A one-year project in Guinea provided critical support to the country during a period of crisis. The US$ 250,000 Accelerated Support Window (ASW) project - funded by the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative - ensured the uninterrupted operation of meteorological services, reinforcing institutional foundations, and creating favorable conditions for the successful implementation of current and future investments. The project stands as a strong example of how accelerated support, when strategically designed, can deliver lasting institutional and operational benefits while strengthening national early warning and climate service systems.
On 18 December 2023, a fuel depot in Conakry, Guinea, exploded, severely impacting the building of Guinea's National Meteorological Service (ANM). Despite severe disruptions caused by the destruction of much of its infrastructure and equipment, the National Meteorological Service of Guinea demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment to service continuity. Rather than halting operations, ANM rented temporary premises and continued delivering essential meteorological services while working on its transition to a semi-autonomous agency. These efforts were supported by the project, with implementation led by the World Meteorological Organization. Having successfully concluded in October 2025, the project fulfilled its primary objective of maintaining uninterrupted meteorological services and preparing the legal and institutional framework to strengthen the institution.
Bridging Support for Continuity and Institutional Strengthening
The project effectively bridged the gap between a previous intervention by UNDP , funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and enabled ANM to comply with effectiveness conditions set forth by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) prior to releasing its investment under the Strengthening Meteorological and Climate Services Project (CLIMAGUI). CREWS ASW ensured operational continuity and enabled the inception of a large capacity development project.
Key deliverables include:
Operational Continuity Ensured
- Provision of temporary one-year accommodation for ANM, enabling it to continue fulfilling its national mandate following its transition to an autonomous agency.
- Arrangement of reliable internet connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted system operations, effective communication, and the smooth execution of ANM's daily technical and administrative activities.
Website with WIS2box and CAP composer
- Publishing of 113 warning bulletins in CAP format related to rain, storms, and lightning, marking Guinea as the first African country onboarded by Google Public Alert, recognizing the quality of its bulletins in frequency, location, and timing.
- Revision and connection of 28 stations in the WMO database and the WMO Information System (WIS), with anticipated support from the CLIMAGUI Project for rehabilitation and compliance with the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).
Institutional Capacity Strengthened
- Training of ANM staff in the mandatory documentation required for Quality Management System (QMS) certification, including a baseline QMS assessment and scope definition, to be used as a blueprint towards Guinea's compliance with the ISO9001 standards.
- Development of key institutional and regulatory instruments, enabling the formal establishment of ANM as an agency, with dedicated staffing, operational, and investment budgets.
Strategic Plan, Action Plan, and Socio-Economic assessment developed.
- Development and Validation of a strategic plan, fully aligned with national policies and development frameworks, defining ANM's long-term priorities for service delivery, modernization, and institutional development.
- Creation of an operational plan, translating strategic priorities into concrete actions, with clearly defined responsibilities, targets, and implementation timelines, to be largely financed by the national budget allocated and the CLIMAGUI Project.
- Establishment of a comprehensive socio-economic study on meteorological services, covering market analysis, user satisfaction assessment, identification of service gaps, analysis of willingness to pay, and recommendations for an optimized product portfolio and sustainable revenue model.
The way forward
The Agence Française de Développement and the government of Guinea have initiated an investment for CLIMAGUI, aimed at improving ANM's hydrometeorological equipment and providing staff training on its use, thereby strengthening observations, data management, forecasting, and service delivery. For the installation of the facilities foreseen in this project, the government committed to constructing a new ANM building, expected to be delivered in 2026.
Importantly, the institutional, legal, and strategic frameworks developed under the CREWS ASW Guinea Project will serve as a blueprint to ensure optimal use of already available funding and mobilizing additional resources.
A third phase of the CREWS West Africa Project is being developed, which includes continued support to Guinea, with a focus on optimal use of services from regional centers such as RSMC Dakar , the Barcelona Dust Regional Center , MISVA for sub-seasonal forecasting, PRESAGG for seasonal forecasting, FFGS for flash flood forecasting, FANFAR for riverine forecasting, or NWC-SAF for nowcasting.
