Towards a National Framework for Climate Services in South Africa

Addressing the immense variety of user needs for climate services within a country is beyond the capacity of any single institution. Consequently, managing climate risk requires the development of strategies, plans and programmes that will facilitate interactions between dispersed institutional and administrative mechanisms, projects, and human and financial resources engaged in disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate variability and change.

The purpose of the workshop will be to bring all major stakeholders together, who can make significant contributions to the objectives of the GFCS insofar as such concerns national climate services. This initiative finds its niche in delivering an effective, efficient and economical programme or plan that makes optimum use of the existing infrastructure, its institutions and mechanisms. In South Africa clear institutional mandates and policy instruments exist for climate services-related functions. The workshop will typically involve various institutions including the following:

• Hydrological services;
• Government departments and agencies for water resources, environment, agriculture and forestry, marine (coastal and ocean), health, energy, disaster management, and other climate sensitive sectors;
• Users of climate services;
• Universities and other institutions conducting climate system and climate applications research as well as observations and climate monitoring activities;