Recently, over 30 of the more than 50 researchers associated with CONFER gathered in Bergen to address important tasks. Climate researchers from Europe and Africa are working together in this multinational project, with the following partners: the Refugee Council (Norway), the Norwegian Computing Center (Norway), ICPAC (Kenya), the Kenya Red Cross Society (Kenya), the University of Cape Town (South Africa), the Met Office (UK), the University of Leeds (UK), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany).
The focus is to establish and utilize weather forecasting systems for everyone in East Africa. It has been proven that African weather forecasts also save lives, such as a vital early warning system that saves hundreds of fishermen from drowning in the unpredictable Victoria Lake each year, as stated by Kolstad and Parker in Panorama.
Without weather forecasting systems, lives are lost. For example, nearly 1000 people lost their lives in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi due to Cyclone Idai in
2019, as they did not receive any warnings. (Source: Panorama News)
At present, less than half of Africa's population has access to such services, with some exceptions. Our Kenyan partner in East Africa, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), has already been delivering forecasts in the region for many years, and now with the help of CONFER, these forecasts will be further developed and made more accurate and detailed.