SOFF: better global weather forecasting

Our FPS is supporting the UN-led SOFF initiative, which aims to close the gaps that exist in weather observations worldwide. Since July 2025, our Special Envoy for Climate and Environment, Willem van de Voorde, has also served as co-chair of the Steering Committee. Reliable weather data are a global necessity – and will also enhance our own weather forecasts.

The fact that climate disruption is hitting harder and harder is stating the obvious. Extreme weather phenomena, such as persistent droughts followed by wildfires, violent hurricanes, floods, etc are emerging across the globe.

Early warning

It is therefore essential to have robust information systems in place that allow such extreme weather to be predicted sufficiently far in advance. Early awareness and the ability to issue early warnings make it possible for preventive measures to be taken in time, helping to minimise the most severe damage. Investments in early warning systems are therefore highly cost-effective.

If you truly want to forecast the weather effectively and as accurately as possible, you need sufficiently detailed information that covers the entire surface of the Earth. And there’s the rub: many regions lack reliable systems for collecting weather and climate data.

SOFF

The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) has been working to address this issue since 2021. SOFF is a financing mechanism that primarily supports Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in collecting weather data. SOFF therefore invests in new meteorological observation stations, often in crucial locations such as high-altitude areas. These stations are highly digitalised to enable rapid data sharing across the globe.

SOFF is a joint initiative of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). It forms part of an initiative led by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, which aims to establish early warning systems worldwide (Early Warnings for All).

€11 million

Belgium has been closely involved with SOFF from the very beginning. In 2024 alone, our FPS – through the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation – contributed €4 million. The total Belgian contribution has already reached €11 million, placing our country among the largest European donors. BELSPO, the Belgian Science Policy Office, and the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) also support the initiative, primarily by providing their technical expertise.

Since July 2025, we have even been at the helm of SOFF. Our Special Envoy for Climate and Environment, Willem van de Voorde, is serving a one-year term as co-chair of the Steering Committee. In that capacity, we issued a call during the recent UN financing conference for donors to increase their contributions to SOFF.

Though our primary aim is to support poorer countries, closing the gaps in global weather observations also benefits us, as it enables us to predict our own weather much more accurately as well. A great example of mutually beneficial partnerships!