A fundamental goal of WASCAL is the improvement of West African livelihoods by supporting research, capacity building and decision making with cutting-edge knowledge on climate change and adapted land use. Consequently, many research and services provision activities of WASCAL focus on the development, extension and validation of research-based methods, technologies and adaptation options in the field of hydrology, meteorology, agriculture, biodiversity, remote sensing, and climate modelling amongst others.

In light of the consolidation phase of the core research program (CRP), the WASCAL Competence Centre in Burkina Faso (WASCAL CoC) is jointly organizing a hydro-climate & remote sensing training course in partnership with its German partners KIT/IMK-IFU, University of Augsburg, DLR and DKRZ.
WHO CAN ATTEND?

WASCAL students and scientists but also up to 10 additional seats are available for other students and early career scientists working in the field of meteorology, hydrology and remote sensing.
SESSIONS & FACILITATORS:

• SESSION I- Climate and Eddy-covariance stations of the Core Research Program: Specifications, data availability & maintenance (Berger S, Salack S)
• SESSION II- Station-based precipitation database, related gridded datasets and their retrieval from WADI (Bliefernicht J, Salack S)
• SESSION III- Introduction to algorithms to retrieve precipitation information from commercial microwave link: Fundamentals, data acquisition system & algorithms (Boose Y)
• SESSION IV- Remote sensing: Selected methods and tools for derivation of land surface characteristics for West Africa, and introduction of WASCAL-EUMETCAST antenna (Gessner U, Forkuor G)
• SESSION V- Climate model data and metadata: planting, growing and harvesting in the WASCAL Data Discovery and CERA/WDCC Portals (Hamann I)
• SESSION VI- Regionally adapted and fully coupled Regional Climate Model simulations (WRF, WRF-HYDRO description, data needs, case studies) (Kunstmann H)
• SESSION VII- An analysis of high resolution regional climate simulation results and its retrieval from WADI (Olusegun C)
• SESSION VIII- Fundamental objectives and principles of RCM bias correction (Laux P, Lorenz M)

TRAINING COST

The training course is free. Funding for the course covers only training, coffee breaks and lunch for participants. Therefore, every participant is expected to bear the cost of his/her transportation, breakfast, dinner and accommodation.
OTHER CONDITIONS FOR APPLICANTS

Beside WINDOWS operating system, the potential participants must also be familiar with Linux/Unix operating system. Having a basic programming skill is an advantage (e.g. MATLAB, FORTRAN, PYTHON, bash scripting, etc.). To participate, please send a motivation letter and an updated curriculum vitae (1 page max.) to sylla.b(at)wascal.org and cc to salack.s(at)wascal.org with the subject line “CoC March training” before 28th of February 2017, 16h30 GMT.

During the coffee and lunch breaks there will be time for poster presentations and scientific discussions. The participants should therefore prepare and bring a poster to the training course showing their current research.
DATE & VENUE

The training sessions will be held from 14th to 21st of March 2017 in the Conference room of WASCAL Competence Centre, Blvd Moammar El-Khadafi, 06 BP 9507 Ouagadougou 06, Burkina Faso. The language of instruction will be English.
CONTACT

For more information please contact commey.n(at)wascal.org
TRAINING AGENDA

Table 1: Provisional schedule of hydro-climate & remote sensing training sessions at WASCAL Competence Center, 14-21 March 2017, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

HYDRO-CLIMATE AND REMOTE SENSING TRAINING GENERAL INFORAMTION

WASCAL and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of Burkina Faso(MESRSI), have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see the Government of Burkina Faso supporting the construction and sustainable maintenance of the WASCAL Competence Centre in Ouagadougou.

The short ceremony which took place in Bonn, Germany, was put under the high authority of the State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of High Education and Research, Dr. Schutte and the Minister of High Education and Research of Burkina Faso, Prof. Sawadogo Michel Filiga. It was attended by Mr. Wilfried Kraus from German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) surrounded by other high officials of the Division in charge of innovation at BMBF and staff from Pt-DLR and by the Board Chair, Mr. Peter Justice Dery and the Executive Director of WASCAL, Dr. Laurent Sedogo.

By the MoU, MESRSI will provide competent staff by means of secondment as well as support WASCAL in its fundraising strategies with regional and international donors. The ministry, through the University Ouaga, will also make available plots of land of about 3 and half hectares amounting to about EUROS 305,343.5 near University Ouaga as site for the construction of the building complex of the Competence Centre which will serve as the scientific and academic centre of excellence for WASCAL.

WASCAL, will in turn allow for the use of its auditorium and classes by the University Ouaga to run the international Master’s programme on Climate Change and Informatics which is already subject to an agreement between WASCAL and the university.

In his speech, the Board Chairman Mr. Peter Dery, stated on behalf of WASCAL the importance of the signing which marks a take-off of the construction of Competence Centre.

“We at WASCAL have been looking forward to this very important milestone. And so today is a very remarkable day for us, and we hope that the journey of greater relationship between the Competence Centre and the Scientific Community of Burkina Faso and particularly the University of Ouagadougou has just began”.

He also thanked BMBF for their continuous support, citing the numerous financial support in carrying out the regional vision of becoming a think-tank in climate research and capacity building in West Africa.

Prof. Sawadogo, on behalf of the government for Burkina Faso reassured his full commitment to support the Competence Centre in its future development.

The Competence Centre of WASCAL is the scientific wing of the organization, responsible for research programmes and climate service provision for improving the resilience of land use systems in the face of climate change; securing the flows of key ecosystem services like food productions; and securing and improving human livelihoods.

The awardees were selected from six countries where WASCAL operates. They shall be partially supported to enable them go through a successful completion of their theses. Congratulations to the awardees. WASCAL is proud to have you contribute your quota towards the fight against climate change in West Africa.

This is a flagship Programme of the Capacity Building Department of WASCAL, and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research(BMBF)

The next call for proposals from students is now open, and will be closed by close of business 31 October, 2016. For more information, click here.

DOCTORAL THESIS AWARDEES

Jonas Asare, Berchie: Estimates of emission of CH4 and NO2 and mitigating strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ruminants in the transitional zone of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University Science & Technology, Ghana.
John Kanburi, Bidzankin: The impact of contract farming on rice farm household efficiency and technology adoption under different production ecologies in Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University Science & Technology, Ghana.
Ibrahim, Kaka Hassan: Changes Precipitation and their consequences in the Tahoua region, perceptions and strategies of adaptation of peasants, University of Abdou Moumouni, Niger.
Abdou, Harou: Integrated management of the factors limiting cowpea production for maximum productivity in Niger: Case of Tillabery and Maradi regions, University of Abdou Moumouni, Niger.
Matthew, Ojo: Value Chain Financing and Climate Change Adaptation among Plantain Farmers in Southwest Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria.
Daniel, Ugwu: Impact of Palm Oil Mill Effluent on Soil Productivity and Soil Water Activity; Using ‘INYI’ Community of Enugu State Nigeria as a Case Study University of Nigeria, Nigeria.
Ali Ibrahim, Abdou: Contribution of geophysical methods in the characterization of multilayered aquifers reservoirs of the Iullemmedien basin in Dosso region University of Niamey, Niger.
Madina, Doumbia: Regional climate modeling of West Africa Urban air pollution at local and regional scales Universite Felix Houphouet Boigny, Cote D’Ivoire.
Laurent, Gnonlonfin: Ethno-botany study and Structural characterization, Morphological and genetic variation of the remnant African ebony Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. Ex. Rich. Populations in Northern -Benin University of Parakou, Benin.
Adewale, Adeyefa: An assessment of the vulnerability of the Physical Environment of Nigeria’s Coastal zone to climate change, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria.
Christel, Kenou: Conserving and domesticating Garcinia afzelii and Garcinia kola (Clusiaceae) in Benin under climate change, University Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Moutari, Souley Kallo: Cost-effective and eco-friendly pigment development for low cost bio-photovoltaic cells, Federal University of Technology Akure, Niger.
Aboucacar Baba, Zoure: Resources potential and diversity of the endogenous knowledge on the uses of Annona senegalensis Pers.(Annonaceae), Univeristiy of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

MASTER THESIS AWARDEES SEPT. 2016

Carlos K., Tettey: Characterization and determination of virus resistance among cowpea unguiculata. Genotypes under different agro-ecological zones in central region of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Fifame Auriane, Oussou-Azo: Adapted pastoralism to climate change using indigenous fodder plants species in soudanian zone of Benin, University Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Ekemini Richard, Mbossoh: Underutilised Indigenous Vegetables Production as a Climate Change Adaptation option in Southwestern Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria.
Murielle Amenia Monsoyi, Zanou: Impact Assessment of climate change’s adaptation measures on the livelihoods of rice farmers in Benin, Universite Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Jonathan Angzene, YelevielBayire: Weather Forecast Information Communication: Perspectives of Rural Farmers in Lawra District, Ghana, University of Development Studies, Ghana.

The ambassador indicated that his government, who has already funded 50 Ghanaians to study in Hungary this year, would support the Capacity Building Department of WASCAL to enable it to continue building the next generation of scientists and policy makers, especially in the area of climate change and agriculture.

Mr. András disclosed this in a meeting with the management of WASCAL in Accra. He also commended WASCAL for its dedication and magnitude of achievements within the short time of its operations.

As part of the partnership, WASCAL has been invited by the government of Hungary to the opening ceremony of the Budapest Water Summit 2016, where the Executive Director, Dr. Laurent Sedogo would be part of the High Level Panel Discussion.

The November event will be discussing the topic “How To Get Green”. It would also serve as a great opportunity for WASCAL to strengthen its relationship with the global stakeholders, including the Hungarian government.

The three day international conference, organized by the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK), took place at the Accra International Conference Centre and attracted professional participants and visitors from various countries within and outside Africa. The event was an opportunity to showcase the leading role played by WASCAL in tackling the challenge of climate change in West Africa under the sponsorship of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (BMBF).

WASCAL built strategic relationships, established key partnerships, raised the corporate brand profile and created strong visibility through its interactions with the diverse stakeholders. Visitors to the stands were well fed with information about the research, climate service and capacity building components of WASCAL.

WACEE sought to get exhibitors from different sectors, including oil and gas, hydropower, renewable energies, energy efficiencies, water and waste water management and waste management. The event was an effort to meet the increasing demands for energy and smart technologies. It also provided key solutions to the energy crisis that the world is growing through in the Power, Renewable Energy & Energy Conservation, Environment & Waste Management industries.