AMMA is a coordinated international project to improve our knowledge and understanding of the West African monsoon (WAM) and its variability with an emphasis on daily-to-interannual timescales. AMMA overarching aims are:
Based on a French initiative, AMMA was built by an international scientific group and is currently funded by a large number of agencies, especially from France, UK, US and Africa. It has been the beneficiary of a major financial contribution from the European Community's Sixth Framework Research Program. Detailed information on scientific coordination and funding is available on the AMMA International web site.
At this time scientists from more than 25 countries, representing more than 140 institutes are involved in AMMA. An international structure has been established to oversee and coordinate the ongoing activities, the basic research and a multi-year field campaign. AMMA is developing close partnerships between those involved in basic research of the West African Monsoon, operational forecasting and decision making, and it is establishing blended training and education activities for African technical institutions and schools.
In addition to this international structure which has been set up, a network of African scientists linked to AMMA has been established which will help to consolidate existing collaborations in Africa and to federate initiatives through a pan-African partnership.
AMMA is endorsed by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and continues to develop in association with CLIVAR and GEWEX. AMMA has also been endorsed by IGAC and ILEAPS within International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP). AMMA is also working with THORPEX to achieve shared goals concerned with the prediction and predictability of meteorological and climate events which affect African societies. AMMA is working other international projects and programs of WMO to achieve its aims including GCOS and GOOS.