INNOVATION IN PPE - Integrating Technology-Driven Solutions to Improve The Production and Utilization of Weather Products and Services in Africa

Integrating Technology-Driven Solutions to Improve The Production and Utilization of Weather Products and Services in Africa

The events over the last twelve months exemplify the urgency and need for technology-enhanced weather products and services in Africa. The current rain-triggered locust infestation has destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of crop across East Africa and, with massive swarms now entering Uganda and Tanzania, millions more livelihoods are under threat across vast areas already fragile due to recent unexpected rainfall and flooding. Correlated with an increase in temperatures in Africa over the past several decades, more frequent thunderstorms are also being experienced across the region with vulnerable communities most at risk. We cannot prevent a weather event from occurring but, with technology-enabled solutions coupled with systems-level coordination, we can equip Africa with knowledge and tools to better prepare, respond and build resilience.

Through this presentation, we aim to share a vision for how ClimaCell.org will empower local African partners to drive socio-economic transformation in their regions through technology-driven weather services in an effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change. We have seen impressive advancements in global forecasts in recent years as a result of public-private innovation efforts across the weather value-chain. There is much potential for similar, if not greater, enhancements to reach Africa, but there must be a coordinated effort across the public-private weather system to ensure the full potential of these solutions are realized in an inclusive and sustainable way.

As an independent philanthropic fund, ClimaCell.org’s sole focus is to help Africa reach its full potential through an improved technology-enhanced weather system. Together with ClimaCell.co, their primary technology partner, ClimaCell.org will present on a portfolio of technology solutions that can add value across the hydromet value chain and, in turn, improve lives. We will present a strategy for how we intend to work with local governments to enable long-term local solutions; and share how we will work with the local community to implement solutions that enable everyone to access, interpret and take action based on weather information. We are eager to hear thoughts on how ClimaCell.org might align with and support WMO efforts and discuss opportunities for further cooperation.

Georgina Campbell Flatter

Georgina leads Climacell.org. She is building a dedicated philanthropic fund focused on ensuring every human being on earth has access to and can act upon lifesaving weather information, with a focus on low-income communities most vulnerable to climate change. Prior to Climacell.org, Goergina spent a decade at MIT where her research and activities centered around the role of business and entrepreneurship in tackling large systemic poverty issues. She was a Senior Lecturer with the Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and StrategicManagement Group at MIT Sloan. Through this role, she developed several new academic courses and co-wrote cases on game-changing principled leaders and ventures working in emerging markets. She also served as Executive Director of the MIT Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship and, prior to that, Director of MIT’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP). She began her journey at MIT making gecko-inspired surgical adhesives at the MIT Langer Lab and hydrogen-generating nanoparticles at an MIT cleantech spinout. Some of her thoughts on entrepreneurship are captured in pieces recently published in the FT, Entrepreneur.com, and Forbes. She read Material Science at Trinity College Oxford and Technology and Policy at MIT. 

By working together, we can bring hope to billions. Join us.

ClimaCell.org is a dedicated philanthropic fund to enable local access to useful forecasts globally.

At ClimaCell.org we are building the foundations to support local partners who are eager to drive socio-economic transformation in their regions through technology-driven weather services. We work at a community-level to understand local needs and opportunities for weather-triggered action on the ground and we work with local governments, NGOs and high impact organizations to co-build local pathways for weather technology solutions that can be sustained locally to empower their citizens.

There have been vast technology improvements globally across the weather value chain but, as highlighted at the recent Great 54th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum, “we now need to move from science to action and reach users so they can apply it”. It is those who are vulnerable who need us the most. This is the motivation behind ClimaCell.org. If we work together to leverage our unique strengths, we can and will do better, and in turn together bring hope to billions through better weather information.

ClimaCell is powering actionable weather insights around the world. ClimaCell’s mission is to help people and organizations manage their weather related challenges with the best information and insights.

Unique to the weather industry, ClimaCell fuses a proprietary big data collection and analysis platform with exclusive modelling techniques to create MicroWeather OS - an array of products that are providing clients hyper local weather data and invaluable business insights to create the world’s leading weather intelligence engine forbusinesses.

ClimaCell’s patented MicroWeather technology engine is powered by Weather of Things data - wireless signals, connected cars, airplanes, drones and IoT devices. This data is combined with proprietary AI-driven models to help people and industries to manage their weather-related challenges that impact everything from operationalefficiency to profitability, safety and the bottom line.

For further information, please contact: Georgina Campbell Flatter, Executive Director, ClimaCell.org. Additional information can be found online: ClimaCell.co