New WMO regional office for Africa in Addis Ababa

WMO has signed an agreement with the government of Ethiopia to open its new Regional Office for Africa in Addis Ababa in order to strengthen relations with key institutions like the African Union and to improve support for Members on the African continent.

The office will be situated the in the new headquarters of Ethiopia’s National Meteorological Agency, construction of which is planned over the next few years in order to meet the demands for reliable weather and climate services for the rapidly growing economy. The construction and transportation sector is booming, and there is a drive to expand agricultural production and renewable energy.

Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, told the first stone laying ceremony that meteorological services were vital to underpin national sustainable development and to build resilience.

“Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters,” he said. “Agriculture is rain-fed and so food security is frequently undermined by droughts such as the one which hit the country in 2015 and 2016”, he said.

“Meteorological services play a vital role in sustainable development, disaster risk reduction and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,” said Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity. He said the expansion of Ethiopia’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors depended on reliable weather and climate information and on early warnings against major hazards like drought.

WMO Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas, said the new regional office would strengthen WMO’s presence on the continent and strengthen partnerships with key institutions including the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa as part of WMO’s wider strategy to deepen relations with international and development partners.

“This means a lot for Ethiopia and other Member countries in Africa,” said Fetene Teshome, Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative with WMO.

The Regional Office for Africa and Least Developed Countries is currently based in Geneva. It will be relocated to Addis Ababa. It is responsible for 54 National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in Africa.

The location of the Regional Office for Africa on the continent will be a strong channel of support from the WMO to strengthen early warning systems that incorporate climate management into development policies and strategies, which enhances socio-economic development for the well-being of the people in Africa. WMO also has sub-regional offices in Nairobi (Kenya) and Abuja (Nigeria).

WMO is also relocating its Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific region from Geneva to Singapore.