Press and News Regional watch room launched to protect West Africa and the Sahel from climate extremes
In the context of a changing climate, the Regional Watch Room on Climatic, Hydrological, and Environmental Extremes is set to become a leading hub for climate intelligence, supporting early warning, risk anticipation, and regional coordination across West Africa and the Sahel.
Under the High Patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger, AGRHYMET RCC-WA officially launched this flagship facility, marking a major milestone in the region’s climate resilience efforts.
Established at the AGRHYMET Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and The Sahel (RCC-WAS), the Watch Room was designed to address the growing intensity of climate extremes including floods, droughts, heatwaves, and rainfalls that jeopardize agricultural productivity and stability in the region.
"The launch of this Watch Room sends a strong signal of our determination to protect our populations and our ecosystems from the growing threats posed by climate change. This platform is not only a national asset, but a regional act of resilience and solidarity," said Mr. Yacouba Bouda the Technical Advisor representing the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Colonel Elhadj Ousmane Mahaman.
The Watch Room is a centralized platform that offers a comprehensive suite of forecasting and analysis tools, including weather, hydrological, and agronomic forecasts, as well as real-time monitoring of agricultural seasons and climate-related hazards, to support timely decision-making and risk management.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the official launch of the Regional Watch Room (Credit: AGRHYMET)
The regional Watch Room embodies our collective commitment to building a West Africa and Sahel capable of anticipating climate crises and responding to them in a collaborative and effective manner.” - Dr Abdoulaye Mohamadou, Executive Secretary of CILSS – Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel.
The initiative was made possible thanks to the strategic support of the World Bank, through the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) whose component 1 (Digital Advisory Services for Agriculture and Food Crisis Prevention) is led by AGRHYMET RCC-WAS and the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) program implemented by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
