A Gap Analysis for the implementation of the Global Climate Observing System programme in Africa

This report is the main output from a Gap Analysis, financed by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) as a major contribution to a Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) workshop to address climate and development issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The requirement is to assess key gaps in the use of climate information from the perspective of the decision-making community at household, community, district, national and regional levels, for a range of sectors, with particular emphasis on health, agriculture and water.

The report was prepared by a group of people with broad, deep and diverse experience with climate sensitive development problems, and with climate and development communities in Africa. It was strengthened by review by a larger community of development experts (Appendix E). An earlier draft of this report, along with GCOS Regional Action Plans (RAP) for Western and Central Africa and for Eastern and Southern Africa, formed the foundation for discussions at the April 2006 joint GCOS / UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) workshop, Climate for Development in Africa (Appendix A). The objective of the workshop was to initiate development of an implementation plan that makes development interests central to activities that address deficiencies in Africa’s provision of climate information and
services.