News – Page 21

230,000 EUROS SET ASIDE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in partnership with the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is funding a feasibility study on renewable energies development, for a Pilot Project implementation in Ghana.

Dr Christoph Rövekamp, the Head of Division 722 Basic Energy Research at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), announced this at the opening section of a regional stakeholders’ consultation workshop held in Accra-Ghana on Thursday, July 26th, 2018. He said funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), would support a joint scientific team of experts from research institutions in Ghana and Germany to seek inputs from, and to collaborate with industry and civil society in the energy sector, including the Energy Commission, Electricity Company of Ghana, GRIDCo, the Kumasi Institute of Technology Energy and Environment (KITE), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Centre for Climate Change and Gender Studies of the University of Energy and Natural Resources at Sunyani, the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at KNUST, the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana Legon, and a research institution based in Germany. Dr Rovekamp explained that the broad objective of the feasibility study was to conduct a detailed technical and financial assessment of renewable energies, focusing on technologies and their applications in all sectors of the country, and to produce a comprehensive report. He said it was envisaged that a period of six months (July to December 2018), was required to undertake all the three phases of the assessment, including the two workshops and production of the feasibility study report.

Mr Fredrick Appiah, the Chief Programmes Officer at the Energy Commission, said the country was currently considering other cheaper energy sources as hydro power had become unsustainable due to the impact of climate change on the environment. Hence the various interventions including the Renewable Energy Act 832, has paved the way for private sector participation, while the Fund set for this purpose was yet to be operationalized.

Dr Savadogo, the Executive Director of WASCAL, expressed appreciation to the donors for getting the project on course.

Mr. Hans-Helge Sander, the Deputy Head of Missions of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ghana, underscored the importance of renewable energy mix into the country’s electricity grid to ensure sustainable power supply for national development. He however said there was no need to reinvent the wheel which could result in duplications, but urged the experts to build on existing programmes, sourcing for available data and information from institutions that were already working on similar projects, in order to identify the gaps that needed to be addressed. He urged the researchers to also explore new areas such as technology transfer, as well as the limitations of Ghana’s Local Content Law on renewable energy, and its effect on industry. Mr Sander expressed his appreciation to the Energy Commission for Championing the Project, and the CSIR and other stakeholder institutions for their partnership.

The Ministry of Environment Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI) would however, provide the overall coordination and management of the project activities, ensuring that all deliverables were provided timely and according to design.

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230,000 Euros Set Aside For Renewable Energy Development In Ghana

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in partnership with the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is funding a feasibility Continue Reading

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DEEPENING AFRICAN-GERMAN PARTNERSHIP TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

The Head of Division “Global Change” at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Prof. Rene Haak has stated that one of the key aims of the international cooperation between Germany and Africa is to strengthen the science base in Africa by supporting local capacities and developing and combining their respective scientific joint efforts.

In his speech he said, “with the support of my Ministry, WASCAL enhanced the visibility of science from Africa into the international scientific networks and into long-lasting cooperation between African and German universities and research institutes.” He was speaking at the opening session of the inaugural edition of the WASCAL Science Symposium in Accra. Prof. Haak acknowledged that WASCAL had provided a great supporting role by setting up and coordinating new integrated regional research activities in the area of sustainable land use, water resource management, Biodiversity, renewable Energy, agriculture, human security, climate systems and economics with the latest focus on data management and Marine research.

Prof. Haak urged WASCAL to intensify in their cooperation efforts with national, regional and international partners. “As we move on he said, WASCAL needs to become stronger in interacting with policy makers and other regional and national authorities by providing scientifically-sound and realistic options for making land management resilient to climate change.”

He further emphasized BMBF’s immense contribution towards the success of WASCAL and its sister organization, SASSCAL. “As BMBF, we try to support our partners from Africa in building up scientific structures and educational and research capacities in a variety of ways. The two Climate Competence Centres – WASCAL and SASSCAL – are cornerstones of our collaboration in the areas of academic education, research cooperation and research infrastructure.”

“WASCAL, for example, has made considerable progress in increasing the density of measuring networks through cross-border planning and installing automatic weather stations in the region. The data obtained is made directly available for service development through the WASCAL Data Initiative WADI at the Competence Centre. It is also used in WASCAL partner countries where we implement the regional research programme. In this way, the countries are establishing a joint regional basis; for example, for cross-border early warning systems in the event of floods or for the coordinated observation of changes in land use.” He stated.

He also entreated partner countries to show commitment by giving to WASCAL and SASSCAL, a long-term perspective through their involvement in regional cooperation structures; linking them up with national research institutions and programs and, by providing own funding for their operations. We have established WASCAL and SASSCAL with this aim in mind, and I can assure you that, in this spirit, we will continue to be a reliable partner for West Africa and beyond this, for the entire African continent.

He finally exalted that the Symposium will offer interesting presentations and ideas and that will give exciting insights into the fruits of German-African research cooperation. The WASCAL Science Symposium is the maiden event of WASCAL that seeks to showcase the achievements of the organization and interact with global scientists in the fight against climate change in West Africa.

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CHEIKH ANTA DIOP UNIVERSITY OF DAKAR CONFERS HONORIS CAUSA AWARD ON DR. WILFRIED KRAUS

The Faculty of Economics and Management and the Law Faculty of the Cheikh Anta DIOP University of Dakar, (UCAD) Senegal have conferred the honoris causa award on Dr. Wilfried Kraus of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (BMBF)

The meritorious award was in recognition of the contribution of BMBF in the fight against climate change in West Africa under the leadership of Dr. Wilfried Kraus, which has been evident in the establishment of 10 Graduate Schools within West Africa that build the capacity of post-graduate students in helping combat climate change.

Since its inception, Dr. Kraus has played a quality leadership role towards the achievement of this vision. In Senegal, the presence of WASCAL is very strong, with the establishment of Centre for Climate Change and Economics at the Cheikh Anta DIOP University of Dakar. The centre’s mandate is to train Doctoral Students in the area of climate change and economics with the focus on applying economic rationality to analyze adaptation and mitigation strategies related to climate change.

This is the second doctoral award to be received by Dr. Kraus this year. In February, the University of Lome’, Togo, also presented a similar award to recognize him for his quality service. Congratulations Dr. Wilfried Kraus.

SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM – Call for participation

2018-05-14 – 22:00h to 2018-05-26 – 17:20h

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1. The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is an inter- governmental organization dealing with training, capacity building and research to devise tools and services that will help reduce risks from natural disasters (e.g. droughts, floods) and strengthen the resilience of socio-ecological landscapes across West Africa. To fulfil its mission, WASCAL has (i) established a strong network of Graduate School Programs (GSP) in 10 ECOWAS member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo) in collaboration with their public universities; (ii) rolled out a first-class research program from 2013 to 2017 which established field laboratories, on-site ecological and agronomic field experiments and hydro-meteorological stations for standard climate measurements in the Sudanian savanna belt (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana).

The outputs of these initiatives were expected to provide insights into social and environmental drivers of climate change and climate variability (CC&CV) along with pathways to strengthening the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers and improve their livelihoods. Recently, WASCAL has re-focused its research program to make it more development- and impact-oriented by addressing the main challenges faced by policy-makers, stakeholders, smallholders (end-users) in connection with CC&CV and generate quick wins in terms of climate and environmental services provision within the next few years.

In order to transition towards the new strategic plan, a scientific gathering seems necessary to take stock of the achievements and interact with key stakeholders prior to deploying the new program. Therefore, the WASCAL Science Symposium (WASS) aims to showcase WASCAL achievements and launch the new research program termed as WASCAL Research Action Plan 2018-2021.

2. Expected outputs
The expected outputs of the symposium include the following:
• A catalogue of the major achievements of WASCAL and their contribution to delivering climate and environmental services (CES)
• A report on the state-of-the art of CES implemented in West Africa to combat the devastating impacts of CC&CV
• Official launch of WASCAL Research and Action Plan (WRAP) 2.0 call for proposals
• Reinforcement of WASCAL ties with policy makers, ECOWAS, Africa Union and other key stakeholders active in Climate Service domain.

3.Target audience
• West African doctoral and postdoctoral researchers with less than 10 years’ experience
• Scientists and stakeholders working in any area of climate change and climate service provision
•Policy makers
• Donors
• Civil society.

4. Call for abstracts
Potential participants are encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration. They will have the opportunity to present results of their research activities in an oral or poster session. Twenty-five (25) participants will be chosen for oral presentations (20 min + discussion) while the others will participate in the poster session.

• Deadline: Abstracts may be submitted until May 26, 2018 and must include (in English):
– a letter of motivation (max. 300 words, Microsoft word format)
– abstract of presentation (max 500 words, Microsoft word format), including preference for oral or poster session
• Applicants will be informed about the acceptance or rejection of their abstract by May 31st.
Complete applications may be submitted to the following addresses: forkuor.g@wascal.org;

neya.o@wascal.org.

5. Symposium programme in a nutshell
Tuesday, 19/06 Wednesday, 20/06 Thursday, 21/06
High Profille Forum Oral and poster session Plenary session on climate services
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Opening Session Opening ceremony Recap of day 2
Plenary session 1 Parallel session 1 Plenary session 1
Plenary session 2 Parallel session 2 Plenary session 2
Plenary session 3 Parallel session 3 Plenary session 3
Plenary session 4 Parallel session 4 Plenary session 4
Plenary session 5 Poster session Plenary session 5

6. Symposium details
High Profile Forum: “Achieving sustainable development under a changing and variable climate in West Africa”

• Climate Change and its potential impact on key developement sectors of West Africa
• Climate Change as a threat to the development of West African States
• Climate Change and food security in West Africa: demand for integrated Climate Services
• Impacts of climate change on cocoa production in Ghana: mitigating adverse effects through agroforestry-based options
• Mainstreaming climate services into African Union development plan through effective science-policy dialogue

Parallel poster and oral sessions
• Theme 1: Agriculture and Food security
• Theme 2: Climate Monitoring and Disaster Risk Reduction
• Theme 3: Water Resources Management
• Theme 4: Renewable Energy
• Theme 5: Resilient Socio-Ecological Landscapes

Plenary sessions on WASCAL
• WASCAL in a nutshell
• Achievements of the Capacity Building Program
• Achievements of the first research Program
• The new Resarch Program: WASCAL Reaecrh and Action Plan 2018-2021 (WRAP 2.0)

Plenary sessions on climate services

• Delivering on Climate Services‘ promises in West Africa: what is the current situation?
• Effectiveness of Climate Smart Agriculture in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers
• Pathways towards setting up tailored-climate service delivery systems in West Africa
• Strategies to scale up demand-driven climate services in West Africa
• West Africa under the global warming scenario: what solutions from the Paris Agreement?

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GERMANY’S OFFER FOR A COOPERATION ON RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN GHANA TAKES OFF

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, (BMBF) and WASCAL have organized a one-day stakeholders workshop to share views, experiences and ideas on how renewable energies can be used to contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable energy solutions in Ghana by means of research.

The workshop which brought together various expertise from within the energy sector in Ghana was to establish bilateral engagement with Ghana will help in identifying a successful way of carrying out the project.

In his address, the Head of Division 722: Basic Energy Research, of the BMBF, Dr. Christoph Rövekamp indicate that the essence of the workshop was to deepen and intensify BMBF’s research cooperation with Ghana in the area of renewable energy.
“Our intention is to identify local needs in a practice-based approach right from the start. Contributing your knowledge is essential to our cooperation. Our efforts would not have a lasting effect without your involvement”
Dr. Rövekamp then emphasized that the overall outcome of the the workshop, was to help delve into solutions that will bring about sustainable energy supply in the country.

“Ultimately, we would like to launch one or more joint pilot projects in Ghana which will achieve a genuine impact with regard to a sustainable energy supply. And different technology options are thinkable. The development of sound business models for clean energy constitutes an important factor for success. Electricity must be affordable” He added.

Honorable Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in his key note address cited hands-on ways of generating renewable energies in Ghana, and assured participants that the Government of Ghana will be monitoring the progress of the workshops and project because of its interest in it.

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WASCAL SENIOR SCIENTIST INVOLVED IN THE NEXT IPCC ASSESSMENT REPORT

Dr. Mouhamadou Bamba Sylla, senior scientist in climate modeling and climate change currently leading the research cluster climate change and climate variability at the WASCAL Competence Centre has been selected as an author in connection with the preparation of the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report 6 (AR6).

By this appointment, he will be one of the lead authors for the chapter 12 “Climate Change information for regional impact and for risk assessment” of the Working Group 1 (WG1) contribution due in 2021. Together with his co-authors, they will work on integrating both quantitative and qualitative climate change information from multiple lines of evidence on changing hazards for the present day, the near-term and the long-term.

According to Dr. Sylla, working with IPCC is both exciting and challenging. “In fact, the task of Lead Authors is a demanding one. It comes with astute commitment. The workload during the period from the second half of 2018 to 2021 will be in the order of several months and can be particularly heavy during certain periods. At the same time, it is a big honour to be selected to contribute to one of the most comprehensive scientific documents in history” He said.

The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and endorsed by UN assembly. The role of the IPCC is to comprehensively and objectively assess y the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. Every 5 to 7 years, IPCC releases an assessment report written by hundreds of scientists in a very collaborative and collegial way. This report constitutes the current state of knowledge on climate change and informs international policy and negotiations on climate-related issues.

Working Group 1 (WG1) deals with The Physical Science Basis. Each of the chapters is led by a group of Lead Authors and Coordinating Lead Authors that are world-leading climate scientists who represent a broad range of opinion, expertise, gender, and geographical representation. They come from academia, research facilities, industry, government, and non-governmental organizations.

The new political developments on climate-related goals (i.e. the Paris Agreement, the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction accord) that forge the context of the next AR6, all the collaboration with expert scientists from all over the planet working towards a common goal as well as the cross-cultural experiences that will be encountered during the process make it an exciting appointment.

www.ipcc.ch/report/authors/report.authors.php=

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9TH MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Scientific Advisory Committee of WASCAL (SAC) has held its 9th scientific meeting in Hamburg, Germany to deliberate on scientific issues regarding the organization.

The two-day advisory meeting generated key pieces of advice to the Governing Board meant to move the organization forward in terms of effectiveness, efficiency impacts.

Significant amongst them included the implementation of WASCAL Research Agenda Programme for the next 4 years (WRAP2.0), more synergy between the Research Department and the Capacity Building Department to ensure harmonization and successful development of products and for PhD projects within the WASCAL framework. Also, there was the need for improved visibility of the research findings and the appointment of new members of the scientific committee and their terms of office.

The Scientific Advisory Committee is dedicated to providing first class scientific advice to the Governing Body of the organisation. They also provide understanding and counsel on strategic decisions on relevant scientific activities that WASCAL is engaged in.

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CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY GRADUANDS OF WASCAL TASKED

The Executive Director of WASCAL, Dr. Moumini Savadogo has charged graduands of WASCAL’s Masters Programme at the Universite Abdou Moumouni de Niamey to develop a resilient spirit of entrepreneurship, think outside the box and never wait for an employer before moving into action.

He also asked them not to be dissuaded into deserting their certificates on their shelves to take on a different profession.

He made this remark in a speech read on his behalf at the graduation ceremony of the second batch of Masters students in Climate Change and Energy from theUniversité Abdou Moumouni De Niamey, Niger

Dr Savadogo further challenged them to live up to expectation and reciprocate the efforts of German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

“ The whole of West Africa is looking up to you to provide them with empirical solutions that can help mitigate or adapt to the rising negative effects of climate change that has unbridled this sub-Region. One of the best ways we can reciprocate the efforts of BMBF is to maximize the opportunities at your disposal to make positive impact in the fight against climate change in West Africa.” He said.

The Director of Climate Change and Energy programme, Dr. Rabani Adamou also congratulated the graduands and admonished them to go out there and surmount the challenges with head high and confidence, in order to make WASCAL proud.

The graduands presented findings and results of their various projects works to the entire invited guests at the event, before they were presented with their certificates. In all ten(10) students from various countries within West Africa graduated.The event was graced by the Nigerien Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Niger, The vice chancellor of the University of Abdou Moumini and other university dignitaries.

West Africa’s high vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by endemic poverty, economic and institutional weakness, and limited access to infrastructure, technology and energy. The main objective of The MRP Climate Change And Energy programme is, therefore to train a new generation of interdisciplinary professionals capable of proposing adapted solutions to face the climate change and energy crisis.

The curriculum focuses on topics such as climate change and global warming, knowledge of the impacts of climate change, vulnerability of natural systems and the built environment, and methods for adaptation as well as energy production, delivery, and consumption for both, traditional systems and sustainable energy alternatives with special emphasis on energy efficiency, energy management and local available renewable energy.

WASCAL is dedicated to becoming one of Africa’s leading institutions in the provision of climate services, including capacity building, in and for West Africa.

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WASCAL DEEPENS TIES WITH BURKINA FASO

WASCAL has expressed its deepest gratitude to the Government and people of Burkina Faso for the tremendous support it has given the institution over the past years. WASCAL also congratulated the country for its up-to-date payment of their country contribution.

This was contained in the speech of the Board Chair of WASCAL, Mr. Peter Dery when they paid a courtesy call on His Excellency S.E.M Pingrenoma Zagré, the Burkina Faso Ambassador to Ghana.

Dr. Moumini Savadogo, the Executive Director of WASCAL also thanked the people of Burkina Faso and called on the ambassador to leverage on his mandate to project the great bilateral relationship between their country and WASCAL, and also the success stories of WASCAL amongst his counterparts. He also used the opportunity to brief the ambassador on the proposed commencement of the construction of the Competence Centre building scheduled for this year.

His Excellency Zagré was pleased to welcome the delegation and pledged his support for the growth of WASCAL in the West African Region.

The WASCAL Competence Centre which houses all the Scientists is based in Burkina Faso. The Government of Burkina Faso has also offered a vast land to WASCAL for the commencement of a Climate Change Centre of Excellence. The multi-purpose edifice, when completed will serve as the hub and point of reference for climate change research Africa. Plans are also far advanced for WASCAL to begin its new Masters Programme in Informatics for Climate Change at the University of Ouaga 1-Prof. Joseph Ki-Zerbo

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BMBF TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING WASCAL FOR THE NEXT DECADE

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF, has pledged to continue supporting WASCAL for the next decade, and has challenged the organization to intensify its innovative strategies to attract more partnerships for its sustainability, while overseeing the financial contributions of member countries as a way of getting countries to own and drive WASCAL as a West African organization.

This was contained in the remarks of Dr. Wilfried Kraus of BMBF in an interaction with the management, staff, students and alumni of WASCAL at its headquarters in Accra. Dr Kraus had earlier on been decorated with the honoris causa award by the University of Lome, Togo for his outstanding support and quality leadership in championing the cause of climate change in West Africa.

Dr. Kraus also assured of his Ministry’s intended increase in the number of student intake in subsequent admissions by the Capacity Building Programme. He further admonished alumni to continue striving hard to use their expertise from the Capacity Programmes for the benefit of their respective countries and West Africa as a whole.

He also tasked the Executive Management to ensure that the remaining five ECOWAS countries be brought on board to complete the vison of WASCAL. He said they should develop creative ideas in the areas Climate Change and Sustainable Land Use, and Renewable Energy Options.

Prof. Renee Haak, responsible for the implementation of WASCAL at BMBF challenged the alumni to continuously develop their creative engagements and build strong networks to develop relevant research projects for future considerations.

The students and alumni also had their turns to share their WASCAL success stories. Amongst the recommendations they shared included the need for WASCAL to integrate an entrepreneurship module in its course for self -empowerment and climate change job creation through the scientific and research knowledge acquired from the WASCAL Graduate Programmes.

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UNIVERSITY OF LOME CONFERS HONORIS CAUSA ON DR. WILFRIED KRAUS OF BMBF

The University of Lome, Togo has conferred the Honoris Causa Award on Dr. Wilfried Kraus of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (BMBF) for his outstanding contribution towards combating climate change in West Africa.

On this occasion, the entire WASCAL community and its numerous stakeholders wish to congratulate Dr. Kraus for this meritorious award.

WASCAL also wishes to extend a hand of gratitude to the entire BMBF team, for their tremendous support in ensuring WASCAL remains committed in becoming one of Africa’s leading institutions in the provision of climate services in and for West Africa.