightning detection, solar-powered weather stations, and other advanced technologies are saving lives and building resilience in Malawi through this Green Climate Fund-financed project.
Thematic Area
Through this service line, UNDP is protecting lives and livelihoods, providing people with the information they need to thrive and enhancing evidence-based decision-making. The main areas of work include reducing reliance on one type of technology, developing shared databases, involving communities in product design, information sharing within and between countries, development of climate information infrastructure, climate information dissemination and value chain development, capacity-building for modeling and forecasting, use of alternative technologies, private sector engagement, digitization of historical records, and impact of warnings and advisories on livelihoods and behavior.
Human stories
UNDP-supported climate information and early warning systems projects have reached 10.2 million people in the past 12 years. As we celebrate World Meteorological Day we explore the power of information to supercharge progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sierra Leone is rebuilding its climate services from the ashes of war using new technologies to provide early warnings for vulnerable communities.
Resources
'Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives strengthens income generation for food security through LDCF1 project' November 2022
On September 24, a team from the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MTCIC) departed Tarawa for Abemama island. The mission lasted for 21 days with the purpose to undertake training, consultation, and awareness to strengthen business initiatives through increasing trade from local products and value-added products from in-land and marine resources to enhance food security under the impacts of climate change.
'Cooperatives and credit union established at Maiana' October 2022
Two new cooperatives and one new credit union were established at the island of Maiana. One cooperative belongs to a group of women from Maiana (Nei Te Kewe ni Maiana CS). This cooperative is selling handicrafts and Mauriwear. The other cooperative is called Bubutei Fisherman CS, and their services relate to marine products. The new credit union is called Team Work Credit union from Temwangaua village.
'Creel survey on Abemama island' October 2022
From 24 September to 15 October 2022, a team of four officials from the Research and Monitoring Unit of the Coastal Fisheries Division visited Abemama Island to carry out a creel survey on the Island. A creel survey targets fishermen with the aim of collecting information on artisanal coastal fishing activities including fishers’ demographics, fishing behaviour, catch composition, including catch per unit effort, and fishers' perceptions.
'Support to environmental conservation at Nonouti' October 2022
Officers from the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD) and one from the Ministry of Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs (MWYSSA) conducted a 15-day mission to Nonouti Island 16 - 31 October 2022 to support the Island Elders (Te Buroo n Nonouti) and the two villages/communities in the development of their integrated environment and natural resource management plan (IENRMP) and constitution, as well as mangrove picking and planting with church youth, recruitment of EEO (Environment Extension Officer).
'On Nonouti, LDCF continues to support environmental sustainability and food security' October 2022
From September 28 to October 5, 2022, officers from the Environment and Conservation Division carried out activities in Kiribati to improve food security, preserve the environment, and lessen the effects of climate change. The activities included building coastal beach brush, planting coastal areas, tagging turtles, delineating seagrass beds, selecting and planting mangroves on Nounouti with the cooperation of communities, and lastly monitoring mangroves planted by communities taking part in the mangrove competition which was initiated in April 2021.
UNDP Issues Brief Climate Information and Early Warning Systems
Through our work on climate information and early warning systems, UNDP is protecting lives and livelihoods, providing people with the information they need to thrive and enhancing evidence-based decision making.
Five approaches to build functional early warning systems
Throughout the years, the various United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes have played an important role in promoting and developing a culture of preparedness and prevention. The UN has underlined the value of prevention strategies on multiple occasions, not only by encouragement, but also through a number of projects, conferences, and platforms. As climate change and its consequences are becoming ever more evident, the private and public sectors are now counting on the assistance of academia and international organisations to support prevention strategies and build a more resilient society. Through a preliminary analysis which supported this publication, qualitative interviews with disaster risk reduction experts from UNDP country offices in the region, as well as through desk research, some of the main challenges in the field of early warning have emerged.
Weather Stations, Women Champions and Water Management: Changing the Face of Early Warning in Cambodia
In Cambodia, climate-related disasters are impacting lives and livelihoods and inflicting enormous economic damage. With financial support from Global Environment Facility - Least Developed Countries Fund and technical support from UNDP, this project helped the government to bridge crucial gaps in institutional capacity, inter-ministerial coordination, and infrastructure for early warning.
2018 Market Assessment on Climate Service in Africa
This continental-scale market assessment investigated how thriving commercial weather markets could be catalysed in the 11 African countries supported by the CIRDA programme, and how their NHMSs could maximise benefit they derive from such markets.
A New Vision for Weather and Climate Services in Africa
The report calls for enabling actions by African leaders to support the sustainability of investments in weather and climate services, looking toward public-private partnerships, next generation weather and water monitoring technologies, regional cooperation and capacity building as key drivers to resolve sub-Saharan Africa’s persistent challenges in maintaining sustainable climate information and early warning systems.
Climate Information and Early Warning Systems Communications Toolkit
This toolkit provides National HydroMeteorological Services (NHMS), policy makers, and media and communications for development practitioners with the tools, resources and templates necessary to design and implement an integrated communications strategy.
