NBI develops Climate Services knowledge hub

The climate services knowledge hub mainly focuses on the climate risk management, particularly, how to invest in climate resilient water management related infrastructure in the Nile Basin.

In the past years, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) has invested resources to build the capacity of project managers, planners, and designers on how to integrate climate risk considerations into the different phases of infrastructure investment planning as well as how to assess climate risk of multi-purpose dams.

The NBI stakeholder’s climate risk assessments had been piloted, focusing on procedures of how to assess risk as well as ways to deliver climate information to be used for risk assessment. Moreover, a climate proofing guideline has been developed to act as a resource of guidance to stakeholders who need to engage in climate sensitive infrastructure planning and design.

However, by experience, there is a growing need for clustering technical advisory, training & peer learning, networking & collaboration into a holistic service offer accessible to a far distributed group of stakeholders. Especially during climate change and ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as the current Covid-19 pandemic, face to face advisory brings about high transaction costs.

Digitalisation is speeding up, also in Africa. Hence, digital solutions such as web-based application are needed that guarantee equal access to just-in-time as well as on-demand capacity development resources and services for a growing community.

Therefore, the NBI Secretariat developed a climate services knowledge management hub for enhancing capacity of key stakeholders to engage in the climate proofing of new and existing infrastructure investment portfolios. The hub’s service includes orientation and guidance on climate proofing processes throughout the infrastructure investment cycle, the existing climate services, peer exchange for collaboration and mutual exchange and networking, as well as digital learning.

The developed website of the climate proofing knowledge management hub was integrated on the NBI Integrated Knowledge Portal (IKP). It can be used as a collaborative platform by project managers, planners, designers, ministerial staff who need to engage in climate proofing and seek for a community of practice.