This year’s rainfall outlook for Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Benin, is generally promising and will support socio-economic and agriculture activities.

Preliminary data gathered indicate that farmers in these countries that usually rely on rain to till their fields are likely to receive normal rainfall.

Mr Eric Asuman, the Acting Director General of Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) told the Ghana News Agency that Scientists from the five countries with similar climate conditions are meeting in Accra to analyse available data, models to generate the 2024 seasonal forecast.

The Regional Climate Outlook Forum (RCOF) involves the participating countries, National Meteorological and Hydrological services of the region, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and Global Producing Centres for Long Range Forecasts, among others.

The objectives of the Forum are to promote and exchange knowledge between climate technical experts and information users (humanitarian / development) and climate services.

The experts, he said, would share the findings or forecast and recommendations to decision makers and users of the information to plan for the year.

Mr Asuman said: ‘This exercise will enable the experts to give insights about the onset of the rains, cessation, dry-spells and cumulative rainfall. This is important for our countries because our economy depends on rainfed agriculture, energy, tourism, construction and traders.’

He said GMet would this year introduce the sub-seasonal forecast for three months and beyond, two weeks to two months, three days and the daily forecast to validate the outlook.

Mr Asuman indicated that due to climate change the rainfall pattern in Ghana was highly variable and would continue to be so throughout the century.

Dr Kamoru Abiodun Lawal, an official from Regional Centre AGROMIT, said weather changes had impacted South Eastern Part of Nigeria.

In Niger, the Meteorologist said the rainfall had been erratic – it was not predictable while harmattan temperature had become low
er than normal.

Dr Lawal, who is an expert in Numerical Weather Prediction, Seasonal Climate Prediction, urged African leaders to dedicate funding to climate smart agriculture.

Already in Ghana, the Environmental Protection Agency, in a study, called for the need to scale up climate smart agriculture and improve resilience for small-scale fishers.

The Climate Change Scenarios and Sub-national Risk Assessments recommended the need for the provision of additional water storage and irrigation infrastructure and considered alternative economic activities, livelihood support, and insurance options.

Source: Ghana News Agency