Title
BACKGROUND
Demonstrating the socio-economic benefit of CIS can help to understand “how” and “why” users could use weather and climate information, to prioritize the types of information to be generated and to determine how best to disseminate that information (Lazo et al., 2009). According to Perrels et al. (2013), the societal value of, and benefits from, CIS can be greatly enhanced by establishing a much closer dialogue and sense of partnership between the provider and user communities at all levels. Experts in climate science and related fields should, therefore, work closely with policy-makers and end-users to formulate evidence based climate resilient policies and strategies that aimed at minimizing the devastating effects of hydrometeorlogical hazards while providing end-users with timely, tailored climate-related information and knowledge products that could reduce climate-related losses and enhance benefits.
As part of the process to demonstrate Socio-Economic Benefits (SEB) of CIS in climate sensitive sectors, the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) under the DFID-funded Weather Information and Climate Services (WISER) project has developed the framework that help to assess the economic and social benefits of CIS compared to the costs of investments. This Framework presents the steps required for the effective identification and use of indicators to support a sectoral and integrated analysis. It also allows the development of an integrated Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) by considering three main analytical components: investment, avoided costs and added benefits. The assessment of SEB of CIS is, therefore, based on the amount of avoided costs and added benefits that an investment generates over time. This means that the cumulative benefits and costs are compared to determine the benefit to cost ratio of CIS implementation. A set of possible indicators of investment, broadly subdivided into capital and operation and management costs, training costs, certification costs, and government costs, is to be considered. Such framework is, therefore, one of the key strategies aiming at demonstrating the utility of timely and accurate weather and climate information in the decision making process could help to bring benefits to the economy, society and the environment.
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVE
In order to consolidate the findings of the SEB study, there is need for organizing a workshop for various stakeholders to validate the results of the study. Hence, the specific objectives of the workshop, among others, will be:
- To expose participants to SEB CIS/DRR modelling processes using Vensim Software;
- To solicit inputs for the customized DRR model; and
- To provide a series of hands-on training sessions on economic assessments of weather and climate forecast and their applications to decision making in DRR
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
The main results include:
- SEB framework, tools, methods for the operationalization of the assessment of the economic utility of weather and climate forecasts for decision making in selected sectors established,
- Community of practice on economic utility of weather and climate forecasts in the DRR decision making established; and,
- Comprehensive report detailing modelling processes, recommendations for scaling up results in other sectors produced.
Information Note
The Validation Workshop on the Application of the Socio-Economic Benefits (SEB) of Climate Information Services (CIS) Framework in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Africa will take place in Addis Ababa, from 20-21 March 2018. The Conference will be held in Conference Room 3, ECA Conference Centre, at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Please read the following information carefully, as it will help you to plan your travel to Addis Ababa.
Immigration requirements
All participants will receive a visa on arrival at Bole International Airport, where they will be required to produce and present their Workshop invitation letter to the immigration authorities. Thus, kindly ensure you print and bring with you this letter.
In order to assist participants in obtaining visas upon arrival, the African Climate Policy Centre needs to receive your online registration and a copy of the photo page of the passport before your arrival at the Bole International Airport.
Please note that an Ethiopian visa costs US$ 30 or the equivalent in euros per person. Payment must be made in either US dollars or in euros at the time of issue. For media personnel, the cost of a visa is US$ 40 or the equivalent in euros. Holders of diplomatic and service passports and United Nations Laissez-Passer will receive visas gratis. Bank receipts for money changed at the airport must be kept securely as customs officials may ask you to present them on your departure....