Development of a Climate Forcing Observation System for Africa: Data-Related Considerations

In the case of the African continent, the estimates of most climate forcing components are associated with large uncertainties, above all the greenhouse gas budget. The EU-funded SEACRIFOG project is designing an observation network which aims at reducing these uncertainties. In this practice paper, we present the various steps towards the design of this network and discuss the data-related implications. This includes the formulation of appropriate observational requirements for each variable considered essential to quantify Africa-wide climate forcing as well as an assessment of corresponding available observational infrastructures and data in order to determine data gaps, needs and priorities. The results are intended to inform the design of an interoperable African data infrastructure for environmental observations.