The West African Monsoon (WAM) is a dynamical coupled system in which climate evolution is linked to ocean/land surface forcings and to changes in the atmospheric composition. The understanding and predictability of the WAM variability requires a detailed knowledge of feedbacks between the surface (land-ocean) and the atmosphere. Such variability of the WAM has raised important issues related to sustainability, land degradation, and food and water security in the region.

The African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA) programme is an international, integrated multidisciplinary project dedicated to improving our knowledge and understanding of the WAM and its variability on daily-to-interannual timescales. The aim of AMMA is to address practical issues related to prediction of the WAM and applications in terms of societal need.

At the heart of AMMA is a multi-scale programme of observations. This session will include results from the AMMA field campaigns as well as modelling studies. These are providing new perspectives on the physics, dynamics and chemistry of the atmosphere, ocean and land, and their interactive mechanisms.