Research Action Plan 2.0.

PRIORITY RESEARCH THEME 1: Land use and Cover/Land Degradation/Climate Change Nexus

Land use and Cover/Land Degradation/Climate Change Nexus

Generating an updated and higher resolution West African time- variant LULC database (land units, plant functional types) along with their thermal and physical parameters in order to improve the representation of surface conditions in climate models and ultimately contribute to the development of a tailored dynamical vegetation model in the region

PRIORITY RESEARCH THEME 2: Risks and Vulnerability to Climate Extremes

Harmonizing and mainstreaming information on climate extreme events (with a focus on flood), vulnerability, potential risks as well as strategies to alleviate their effects. Intended tools and metrics to be developed to understand, quantify and mitigate present-day and future flood risks associated to intense precipitation events.

PRIORITY RESEARCH THEME 3: Sustainable rural-urban and cross border migration in West Africa

Obtaining more insight into the unprecedented and unregulated rural exodus especially towards major urban agglomerations and across national borders. It will specifically investigate the direction of causation in the link between population growth, land degradation, livelihood opportunities, climate change and migration.