The United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) hosted a national close out event to celebrate the achievements and lessons learned from the Climate Information Services for Increased Resilience and Productivity in Senegal (CINSERE) project. Since 2016, USAID/CINSERE has invested $7 million to support the National Agency for Civil Aviation and Meteorology (ANACIM) in the development and use of weather and climate information services. The services developed, which are used by fishers, farmers and herders, who are the participants of the U.S. Government Feed the Future projects, are helping strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations to climate change.
The USAID/CINSERE project was implemented from 2016 to 2021 through a Public International Organization (PIO)-Grant to the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Due to the success of the project, weather and climate information services are now considered as critical inputs to the success of fisheries and farms. With access to weather information, insurance, and other services, users have learned how to protect their businesses against climate change, and now can feel secure in applying for loans. What’s more, fishers now can make informed decisions when life-threatening conditions prevail at sea.
The development and sustainability of the weather and climate information services value chain in Senegal is based on a shared vision between USAID and ANACIM that acknowledges the importance of leveraging the private sector, which is equipped with necessary distribution platforms, technology, and expertise. USAID/CINSERE has resulted in increased capacity of ANACIM to produce and disseminate weather and climate information services, and a viable business model, under a Public Private Partnership framework, has been instituted for scaling up and sustaining the weather and climate information services value chain.
Mr. Makhtar LAKH. the Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Terrestrial Transportation, of which ANACIM is a sub-agency, co-presided over the event with the Mission Director of USAID Senegal, Mr. Peter Trenchard, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Production, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy. Implementing partners and beneficiaries were in attendance to engage in discussions, exchange testimonials, celebrate achievements, and propose sustainability strategies.
The U.S. has rejoined global climate negotiations, committing to support countries gain momentum in realizing their Nationally-Determined Contributions, and an ambitious USAID Strategy under development will bring bold and innovative solutions to the crisis. USAID will continue to play a central role both globally and in the USG, in mobilizing private capital for climate objectives while ensuring climate finance programming takes into account equity and inclusion.
This year, USAID Senegal is celebrating its 60th anniversary of presence and engagement in Senegal. This close-out event provides a concrete example of the agency’s work over the last six decades - that is providing critical support to Senegal’s development challenges and opportunities. In this case, USAID support has helped create ecologically sustainable and climate-resilient management in fisheries and farms to improve biodiversity conservation and mitigate the risk of climate change.
The event also reaffirmed USAID’s and its partners’ commitment to continue the development of the weather and climate information services value chain and to move toward market delivery of these services, supporting private sector growth, and policy and regulatory frameworks for sustainable business models.