** Oct 27, 2021, Nairobi: * * The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, officially launched today by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Ngong’just off the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.
Nairobi – Kenya has won a $16 billion financing deal from the World Bank geared toward establishing local resilience against the impact of climate change in the country.
“In times of climate extremes and increased intensity and frequency of hazards, it is key to provide quality climate services and early warnings. Climate doesn’t stop at borders and having strong intergovernmental institutions able to provide early warnings is key.” said ICPAC Director, Dr. Guleid Artan:
The investment amounts to 10 percent of what it has to spend as part of commitments to the Paris Accord, also known as fixed national contributions, and to find partners to finance the rest, he said.
As part of the creation of the Centre, a Disaster Response Centre has been created, with a Situation Centre to monitor high-risk situations and give regional early warning services for droughts, floods, extreme rains, food insecurity or pests, such as the desert locust.
Increasing temperatures and sea levels and the anomalies in precipitation have increased the frequency and intensity of natural disasters.
The launch of the Situation Room follows the July launch of East Africa Hazards Watch – a system originally devised by ICPAC to meet the increasing need for government and transnational risk information from increased climate extremes.
The International Development Organisation loan will help to finance projects that will build resilience to climate change in Kenya’s rural communities.
