Dhaka, June 26 -- Climate experts have urged countries in the Horn of Africa to prioritize investment in early warning systems to reduce climate-related losses affecting livelihoods, ecosystems and critical infrastructure.

The recommendations were made during a virtual forum organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Thursday.

Paulino Omoj Omay, head of the climate change unit at the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center, warned that increasingly severe climate shocks across the region have made effective early warning systems essential to preventing widespread damage and loss.

He stressed the need to close existing gaps in early warning systems to lessen the impacts of extreme weather on public hea...