ICPAC's work under ClimSA
The IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre (ICPAC) implemented the ClimSA Programme from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2025, strengthening institutional and technical capacities to produce, deliver and use climate information across Eastern Africa.
Implemented across all eight Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Member States - Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda - the programme focused on improving the full climate services value chain for agriculture, food security and water management.
Integration of climate information into decision-making, policies and national planning
Under ClimSA, ICPAC developed the Regional Framework for Climate Services (RFCS) for the Greater Horn of Africa. Kenya’s National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) was launched in March 2025, while Uganda’s NFCS is awaiting endorsement.
Stronger user-provider interactions
Ten User Interface Platforms were established or strengthened to facilitate dialogue and the co-production of climate services. These included the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF), the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), the Network of Climate Journalists of the Greater Horn of Africa (NECJOGHA), the regional water-sector network, National Climate Outlook Forums (NCOFs), sector working groups and Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) platforms in Kenya and Uganda.
Enhanced climate forecasting, data management and the Climate Services Information System (CSIS)
ICPAC strengthened its technical infrastructure to improve climate forecasting, data management and the delivery of climate services. A high-performance computing (HPC) cluster was procured and installed at ICPAC to support tailored climate forecasting. Climsoft data-management systems were also installed at ICPAC and seven National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs).
The programme developed or enhanced eight new climate tools and products, including the East Africa Hazards Watch, East Africa Drought Watch, East Africa Agriculture Watch, ClimSA Climate Station, standardised precipitation index (SPI) forecast, rainfall onset probabilistic forecast, exceedance and logit forecast products.
At the local level, Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) and Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) were piloted in Machakos County, Kenya, and Kiboga District, Uganda. These approaches enabled farmers, agricultural extension officers and other stakeholders to integrate climate information into agricultural planning and decision-making.
ClimSA also strengthened three WMO-designated centres towards Quality Management System compliance: the Regional Climate Centre for IGAD (RCC-IGAD) at ICPAC, the Regional Meteorological Training Centre (RMTC) and the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) hosted by the Kenya Meteorological Department.
Capacity building
Six NMHSs gained advanced capacity to provide climate services. The programme trained 193 climate scientists and 284 climate-information users and awarded 12 scholarships, comprising five Master of Science (MSc) scholarships and seven postgraduate diploma scholarships. ClimSA also promoted youth engagement and climate education through initiatives such as the Youth for Climate Action campaign and school activities. These efforts contributed to the planting of more than 10.000 trees, particularly in Machakos County, Kenya.