Enhancing hydromet services through regional monitoring innovation hubs in Africa

Project
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A man in waders stands in a muddy river, checking a water level gauge while another man stands on the bank holding a cord attached to the measuring device.
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Under development
Project Dates:
November 2026 - October 2031
Total Funding:
US$ 4,998,000
WMO Funding:
US$ 479,000
WMO Long-Term Goal(s):
  • Climate Resilience and Adaptation
  • Disaster Risk Reduction
  • WMO Integrated Global Observing System
  • Capacity Development
Focus Area(s):
  • Observations

Project background

The five-year Enhancing Hydromet Services through Regional Monitoring Innovation Hubs in Africa project – with USD 4,998,000 from the Adaptation Fund – aims to improve hydromet services through two “Regional Water Monitoring Innovation Hubs” in Africa by advancing the uptake of innovative hydrometric approaches by the NMHSs in Tanzania, The Gambia and surrounding countries. By enhancing the provision of hydrological data that serves as a basis for information that is vital to effective water resources management and the provision of safe and reliable water supplies, the proposed project will contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.  

Objective(s)

To improve the delivery of hydromet services through two “Regional Innovation Hubs” in Africa by advancing the uptake of innovative hydrometric approaches by the NMHSs in Tanzania, The Gambia and surrounding countries.  

Outputs

Output 1.1. - Enhanced local training capacity, research and tailored technical guidance materials to address specific technical expertise deficits related to hydrometric monitoring within the Regional Water Monitoring Innovation Hub (e.g., linked to the use of new instrumentation)

Output 1.2 - Enhanced management and operationalization of instrumentation/hydrological equipment and other hydrometric monitoring aspects through Innovation Calls projects (involving collaborations between in-region and international operational and research partners) implemented to find and operationalize innovative water monitoring solutions to NMHSs hydrometric challenges within the Regional Water Monitoring Innovation Hub.

Output 2.1. - International twinning/mentoring brings together hydro monitoring institutions and startups that innovate from across the world to assess their suitability to address identified hydrometric challenges in The Gambia and Tanzania. Selected startups will benefit from pump priming grants to grow both public and private sector capability and linkages with the research sector, with the potential to lead to job creation.

Output 2.2 - Innovation Camps and other activities established to bring together public and private entities to support the development, manufacturing and maintenance of digital and physical monitoring technologies.

Output 3.1 - Organization of Learning Staff Exchanges to facilitate and guide learning exchanges among NMHSs within a Regional Water Monitoring Innovation Hub in view of addressing specific common hydrometric challenges.

Output 3.2. - Organization of Innovation Workshops to bring together NMHSs, academia, private sector (solution providers) and others, and facilitate targeted interactions among them in a way that allows NMHSs to express their operational challenges and needs, and the private sector to tailor their solutions to operational realities of NMHSs.

Output 4.1 - Organization of Ministerial Roundtables in each country of the Regional Water Monitoring Innovation Hubs that will showcase the comprehensive results and recommendations of national cost-benefit analysis of hydrological data investments.

Output 4.2 - Organization of User-provider Workshops and Webinars to bring together NMHSs, public and private sectors (users of hydromet services) and facilitate targeted interactions among them, including for identifying and developing new markets for NMHSs services. 

Expected outcomes

  • Improved and sustained technical expertise of NMHSs staff and uptake of innovative technologies  
  • Locally designed, manufactured and maintained capabilities exist in both countries to service water monitoring needs across their regions
  • Improved dialogues and exchanges within Regional Innovation Hubs and beyond
  • Increased support to NMHSs through budget and water legislation, and fit-for-purpose innovative hydrometric technologies and user-oriented hydromet services

Project team

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Donors

Adaptation Fund
Last updated: 28 October 2026