Getting ahead of Extreme Heat in Refugee Camps

Project
Share:
Icon
Ongoing
Total Funding:
CHF 100,000
WMO Long-Term Goal(s):
  • Climate Resilience and Adaptation
  • Global Framework for Climate Services
  • Capacity Development
  • Governance
Focus Area(s):
  • Forecasting
  • Data Management

Project background

The 18-month project, launched in June 2025 with financial support of 100,000 CHF from Fondation Lombard Odier, brings together WMO, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Microsoft, the WMO Regional Climate Center Africa (ACMAD), and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), for the production and delivery of impact-based forecasts and warning systems to support humanitarian response. This proof-of-concept project aims to co-design Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered, low-resource forecasting demo tools to predict not only high temperatures, but the specific impacts of extreme heat on refugee and host communities in two UNHCR-recommended camps in Africa. These tools aim to enhance timely, evidence-based decisions before, during, and after weather and climate hazards, especially heatwaves.  

Objective(s)

The project has two main objectives:

  1. To transform the WMO drought and extreme heat report into an interactive impact-based forecasting map for the intervention areas. This will provide more actionable and tailored information, telling not only how the weather will be, but also what the weather will do – and thus improving the effectiveness and timeliness of humanitarian interventions.  
  2. To create a tool using Machine Learning to identify risks and forecasting heat impacts in sub-Saharan Africa.  

Outputs

Output 1 - Transform the WMO drought and extreme heat report to an interactive impact-based forecasting map to enhance actionable and tailored information to better support humanitarian interventions 

Output 2 - Develop a prototype of an Impact Based Forecast and Warning System on extreme heat for refugee and internally displaced settlements in Africa 

Output 3 - Strengthen early warning capacities of the national NMHS and link to anticipatory action frameworks 

Output 4 - Encourage collaboration between NMHS and humanitarian organizations 

Output 5 - Assess the feasibility of scaling the approach for broader regional and humanitarian applications 

Related links and documents:
Share:

Implemented in

Donors

Fondation Lombard Odier logo

Partners
Unhcr the un refugee agency logo.