The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene a high-level meeting of climate experts in Lusaka, Zambia next week to produce a regional forecast for the 2025/26 rainfall season and validate a new multi-hazard early warning system aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness across the region.
The 31st Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-31), scheduled for 8-11 September, will be preceded by a Climate Experts Meeting from 1-7 September and a validation workshop for the SADC Multi-Hazard Early Warning System on 8 September.
The meetings are jointly organised by SADC and the Zambian government, with financial support from the European Union under the ClimSA Programme.
Held under the theme “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together within the SADC Region,” SARCOF-31 will bring together meteorologists, researchers, policymakers and development partners to assess climate risks and enhance regional coordination.
The forum aligns with the Global Framework for Climate Services and SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020–2030, which prioritises environmental sustainability and disaster risk reduction.
The seasonal forecast, developed by experts from SADC member states, will offer early guidance on rainfall and temperature patterns.
“Timely use of this forecast supports decisions such as crop planning, water management, disaster risk reduction, energy production and public health measures, thereby reducing vulnerabilities and potential losses,” the SADC Secretariat said in a statement on Thursday.
The validation workshop will review the framework and tools of the proposed Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, designed to support timely, harmonised responses to climate-related threats.
Stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback to ensure the system is practical, regionally owned and responsive to local realities, the Gaborone-based SADC Secretariat said.
The meetings are expected to attract a wide range of participants, including government officials, non-governmental organisations and socio-economic sector actors, reinforcing SADC’s commitment to building climate resilience through science-based collaboration.
JN/APA