ICPAC receives funding from Google.org through UN WFP to improve disaster preparedness in East Africa

The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) has taken an important step forward to enhance the disaster preparedness and response capabilities of its member states. Today, the Center announced that it received support from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to implement an innovative project titled “Strengthening early warning systems for anticipatory actions.” This initiative, which is a collaborative effort between leading weather and climate research institutions, a university and a humanitarian organization, aims to use machine learning to improve early warning information systems.

WFP funding will also benefit the Kenya Meteorological Department and the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, helping them improve their national and subnational forecasts. By improving the quality of early warning information available to communities in disaster-prone areas, the project seeks to enable proactive responses to critical alerts.

Given the increased risk of natural hazard-induced disasters due to climate change, the importance of timely and accurate early warning systems cannot be underestimated. Supported by Google.org, this project aims to address this pressing need by leveraging cutting-edge technology and innovative approaches. By applying artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics, the project has the potential to significantly improve the accuracy and timeliness of disaster alerts, empowering communities to take proactive measures to protect lives and livelihoods.

Dr. Guleid Artan, Director of ICPAC, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting the combination of expertise in weather forecasting, disaster risk reduction and technological capabilities. He stated: “With partners such as Google, the University of Oxford, the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, the Kenya Meteorological Department and the World Food Programme, the project aims to revolutionize early warning systems in the IGAD region and enable communities to prepare and act. preventively against imminent dangers.”

The project will initially focus on pilot implementations in Ethiopia and Kenya, with insights gained to scale up initiatives across the region. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that vulnerable communities across the IGAD region have access to life-saving early warning information and can take timely action in the face of impending disasters.