Locations
Strengthening Early Warning Systems and Climate Services in Eswatini
Summary
The Strengthening Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Eswatini Project was established to enhance the country’s capacity to monitor, forecast, and respond to climate-related hazards such as droughts, floods, lightning, and storms. Eswatini’s economy – largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and faces increasing vulnerability due to changing weather patterns and extreme climatic events.
Background
This initiative is part of a broader collaboration between the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini’s Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs and the Government of the Republic of Italy, represented by the then Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea Protection, (now Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through a EUR 7 million funding agreement.
Several studies conducted in Eswatini indicate that the country is particularly vulnerable to the increasing frequency and severity of droughts, floods, severe lighting, wind/hailstorms and other climate-related episodes. Despite the establishment of the Early Warning System within the Eswatini National Meteorological Services a few years ago, the service is still not effective in generating knowledge on climate change risks, vulnerabilities and hazards thereby inhibiting the country from effective planning, monitoring, mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Major Achievements
Improved decision-making: Reliable real-time data enables government agencies to plan and respond more effectively to floods, droughts, and other climate events.
Enhanced community resilience: Early warnings allow communities to take precautionary measures, reducing loss of life and damage to property.
Strengthened institutional capacity: The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and Eswatini Meteorological Services (EMS) now have modernized tools for monitoring, forecasting, and disaster preparedness.
Support for climate adaptation: The project contributes to Eswatini’s commitments under the UNFCCC by building capacity for climate projections and collecting observational data, thereby promoting evidence-based climate planning.
Download project flyer: Strengthening Early Warning Systems in Eswatini
