The OUTLAST project aims to develop a system that caters to the needs of stakeholders and policymakers across multiple sectors on a global scale, with a focus on addressing the challenges faced in data-scarce and transboundary watersheds. To achieve this goal, one of the main pillars of the project is the collaboration with end-users in pilot regions and their involvement in the co-design process. In this endeavor, we are pleased to have the support and participation of stakeholders from the Lake Victoria Basin region.
On 14th April 2023, we started the co-design process with our first online seminar with participants from various water-related sectors and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services from the Lake Victoria Basin. In the seminar, which was moderated by Ms. Sulagna Mishra from WMO, we introduced the OUTLAST project and outlined the stakeholder interaction. Additionally, Mr. Stefanski from WMO and Ms. Otieno from IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) briefed the participants on the East Africa Drought Watch and other regional drought early warning systems. The seminar was completed with fruitful discussions on the development and operation of drought forecasting systems and various follow-up questions.