SADC to Host Regional Climate Outlook Forum in Eswatini
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will host the Thirty-Second Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-32) in Mbabane, Eswatini, from 26 to 30 January 2026, in collaboration with the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini and with support from the UK Met Office’s Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) Programme.
The forum, alongside a Climate Experts Meeting (CEM), will bring together climate scientists, policymakers, development partners, sector specialists and the media to strengthen regional cooperation on climate monitoring, forecasting and early warning systems.
The meetings aim to enhance preparedness, response and resilience to weather- and climate-related hazards across Southern Africa.
SADC said the engagements form part of the mandate of the SADC Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC), which provides meteorological and hydro-meteorological products to support decision-making in climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, health, energy and disaster risk reduction.
The Centre also builds capacity by training experts from national meteorological and hydrological services in climate prediction and analysis.
SARCOF-32 will focus on generating and disseminating a consensus seasonal climate outlook for the region, alongside sector-specific guidance to support climate-informed planning and early action. The meetings are expected to improve regional coordination and strengthen early warning systems across SADC Member States.
The Climate Experts Meeting will be held physically from 26 to 27 January, while the SARCOF-32 Forum will run in a hybrid format from 28 to 30 January 2026.
