Webinar: Strengthening West Africa’s Preparedness: The 2026 El Niño and the Role of UCPM, Copernicus, ACMAD, AGRHYMET, and NASRDA in Addressing Climate Risks

The 21st African Continental Climate Outlook Forum (ACCOF-21) confirmed that the 2026 El Niño is one of the strongest in recent decades, amplifying climate variability across Africa. West Africa faces persistent drought in the Sahel and flooding in Gulf of Guinea countries, with severe implications for food security, health systems, water resources, and infrastructure

The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) is working in partnership with UNDRR to support the implementation of the European Union funded project titled “Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Solidarity to Reduce Disaster Impacts and Humanitarian Needs in West Africa”. The project aims to bridge the critical divide between early warning and early response (EWER) by supporting coordination mechanisms, enhancing community-level preparedness, and fostering regional data-sharing platforms. Leveraging the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), Copernicus Earth Observation services, and regional climate institutions such as the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), the AGRHYMET Regional Centre in Niamey, and the Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), this webinar will convene stakeholders to present the current climate outlook and implications of the 2026 Super El Niño for West Africa, as well as to discuss practical solutions for mitigating El Niño’s impacts, including issues related to anticipatory actions and transboundary coordination.

The webinar will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation in French and Portuguese.