The African Union (AU) has called on member states to urgently improve access to global climate data, citing its vital role in enhancing early warning systems, disaster preparedness, and climate resilience across the continent. The appeal was made on Monday during a high-level forum in Windhoek, Namibia, jointly hosted by the Intra-ACP Climate Services (ClimSA) and the Africa Early Warning Space (SEWA) programs. AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati, stressed that Africa is increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks—ranging from floods to droughts—and must invest in advanced climate information systems to protect lives and livelihoods.
Vilakati urged African governments to adopt the Global Universal Access System, a tool designed to give farmers, scientists, and policymakers simplified access to real-time weather and climate forecasting data. The system is expected to bridge information gaps that currently hinder response to extreme weather events. The Windhoek forum brought together over 100 participants, including African ministers, climate experts, EU and SADC officials, and representatives from the OECD. Discussions focused on improving interoperability between national meteorological services and regional climate centers, enhancing data-sharing agreements, and making climate information available in local languages and user-friendly formats.
Namibia was singled out as a continental model for integrating climate data into emergency planning. Sheelongo Jonas of Namibia’s Ministry of Works and Transport highlighted how timely data helped manage recent flood emergencies and called for investments in modern weather infrastructure and broader community outreach. Participants agreed that unless climate data becomes more accessible, Africa will remain exposed to escalating climate risks without the tools to respond effectively.
