Gathered in Lomé, experts from Sahel countries are leveraging disaster data assets to strengthen impact-based early warning systems.

October 29, 2026
Group photo of diverse professionals posing on steps outside a building with a banner.

Group photo of participants to the regional workshop

Emile Kenkou / UNDP Togo

Lomé, Togo – September 26, 2026 – The regional workshop dedicated to analyzing and validating historical disaster data, as well as developing Impact-Based Early Warning Systems (IBEWS) for the Sahel and West Africa, concluded today in Lomé. Organized from September 22 to 26, 2026, by the AGRHYMET Regional Climate Center for West Africa and the Sahel (RCC-WAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from the Government of Sweden and backing from the Togolese Government, this event marked a strategic turning point in anticipatory climate risk management in the region.

Over five days, nearly 30 national and regional experts—representing national disaster risk reduction (DRR) agencies from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal, along with AGRHYMET RCC-WAS and UNDP—gathered in Lomé to transform scattered historical data into a structured and operational scientific asset for decision-making.

 

Transforming Data Assets into Operational Decisions 

During the official speeches, Mr. Ahayi Bouwassi, representing the Permanent Secretary of CONACILSS Togo and speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Resources, and Food Sovereignty of Togo, recalled the critical need to overcome the historical fragmentation of disaster data in the region:

“For a long time, the information needed to measure the impacts of disasters on populations, infrastructure, and ecosystems remained scattered across multiple institutions. The consolidation of data for over 35 documented hazard types during this process, supported by the Sahel Resilience Project, establishes a structured and harmonized data asset, offering an unprecedented baseline to guide our public policies and strengthen our shared resilience.”

Echoing this vision, Mr. Olivier Abayisenga, Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction Programme Specialist, representing the Regional Director of the UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, highlighted the significance of the work accomplished since this initiative was launched in Dakar in 2022:

“Having data is not enough. An early warning must not only tell us that a dangerous event is likely to occur; it must enable us to understand what impacts could result, who will be affected, where, and what actions must be taken before those impacts happen. Our shared ambition is to transition progressively from data to information, from information to knowledge, and from knowledge to anticipatory action.”

Three panelists at a conference table, blue banners with brain graphic behind.
Emile Kenkou / UNDP Togo

Major Outcomes of the Lomé Workshop

Thanks to the rigorous scientific, technical, and institutional reviews conducted throughout the week, the workshop achieved major breakthroughs:

  • Analysis and Validation of National and Regional Technical Briefs: Seven national technical briefs and one regional synthesis on loss and damage—documenting the spatio-temporal evolution of disasters and their repercussions on livelihoods, agriculture, livestock, and the economy—were analyzed and validated.
  • Regional IBEWS Roadmap: Development of a roadmap to integrate the relationship between hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and impacts into national and regional early warning systems, defining relevant impact indicators and critical thresholds for warnings and anticipatory actions.
  • Data Governance and Emerging Technologies: Definition of mechanisms for sharing, securing, and improving data quality, laying the groundwork for using new technologies and artificial intelligence in risk management.

  • Scientific and Editorial Production: Organization of a writeshop that enabled the review of a regional Policy Brief and the drafting of a scientific manuscript intended for an international peer-reviewed publication.

     

A Renewed Commitment to Sahelian Resilience

In concluding their work, participants and partners reaffirmed their determination to ensure that this data is integrated into national development planning, public budgets, and climate change adaptation strategies, thereby actively contributing to the goals of the global Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative and the Institutional and Operational Framework for a Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Rapid Action System in Africa.

 

A Promising Path Forward and Strengthened Cooperation

The Lomé workshop concluded on a note of optimism and general satisfaction with the achievements of these five days of intensive work. Participants praised the exceptional quality of the exchanges and the spirit of sub-regional collaboration that prevailed. Attention now turns to the next steps, which include the official launch of the national and regional technical briefs, the finalization of the scientific manuscript submission, the operational integration of the IBEWS roadmap within national emergency management mechanisms, and the continuous strengthening of regional partnerships. Equipped with these solid, shared foundations, UNDP, AGRHYMET RCC-WAS, and member countries reaffirm their commitment to ongoing efforts for a safer, more resilient, and anticipatory future for the populations of the Sahel and West Africa.

 

Media Contacts  

 UNDP Sub Regional Hub for West and Central Africa – Dakar 

  • Dan Vieira da Costa | Spécialiste de communication | danvieira.da.costa@undp.org 
  • Jacob Enoh Eben | Chef de l’équipe Communications | jacob.enoh.eben@undp.org 

 

UNDP Togo Country Office – Lomé 

  • Emile Kenkou | Spécialiste de communication | emile.kenkou@undp.org 

 

 CILSS / AGRHYMET Regional Center

  • Boubacar Mainassara Abdoul Aziz | Expert Assistant en Communication | abdoulaziz.mainassara@cilss.int 
Photograph of attendees around a long conference table with laptops, projector screen at the front.