Partnering for Resilience in Eastern and Southern Africa

On January 18, 2017, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Predication and Applications Centre (ICPAC) signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding. This memorandum signifies the two agencies’ commitment to work together via the NASA/USAID SERVIR project toward enhancing weather research and forecasting, ground and surface water resources mapping and management, and rangeland monitoring in Eastern and Southern Africa.

L-R: Dr. Guleid Artan (Director, ICPAC); Dr. Hussein Farah (Director General, RCMRD)

In his comments during the signing ceremony, ICPAC Director Dr. Guleid Artan highlighted the importance of this partnership and thanked USAID, NASA, and RCMRD for supporting ICPAC's climate-related research and monitoring activities through SERVIR. He noted that ICPAC would leverage this support on other on-going programs to ensure delivery of high quality science-based products that support resilience to extreme weather events.

RCMRD Director General Dr. Hussein Farah also expressed his appreciation to USAID and NASA for supporting RCMRD through SERVIR and emphasized the importance of this collaboration among regional centers. He underscored the key roles RCMRD and ICPAC are playing in informing resilience and adaptation mechanisms in Eastern and Southern Africa.

USAID Program Management Specialist Brad Arsenault commented that partnerships are a key objective of USAID’s Kenya and East Africa Mission strategy and congratulated RCMRD and ICPAC for exploring ways to capitalize on synergies through collaborations.

SERVIR-Eastern & Southern Africa Project Manager Dr. Robinson Mugo applauded the efforts of RCMRD’s and ICPAC's technical teams in drafting a mutually beneficial proposal and set of activities. The two agencies have already held several user engagement meetings to identify major needs in the region as well as potential activities. Through this new agreement signed by RCMRD and ICPAC, SERVIR will support ICPAC’s work on a rangeland early warning system, climate diagnostics, short-term modeling for weather prediction, and ground water resources mapping and management.

L-R: Mr. Ahmed Amdihun (GIS Analyst, ICPAC); Dr. Mohammed Hassan (Hydrologist, ICPAC); Dr. Zewdu Segele 
(Climate Modeller, ICPAC); Prof. Kassim O. Farah (Director of Research and Publications, ICPAC); Dr. Guleid 
Artan (Director, ICPAC); Dr. Hussein Farah (Director General, RCMRD); Mr. Brad Arsenault (Deputy Office 
Chief for Environment, USAID-Kenya & East Africa Mission); Ms. Chihenyo Kangara (Regional Climate Change
Specialist, USAID-Kenya & East Africa Mission); Mr. Degelo Sendabo (Remote Sensing Officer, RCMRD); Dr. 
Robinson Mugo (Project Manager, SERVIR-E&SA); Ms. Anastasia Wahome (Science & Data Lead, SERVIR-E&SA)

Notes:

See https://servirglobal.net/Global/Articles/Article/2513/enhancing-weather-prediction-in-east-africa for an example of collaborative activities ICPAC and SERVIR have engaged in recently to enhance weather forecast accuracy in East Africa.