This operational guide is dedicated to public, academic and private institutions working in the fields of climate, water, environment, agriculture, livestock, plant protection, food and nutrition security, climate disaster risk reduction, and any other related sectors using (or wishing to use) the products and services of AGRHYMET Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel (AGRHYMET RCC-WAS), which is a specialized agency of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS). Its main objective is to enhance the value of AGRHYMET RCC-WAS's various products and services, by making them more visible and attractive to development stakeholders (public, academic and private), decision-makers and partners (technical and financial), through their performance, relevance, and effectiveness in meeting the specific and collective needs of different users in the countries of West Africa, the Sahel, and other zones. The guide maps out the various services provided by AGRHYMET RCC-WAS, which is a benchmark institution in the sub-region for diploma and continuing training in the various fields listed above, and for building the operational capacities of state, university and private technical institutions involved in reducing hydro-climatic and phytosanitary risks and improving the productivity of agro-sylvo-pastoral and environmental systems in West Africa and the Sahel. It explains the different types of services that AGRHYMET RCC-WAS provides or can provide, as well as the modalities and procedures that state technical institutions and other applicants must adopt to gain access to them, in accordance with their specific or collective, immediate, or future needs, and in compliance with environmental and social safeguard standards.

The 2024 Edition of the PRESASS was organized from April 22 to 26, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria, by AGRHYMET Regional Climate Center for West Africa and the Sahem (AGRHYMET RCC-WAS) of the CILSS, in collaboration with ACMAD, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), WMO and the West African River Basin Organizations. .......Generally a wet rainy season is expected in 2024 over the Sahelian belt, with late to normal starting dates of the agricultural season in the Sahel-Central and early to normal s in the Sahel-West and East; late to normal ending dates of the agricultural season; short dry spells at the beginning of the season in the Sahel-West and medium to long dry spells in the Sahel-East and generally long dry spells towards the end of the season over the entire Sahelian belt; and above-average runoff in the main Sahelian river basins.......