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

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.

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.”