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SAFE4ALL Gathers in Accra

April 3, 2025

In March 2025, the SAFE4ALL consortium came together in Accra for a week of deep reflection, lively collaboration, and forward-thinking action. After months of virtual calls, emails, and shared documents, the Year 2 General Assembly offered something invaluable – the opportunity to connect face-to-face.

From the conference room to the sunlit field visit to the Ashaiman Irrigation project, over 70 representatives from the project’s 17 partner organisations reunited from Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Greece, and beyond. Hosted by our Ghanaian partners, the University for Development Studies (UDS) and Volontariato Internazionale Per Lo Sviluppo (VIS Ghana), the gathering sparked honest conversations, critical insights, and warm reunions over jollof rice, all fueling fresh energy for the work ahead.

General Assembly: Revisiting, Reimagining, Reconnecting

24th – 26th March 2025, Accra

The SAFE4ALL General Assembly opened with a welcoming address by Prof. Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic (UDS), introductory remarks from Gabriele Proietto (VIS), and an opening prayer led by Richard Muita (Kenya Meteorological Department). The tone was set with a look back at the consortium’s journey over the past year and a forward glance at the week’s goals. Spyros Paparrizos (Wageningen University and Research) recapped the previous assembly in the Netherlands, and outlined the days ahead, while a light team-building session helped rekindle connections, especially among those meeting face-to-face again after months of remote collaboration.

Living Lab Spotlights - Local Progress, Shared Purpose

Updates from the three national Living Labs offered a grounded view of how SAFE4ALL is evolving in context. In Ghana, Prof. Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic (UDS) presented an overview of the Climate Information Services (CIS) landscape and highlighted progress, including the development of the DROP App. From Kenya, Prof. John Wesonga (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology) shared updates from work across four counties, emphasizing how national climate policies are shaping the lab’s direction and supporting the project’s goals. In Zimbabwe, Dr. Prince Kuipa (Zimbabwe Farmers‘ Union) reported on progress and challenges, with a focus on how national strategies align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Zimbabwe National Development Plan. The team also discussed tool pre-testing and key gaps in the country’s climate action efforts.

Tools in Action - Prototypes Enter the Field

A showcase of emerging digital tools brought the consortium’s technical work into sharp focus. From localized weather advisories to early-warning systems and food systems analysis, the tools reflected a shared commitment to usability and impact. The Climate Impact Atlas (by Climate Adaptation Services) translates complex climate data into accessible, location-specific insights. The Uliza-WI Chatbot (by Weather Impact), operating on the Telegram platform, provides farmers and extension officers with timely weather forecasts and crop advice. The High-Impact Thunderstorm Nowcasting (by MicroStep-MIS) system applies AI and satellite data to generate early warnings, particularly in regions lacking radar infrastructure. The DROP App (by WUR) combines scientific forecasts with local knowledge to deliver accessible, hyper-local weather advisories. The Foodshed Information Service – FIS (by WUR) platform supports the assessment of vulnerabilities in food and water supply chains, enabling more responsive planning. Lastly, Neuralio’s Forecast Engine uses reinforcement learning and Earth observation data to improve predictive modeling and support scenario testing for long-term policy decisions. Together, these tools offer a glimpse into SAFE4ALL’s broader ambition – climate services that are practical, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of their users.

Understanding the Bigger Picture - Migration, Food, and Policy Links

The conversation also turned to the intersections of migration, food systems, and policy. Dr. Jeroen Warner (WUR) introduced the Capability Approach as a lens for understanding resilience and wellbeing, framing climate challenges in terms of people’s real freedoms and opportunities. Building on this, Gabriele Proietto and James Natia (VIS) presented findings from migration mapping and policy analysis across Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe – revealing institutional gaps and highlighting the importance of stronger coordination across sectors and governance levels.

Business Models for Real-World Impact

Day two shifted from reflection to planning, with sessions focused on making SAFE4ALL’s tools and learning efforts truly sustainable. Monica Estébanez Camarena (Weather Impact) led a hands-on Business Model Canvas (BMC) session, guiding tool teams to map out pathways for long-term use. Drawing on real-world examples – from QGIS to Spotify – she introduced different models for financing, ownership, and branding. Insights from guest speakers enriched the conversation: Yannick Chokola (AUXFIN) shared lessons from cooperative farmer networks in Burundi, while Dr. Sander Zwart (International Water Management Institute) presented SME-focused case studies from Ghana. By the end of the session, teams had outlined the value, users, and sustainability strategies of their tools – laying the groundwork for future development and implementation.

Making Learning Work

The Learning Programme workshop, led by Fitsum Gelaye (Resilient Cities Network) and Sophie van der Horst (CAS), helped country teams turn high-level goals into practical steps. Each Living Lab reviewed its 2030 learning vision, chose one goal to prioritize, and mapped a plan to activate it with SAFE4ALL’s support. The programme will continue online and in person, with materials shared through national Climate Atlases and a workshop planned in Tamale (Northern Ghana). Partners were encouraged to share content, invite new participants, and co-create sessions to ensure the Learning Programme remains responsive and grounded in each country’s needs.

Communication That Reaches and Resonates

The focus also turned to how communication can drive deeper impact. Lenka Sulikova (MicroStep-MIS) shared reflections on the project’s evolving communication efforts – from increasing outreach and visibility to fostering stronger engagement across channels. Participants then explored how to better reach key audiences, including farmers, extension officers, policymakers, researchers, NGOs, and local media. Discussions emphasized the need for clear, targeted messaging and content rooted in real-world experiences. The ideas shared will inform the project’s next phase of strategic communication – with an eye on interaction, relevance, and long-term legacy.

Charting the Path Forward

As the strategic sessions came to a close, Living Lab teams from Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe presented draft roadmaps outlining key priorities for the years ahead. These plans tied together insights on sustainability, learning, and communication, setting a shared direction for continued collaboration. With Year 3 on the horizon, the focus now turns to integrating tools into local systems, deepening engagement, and expanding training opportunities. The commitment is clear – not just to deliver solutions, but to co-create them with the communities they’re designed to serve.

From Meeting Room to Maize Fields

To close the General Assembly, we traded conference attire for light cotton and safari hats and stepped into the field. A visit to the Ashaiman Irrigation Project offered a grounded view of climate adaptation in action, connecting partners with the people and systems at the heart of our work. The project supports peri-urban farmers with reliable access to irrigation water, enabling consistent crop production even as rainfall patterns shift. This stability translates into stronger food security and livelihoods for small-scale producers working at the urban fringe. Beyond the data and diagrams, the visit reminded us who we’re building for – and why localized, practical solutions matter.

Technical Days: Connecting Data, Tools, and Local Action

27th – 28th March 2025, Accra

Following the momentum of the General Assembly, the SAFE4ALL Technical Days brought partners, researchers, and a wider group of local stakeholders together – this time with a sharper focus on climate data, digital tools, and real-world application. The sessions blended technical exchange with grounded dialogue, emphasizing collaboration across disciplines and regions.

Participants co-created user stories that reflected real-world challenges faced by farmers, extension officers, and NGOs, which were then used to guide the design principles for new tools. A suite of workshops followed, ranging from AI-based thunderstorm forecasting, data assimilation for seasonal models, to hands-on climate data analysis using Jupyter notebooks. Stakeholders also explored tools like the Uliza-WI Chatbot, DROP App, and Foodshed Information Service, identifying how these digital innovations can be adapted and applied across SAFE4ALL Living Labs.

The event concluded with a session on operationalizing the Living Lab concept, including stakeholder roadmaps for local implementation. Notably, the Technical Days received national media attention – resulting in high-level coverage that helped position SAFE4ALL in Ghana’s public dialogue on climate adaptation:

 

This visibility underscores the growing relevance of climate tools grounded in both science and community experience, and the value of translating technical dialogue into broader public impact.