FIO Teams Up with African Partners to Advance the OSF Programme

Recently, the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) has made a significant milestone in its collaboration with African partners, as the Ocean to Climate Seamless Forecasting in Africa (OSFiA) Project was officially endorsed as an Ocean Decade action. The Project, jointly developed by scientists from Benin, Egypt, Kenya, and other African nations, has been integrated into the broader Ocean to Climate Seamless Forecasting System (OSF) Programme hosted by FIO as its eighth Project. Dr. Zacharie Sohou, Director of the Benin Fisheries and Oceanological Research Institute (IRHOB) and Vice Chair of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) serves as the Co-Principal Investigator of the Project.

Since its approval, the OSF Programme Office at FIO has been actively coordinating efforts to accelerate the project’s implementation. Through a series of virtual meetings with Dr. Zacharie Sohou, the OSF Programme Office has engaged in in-depth discussions on critical topics such as project planning, capacity building, and deployment of new OSF buoys.

On June 27, 2023, Professor Kouadio Affian, Chair of IOCAFRICA and Vice President of the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, visited FIO to further strengthen this collaborative effort. During his visit, Professor Affian held productive dialogues with the OSF Office team, addressing key priorities such as pressing needs of African countries for ocean forecast and climate prediction, the implementation of OSFiA, and the collaboration between the OSF Programme and IOCAFRICA under the Ocean Decade framework.

Professor Affian commended the progress of OSF Programme in fostering marine scientific research and practical cooperation across Africa. He underscored the importance of deepening collaboration between IOCAFRICA and OSF to conduct scientific research through the facilitation of OSFiA, share research findings widely with African nations, and establish demonstration areas for OSF products in Africa. Furthermore, he emphasized the need to enhance the involvement of African scientists and researchers in Ocean Decade initiatives, particularly through targeted training and capacity building activities. These efforts, he noted, were critical to addressing challenges impeding the sustainable development of African coastal communities.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the principles of “sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith” toward Africa, as well as the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. With a coastline spanning over 30,000 kilometers and special economic zones covering an area of over 1.5 million square kilometers, the African continent and adjacent island states are highly dependent on the ocean and the wealth of resources it provides. The ocean supports livelihoods and food security in the African region and protects coastal areas from extreme weather and climatic events. However, the escalating impacts of global climate change pose significant risks to these vital resources. Looking ahead, FIO is committed to deepening its partnership with African partners through the OSF Programme, further making positive contributions to enhancing Africa’s ocean forecast, climate prediction, and relevant capacity-building efforts.