Towards a research roadmap on climate change in Africa

Marrakech, Morocco 6 October 2014 (ECA) – A group of African climate research and impact communities began meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, today to agree a research collaboration platform on climate science in Africa that will be announced at the Fourth Annual Conference on climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-IV) which opens here Thursday.

Participants are meeting under the aegis of the World Meteorological Organisation and ECA/Africa Climate Policy Centre “to devise an institutional platform for linking African climate science research and knowledge to inform adaptation decision-making in Africa”, according to Ms Fatima Denton, Director of the Special Initiatives Division at the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Opening the meeting today, Ms Denton prodded participants to conscientiously promote what she called “utilitarian science” that would help Africa to take its full place on the world’s development train.

“This laudable initiative should aim at science that gives the power to the people; science that would allow the sahelian farmers to make strategic choices; science that will strengthen the productive capabilities of research institutions in Africa; and science that enables Africa to rise above current challenges… she insisted.

She promised that under the auspices of ClimDev-Africa programme, the African Climate Policy Centre is initiating a -1  Million Dollar capacity building programme to support the training of young African scientists in all areas of climate change and development.

She traced ClimDev’s support to the project back to its inception at the Arusha (Tanzania) conference and promised continued assistance in the provision of space, time and resources because the objectives of CR4D chime with the overall goals of ClimDev-Africa.

The guest of honor at the meeting, Mr Joseph Mukabana, Director, Depa&rtment of  Africa and Lest Developed Countries at the World Metrological Organisation (WMO), harped on the central role WMO has played in fostering research and development for operational climate services in Africa, announcing the eminent creation of a metrological institute for the Central African region.

He welcomed the choice of meeting’s key objective, which is to define a common climate research agenda for Africa and to address priority research gaps to deliver relevant climate services for end-users across the continent.

To the delight of the participants, Mr Ken Johm, coordinator for special initiatives in the agriculture and Agroindustry department at the African Development Bank (AfDB) briefed them on progress made so far on the Fund.

He recalled the support that AfDB has made to climate change projects across the continent and said that the new Fund would further strengthen that assistance to  institutions and scientists.

For two days, the meeting will review priority activities identified at ACC2013 Conference, seek new ways to advance climate science research frontiers in Africa-priorities based on societal needs and; identify climate research needs for policy and development in Africa.

Both the CR4D and CCDA–IV come in the wake of ever-increasing damaging predictions on climate risks for Africa by a recent UN-sponsored report which warns that although “African farmers have developed several adaptation options to cope with current climate variability, such adaptations may not be sufficient for future changes of climate.”

The Africa Climate Research for Development (CR4D-2014) is hosted by ClimDev-Africa with support from a number of institutions including ECA/ACPC, FutureEarth, World Climate Research Programme, Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security as well as UK DEFD.