10 May 2017

Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) chairperson, King Mswati III on May 9 toured the SADC Climate Service Centre (CSC) where he was briefed about the facility’s operational activities.

King Mswati III, who was in Gaborone on a three-day working visit, was welcomed at the facility by Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi who explained that the centre was originally created by African Union in collaboration with World Meteorological Organisation.

The centre was in response to frequent devastating droughts that caused enormous economic losses in the 1970s and 80s.

Mr Kgathi said the two organisations had realised that regional centres were cost effective and efficient instruments of monitoring, diagnosing and making predictions of climatic conditions.

The minister pointed out that the SADC centre was built in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1989 but was later relocated to Gaborone where it was hosted by the Department of Meteorological Services.

He said the facility provided operational, regional climate services monitoring and prediction of all facets of seasonal climate conditions.

“It has played a pioneer role in generation and dissemination of climate early warning products and services through the Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forums (SARCOF).

In this connection, the last two extreme climate phenomena endured by the region in terms of drought of 2015/16 rainy season and followed by flood during 2016/17 season were accurately predicted by the centre six months ahead,” said Minister Kgathi.

He further noted that there were increasing demands from SADC member states on the products of the centre, but the facility was hampered by insufficient resources to meet existing demands.

Mr Kgathi explained that the African Development Bank has funded procurement of advanced high technology equipment for climate monitoring, data processing and climate information generation and dissemination for the SADC centre.

“This new equipment will help the centre to issue the early warning products and services for the preparedness and the prevention of weather and climate related disasters. Member states will benefit on the facility for their planning and contingency plan,” he added. ENDS