Global Framework for Climate Services( GFCS) is a framework designed to mainstream climate science into decision- making at all levels and help ensure that every country and every climate-sensitive sector of society is well equipped to access and apply the relevant climate information.
More precisely, governments and organizations develop the National Framework on Climate Service as a strategy to improve the delivery of climate services. It seeks to increase the usefulness, accessibility, and availability of climate data for various sector decision-making.
The framework encourages cooperation and coordination amongst the various parties involved in providing climate services, such as end users, research institutes, policymakers, and meteorological organizations.
The framework intends to assist informed decision-making and help societies adapt to the effects of climate change by providing standardized processes, capacity-building programs, and effective communication channels.
Due to their limited resources and lack of ability to adapt, developing nations are frequently more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For this reason, the service is crucial. These nations may handle their unique requirements and challenges with the support of the framework, which offers an organized and well-coordinated approach to climate service delivery.
The framework can help developing countries in a variety of ways. It promotes the development of national climate information systems, which are critical for gathering and interpreting climate data. They can use these systems to monitor and predict climate patterns, assess risks, and design suitable adaptation measures.
Ethiopia is one of the developing countries that has been affected by the negative effects of climate change. The country’s agricultural, water resource sectors and the health of its population are vulnerable to climate fluctuations. Recognizing the potential of a National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) to assist these and other climate-sensitive sectors, Ethiopia held a national level.
According to the Ethiopian Metrology Institute (EMI) Director-General Fetene Teshome, Ethiopia has played a significant role in the implementation of the global climate service framework. As a result, the institute has been implementing global, national, and regional frameworks in collaboration with several ministries. The NFCS, which will be operational in 2021, has also received approval from various stakeholders to function at the federal, regional, zonal, and woreda levels.
The institute’s primary focus areas include weather predictions and early warning systems in short-, medium-, and long-term forecast services delivered through various channels such as TV, radio, media websites, and newspaper platforms.
Furthermore, in accordance with its 10-year strategic plan, the institute is offering short-, medium-, and long-term training at various levels, as well as expanding branch offices to cooperatively offer efficient climate services from the centers that help increase production and productivity, he stated.
Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa (Dr. Eng.) in his part noted that structuring and mainstreaming the use of climate information and services at all levels is highly commendable for the effective implementation of the National Framework on Climate Service (NFCS).
It is imperative to organize institutional structures from federal to lower levels and work cooperatively to successfully implement the framework to overcome the climate crisis at the national and global levels.
Citing the multifaceted global impacts of climate change, the minister further remarked that Ethiopia has been facing various natural calamities due to inefficient utilization of information and prediction, so this structural framework would be of significant importance to utilize the early warning information system effectively in an organized manner.
“The ministry has been implementing water allocation projects via water balance schemes to distribute water for irrigation, power, and other purposes. By doing so, it was managed to overcome the flood occurrences in some parts of the country through organized task forces nationally and enabled it to successfully fill the Abbay Dam in an accelerated way,” he noted.
Haramaya University College of Agriculture and Environmental Science Dean Dr. Zelalem Bekeko said that climate services are imperative to lessen the adverse effects of climate change by preventing climate risk through lowering green house gas emissions, reducing climate risk through adaptation, and managing residual climate risks with tools like climate risk financing or transformative initiatives.
It helps also to assess the risks associated with climate change, provide services related to climate information, and enhance farmers’ ability to manage risks, build their resilience, and ensure sustainable agricultural growth. Therefore, agricultural experts should apply to lessen the negative impact of climate change.
HU College of Agriculture and Environmental Science lecturer and researcher Tasisa Temesgen stated that the lack of timely climate services, climate change’s negative impacts, and variability posed challenges in agricultural production and productivity across the country.
Inadequate access to climate information, for example, has contributed to increasing food demand. As a result, in the context of climate change, climate risk management in agricultural extension is a critical aspect in increasing productivity and fulfilling the expanding global food demand.
To boost agricultural productivity, it is critical to receive climatic information services through multiple channels and provide advice to farmers, particularly during crop planting preparation and harvesting, he explained.
Besides, implementing strategies such as weather monitoring and forecasting, climate-smart agriculture capacity building, and knowledge sharing, in particular, can effectively address climate risks, boost agricultural productivity, and contribute to sustainable food systems in the face of climate change, he emphasized.
According to him, climate services are essential for agricultural professionals to focus on fundamental components of climate, climate forecasts, and climatic information, current climate change and variability, and the negative effects on agricultural production.
He also stated that global climate change is accelerating and hurts agricultural production through changes in water depth and rainfall patterns. As a result, climate information services are critical to dealing with the negative effects of climate change.
More importantly, the climate information services are important in making aware of the main problems caused by climate change, understanding the methods and use of climate information, and doing critical work that benefits farmers by using accurate information sources, he elucidated.
Generally, the Ethiopian National Framework on Climate Service is critical to the country’s efforts to adapt to climate change. When climate services are improved, decision-makers can make more informed decisions that reduce vulnerability and promote resilience in the face of changing climate conditions. It is also equally important to avoid duplication efforts and maximize the negative impact of climate change.
BY EPHREM ANDARGACHEW
The Ethiopian Herald November 5/2023
