The 11th AMESD Thematic Experts Meeting (TEM 11) was held on 7 and 8 November 2011 at AMESD Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the objective to discuss the status of the continental and regional programme implementation. The meeting also dwelt on handing over strategy to the program coordination and to the Regional Implementation Centres (RICs) for sustainability of actions after the end of AMESD Technical Assistance Service Contract in June 2012.

Participants of TEM 11

Attendants of the meeting included the AMESD TA Team Leader, Technical Experts of AMESD Technical Assistance, AMESD Regional Implementation Centres (RICs) and the Delegation of European Union to African Union.

The experts’ meeting was followed by the Complementary Pilot Service Review, 9 - 11 November 2011, of which the operational thematic informational services of the five AMESD RICs were reviewed. The Review is part of a process put in place by the AMESD Technical Assistance to ensure the quality of products and services in support to decision making.

AMESD SADC THEMA attending the Review

Each RIC was invited to present the state of delivery of their services in the presence of a Review Panel, which will soon provide conclusions and recommendations in the form of a Review Report.

The Review Panel examined the “user-oriented approach” proposed by each THEMA in order to allow a feasible usage of AMESD environmental monitoring information for decision making purposes. The evolution and current version of products and services of the THEMAs was assessed, with emphasis given on the distribution means, users’ identification, and feedback mechanisms.

The Review took place approximately one year and half after the Grant signature for AMESD Regional Implementing Centres (RICs) for ICPAC - IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, BDMS - Botswana Department of Met Services and CICOS - International Commission of Congo-Oubangui-Sangha Basin, and two years after the Grant signature for the RICs MOI - Mauritius Oceanography Institute and AGRHYMET Regional Centre.

The first Review, called the Definition Review, took place in Ouagadougou on October 5-7, 2010, followed by the second one, called the Pilot Service Review, in May 25 – 27, 2011.

The reviews will orient the RICs in achieving the operational thematic information services into a comprehensive interaction with the users of environmental information services which is essential for the impact of AMESD on sustainable development.