World Bank seeks funds for climate guide

THE WORLD Bank is working with other development finance institutions to raise about $500 million (R5.7 billion) to modernise weather and flood forecasting services in Africa.

Daniel Kull, a disaster risk specialist with the World Bank, said it was talking to lenders, including the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, about mobilising the funds to improve prediction, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

More accurate and timely warnings of extreme weather would help protect lives and assets from disasters, experts say.

“Hydro- meteorological services are badly strained in Africa, but we need to go beyond just providing equipment for forecasting and data processing – we also need to take care of training of personnel and maintenance of infrastructure,” Kull told a recent conference in Turkey.

Overall, the developing world needed between $1.5bn and $2bn to modernise hydrometeorological infrastructure, with a further $300m to $400m required each year to support operations, Kull noted.

International aid for efforts to modernise critical observation systems in the developing world remained low and ineffective, with governments allocating little spending to the sector, he added.

“Globally, investment in hydro-meteorological services could lead to a realisation of up to $30bn per year in increased economic productivity and cut losses from disasters by up to $2bn,” Kull said.

The World Bank supports African governments with technical expertise to strengthen cross-border flood forecasting, early warning systems and climate prediction initiatives. It also offers project management and advisory services to help African states make better use of forecasting services offered by global bodies such as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and developed countries.

Joseph Mukabana, Africa region head for the WMO, said the equipment in most African countries was in poor condition. – Reuters