Ouagadougou, December 16, 2025
By Peace Ahovi
WASCAL is reinforcing its position as a leading global climate science and innovation institution following the unveiling of its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan at COP30 and the convening of a high-level internal scientific and operational planning workshop in Ouagadougou from 16th to 17th December 2025.
This decisive step brings together WASCAL’s scientists, basin coordinators, and operational units to plan for the year 2026, align institutional priorities, and strengthen the foundations for globally fundable climate and renewable energy interventions. It marks a clear transition from strategy to action, positioning WASCAL as an investment-ready partner for climate change, renewable energy, and sustainability initiatives worldwide.
Central to this process is the “État Généraux of WASCAL Data,” comprehensive review of WASCAL’s observation networks, basin observatories, pilot sites, and legacy project datasets. These networks form a critical scientific infrastructure for generating high-resolution environmental, hydrometeorological, and agroecological data across West Africa, directly supporting climate services, agriculture, water management, disaster risk reduction, and energy planning.
By consolidating its data ecosystem and reinforcing governance, accessibility, and long-term stewardship through its Data Infrastructure (WADI) data repository, WASCAL is enhancing the credibility, usability, and scalability of its science – an essential requirement for international funding, policy uptake, and project execution.
Aligned with its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, WASCAL is open and strategically positioned for funding opportunities across the globe. The institution offers a robust platform for the execution of high-impact climate and renewable energy projects, including the development of policy briefs and decision‑support tools grounded in scientific evidence, policy implementation support, bridging research, governance, and on-the-ground action, co-creation with governments, development partners, academia, and the private sector.
Priority thematic areas include climate–conflict–migration dynamics, climate-smart agriculture and food systems, data management and digital solutions, land use and nature-based solutions, disaster risk reduction and early warning systems, as well as renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The workshop delivers concrete outputs that strengthen WASCAL’s attractiveness to funders and partners, including a diagnostic assessment of WASCAL’s data ecosystem, a roadmap for strengthened data governance and integration, a consolidated and results-oriented 2026 Institutional Work Plan with defined activities, outputs, timelines, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), as well as a structured approach to resource mobilisation and diversified funding portfolios.
With COP30 as the global launchpad of its 2026–2030 vision and 2026 as the first year of delivery, WASCAL is entering a new phase of scientific execution, innovation, and policy relevance. The institution invites international donors, climate finance mechanisms, research partners, and investors to collaborate in translating climate ambition into measurable impact.
