Vanetia R. Phakula

• Provide regional leadership and coordination for major climate and disaster risk reduction initiatives across Southern Africa, including Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER), the Southern African Regional Flash Flood Guidance System (SARFFG), and the Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) initiative.
• Supported the rollout of Impact-Based Forecasting (IBF) across SADC countries through the WISER programme, strengthening institutional collaboration between National Meteorological Services and Disaster Management authorities to enhance decision-making and early warning effectiveness.
• Coordinated regional capacity-building activities under the SARFFG project, enabling forecasters across SADC to operationally apply flash flood guidance products within national early warning systems.
• Led the coordination of multi-stakeholder workshops that informed the development and official launch of the EW4ALL Roadmap in South Africa, under World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-funded programmes.
• In collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), delivered regional IBF training to national stakeholders from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, and Lesotho during a workshop held on 13–14 May 2025.
• Contributed to Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS)–funded capacity development by delivering Flash Flood Guidance (FFG) training for Mozambique (2–6 June 2025), followed by expanded national-level training incorporating IBF components at INAM, Maputo (16–27 June 2025).
• Currently coordinating and overseeing national co-production workshops in selected SADC countries to strengthen stakeholder collaboration, support IBF operationalisation, and advance implementation of EW4ALL objectives.

Oversee innovative weather forecasting projects (including inter-divisional projects) to ensure the organisation continues improving its forecasting capabilities and outreach programs to vulnerable communities.

Successful projects in 2024, WISER Grant:

• Rustenburg Community Outreach (29-30 July and 1-2 August 2024)
• Impact-Based Forecasting Training for SADC countries (22-26 July and 07-11 October 2024).

Oversaw the general operations of the national forecasting division in SAWS, working with other regional managers to ensure that the objectives of SAWS are met.

Responsible for effectively implementing the SAWS strategic direction for the forecasting division in collaboration with other regional managers. Manage the department’s budget.

Maintain effective relationships with relevant organizations such as WMO, UKMET, National Disaster Management Center, Regional Managers and other internal and external stakeholders to deliver on the mandate of the department.

Performance of duties following applicable standards, policies and regulatory guidelines to promote a safe working environment.

• Responsible for securing funds nationally and internationally for the DRR projects and early warning services-related projects.
• Managing the budget from the donors to ensure the completion of the projects.
• Responsible for ensuring that the projects are implemented according to the agreements with the funders of the projects.
• Through this position SAWS was able to secure funding for:
• Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project from WMO, which included training by SAWS to SADC countries.
• Training and awareness campaign for Impact-based forecasting by SAWS to Disaster Management, media houses and NGOs funded by UKMET.
• Forecaster training on climate change funded by UKMET.

• Prepared and delivered lectures to postgraduate students training to be marine forecasters on Marine forecasting and Marine Meteorology basics.
• Evaluated and revised lesson plans and course content to achieve student-centered learning, including practical sessions.

• Supervise, generate and quality control region-specific public weather and marine forecasts according to pre-determined time scales.
• Oversaw daily operations to ensure high levels of productivity and team efficiency through supervision of junior personnel (forecasters and Meteorological technicians)
• Worked with management team to implement proper division responsibilities.

• Responsible to oversee the daily operations of forecasters and meteorological technicians within Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), as well as the upkeeping of infrastructure within the office.
• Oversaw the divisional annual performance plans (APP)progress within the Disaster Risk Reduction unit/division.
• Performed duties in accordance with applicable standards, policies and regulatory guidelines to promote a safe working environment especially due to Covid-19 pandemic.

• Analyzed meteorological data, such as surface observations, synoptic charts, RADAR, satellite imagery, as well as forecast model outputs to understand and interpret weather patterns to be able to produce public weather forecasts to clients such as the media, public and government officials (disaster management).
• Produced marine forecasts for a pre-determined time scale, for both coastal areas (southern Africa) and deep sea (MetArea VII);
• Provide Impact-Based severe weather alerts to disaster managers and relevant stakeholders which warn of possible impacts that could occur because of hazardous weather.