GHACOF52 starts today in Addis Ababa

By Luganda David, NECJOGHA

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Fifty Second Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF52) opens today May 27^th in Addis Ababa Ethiopia under the theme “Mitigation of climate risks for resilience building”.

During  GHACOF52 representatives of National Meteorological and Hydrological agencies, decision makers,  research scientists as well as users of climate information review lessons/experiences from the use of the products provided during GHACOF 51,follow up on the implementation of proposed mitigation measures proposed in GHACOF 51, develop consensus regional climate outlook for the June to September 2019 season. GHACOF51 took place in Entebbe and reviewed the now ending March to May season.

The Climate Outlook Forums are held within the framework of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional strategy for mainstreaming climate information in key socio-economic sectors for sustainable development.  They are organized by the IGAD Climate Prediction Centre (ICPAC) based in Nairobi Kenya.

Meanwhile the Network of Climate Journalists of Greater Horn of Africa (NECJOGHA) will today hold a sub national climate café in the Eastern Uganda town of Jinja.

The NECJOGHA Uganda chapter coordinator Philip Bakalikwira explains that a climate café is a platform to trigger conservation on weather and climate services.

“The interaction generally connects the dots between the climate information providers (UNMA) and the end users, “ Bakalikwira explains.

Patrick Luganda the Executive Director NECJOGHA explains that a climate café enables the media to build their sources and rub shoulders with who is who in the industry.

“At the climate café we have opportunities to do a range of stories with different stakeholders. The outcomes of the climate café also inform policy and provides a feedback to the climate services who are the generators of the climate information” says Luganda.