Objectives

FOCUS-Africa’s climate services will be developed by ensuring the full value chain is implemented following a co-production approach, starting from the close involvement of end-users, to the tailoring of climate information by service providers, and making the best use of observations and model data by research organisations.

Thanks to this co-production approach, not only will the climate services developed benefit the SADC-based research organisations and users, but also the European consortium partners will greatly enhance their knowledge in both the science and the climate services provision, allowing FOCUS-AFRICA to become a repository for knowledge and tools necessary in the development of practical and useful climate services.

Having all relevant actors involved ensures that the climate services developed are credible, relevant, robust, effective and long-lasting.

With this specific approach, FOCUS-Africa will pursue the following objectives:

Strengthen the link between the climate scientific community and stakeholders in the SADC region

• This will be done by leveraging the advanced scientific knowledge and strong networks of our team, and by establishing dedicated channels of communications, so as to target the full value chain of our users, since the start of the project

Advance the way in which climate information is processed

• Boost the processing and use of historical records, seasonal forecasts and projections (also exploring decadal forecasts) in decision making, including policy making for its direct uptake by the regional and national climate services providers

Characterize end-use requirements through regular engagement

• Encourage engagement with stakeholders and active players in
  the sectors, and ensure that lessons learned are upscaled to other countries in Africa, but also Europe, and other regions of the world, measured via standard analytics

Contribute to the advancement of the scientific knowledge

• Advance knowledge through publications and reports, such as those
  relevant for the IPCC, through the innovative science developed by FOCUS-Africa

Demonstrate the effectiveness of climate information

• This will be done through strengthening the adaptive capacity of end-users by delivering tailored, actionable and exploitable climate services and by estimating their socio-economic benefits across the full value chain.