Understanding ENSO: What does the latest outlook mean for key sectors in Africa?
Following the first webinar on Understanding the Emerging 2026 Super El Niño and its Implications for Africa, this second webinar continues the conversation by providing the latest El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) outlook and what it means for key sectors across Africa. Organised by ICPAC in collaboration with ACMAD, WMO and Regional Climate Centres, the session will unpack the evolving ENSO conditions and explore their implications for agriculture, water resources, health, and disaster risk management.
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the current ENSO outlook, its potential impacts across the continent, and practical actions that governments, practitioners, development partners, and communities can take to enhance preparedness and resilience.
Key discussion areas
- Latest outlook for the coming months.
- Implications for agriculture, health, disaster risk management, and water resources.
- Practical preparedness measures across key sectors.
- Applying climate information to support planning and decision-making.
- Strengthening collaboration between Regional Climate Centres and sector partners.
Panelists
Eunice Koech
Climate Modeling Specialist ICPACmoderator
Eunice Koech is a climate modeling assistant at IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her background is in Meteorology, and she has a Master of Science degree in Meteorology from the University of Nairobi. She has 8 years of experience in forecasting, and her current focus is on seasonal and sub-seasonal forecasting for the Eastern Africa region. She is keen on downscaling climate products for the agriculture sector, thus supports in strengthening the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), which is a regional User Interface Platform for the agriculture sector in Eastern Africa. She is also passionate about communicating climate information to users who have no background in climate science. Her interests and professional goals include being a bridge between the climate providers and users to ensure that climate information uptake and use are increased in the region.
Pierre H. Kamsu Tamo
Meteorologist and climate scientist ACMADdiscussant
Topic: Latest ENSO update: current status, evolution, and outlook
Dr Pierre H. Kamsu Tamo is a meteorologist and climate scientist with over 15 years of experience in climate variability, seasonal forecasting, atmospheric modelling, and climate predictability in Africa. He is the Senior Thematic Expert and Team Lead of the ClimSA Project at African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development, where he leads continental climate monitoring, forecasting, and climate services, and supports the coordination of the African Continental Climate Outlook Forum (ACCOF). He has worked with institutions including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Météo-France, and Sorbonne University, contributing to climate research, early warning systems, and regional climate resilience initiatives.
Brenda Lazarus
Food Security and Early Warning Economist FAOdiscussant
Topic: Implications for the Agriculture sector
Brenda Lazarus is a Food Security and Early Warning Economist with FAO’s Subregional Office for Eastern Africa. She provides technical leadership on early warning systems, anticipatory action programming, emergency agriculture, and regional food security analyses. Brenda also co-leads, in collaboration with IGAD, the Greater Horn of Africa Food Security and Nutrition Working Group, coordinating multi-agency regional analyses to inform anticipatory and humanitarian response across the region.
Vincent Okoth
Geo Developer Associate ICPACdiscussant
Topic: Implications for Disaster Risk Management sector
Vincent Okoth is a Geo Developer at the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC). He works on early warning systems, impact-based early warning, and socio-economic vulnerability, and supports disaster risk management engagements across IGAD member states. He has a background in Geomatic Engineering, GIS, and Computing and Information Systems.
Charles Michael Akataobi
Senior Technical Officer, Epidemiologist & Public Health Leader Africa CDCdiscussant
Topic: Implications for the health sector
Dr Charles Michael Akataobi is an epidemiologist and public health leader with over 15 years of experience in health security and climate-resilient health systems across Africa. As Senior Technical Officer at Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, he leads the Climate Change and Health Programme, strengthening health systems to address climate-related risks. He has previously held senior roles with African Field Epidemiology Network and the Government of Nigeria, including co-leading the Surveillance and Epidemiology Pillar of Nigeria's Presidential COVID-19 Task Force. His work focuses on integrating climate resilience into public health through evidence-based, multisectoral approaches.