Working on behalf of the World Bank, we delivered a capacity assessment to inform investment in effective, locally relevant hydromet and early warning services for Niger.
Niger faces a complex mix of climate hazards, from flash floods to prolonged droughts. Yet the country’s hydromet and early warning services have remained limited in their ability to support timely, informed decision-making. As part of a wider effort to strengthen national services, we were commissioned by the World Bank in 2021 to carry out an evidence-based assessment to guide future investment in Niger’s national meteorological and hydrological service (NMHS) and the agencies this comprises.
The work involved identifying user needs across the entire hydromet value chain, assessing institutional and regulatory frameworks, reviewing data sharing arrangements and regional collaboration, and analysing the current strengths and weaknesses of the NMHS. The assignment also explored opportunities for public–private collaboration and provided prioritised investment recommendations grounded in benefit–cost analysis, user requirements, and long-term sustainability. It was carried out safely and securely in a fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) country setting.
We brought together a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience in Niger, including expertise in flood alerting, food security, and gender, as well as international specialists in strengthening hydromet services, early warning system design, climate model translation and economic assessment.
Working in close partnership with national stakeholders, the team gathered insight into existing capabilities, challenges and future priorities. The approach emphasised engagement and co-creation – helping to ensure that recommendations reflected local needs and institutional realities, and that proposed improvements could be integrated into ongoing national and regional initiatives.
This assignment fed directly into the wider CREWS project, Seamless operational forecast systems and technical assistance for capacity building in West Africa. The work contributed to CREWS components focused on improving forecasting systems at national and regional scales, particularly for flood and severe weather risks affecting agriculture and food security.
By identifying where services could be strengthened and how those improvements could be sustainably financed, the assignment provided a clear roadmap for action. It supported efforts to build a more responsive, inclusive and effective early warning system for Niger – laying the groundwork for stronger resilience to both fast and slow-onset climate hazards.
Contact our team to learn more about this project.
