Overview : - PROJECT BACKGROUND
Climate stresses and low adaptive capacity are increasing Africa's vulnerability to climate change. Climate related shocks to the economy, vulnerable populations, ecosystems and infrastructure threaten development goals and poverty alleviation strategies. The ability of decision-makers to understand and communicate the likely impacts of climate change is of critical importance in adapting development plans to new climate realities. However, the lack of access to reliable climate information and the lack of capacity of disseminating it prove to be significant obstacles in allowing governments and populations to develop the correct tools to address the changes that will be brought on as a result of climate change. The "Multi Country Programme to Strengthen Climate Information for Resilient Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa" (CIRDA) enables vulnerable countries in Africa to strengthen national climate information systems as well as to benefit from regional coordination and draw upon a platform of knowledge management. The CIRDA Programme coordinates among different stakeholders needs and capacities in collecting, generating, analysing and disseminating relevant climate information. It also provides capacity building on: meteorological, climate and hydrological observing and forecasting systems, disaster risk management and viable communication systems/processes for disseminating alerts, and the use of alternative cost-effective technologies. The Programme provides special consideration on reaching end user populations such as farmers as well as strategies to engage with the private sector as a service provider and as an end user of climate information. The Multi Country Programme is being implemented by UNDP with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF) and is an example of the concrete actions that the UN is taking to reduce the impacts of climate change in all development sectors. UNDP intends to establish Long Term Agreements (LTAs) with 1 or more proposers in order to provide a Software System and Services for a National Meteorological and Hydrological Service Integrated Water Resources Management System (NMHS IWRMS) that will deliver reliable and accurate data about current, near-term, and medium-term hydrological conditions for the Requestor. The LTAs will include both Equipment and Services and will therefore incorporate Service Level Agreements (SLAs). If multiple LTAs are established, a procurement process of secondary bidding between the LTA holders will be followed at the time of actual requests. |