ClimAfrica Forum 2025 Rallies Continent Around Early Warning Systems for All

The ClimAfrica Forum 2025, held from 30 September to 1 October in Skhirat, Morocco, has injected renewed urgency into Africa’s climate resilience agenda, bringing together governments, development partners, scientists, private sector innovators, civil society, and youth leaders. The two-day event culminated in a landmark outcomes statement committing African nations to accelerate the rollout of Early Warning Systems (EWS) across the continent as a frontline defence against escalating climate threats.

From Fragmented Efforts to a Continental Vision

The conference emphasized that Africa is ready to shift from fragmented initiatives to a continent-wide early warning architecture, ensuring that no individual is left behind in receiving timely, localized, and actionable climate information.

“Climate resilience should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment in stability, security, and sustainable development,” said Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in her keynote address.

She described ClimAfrica as a “call to action”, urging nations and partners to:

• Accelerate early warnings for all by closing observational gaps.

• Harness digital innovation, including AI, Big Data, and mobile platforms.

• Strengthen national meteorological services to ensure last-mile delivery.

• Mobilize climate financing to build long-term resilience.

• Put African leadership at the centre of global climate action.

Anchored in Global Initiatives

Hosted under the leadership of Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s Minister of Environment and Water, the Forum aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All Initiative and the WMO Africa Regional Action Plan 2023–2027.

The final conference communiqué outlined six priority areas:

1. Operationalize the Early Warnings for All Vision in Africa

2. Strengthen the Science–Policy–Practice Interface

3. Harness Technology for Localized Solutions

4. Unlock Climate Finance for Early Warning Systems

5. Empower Communities and Build Human Capacity

6. Enhance Regional and Continental Collaboration

WMO’s Support for Africa’s Climate Resilience

Ko Barrett detailed WMO’s ongoing commitments, highlighting progress while acknowledging critical gaps:

• Multi-hazard early warning systems: 23 African countries now have functional systems, and 44 are using the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) to disseminate warnings. Still, vast observational gaps remain, limiting effectiveness.

• Innovation and digital transformation: WMO’s ClimWeb open-source platform is now used by 70% of African countries to provide real-time weather and climate data. In 2025 alone, 44 national institutions modernized service delivery, while 40 countries improved data transmission through the Automated Data Loader linking thousands of automatic weather stations to global exchange systems.

• Global Observing Network integration: Over 1,000 new African stations have been affiliated in the past two years, with 22 WMO Information System WIS2 nodes now operational. However, disparities remain stark — Germany alone has more compliant observing stations than the entire African continent.

Financing Partnerships for Sustainability

Sustainable financing was a recurring theme, with emphasis on leveraging international partnerships.

• The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) is already supporting 24 African countries with over USD 60 million in approved funding, combining upfront investment with long-term grants and peer-to-peer technical assistance.

• The Climate Risk and Early Warnings Initiative (CREWS) continues to target the most vulnerable communities, focusing on “last-mile delivery” of climate services where they are most urgently needed.

Africa as a Region of Solutions

Despite its vulnerability, leaders and participants repeatedly stressed Africa’s role not only as a region at risk but also as a region of innovation and solutions. From mobile-based flood alerts in West Africa to solar-powered weather stations in East Africa, local innovations are helping countries leapfrog into advanced systems.

“The ClimAfrica Forum is a call to build a collective future — one in which Africa’s resilience is not just protected but amplified; where African voices are not just heard but lead global action,” Barrett declared.

Looking Ahead

The outcomes of ClimAfrica 2025 signal a turning point for continental cooperation in climate resilience. By operationalizing early warning systems, mobilizing climate finance, and scaling local innovations, Africa is positioning itself as both a frontline responder and a global leader in climate action.

The challenge now is ensuring commitments are translated into sustained, coordinated implementation — with the ultimate goal of ensuring that every African, regardless of geography, has access to life-saving early warnings.