Socioeconomic benefits of climate information services for disaster risk reduction in Africa : final report by the African Climate Policy Centre of the Economic Commission for Africa

Abstract

The negative impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards on agriculture, food security and water resources often result in disasters. Over 90 per cent of natural disasters in Africa are a consequence of such hazards. In many regions of Africa, the threat of such climate-induced disasters is ever-present (Urama and Ozor, 2010). It is therefore incumbent upon policymakers to formulate appropriate strategies to minimize the effects of these devastating hydro-meteorological hazards on communities. In order to do so, communities and organizations needed to be provided with timely, tailored climate-related knowledge and information and products that they can use to reduce climate-related losses and to protect lives, livelihoods and property (Vaughan and Dessai, 2014). Furthermore, studies indicate that weather and climate services improve the livelihoods of smallholders in Africa (for example, Patt and others, 2005). The findings of this study will make it possible to prepare disaster risk adaptation strategies or to expand existing national and sectoral policies and strategies. The study has laid the groundwork for discussions and analysis of the effectiveness and viability of various measures to reduce the economic vulnerability of countries to hydro-meteorological risks. Modest investments in climate information services can lead to significant savings in many socioeconomic sectors, increasing sustainable growth rates. Disaster risk reduction is a major beneficiary of appropriate investment in climate information services