The High impact weather Lake System Project, or HIGHWAY, is a 4,500,000.00 GBP project under the Weather and Climate and Information Services for Africa (WISER) programme.
Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the aim was to enhance the resilience of African people and economic development to weather and climate related shocks, with an initial focus on the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB).
The LVB is the lifeblood of East Africa supporting approximately 25 percent of the population. The people and economy heavily depend on rain-fed agriculture and fish industries in this basin. On average, 3,000-5,000 deaths occur each year due to navigation accidents caused by strong winds and waves, and there were no regional, operational weather warning systems in place to protect the safety of those exploiting the natural resources of the LVB.
The HIGHWAY project has now come to an end. This video highlights the project achievements over the five years to March 2021.
Courtesy of the World Meteorological Organization, March 2021.