WASCAL – Page 56

Announcement: Application Process for Doctoral and Master’s Fellowships at the Graduate Studies Program Started

November 30, 2015
Bénin / Burkina Faso / Côte d'Ivoire / Gambia / Ghana / Mali / News / Niger / Nigeria / Sénégal / Togo / West Africa
By WASCAL
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Note: The call for application has been extended to January 22, 2016. Read more

WASCAL (West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use) is a large-scale research-focused Climate Service Center designed to help tackle severe challenges posed by climate change and thereby enhance the resilience of human and environmental systems to climate change and increased variability. It does so by strengthening the research infrastructure and capacity in West Africa related to climate change and by pooling the expertise of ten West African countries and Germany. Through the Graduate Studies Program WASCAL’s Capacity Building Program helps educate the next generation of scientists to attain an intimate knowledge of different climate related issues in order to help the region develop suitable management strategies.

The WASCAL Graduate Studies Program supports four Master’s and six Doctoral Programs implemented at ten lead Universities across West African countries. WASCAL provides full scholarships to the Doctoral and Master’s students in all the ten lead Universities with comprehensive training and research support. Doctoral students may spend up to six months at a host institution in Germany. The language of instruction is English. English and French language training programs are provided for all graduate students. Graduate students have access to the research facilities set up through WASCAL funding and located at various watersheds in West Africa. German partner universities collaborate with the Doctoral and Master’s Programs in the areas of curriculum development, visiting professorships and co-supervision of graduate students.

The WASCAL Graduate Studies Program offers its students:

High quality research and education on climate change and its impact on human environmental systems.
Up to six months at a host institution in Germany (Doctoral Programs only!)
Interdisciplinary working approach
International lecturers and supervisors
English language classes
Scholarship and research budget, including a personal laptop computer

Doctoral Programs

West African Climate System
Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form and the recommendation letter

Climate Change and Water Resources
Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Benin
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form

Climate Change Economics
Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Senegal
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form

Climate Change and Biodiversity
Université Felix Houphouet Boigny (formerly Université de Cocody‐Abidjan), Côte d‘Ivoire
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form

Climate Change and Land Use
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
Apply now: Download call for applications and referee form and application form

Climate Change and Agriculture
L’Institut Polytechnique Rural de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée, (IPR-IFRA), Mali and University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form

Time Frame

The time frame of the doctoral programs is three and a half years. During the first three months, students take English and/or French language classes and common courses at the language centers. During the next 6 months student participate in lectures at their Graduate Research Program and prepare their proposals. After their proposals have been approved by their supervisors, the students conduct their field research for 12 to 24 months. For the remaining period of time, students will write up their thesis and are offered to spend up to six months at a German host institution.

Requirements

Candidates applying for a Doctoral Program must have a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline in addition to a BSc degree (second class upper division).
Citizenship in one of the WASCAL member country (Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Sénegal, Togo)
Five credits including Mathematics and English Language that are also equivalent to Francophone university grading system
Gender-balanced selection decision
Applicant should show proficiency in English Language.
Meet additional requirement of the lead university

Master’s Programs

Climate Change and Human Security
University of Lomé, Togo
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form

Climate Change and Education
University of The Gambia (UTG), The Gambia
Apply now: Download application form

Climate Change and Energy
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey (UAM), Niger
Apply now: Download call for applications and application form

Climate Change and Adapted Land Use
Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
Apply now: Download application form

Time Frame

The time frame for the Master’s programs is two years. During the first year students participate in the course program of their Graduate Research Program and work on their research outline. Research will be conducted during the second year within a period of six to nine months. Students finish the program with writing up their thesis during the last three to six month.

Requirements

Candidates applying for Master’s Program must have a minimum BSc degree (second class upper division) in a discipline relevant to the respective program.
Citizenship in one of the WASCAL member country (Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Sénegal, Togo)
Five credits including Mathematics and English Language that are also equivalent to Francophone university grading system
Gender-balanced selection decision
Applicant should show proficiency in English Language.
Meet additional requirement of the lead university

Application Process

Note: The call for application has been extended to January 22, 2016. Read more

The application process is handled jointly by WASCAL and the individual Graduate Programs. Applications can be submitted online to any of the Graduate Studies Program for the 2015/2015 season until January 8, 2016. The details of the application process can be found at the respective programs pages (see linkes above). Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for interviews by January 15, 2016.

More information on the Graduate Studies Program and on open applications can be found here or at the respective universities websites.

Die Möglichmacher Teil 1 – Mit Afrika gemeinsam gegen den Klimawandel

https://www.dlr.de/dlr/Portaldata/1/Resources/videos/2015/Moeglichmacher_Gabin_Ananou_600.mp4
Gabin Ananou arbeitet für den DLR-Projektträger in Bonn. Hier werden Fördermittel verschiedener Ministerien verteilt und die geförderten Projekte betreut und begleitet. Ananou ist für die Klimakompetenzzentren des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) in Afrika zuständig. Er koordiniert und organisiert Forschungsinitiativen gegen die negativen Folgen des Klimawandels und ist verantwortlich für eine gut funktionierende Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem BMBF und den afrikanischen Partnerländern. Um aufzutanken steht Gabin Ananou als DJ an den Turntables.

Die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) erforschen und entwickeln Technologien von Morgen. Bei ihrer Forschungsarbeit, werden sie von vielen Seiten unterstützt. In dieser fünfteiligen Video-Reihe stellen sich einige Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter vor, die den Forschern den Rücken stärken, sie sind “die Möglichmacher”.

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First Graduates in Climate Change and Energy

The ten students, who originate from the ten WASCAL countries, defended their theses on November 9-12, 2015, working on such diverse topics such as hydro-power generation and hydro power systems, mapping for wind farmlands, photovoltaic modules, as well as biogas production.

Name of Students and thesis topic

Akpoti, Komlavi 2015. Impact of Rainfall Variability, Land Use and Land Cover Change on Stream Flow for Hydropower Generation in the Black Volta Basin. Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Balo, Abdoulaye 2015. Biogas production from various resources and potential greenhouse gas emission reduction in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Bonkaney, Abdou Latif 2015. Performance‘s study of solar Photovoltaic module in Niamey(Niger). Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Dajuma, Alima 2015. Effect of regional aerosols variability and climate change on PV efficiency :A comparative study between Niamey and Abidjan. Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Gassama, Adama 2015. Sensitivity of the efficiency and power output of photovoltaic module found in the Gambia to meteorological parameters: Assessment in a climate change perspective. Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Mortey, Eric Mensah 2015. Sustainability Assessment of the Bui Hydropower System. Master Thesis. University Abdou Moumouni.

Ndiaye, Aïssatou 2015. Long term evolution of heat waves and impact on electricity demand and/or consumption over West African cities: Comparative study between Dakar (West Coast) and Niamey (Central Sahel). Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Nkwanko, Nnenna 2015. Biogas Production for Sustainable Development (Brong Ahafo -Ghana). Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Obahoundjé, Salomon 2015. Potential Impacts of Land Use, Land Cover Change and Climate Change on Hydro power Generation in West Africa: The case study of Bui Dam (Ghana). University Abdou Moumouni. Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

Sawadogo, Nwindmanagda 2015. Suitability mapping for wind farmlands in Burkina Faso. Master Thesis, University Abdou Moumouni.

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WASCAL Celebrates Graduation at the Master Program Climate Change and Human Security, University of Lomé

The Master Program’s Director, Professor Kouami Kokou, opened the festivities and thanked all officials, guests and participants for their participation at the graduation ceremony. The graduating batch 2013-2015 is the second batch from the WASCAL Program at the University of Lomé, since the program’s implementation in Togo in 2012. The new graduates were ten young people from different backgrounds from six West African countries including Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo.

On behalf of the graduates, Miss Yomo Mawoulolo, thanked both the Togolese and German government, the officials at the ceremony, the President of the University of Lomé, and all the staff of WASCAL Program for all the efforts and sacrifices made throughout their training.

The ten students successfully graduated with theses in the following topics:

AMOU, Martial 2015. Rural livelihoods and cropping pattern under climate change in the Zio district of Togo, West Africa. University of Lomé. Supervisor Dr. Georges Abbey

ARYEE, Alberta 2015. Indigenous knowledge and resilience building in climate variability and change: comparative analysis of Chereponi in Ghana and Oti prefecture in Togo. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Julia Kloos

DANSOKO, Binta 2015. Environmental change and migration: a cross-villages assessment of human mobility and vegetation dynamic in the Dano watershed, Burkina Faso. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Papa Sow.

DEMBELE, Seydou 2015. Climate variability and rice production in Mali: a case study of Office Riz Segou. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Bino Teme.

GOMEZ, Leroy 2015. Social vulnerability to coastal erosion: empirical assessment of Gunjur village in the Gambia. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Janet Olatundun Adelegan.

GOUBALAN, Elvire 2015. Knowledge transfer between scientific community and policy makers for addressing climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Ghana. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Grace Villamor.

NTAJAL, Joshua 2015. Flood disaster risk mapping in the lower Mono River Basin in Togo: application of geographic information system and remote sensing. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Benjamin L. Lamptey

OKELEYE, Sunday 2015. Impact assessment of flood disaster on livelihoods of farmers in selected farming communities of Oke-Ogun region of Oyo State, Nigeria. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Felix Olorunfemi

YAO, Eric 2015. Effect of climate change on the cost of malaria treatment among households in farming communities in the Bole district, Northern Ghana. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Prof. Francis k. Obeng

YOMO, Mawoulolo 2015. Role of local institutions in shaping the response of farming household to climate change and variability: a case study of Bongo district in Ghana. University of Lomé. Supervisor: Dr. Grace Villamor

The ceremony was honored by many high-ranking guests, among them:

Mr. Octave Nicoué K. Broohm, Minister of Higher Education and Research of the Republic of Togo.
Mr. André Johnson, Minister of Environment and Forest resources.
Mr. Christoph Sander, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Professor Messanvi Gbéassor, President of the University of Lomé and member of the WASCAL Governing Board.
Professor Sanda, 1st Vice President of the University of Lomé.
Mr. Ananou Gabin, German Aerospace Center – Project Management Agency (DLR PT)
Madame the Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Higher Education and Research of Togo.
Mr. Tchakou, Accountant of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of Togo.
Representatives (3) of the Embassies of Nigeria, Mali, and Senegal.
Representative (1) of The World Bank.
Director of the academic affairs of the Embassy of the United States of America.
Dr. Laurent Sédogo, Wascal Executive Director.
Pr. Janet O. Adelegan, WASCAL Capacity Building Director.
Dr. Grace Villamor, supervisor of WASCAL students and WASCAL researcher.

The “Grazing Game”: Playing climate change in West Africa

ZEFnews No. 32 | 2
EDIToRIAL: RooT CAUSES oF MIGRATIoN NEED MoRE ATTENTIoN
Everyday we are confronted by a continuous series of pictures, videos, reports, and news revealing the plight of desperate people risking and sacrificing their lives to attain secure and better living conditions in countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. According to statistics on forced migration in the UNHCR report “Global Trends”, almost 60 million people were forcibly displaced globally at the end of 2014. Among the displaced are internally displaced persons (38.2 million), refugees (19.5 million), as well as asylum seekers (1.8 million). The search for bet-ter living conditions forces thousands of people to travel either on broken-down boats across the Mediterranean Sea, as a human cargo in overcrowded and stifling trucks, or as stowaways on train routes such as the notorious “La Bestia” from Central to North America. The countries of the global North are complicit in creating the pres-ent refugee crisis with their refusal to implement legal immigration options and, thus, secure escape routes. The topography of forced displacement shows once more that the root causes of forced migration need more attention than in the past. The reasons why people are forced to migrate are multiple and related to a complex system of economic, environmental, social, and political intercon-nected processes and causalities. Since its inception in 1997, ZEF has been conducting interdisciplinary research in countries of the global South to find science-based solu-tions for precisely such development-related issues. It will have to intensify its efforts given the current crisis.Eva Youkhana has been Director of ZEF’s Department of Political and Cultural Change as of September 1, 2015
LEAD ARTICLE
THE “GRAZING GAME”: PLAYING CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST AFRICA
The most extreme effects of climate change are projected in West Africa and are expected to occur in desert and grassland areas. It is crucial for local populations in this region to better understand what such projections mean for them so that they can develop sound adaptation poli-cies and interventions. For this purpose, we developed an online game, called the ‘grazing game’. With this comput-er-based game we conducted trials with local farmers at multiple study sites in West Africa. The grazing game is a learning tool to better understand the behavior of farmers in response to climate variability under semi-arid condi-tions and to facilitate social learning. The grazing game was also designed to reveal the human-induced processes that lead to over-grazing and desertification. So the game shows the players’ interactions with environmental condi-tions and their resulting decisions. Here, we are reporting on the game trials we conducted in Benin and Ghana. In Ghana, we conducted a total of 23 game trials around the Vea catchment of the Upper East Region of Ghana involving 243 individual farmers. In Benin, we explored gender-specific responses and coping strategies with respect to climate variability in the agrarian context. In Benin, we used a combination of a household survey and an experimental gaming exercise involving 260 households. 76 percent of the respondents were male and 24 percent female.Ghana: Playing climate changeThe game trials we ran in northern Ghana replicated rain-fall fluctuations and assessed the respective responses of
ZEFnews No. 32 | 3
local farmers. The farmers responded very positively and by playing the game were able to identify coping strategies such as selling cows, seeking government assistance, and engaging in alternative livelihood means. It turned out that the farmers participating in the game tended to avoid uncertain situations and sought to simplify their decisions. on the other hand, the game provided insights into the farmers’ rich ecological knowledge of environmental indi-cators. Based on the results of the game trial, we found that the game can facilitate instrumental and communica-tive learning processes among the players and facilitators. Further, the game can serve as a platform where players share their views, knowledge and perceptions of climate-related issues. Benin: Gender mattersThis study explores gender-specific responses to climate variability and related coping strategies in the agrarian context of Benin in West Africa. To date, there is only a limited understanding of gender-differentiated impacts of climate change in West Africa. Yet, there is an urgent need to integrate gender analyses into adaptation responses to climate change. only a few studies have explored the linkages between gender and agro-ecological sustainabil-ity, decision making, and the shaping of multi-functional landscapes. In this research conducted in the context of a semi-arid ecosystem in northern Benin, we explored the following questions: How do male and female farm-ers perceive and react to climate variability and extreme weather conditions? Do male and female perspectives dif-fer in terms of land-use preferences and coping strategies for climate variability? What determines related decisions under conditions of climate uncertainty? These research questions are linked to the overall understanding of resil-ience among subsistence agricultural systems in semi-arid ecosystems. Improved knowledge of gender-differentiated exposure and response to shocks, particularly climate change-related shocks, is key to helping communities become more resilient in the face of the risks and uncer-tainty associated with global climate change. Women are more active and innovativeRural subsistence farmers in northern Benin are suffer-ing from highly erratic rainfall patterns. Some of the 260 households interviewed about gender-related responses to climate variability also participated in an experimental gaming exercise. The results indicate that although men and women are equally aware of climate variability and share similar coping strategies, their specific land-use related strategies, preferences, and motivations differ. In this game, both male and female farmers played the role of land manager under erratic rainfall conditions. Both methods captured some aspects of the realities they are facing and common problems in the study area. Although perceptions and adaptation measures related to climate change are quite similar between men and women, the means, capabilities and motivations vary by gender. Thus, their approaches to the risks and uncertainties were also different. While men remain the primary decision makers in Benin households, women were found to respond in more active, dynamic and innovative ways (in terms of diversifying income sources) when dealing with rainfall variability. Men continued to engage in seasonal migra-tion or permanent relocation as a coping strategy, which is a common response to economic hardship. Although migration or relocation may increase household resilience for both those who stay and those who migrate, women are most likely to stay and continue to cultivate crops for household subsistence and thus bear the impacts of climate change.Games can make a differenceThus, the differences between male and female decisions lead to varying extents and ways of exposure to risk and vulnerability to climate change-related shocks and coping mechanisms in the long run. our study provides initial steps towards enhancing capacities for adaptation and resilience among rural subsistence farmers. We do so by addressing gender-specific responses to the effects of cli-mate change through anticipatory learning.
About the author
Grace Villamor is a senior researcher at ZEF. This research is funded by the WASCAL program (BMBF)
Contact: grace.villamor@uni-bonn

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Workshop: Climate Information for Adaptation and Policy Development

Organized by the Centre for Continuing Education, the WASCAL Graduate Research Program West African Climate System (GRP-WACS) and the Department of Meteorology & Climate Science of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the workshop was held from September 14-18, 2015 at the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

The main target of the workshop was contributing to a better understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change among policy- and decision-makers. The program provided training on, among others, projections, variability and weather extremes, challenges, risks and opportunities related to climate change, adaptation, policy and governance as well as climate change policy design and response.

Professor Jerome Omotosho, Director of GRP-WACS, highlighted in his opening speech that the workshop was to provide adequate information and raise the understanding of climate change among stakeholders and most importantly facilitate discussion on which measures could be taken to put this knowledge into practice.

This is the first of a series of workshops planned in the next 9 months, by the three Departments of GRP-WASC and FUTA, on various aspects of climate change and weather. The next workshop is planned to be organized in collaboration with the WASCAL Master Program Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, Federal University of Technology, Minna and to thus expand the stakeholder reach.
Media Coverage:

FUTA workshop examines climate change causes, consequences, EnviroNews Nigeria, September 16, 2015.

Why we organised climate change information workshop- WASCAL chief, Newswatch Times, September 23, 2015

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FUTA workshop examines climate change causes, consequences

In an effort to broaden understanding of climate change and the capability for incorporating its issues into decision-making and policy development and implementation, the Federal University of Technology, Akure in collaboration with West African Science Service on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use Graduate Research Programme – West African Climate Science (WASCAL GRP-WACS, FUTA centre) and the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science of FUTA, embarked on a five-day training workshop on Climate Information for Adaptation and Policy Development.
The workshop, which drew participants from ministries, departments & agencies (MDAs), and university departments, is aimed at dealing with current topics on climate change causes, consequences, management and adaptation.

Specifically, the workshop is addressing issues of climate change: the science, causes and consequences; climate change projection, variability and extremes; climate change challenges, risks and opportunities; politics and economics of climate change; climate change mitigation; climate change: adaptation, policies and governance and climate change policy design and response.
ALSO READ: Photos: Opening of FUTA climate change workshop

Director, WASCAL GRP-WACS, Prof. Jerome Omotosho, in his welcome remarks at the opening session of the workshop on Tuesday, said there had been a lack of adequate information to stakeholders on climate change.

According to him, everyone talks about climate change but a lot of people do not really understand what it is all about.

He stressed that the workshop was organised to bring middle-level officers from MDAs and reach out to them on what climate change is all about, what brings it about and, importantly, what can we do.

“That is why we put this workshop together,” he said.

Director, Centre for Continuing Education, Dr. J.O Bashorun, said the environment is now threatened and human health and food scarcity is of concern to people even in the developed world.

Head of Meteorology and Climate Science Department, FUTA, Prof. Kehinde Ogunjobi, said the workshop is coming up in line with the new name of the department. He explained that, for the Third World countries, the issue is more of adaptation than mitigation.
ALSO READ: Climate change, food security: African Water Facility supports new Zambia dams

He added that the workshop would help to collate ideas which will be useful for policy and decision makers in addressing climate change challenge.

While declaring the workshop open, Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, represented by his deputy, Prof. Tunde Arayela, noted that the world’s climate is changing and would continue to change, and that it has been postulated by scientists that, by the end of this century, global temperature will rise significantly by more than two degrees celsius.

He said such a level of warming and attendant changes in climate would have a severe impact on socio-economic development.

“There is now a growing shared understanding that the response to climate change can only be effective if it is linked with the broader array of policy and development.

“It is therefore obvious that the solution must involve multi-disciplinary research agenda with natural and social scientists working together to deliver sustainable strategies to combat this menace,” he added.
ALSO READ: Taking action on climate change will boost economic growth – OECD

Daramola, who congratulated the WASCAL director, Head of Meteorology and Climate Science department and the Centre for Continuing Education on the eventful milestone, said the institution management’s expectation is that the workshop will identify challenges presented by climate change, project into future and expectations, and develop pragmatic approach for adaptation.

He urged participants, as scientists, to synergise with both local, national and international institutions to assist in stopping degradation of the only home of man through workshop of this nature and advocacy programmes.

“The linkages between climate change and the three pillars of sustainable development – environment, social, and economic – are strong and deserve in-depth, expert discussion. It is, therefore, my sincere hope that this workshop will also play a catalytic role in helping policy and decision makers acquire deep understanding of climate change and work hard to mitigate its effects,” he added.

Untersuchungen in Bonn: Der Klimakiller aus den Reisfeldern

BONN. Wenn es in der öffentlichen Diskussion um den Klimawandel geht, kommt die Sprache meistens auf das von Autos und Fabriken in Unmengen ausgestoßene Kohlendioxid. Das viel gefährlichere Methan fällt dabei gerne mal unter den Tisch, dabei ist es als Treibhausgas rund 25-mal wirkungsvoller und trägt mit etwa 20 Prozent zum vom Menschen verursachten Treibhauseffekt bei.
Von Thomas Kölsch, 31.08.2015
Es entsteht unter anderem durch den Reisanbau – und genau an dieser Stelle will die junge Wissenschaftlerin Agatha O. Akpeokhai ansetzen. Die Nigerianerin erforscht mit einem einjährigen Internationalen Klimaschutzstipendium der Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung an der Universität Bonn, wie sich dieser Treibhausgasausstoß in ihrem Heimatland, dem größten Reisproduzenten Westafrikas, effektiv drosseln lässt.

“Reis ist eines der wichtigsten Nahrungsmittel in Nigeria”, sagt die 28-Jährige, “also hat die Regierung jahrzehntelang immer mehr Flächen für den Anbau freigegeben. Das ist ja auch richtig, aber mit entsprechenden Maßnahmen ließe sich die Menge des dabei frei werdenden Methans durchaus reduzieren.” Vor allem die Bewässerung der Felder sei verbesserungswürdig. “Methan entsteht etwa bei Faulprozessen in stehenden Gewässern. Wenn man also die Felder ab und zu trocken legt, hat man schon etwas erreicht.”

Das Problem sei denn auch nicht, Alternativen zu den bestehenden Anbaumethoden zu finden, sondern vielmehr, die Reisbauern Nigerias von ihnen zu überzeugen. Denn Änderungen kosten Zeit und Geld, und auch wenn die Landwirte das Problem verstehen würden, so würden sie doch nicht die Resultate sehen, so Akpeokhai.

Dabei sollen nun jene Zahlen und Statistiken helfen, die die junge Frau zusammenstellt. “Wir müssen herausfinden, welcher Prozentsatz des Landes auf welche Weise für den Reisanbau genutzt wird und welche Emissionen aus den verschiedenen Anbaumethoden entstehen. Mit diesen konkreten Daten kann man dann mit der Regierung und mit den Landwirten reden und Optionen überprüfen, die effizient, finanzierbar und nachhaltig sind. Ziel ist es, jene Anbaumethoden zu fördern, die mit einem geringeren Ausstoß von klimawirksamen Gasen verbunden sind”, sagt Akpeokhai.

Ihre Forschungen hätte die Nigerianerin, die in ihrer Heimat Agrarwissenschaften studierte und sich dort während ihres Masters auf den Klimaschutz spezialisierte, dank des Stipendiums der Humboldt-Stiftung überall in Deutschland durchführen können. Die Wahl fiel allerdings recht schnell auf Bonn: “Die Fernerkundungs-Arbeitsgruppe von Herrn Professor Menz hat einen hervorragenden Ruf, ihre Forschungsarbeit ist faszinierend”, sagt Akpeokhai, die sich in der Bundesstadt sehr wohl fühlt und mit dem Stand ihrer Arbeit bereits recht zufrieden ist.

“Etwa die Hälfte ist fertig, 70 Prozent der Daten liegen bereits vor”, erklärt sie. “Wenn ich fertig bin, werde ich diese auch an die Bauern in Nigeria weiterleiten, an die Dorfvorsteher und an die Oberhäupter der verschiedenen Genossenschaften – und dann hoffe ich, dass alle die Bedürfnisse und auch die Vorteile sehen, ein paar Dinge zu ändern.”

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Climate change research in Africa for Africa

In July, the Council of Ministers of the West African WASCAL countries met in Berlin. It was agreed that the member states will finance and operate WASCAL themselves in the future. The initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), established in 2012, is an international and interdisciplinary research initiative whose aim is to build resilience to climate change and safeguard land use for food security. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), WASCAL is implemented by numerous institutions from ten African countries. The initiative’s highest decision-making body, the Council of Ministers, convened in Berlin, Germany, in July. It was agreed that the member states will finance and operate the Center themselves in the future. The Center will therefore be integrated into the structures of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Johanna Wanka, German Federal Minister of Education and Research, emphasised that WASCAL does not mean research for or with Africa; it means research in Africa. Based on equality, it aims to halt the brain drain, which is a matter of great concern. WASCAL’s research will, above all, serve the interests of the countries themselves and provide advice to policy-makers working in the field of climate change. WASCAL comprises a Competence Center, a research programme and a graduate programme. More than 200 students have now completed the graduate programme, as Ghana’s Environment Minister Mahama Ayariga explained.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is currently providing 50 million euros for WASCAL for a five-year period to 2017. A similar project in southern Africa (SASSCAL), involving five partner countries, receives the same amount. Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo are currently participating in the WASCAL initiative. Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are also members of ECOWAS, plan to join at a later date.

Climate change confronts the entire region with major challenges and worsens the existing problems of water availability, food security and poverty reduction. Consistent and high-quality data, e.g. on the hydrological cycle, land-use changes, biodiversity and vegetation, are essential as the basis for reliable forecasting of future trends. The aim is to develop practical adaptation measures that are tailored precisely to local conditions. For example, via WASCAL, a high-tech satellite-based surveillance system is being developed to monitor rainfall and changes in agricultural land use. In future, rainfall data will also be collected and evaluated in cooperation with mobile service providers. Since April this year, WASCAL has been participating in the Invest in Water project, which offers recommendations for decision-making on water and land use in the Volta-Niger focal region. Researchers are also studying conditions in the savanna in order to protect as many pollinators – e.g. insects and bats – as possible for key crops such as cotton and sesame.

Roland Krieg, journalist, Berlin/Germany

More information: WASCAL website

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Soutenir la recherche sur le climat en Afrique : nouvelle dynamique pour le programme WASCAL

Lancée en 2012, WASCAL [1] est une initiative de recherche internationale centrée sur l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Elle vise à renforcer les capacités de recherche de dix pays de cette région [2] en matière de changement climatique. Cela passe notamment par le soutien aux équipes de scientifiques sur le terrain, l’investissement dans les infrastructures de recherche et la mise en place de cursus dans les universités ouest-africaines.

Dix parcours de formation (six doctorats et quatre masters) sur les thématiques liées au changement climatique ont été créés, en partenariat avec des universités allemandes. Plus de 160 jeunes sont actuellement impliqués dans ces cursus, qui portent sur l’agriculture, les questions énergétiques ou les ressources en eau. Un centre régional de compétences, installé à Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), a également été mis en place. Il accueille des activités de recherche, et joue, auprès des autorités locales, un rôle de conseil et d’accompagnement sur les conséquences du changement climatique et les processus d’adaptation.
La question du climat est centrale pour le continent africain. Elle représente un défi majeur des décennies à venir, notamment du fait de ses répercussions sur le développement économique, l’accès à l’eau, la sécurité alimentaire et la santé.

Le 9 juillet 2015 s’est tenu à Berlin un conseil des ministres de la recherche des pays impliqués dans WASCAL. Cette assemblée est la principale instance de décision du programme. La rencontre a eu lieu à l’invitation de la Ministre fédérale allemande de l’enseignement et la recherche, Johanna Wanka. Elle a permis de faire le point sur les perspectives d’évolution du programme WASCAL pour les prochaines années.

Les ministres ont signifié leur volonté de poursuivre le programme, et décidé du fait qu’il sera à l’avenir coordonné et financé directement par les pays africains eux-mêmes. WASCAL devrait également être intégré aux structures de la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO). A ce titre, il est envisagé d’élargir le périmètre d’intervention de WASCAL à l’ensemble du territoire de cette organisation, qui comprend également la Guinée, la Guinée Bissau, le Cap Vert, la Sierra Leone et le Libéria. Des représentants des gouvernements guinéen et bissau-guinéen ont d’ailleurs participé à la réunion en qualité d’observateurs.

Le programme WASCAL représente l’un des piliers de l’action du Ministère fédéral allemand de l’enseignement et de la recherche (BMBF) en Afrique, qui a investi pour sa mise en place, 50 millions d’euros. Cette mesure fait partie intégrante de la “Stratégie pour l’Afrique, 2014-2018” publiée par le BMBF à l’automne 2014, qui vise à renforcer les relations entre l’Allemagne et les pays africains en matière d’enseignement supérieur et de recherche. Un programme similaire, SASSCAL [3], existe par ailleurs pour les pays d’Afrique australe.

Plus d’informations :

[1] Site internet du programme WASCAL (West African Science Service on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use) : www.wascal.org
[2] Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambie, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sénégal, Togo.
[3] Site internet du programme SASSCAL (Southern African Science Service Center for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management) : http://www.sasscal.org/

Source : “Westafrika investiert in Forschung zum Klimawandel”, Communiqué de presse du BMBF, 09/07/2015 – www.bmbf.de/press/3824.php

Rédacteur : Kenny Abbey, kenny.abbey[a]diplomatie.gouv.fr – www.science-allemagne.fr
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The Grazing Game goes online

From an original board game, the team of the work package 6.2 Agent-based Modeling converted the grazing game to an online version. This online version grazing game is a new tool to explore the behavior and coping scoping strategies to negative impacts of climate change of both local farmer-herders and policy makers and consequences of their management decisions. It is designed to facilitate social learning that is crucial for co-management of landscapes in the drylands under climate uncertainties.

To play the game go to: http://grazing.bavarfaraz.net/

Contact: Dr. Grace Villamor, gracev(at)uni-bonn.de

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WASCAL umfasst bald alle westafrikanischen Staaten

Hohe Temperaturen infolge des Klimawandels während der Getreideblüte wirken sich stark negativ auf die Erträge aus. Forscher um Ehsan Eyshi Rezaei vom Bonner Institut für Pflanzenbau hat zusammen mit Kolleginnen und Kollegen des West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) Grundlagenforschung für Ernteprognosen erarbeitet, die anhand von Temperatureinwirkungen nicht nur die Minderung des Gesamtertrages, sondern auch die Reduzierung des Ertragszuwachses und qualitative Verluste in der Kornfüllungsphase bei Weizen, Mais und Reis untersucht. Rezaei fand heraus, dass die Temperatur der Blätter beim Blattzusammenschluss über dem Boden der erste Hinweis auf Hitze- und Trockenstress bei den Pflanzen ist.

In Westafrika sind 80 Prozent der Bauern abhängig vom Auftreten des Westafrikanischen Monsuns. Cornelia Klein vom Meteorologischen Institut des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie hat sich das nasse Wetterjahr 1999 angeschaut. Mit mehr als 27 regionalen Parametern der lokalen Wetterstationen hat sie einen starken Zusammenhang der Monsunereignisse mit der Peplosphäre feststellen können. Die Peplosphäre bezeichnet die unterste maximal zwei Kilometer mächtige Luftschicht der Atmosphäre, in der durch geologische Strukturen und Bodenreibung der Winde Turbulenzen entstehen. Das Verhalten des tropischen östlichen Jetstreams verursacht die verschiedenen Intensitäten des Westafrikanischen Monsuns in den Jahren 1979 bis 2010.

Forschung in Afrika

WASCAL besteht seit 2012 aus den drei Hauptkomponenten Kompetenzzentrum, Forschungsprogramm und Graduiertenprogramm, wurde als internationale und interdisziplinäre Forschungsinitiative gegründet und wird vom Bundesforschungsministerium finanziert. Zehn afrikanische Länder nehmen mit zahllosen Instituten an der Forschung teil. Die Ministerkonferenz ist das höchste Entscheidungsgremium und kam am Donnerstag in Berlin zusammen.

Ziel von WASCAL ist der Aufbau einer Widerstandsfähigkeit gegenüber dem Klimawandel und Aufrechterhaltung der Landnutzung für die Ernährungssicherheit. Bis 2014 wurde WASCAL vom Bonner Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung (ZEF) der Universität Bonn koordiniert.
Nach der Sitzung betonte Forschungsministerin Dr. Johanna Wanka den Ansatz, dass WASCAL keine Forschung für und mit, sondern in Afrika sei. Forschung auf Augenhöhe, was dem gefürchteten Brain Drain entgegenwirken kann. Die Forschung dient vor allem den Ländern selbst und will als Elite-Forschung den politischen Entscheidern bei der Arbeit gegen den Klimawandel behilflich sein. Wichtig ist dabei das Graduiertenprogramm, das mittlerweile mehr als 200 Studenten durchlaufen haben, erklärte Ghanas Umweltminister Mahama Ayariga.

Förderung nach 2017

Das Forschungsministerium fördert derzeit WASCAL mit 50 Millionen Euro für fünf Jahre, die 2017 ablaufen. Ein vergleichbares Projekt im südlichen Afrika (SASSCAL) mit fünf Partnerländern erhält die gleiche Summe. Das Treffen in Berlin stellte die Weichen für die künftige Förderung. Die Minister hatten frühzeitig signalisiert, WASCAL eigenständig zu finanzieren und weiter zu betreiben. Nicht nur das wurde in Berlin beschlossen. In WASCAL sind die Länder Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, die Elfenbeinküste, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal und Togo involviert. Zur westafrikanischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft (ECOWAS) gehören aber auch die Länder Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kap Verde, Sierra Leone und Liberia. Diesen fünf Länder wurde von Berlin eine Einladung zur Mitarbeit ausgesprochen, weil der Klimawandel sich nicht an Grenzen hält und auch dort wissenschaftliche Kapazitäten vorhanden sind.

ECOWAS-Präsident Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo und Cheikhe Hadjibou Soumaré, Präsident der westafrikanischen Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion (UEOMA) trafen vergangenen Montag in Brüssel mit EU-Entwicklungskommissar Neven Mimica zusammen und unterzeichneten die Vereinbarung für eine neue regionale Finanzierungsvereinbarung im Rahmen des 11. Europäischen Entwicklungsfonds (EEF). Mit 1,1 Milliarden Euro bis 2020 hat sich die Summe gegenüber dem vorherigen Zeitraum von 2008 bis 2013 nahezu verdoppelt. Ein Teil dieser Gelder ist für die nachhaltige Entwicklung natürlicher Ressourcen zur Stärkung der Resilienz und Stärkung der Ernährungssicherheit vorgesehen. Z. B. für WASCAL.
Wegen mangelnden Geldes wird WASCAL nach 2017 nicht eingestellt werden. Das Projekt ist Teil der „Afrika-Strategie“ des Bundesforschungsministeriums wie die „Grünen Zentren“ des Bundesentwicklungsministeriums. Der systematische Aufbau eines eigenen Klimaforschungszentrums soll nach Wanka den Ländern international mehr Gewicht verleihen und ihnen beispielsweise auf dem Pariser Klimagipfel mehr Gehör verschaffen.

Neue Forschungsfelder

Daten sind das Lebenselixier für die Forschung. Gerade Wetterdaten sollen wegen der komplexen Zusammenhänge so umfangreich wie möglich vorliegen. So will WASCAL Regendaten auch in Kooperation mit Mobilfunkbetreibern sammeln und auswerten. Seit April dieses Jahres wirkt WASCAL bei dem Projekt „Invest in Water“ mit. Dabei geht es um Entscheidungshilfen für die Wasser- und Landnutzung im Bereich der Volta-Niger-Region. Die „Cash Crop“ Baumwolle ist für Westafrika eine Brotfrucht. Forscher untersuchen derzeit die Beschaffenheit der Savanne, um möglichst viele Bestäuber wie Insekten oder Fledermäuse für Baumwolle oder Sesam zu erhalten.

Lesestoff:

Besuchen Sie die neue Webseite von WASCAL www.wascal.org

Roland Krieg; Fotos: roRo