World Meteorological Day 2026: community champions observing today to protect tomorrow

In Zambia and Burkina Faso community volunteers are building legitimacy and confidence into weather forecasts and water-level measurement, encouraging their greater use by local people and showing how the utility of data depends on social processes of creation and sharing. Katharine Vincent, Djibril Barry, Julie Truelove and Willem Colenbrander report.

The theme of World Meteorological Day 2026 – ‘Observing today, protecting tomorrow’ – recognises the vital role that observation plays in producing reliable weather forecasts. The growth of technology has increased the ease with which we can collect data, whether through automated weather stations or satellites. But the Behavioural Adaptation for Water Security and Inclusion (BASIN) project has shown that people are also a critical part of the observing system.

In Zambia, community members are recording their own observations of weather conditions to ground truth and enable improvements of forecasts by information producers. In Burkina Faso, community members are collecting their own quantitative measurements of water levels to provide directly to other information users. Together, these cases illustrate the human face of ‘Observing today, protecting tomorrow’.

Checking forecast validity: community observers in Zambia

For the past two years community members in Kanyama, a densely populated area of Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, have been reporting weather conditions directly to the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD).

Until recently, ZMD’s understanding of weather came mainly from its network of monitoring stations. While these provide essential data, their spatial coverage is limited. Absence of observation data limits the process of validating models that are used to generate forecasts and early warnings for extreme weather events.

Community observers have added a new layer of information by reporting on rainfall – when and where rain fell, how long it lasted, and what impacts it caused. These observations provide a form of ‘ground-truthing’ that allows meteorologists to compare forecast outputs with actual conditions.

Incorporating local observations helps improve both the calibration of models and the interpretation of forecast uncertainty, ultimately strengthening the reliability and relevance of the information provided to the public. So there is no doubt that observations – whether through scientific measurements or personal accounts – strengthen weather services. But in Kanyama, another important benefit has emerged from this process: trust.

A lack of trust is a major barrier to the use of weather information in everyday decision-making. If people do not trust the information or understand how it is produced, they are unlikely to use it. And this was the reality in Kanyama where, two years ago, very few people paid attention to weather forecasts.

The situation today is very different. Having participated in the observation process, community observers have gained insight into how weather services work, including their strengths and limitations. They also have had direct contact with meteorologists and forecasters at ZMD. This involvement has built legitimacy and confidence in the forecasts that are produced.

As a result, many observers now actively use weather information in their daily lives – deciding what to wear, how and when to travel, and when to undertake farming or business activities. Convinced of its value, they are increasingly acting as ambassadors for weather information within their communities.

The observers in Kanyama share forecasts and warnings in churches, schools and community meetings. Because the observers themselves are trusted and familiar members of the community, others are more willing to listen and act on the information. Many residents have even expressed interest in contributing their own observations, suggesting the potential for scaling up such approaches.

This experience highlights an important lesson: observing the weather is not only about instruments and satellites – it is also about people, relationships and credibility.

Collecting water measurements: community relays in Burkina Faso

A similar story is emerging in Burkina Faso, where community volunteers are helping strengthen the availability and usability of hydro-meteorological information.

As in many countries in the region, the network of weather observation stations is sparse. This creates significant data gaps that constrain modelling, forecasting and early warning systems. When information is perceived as unreliable or too generalised, communities are less likely to use it.

To address this, in four river basins, volunteer ‘relays’ have been collecting water-level measurements for several years. Using simple but locally appropriate tools, they generate quantitative data on rainfall from local river levels and changes in the water table, which is then communicated to other community members.

These observations support both collective and individual decision-making. At the collective level, they contribute to water resource management, including anticipating the risk of flooding and water shortages. At the household level, they inform farming decisions such as where and when to plant.

In Meguet, for example, men participating in a focus group discussion described how they had adjusted the location of their crops after receiving alerts from relays about rising river levels. By avoiding flood-prone areas, they reduced the risk of crop loss – helping to prevent subsequent periods of food insecurity.

Community relays are now regarded within their communities as climate information specialists whom other community members can approach directly for information and advice.

This example illustrates how locally generated observations can translate into tangible development outcomes, particularly when they are timely, trusted and actionable. Connections have been made with the relevant authorities in Burkina Faso who have expressed interest in receiving the observations so they too, like in Zambia, can use them to inform production of more robust hydro-meteorological forecasts and advisories and rely on these networks to disseminate climate information.

From data to decisions: why people matter in observation systems

Taken together, these two cases point to a broader insight. The effectiveness of observation systems depends on the quantity and quality of data. But the translation of data into useful and useable information depends on the social processes through which it is created and shared.

Community observers and relays in Zambia and Burkina Faso are performing three critical roles:

• Data generation and validation: providing localised observations that complement and ground-truth formal datasets.
• Translation and communication: interpreting and sharing information in ways that are meaningful to specific communities.
• Trust-building and uptake: enhancing the legitimacy of weather and climate information, thereby increasing its use in decision-making.

These roles are fundamental to the concept of knowledge co-production. Co-production is increasingly embraced in the provision of weather and climate information through frameworks such as the Global Framework for Climate Services, which also emphasises user engagement and the tailoring of information to context.

Observing today, protecting tomorrow – together

As climate variability and extremes intensify, the demand for useful weather information will continue to grow. Expanding observational infrastructure is essential – but it is not sufficient.

On this World Meteorological Day, the message is clear: protecting tomorrow depends on what we observe. But beyond technology, people are key to those observations. And those people’s involvement increases the credibility, understanding and legitimacy of information, which is essential if that information is to be used to reduce risk and adapt to changing circumstances.

Katharine Vincent is Director at Kulima Integrated Development Solutions and a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute. Djibril Barry is Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Manager at Water Aid Burkina Faso. Julie Truelove is Head of Policy and Advocacy at Water Aid Canada. Willem Colenbrander is leading the Kanyama case study for Kulima Integrated Development Solutions in Zambia.

The Behavioural Adaptation for Water Security and Inclusion (BASIN) project is funded by CLARE.

CLARE is a flagship research programme on climate adaptation and resilience, funded mostly (about 90%) by UK Aid through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and co-funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. CLARE is bridging critical gaps between science and action by championing Southern leadership to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards. Through long-term commitments and partnerships worldwide, and needs-driven, action focused research, CLARE links up short-and long-term issues, enabling long-term, sustainable, and fair economic and social development in a changing climate while supporting action to reduce impacts now and providing a better understanding of climate risks.