Africa Hydromet Program – Strengthening Climate Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa: Mali Country Project

Strengthening the adaptive capacity and climate resilience of vulnerable communities in Mali by developing hydro-meteorological weather warning services to support adaptation planning.

Mali experiences extreme weather and climate variability, resulting in high exposure to floods and droughts. The livelihoods of 80% of Mali’s population are dependent on predominantly rain-fed agriculture, and about 5.3 million people are directly exposed to drought or flooding. Early weather warning systems can help government, communities and the private sector better plan and adapt to climate events. Better hydro-meterorological (hydromet) information can inform infrastructure development, improve food security, and support better private sector investment decisions.

The project will support training and capacity building, expanding and upgrading existing hydromet observation networks including Automatic Weather Stations and hydrological stations, as well as investments to enhance data collection and communication systems. A national network for climate services will be established for the first time in order to develop a national framework for climate services. Improved flood and drought warning systems will also be developed, as well as building systems to ensure that early warnings reach the municipal and community level through better ‘last mile’ systems, and improved awareness at the local level.

The project has an estimated lifespan of 4 years.