Addis Ababa, May 19, 2025 (FMC) — With the Greater Horn of Africa facing increasingly severe droughts and floods, precise climate outlooks are indispensable for effective mitigation and safeguarding millions of lives and livelihoods, according to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy.
Convening diverse stakeholders in Addis Ababa, the 70th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 70) aims to enhance early warning systems for climate change and anticipated floods and landslides due to expected normal to above-normal rainfall from June to September 2025.
Speaking at the forum today, Minister of Water and Energy Habtanu Itefa underscored the vital role of the forum in fostering collaboration between scientists and policymakers.
Stakeholders have convened at the GHACOF 70 forum in Addis Ababa to strengthen early warning systems and bolster resilience for vulnerable populations.
The forum, an annual gathering organized three times a year by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), brings together climate scientists, meteorologists, sector experts, and policymakers from across the region and beyond.
The participation of IGAD member states, including host nation Ethiopia, underscores the pressing need for accurate and timely climate information to combat the growing threats of drought and floods.
The minister emphasized that precise climate outlooks are crucial for effective mitigation by policymakers and disaster managers, highlighting the forum as a vital platform for collaboration between scientists and users to inform government decisions, especially for enhanced flood preparedness during wetter seasons.
This year’s GHACOF theme, “Climate Services to Bridge the Early Warning Gap,” is particularly relevant given the alarming drought concerns in the Greater Horn of Africa.
Minister Habtamu emphasized the rising frequency and intensity of both droughts and floods, which have severely impacted lives and livelihoods and caused significant property damage.
He noted that key sectors such as agriculture, food security, water resources, hydropower, tourism, and health are particularly vulnerable to these adverse climate effects.
“Our region has been experiencing increasing trends in frequency, intensity and severity of droughts and occasional floods that have disrupted the lives and livelihoods of millions,” he stated, underscoring the forum’s urgency in providing accurate scientific guidance for policymakers and ensuring the timely dissemination of crucial weather and climate information, especially to vulnerable grassroots communities.
Fetene Teshome, Director General of the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, echoed these concerns, on his part, emphasized the Great Horn African region’s high susceptibility to climate-related risks.
He pointed out that intensifying climate change and seasonal shocks are causing erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and excessive rainfall, thereby increasing vulnerability and significantly impacting farming and the economy.
“With increasing climate variability and a changing climate, the role of climate information in minimizing risks and optimizing opportunities is undeniable,” Fetene added.
He emphasized the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute’s commitment to delivering reliable and accessible climate information for better-informed decision-making.
Mohamed Abdi Ware, Deputy Executive Secretary of IGAD, affirmed the growing climate extremes in the Greater Horn of Africa, which are undermining food security, water availability, and socio-economic development.
He reiterated IGAD’s commitment through ICPAC to providing essential climate services and institutionalizing GHACOFs as key platforms for co-production, coordination, and learning.
“ICPAC is developing a Regional Framework for Climate Services to enhance coordination and delivery of climate information,” Ware announced. “The framework aims to institutionalize GHACOFs, address climate-related challenges, provide tailored climate information, and minimize duplication of efforts.”
Titike Kassa, a Research Scientist at ICPAC, announced that most IGAD member countries are predicted to receive normal to above-normal rainfall between June and September 2025.
Explaining the forecast, he noted that the anticipated shift towards average and below-average temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean is expected to contribute to normal to above-normal rainfall across the greater East Africa region.
The researcher further stated that the consensus prediction necessitates that IGAD member nations undertake proactive preparatory measures.
The forecast suggests a heightened risk of flooding in low-lying areas of East Africa and landslides in hilly regions over the next four months, he noted.