Experts call for greater investment in early warning systems to reduce climate disaster risks in Horn of Africa

Climate experts have urged countries in the Horn of Africa to prioritize investment in early warning systems to reduce climate-related losses affecting livelihoods, ecosystems and critical infrastructure.

The recommendations were made during a virtual forum organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Thursday.

Paulino Omoj Omay, head of the climate change unit at the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center, warned that increasingly severe climate shocks across the region have made effective early warning systems essential to preventing widespread damage and loss.

He stressed the need to close existing gaps in early warning systems to lessen the impacts of extreme weather on public health, agriculture, livestock, infrastructure and water resources.

Omay said greater investment in early action would improve resilience in the Horn of Africa, where climate change has intensified hunger, water shortages, displacement and habitat degradation.

Kindie Fantaye, head of climate resilience at the Nairobi-based Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, called for stronger efforts to protect food systems threatened by climate change. He urged governments to modernize weather forecasting technologies and improve cross-border data sharing to enhance emergency response.

James Thonjo, senior climate change officer and youth focal point at Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, emphasized the importance of providing communities with reliable and timely climate information. He also advocated evidence-based research, fiscal incentives, regional cooperation and capacity building to strengthen climate resilience.