IN a significant step towards improving weather forecasting in East Africa, the East African Community (EAC) numerical weather prediction (NWP) taskforce has developed a roadmap to strengthen NWP capacity across the region.

The EAC Secretariat said in a statement released to the media yesterday that the taskforce has a primary objective of facilitating exchange of information on NWP among the partner states, after the taskforce was established under the EAC Meteorology Programme.

This follows a recommendation by the heads of national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs) of the partner states, by sharing updates on the status of NWP implementation at the national level.

The platform will also be used in identifying development needs in the sector, creating a peer support network for the EAC, a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.

The EAC has long recognised the importance of accurate weather forecasting for regional development, with its meteorology programme taskforce seeking to foster collaboration among member states to enhance the quality and effectiveness of weather prediction systems, the statement noted.

Central to the taskforce objectives is the promotion of information sharing on NWP between partner states, with updates on national NWP systems and identifying development needs, with the peer-support mechanisms being used to address shared challenges.

The roadmap highlights the urgent need to improve the capacity of national meteorological and hydrological services to establish, maintain and develop advanced NWP systems. Key components of the roadmap include: peer-support mechanisms in all countries, collaborating to address existing gaps in NWP weather forecasting, it further noted.

Seeking to leverage existing resources, the roadmap encourages the use of initiatives and programmes offered by regional specialized meteorological centres (RSMCs), particularly the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi stations, to enhance NWP capabilities, it said.

A follow-up meeting slated for March 25 to 27 in Arusha was expected to further refine the roadmap for presentation to the EAC ministerial council for endorsement, expected before the end of the year.

“By enhancing NWP systems across East Africa, the taskforce aims to improve the accuracy of weather forecasting, which is crucial for agriculture, disaster management and other sectors vital to the region’s sustainable development. Through a collaborative and supportive approach, the EAC is taking significant strides towards a more resilient and weather-aware future,” it added.