RAIN4AFRICA proposal recommended for EU funding with an outstanding evaluation score of 14.5/15
ACCRA, GHANA- 14 August 2026- A consortium of 13 African and international partners has been recommended for €6,877,980 in funding under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme to launch RAIN4AFRICA project, “Village-Scale Rainfall Intelligence for Climate Resilience in West Africa.”
The 48-month project will close longstanding gaps in rainfall information and forecasting at the village level, combining ground-based observations, satellite and reanalysis data, advanced modelling, and user-oriented climate services to support agriculture, water management, and disaster-risk reduction across the region.
WASCAL holds the largest individual allocation in the consortium, at €1,242,308.75, representing 18.06% of the total EU contribution. The proposal received an outstanding score of 14.5 out of 15 from independent European Commission evaluators, including the maximum marks of 5/5 for both Excellence and Impact
Beyond improving rainfall forecasting, RAIN4AFRICA will also strengthen research and high-performance computing capacity in the region, contributing to stronger climate research infrastructure and scientific capabilities across West Africa.
Commenting on the significance of the achievement for WASCAL, Prof. Emmanuel Wendsongré Ramdé, Executive Director of WASCAL, said:
“RAIN4AFRICA is a major achievement for WASCAL and a strong recognition of the quality of our scientists and partnerships. It also reflects our sustained efforts to mobilise competitive resources to sustain research and innovation at WASCAL. As research funding becomes increasingly competitive, we must continue to diversify our funding base, build ambitious partnerships and position WASCAL to deliver solutions that respond to West Africa’s climate and development priorities,”
Dr. Seyni Salack, Interim Director of Research and Director of the WASCAL Competence Centre, highlighted the scientific significance of the result:
“Congratulations to the entire RAIN4AFRICA team for this excellent score of 14.5/15. It is a remarkable achievement and a strong recognition of the scientific quality of the proposal. But we have more work to do. Our responsibility now is to turn this success into scientific excellence, effective research and innovation delivery, and measurable impact for West Africa,”
At WASCAL, Dr. Belko Abdoul Aziz Diallo, Data Management Scientist and Head of the Programme Data Management and Digital Solutions (DMDS), served as the focal person for RAIN4AFRICA at the Competence Centre. His sustained scientific and proposal-development work was instrumental in shaping WASCAL’s contribution and helping craft a proposal strong enough to secure the highest funding share in a 13-partner consortium.
The RAIN4AFRICA outcome adds to WASCAL’s growing track record in competitive international research and innovation programmes and reinforces its role as a regional institution for climate research, innovation and scientific collaboration in West Africa. The success also reflects WASCAL’s institutional commitment to scientific excellence, competitive fundraising and high-quality delivery of research and innovation actions.
The RAIN4AFRICA consortium brings together 13 African and international organisations:
- West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL)- Ghana
- Ghana Meteorological Agency- Ghana
- Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA)- Burkina Faso
- Agence Nationale de la Météorologie (ANAM-BF) – Burkina Faso
- WASCAL-DRP WACS, Federal University of Technology Akure)- Nigeria
- AKADEMIYA2063- Rwanda
- International Water Management Institute (IWMI)- Sri Lanka
- Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)- Italy
- Institut Jožef Stefan- Slovenia
- DIGINOVE- France
- WAZIUP EV- Germany
- Fundación para la Investigación del Clima- Spain
- METEOGRID SL- Spain
WASCAL looks forward to working with the RAIN4AFRICA consortium to ensure effective project implementation and to translate the project’s research and innovation objectives into meaningful impact across West Africa.
By Marc Belemsobgo
WASCAL Communication Department
Email: info@wascal.org; press@wascal.org
Website: www.wascal.org