A workshop was held from 16 to 20 June 2025 with the aim of co-developing draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hydrometeorological forecasting and warning systems for Burkina Faso, and to define the structure of similar SOPs for Togo.
Development of standard operation procedures for forecasting and warning in Burkina Faso and Togo Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are crucial for effective alert dissemination. They ensure a clear, coordinated, and timely response by providing predefined roles, responsibilities, communication channels, and action steps. SOPs reduce delays and confusion among stakeholders, enabling responsible authorities to deliver accurate and consistent alerts to the public and relevant stakeholders. This enhances the effectiveness of early warning systems, builds public trust, and ultimately helps save lives and reduce damage.
The workshop brought together professionals from Burkina Faso and Togo, representing key institutions such as ANAM , DGRE , DGPC , and CONASUR (Burkina Faso), as well as ANAMET , DRE, and ANPC (Togo). Its main objective was to co-develop draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hydrometeorological forecasting and warning systems for Burkina Faso, and to define the structure of similar SOPs for Togo through in-depth exchanges with national institutions. This collaborative process is essential to ensure forecasting capacities developed under the Burkina Faso Hydromet project contribute to safeguarding lives and livelihoods. The exchanges are expected to greatly benefit Togo, which is about to launch its GCF project to support early warning systems, as part of which warning procedures will require similar support. In addition, other countries' experiences were integrated into the discussions, contributing to informed recommendations for both Burkina Faso and Togo.
As part of the workshop activities, participants visited the newly constructed and equipped crisis room at ANPC in Togo. This visit provided a firsthand look at the forecasting visualization tools and alert dissemination systems currently in use. Given the critical role of crisis rooms in emergency situations, as centralized hubs for monitoring, decision-making, and coordination, experts from both countries shared experiences and discussed recommendations for improvement.
The workshop was conducted with technical support from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and PREDICT, and funding from CREWS Togo and Technical Assistance (TA) to Burkina Faso Hydromet projects.
WMO expresses sincere appreciation to ANPC Togo for hosting this workshop.
