Populations of the Volta Basin are vulnerable to the risks of floods and droughts, which cause a lot of damage every year. In response to the annual threats and to enable countries to have the technical capacity to cope, the Volta Flood and Drought Management (VFDM) project entitled ”Integrating Flood and Drought Management and Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation in the Volta Basin” has set up a training programme from June 2019 to June 2024.
A regional training programme was aimed at professionals from the six countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo) of the basin and at the regional level, providers of hydrometeorological services (National Meteorological and Hydrological Services NMHSs -, international/regional and research organizations) and users (in charge of civil protection, disaster risk management, water resources management and other various related disciplines) of the VOLTALARM end-to-end flood and drought forecasting and earlywarning processes.
VOLTALARM is the Volta Basin-wide flood and drought forecasting and early warning platform being developed as part of the implementation of the VFDM Project. Five (5) online courses, administered between September 2021 and April 2023, built the capacity of nearly 500 technical staff at different levels of responsibility in the VBA countries. The courses covered all stages of the end-to-end flood forecasting and early warning process as well as integrated drought management (forecasting, monitoring and early warning).
Among the thirty or so participants taking part in this regional training workshop are professionals from approximately each country in the basin who have passed the knowledge assessments made at the end of each of the five (05) online courses organised. In additionto these professionals, there will be two representatives of the VBA Volta Basin Observatory,the trainers and the VFDM Project management team.
The duration of the training was four days and ended on 19 May 2023. The official launching ceremony is placed under the patronage of the Minister of Water and Village Hydraulics represented by his Director of Cabinet in Togo with the effective presence of the Executive Director of VBA and the Executive Secretary of GWP-WA.
Please check the attached Concept Note for additional information.
More information on the VFDM project.
