Climate change remains one of the biggest challenges facing the world, and Africa has had its own share of its effects, placing a heavy toll on African nations. Some 21 post-doctoral researchers drawn from 13 African countries will be presenting their ground-breaking climate change and development findings at first-ever, end-of-research workshop.

The countries include Benin, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Uganda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

The 21 researchers embarked on an 18-month research in late 2019 to understand better the natural and socioeconomic dynamics of climate change so as to find some answers.

In their study, they covered key areas of improving early warning systems, weather and public health, climate resilience for African islands, floods, drought mitigation and adaptation.

That said, the researchers will present their findings in the workshop jointly organized by the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Africa Academy of Science (AAS).

The launch of the research findings marks a major milestone for the Climate Change for Development (CR4D) programme. In 2013, the African Climate Conference brought together more than 300 African meteorologists’, related climate scientists, climate service providers, practitioners and policy makers in the northern Tanzanian resort city of Arusha.

According to James Murombedzi, in charge of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), the meeting of climate stakeholders in Arusha discussed in great detail the state of African climate science and identified existing gaps that required coordinated response.

Importance of the Climate Research for Development

Climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience building, as well as capitalizing on emerging opportunities formed the basis of discussion with solutions being sought.

To correct this critical climate knowledge gaps scenario the Climate Research for Development (CR4D) initiative was born as one of the core resolutions of the watershed ACC-2013 summit.

“The Climate Research for Development seeks to strengthen links between climate science research and climate information needs in support of development planning in Africa.”

Following the establishment of the CR4D governing bodies, namely the oversight board, scientific advisory committee and the institutional collaboration platform, the ACPC partnered with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) under the Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) on the program to implement a robust climate research grant initiative.

Through this research programme, the CR4D initiative disbursed grants to the 21 post-doctoral researchers who are the inaugural cohort covering foundational climate science, climate change impacts and policy alongside advocacy and knowledge frontiers.

The grants were for an initial period of 12 months, which was later extended to 18 months to allow for in-depth investigations.

“The research initiative is already playing a critical role in mobilizing African climate researchers around a unified climate research agenda to address priority needs of policymakers and vulnerable communities in Africa.

“In addition to building the capacities of young African climate scientists through cross-regional exchanges, fellowship and secondments.” Jean-Paul Adam the director of technology, climate change and natural resources division at ECA notes.