The Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) project at ICPAC is dedicated to enhancing climate services and applications within the Eastern Africa region. This initiative focuses on improving the availability, accessibility, and usability of climate information to support decision-making processes across various sectors, including agriculture, water resources, health, and disaster risk management. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the program aims to strengthen the resilience of the IGAD region to climate variability and change, ultimately contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts in the region. Pass by our booth to learn more.

Allocated Booth No. 16

CONFER is a user-centered research project funded by the EU and implemented by a consortium of partners based in Africa and Europe for the co-development of climate services that address user needs towards enhancing resilience to climate shocks and empowering East African communities. We focus on working with stakeholders from priority sectors of water, energy, and food security to improve the quality of seasonal forecasts. We utilize the information for planning and decision-making processes to benefit from favorable conditions and reduce impacts associated with extreme seasonal and sub-seasonal fluctuations. At GHACOF66, we will showcase cutting-edge impact forecasting models developed for regional flash floods and ML-based NDVI forecasting. These models will aid in water resource management and food security estimation, enabling proactive preparations and reducing impacts associated with extreme climate.  Be part of us!

Allocated Booth No. 15

The Down2Earth project seeks to address multi-faceted challenges of food and water insecurity exacerbated by climate change. This is being done through end-user-oriented climate and water forecasting tools, policy analysis, capacity building and user engagement, communication, and dissemination. The project focuses on Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. We aim to improve decision support to communities thus enabling them to better adapt to climate change-induced water and food insecurity. At our booth, we will showcase our recent progress (publications, brochures, and other products). Come by for more information.

Allocated Booth No. 13

Effective early warning systems are paramount in any disaster risk management framework. The Strengthening Early Warning Systems for Anticipatory Actions (SEWAA) initiative, funded by Google over multiple years, seeks to assess the skillfulness and sustainability of creating a cloud-based machine learning post-processing system. This system aims to enhance the accuracy and reliability of high-impact weather and climate forecasts. Our objective is to demonstrate the generation of forecasts utilizing machine learning methodologies and to explore their practical applications in anticipatory actions.

Allocated Booth No. 14

The IGAD region continues to face alarming levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition, attributed to a complex mix of reinforcing shocks and stressors, including increasingly frequent extreme weather events, unprecedented levels of conflict and insecurity, and economic shocks. Chronic vulnerabilities, in part attributed to the protracted impacts of previous shocks, high levels of poverty and inequality, limited resilience capacities, and high levels of displacement, further aggravate the situation.

To address this multifaceted crisis, decision- and policy-makers need accurate, timely, and reliable data, and analyses that can provide vital evidence for programming and policy formulation, and that can also guide strategic development and humanitarian investments.

IFRAH seeks to promote access to food security, nutrition, and resilience data and information, by supporting IGAD and its member states in strengthening their analytical capacities and institutional mechanisms.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about our work!

Allocated Booth No. 17

Communities and productive sectors in South Sudan face unprecedented climate impacts yet the County cannot monitor, predict, and communicate climate early warning information for preparedness and response. ICPAC, UNDP-SS, and MoEF in collaboration with other ministries are jointly implementing the SUSTAIN project funded under GEF. Component 1 of the SUSTAIN project is supporting infrastructure and mechanisms for an effective and robust early warning system. The project works to install, test, and configure AWS and data management; geospatial mapping, support forecasting capabilities; revive the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Technical Working Group (MHEWTWG); and strengthen engagement through the National Climate Outlook Forums (NCOFs).

Allocated Booth No. 13

Characterized by arid conditions, the Karamoja cluster is hard-hit by drought. ICPAC, ICPALD, and GIZ are jointly strengthening the capacity of IGAD to increase drought resilience in the Karamoja Cluster of Uganda and Kenya. SCIDA III project has identified and characterized patterns in biophysical parameters and seeks to support the development of drought hazard monitoring and early warning systems for Karamoja and the mapping of drought disaster risks. The project further supports the training of technical and local government officials to strengthen communication, preparedness, and response to drought disaster risks in Karamoja. Lastly, SCIDA III supports the IGAD Disaster Risk Management Programme to implement a regional DRR strategy.

Allocated Booth No. 12

Sistema.bio is a company that specializes in providing innovative biodigester technology for smallholder farmers. Our biodigester systems are prefabricated and efficiently convert animal manure into biogas for cooking and organic fertilizer. This sustainable solution not only addresses energy needs but also promotes environmentally friendly agriculture practices, enhances soil fertility, and contributes to the well-being of farming communities. Sistema.bio aims to empower farmers by offering scalable and affordable clean energy and agricultural solutions.

Allocated Booth No. 1

Helton Traders is dedicated to revolutionizing the textile industry by turning plastic bottle waste into sustainable sewing threads. With a mission to make a positive environmental impact, by addressing critical issues such as high youth unemployment, plastic waste, and disruptions within the textile supply chain.

Our innovative approach not only contributes to environmental conservation by recycling plastic bottles but also provides affordable and locally produced sewing threads, creating employment opportunities for thousands. Helton Traders is at the forefront of eco-conscious manufacturing, aligning with the global shift towards sustainable fashion.

Allocated Booth No. 2

Our objective is to enhance awareness and establish partnerships to promote responsible use of crop protection products. It is our vision to address pesticide misuse and harmful practices that pose threats to the environment, human health, and alleviating climate change.

Allocated Booth No. 3

The devastating impacts of climate change are felt worldwide, disproportionately affecting individuals with disabilities and hindering their socio-economic development. Unfortunately, persons with disabilities are exposed to climate injustice since, most often, their interests are excluded from policy conversations as a result of information deficiency on how climate change affects them. This realization presents the urgency required to rethink and reimagine the climate mainstreaming data ecosystem with their interests in perspective. As we advance, climate action data design should integrate persons with disabilities through an accessible, accurate, and available universal design framework principled on inclusivity. Notably, persons with disabilities should be part of climate data collection, collation, and communication to enhance inclusive and participatory data use practice in climate governance and policy formulation. Including persons with disabilities during climate governance's evidence-based policymaking and planning cycle is requisite for holistic climate action.

Allocated Booth No. 4

System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a proven alternative rice growing method enabling rice farmers to cope with the adverse effects of climate change and actively participate in mitigating GHG emissions. SRI relies on intermittent irrigating and draining of water to avoid anaerobic conditions and the subsequent emission of methane. Additionally, SRI is estimated to reduce freshwater use in rice cultivation by about 50%, reduce production costs, and increase income for farmers which will enhance household food security.

Allocated Booth No. 5

ACTogether Uganda will exhibit a complementing approach to UNMA’s efforts in Early Warning and Action for Urban resilience to extreme weather events. This approach seeks to address some of the existing gaps (limited access and understanding of weather products) in the climate services value chain that have hampered the uptake of weather and climate information. This approach is hedged on co-production/co-design and delivery of weather and climate information services. This approach is based on an assessment of the vulnerabilities that exist within the settlements prone to extreme weather events to inform early action. This approach capitalizes on joint engagements with stakeholders whose capacity is built to support the co-design of easy-to-understand services, integration of technological and non-technological solutions in the delivery of forecasts, tailored information based on the specific needs and vulnerabilities of the community, providing relevant and actionable insights to boost uptake of weather and climate services.

Allocated Booth No. 6

Zephyr Consulting Group is a Netherlands-based company with offices in the UAE and Kenya, specializing in providing innovative and integrated solutions to mitigate the risks of flooding and drought. Our diverse range of products and services cater to this specific need.

One of our flagship products is the SLAMDAM, a mobile flood barrier that offers unparalleled protection against flooding. For more information, please visit our website (www.slamdam.com).

We also provide the latest flood and drought intelligence software including a service that quantifies the anticipated benefits of flood resilient measures, early warning systems, and flood and drought consultancy services.

Zephyr Consulting Group is currently engaged in multiple projects across various countries, including Nigeria, Burundi, Pakistan, Uganda, Fiji, and Kenya, to name just a few. These projects exemplify our commitment to addressing the challenges posed by climate change and providing sustainable solutions to combat flooding and drought.

Allocated Booth No. 7

The Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring (GEOGLAM) is a flagship initiative of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), launched in 2011 by the Group of Twenty (G20) Agriculture Ministers. The initiative seeks to support governments in monitoring agricultural production trends for major agricultural commodities by promoting and leveraging Earth Observation (EO) use. These efforts are geared towards enhancing food security through consistent monitoring of crop conditions and food price/market volatility for early warning. GEOGLAM produces monthly global crop condition reports based on Earth observation data and works with developing countries to co-develop national crop monitoring systems. GEOGLAM provides tools and information products on the near-real-time state and changes in agricultural production at the national, regional, and global scales. These tools and products will be demonstrated in an East Africa learning Exchange workshop, co-organized between ICPAC, World Bank, and GEOGLAM.

Allocated Booth No. 8

InfoNile supports journalists in producing in-depth stories on water and environmental issues. To increase the capacity and create awareness among journalists, media houses, and all community members, we frequently take back stories to the communities where they were originally reported through community exhibitions.

InforNile will showcase Shifting Seasons (photo story) and A Dying Culture (documentary) both of which document how climate change has caused a shift in weather patterns in the Karamoja sub-region, northeastern Uganda. The area has been experiencing particularly erratic rains across its nine districts as short scattered torrential rains have also increased soil erosion and land degradation. This has contributed to poor harvests and food insecurity affecting the traditional lifestyle of cattle keepers who, for generations, have relied on livestock as their main source of subsistence. Its locals, primarily pastoralists, are now shifting to farming for survival.

Our exhibition will also showcase our NileWell platform for water/environment scientists and journalists. In 2022, we launched the platform NileWell, the first platform in the Nile Basin to connect journalists with water and environmental scientists. Through NileWell, journalists and scientists can connect and collaborate, access science journalism resources on water-related topics, and participate in events to learn from water scientists and co-produce water stories.

Allocated Booth No. 9

The exhibition showcases a digital presentation of our natural rubber and biodiesel. The natural rubber is sourced from a Kenyan native desert shrub that thrives in arid and semi-arid regions, requiring only 25-50cm of rainfall annually. By promoting the growth of these shrubs, we contribute to increased tree coverage, fight desertification, and aid in drought control. Additionally, the shrubs perform a valuable function by capturing carbon through photosynthesis, with each shrub absorbing an average of 19kg of CO2 per year.

Our biodiesel is produced using this natural rubber as its feedstock. The rubber exhibits several key characteristics, such as biodegrading in just 28 days in a waterway environment, containing no sulfur (uncompounded rubber), and being non-toxic. When compared to fossil fuel diesel, our biodiesel offers significant environmental benefits, including a 70% reduction in carbon emissions and a 47% reduction in particulate matter (such as soot and hydrocarbons) pollution. Additionally, as of January 2024, our biodiesel is 7.42% cheaper than fossil fuel diesel.

Furthermore, our biodiesel possesses effective lubrication properties that help reduce engine wear and tear, contributing to longer-lasting engines.

Allocated Booth No. 10

The Alliance of Bio-diversity International - CIAT and ICPAC, have developed the ECREA project to strengthen both the supply and demand side of the WCIS and IBEWS in four countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The project will be implemented in collaboration with these countries’ National Agricultural Research Systems, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS), and selected media platforms.

The outcome is that WCIS and IBEWS are co-produced and delivered to farmers and bean farming value chain actors through Agro-Climate Advisory Committees (AACs), Radio Listeners Clubs (RLCs) and PICSA, digital platforms. Additionally, ECREA will operationalize effective regional forums of WCIS/IBEWS for informed decision making in bean value chains and associated farming systems. ECREA will impact 400,000 people (directly) and 3 million people (indirectly) through access and use of WCIS and IBEWS

Allocated Booth No. 11

The objective of the award-winning DARAJA project is to reduce loss of life and improve the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable urban communities through improved use of reliable WCIS to make and act on decisions at household, community, and city levels in the East Africa Region. DARAJA is active in Nairobi, Kampala, Addis Ababa, and Dar es Salaam. We anticipate the benefits of the project to reach 14 million urban informal settlement residents across 5 cities over 3-5 years. The project will operate for 30 months, from January 2023 - May 2025.

Allocated Booth No. 11