Background
The Climate Research for Development in Africa initiative (CR4D) was launched to strengthen links between climate change science research and climate information needs in support of development planning in Africa. It is implemented through a partnership between the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). The initiative represents a paradigm shift in dealing with climate change and development on the continent by providing a mechanism and platform that brings together scientists, practitioners, institutions and development actors to deliver and continuously improve accessibility and quality of end-user priority climate information needs. It further thus plays a critical role in mobilizing African climate change researchers around a unified user-driven climate research agenda to tackle that directly addresses the priority climate information needs of policymakers and vulnerable communities. Another CR4D primary goal is to sustainably build building the capacity of an interdisciplinary cohort of African climate scientists and practioners through cross-regional exchanges/partnerships, fellowships and secondments.
In pursuant to these CR4D agendas, the ACPC - as the Secretariat of the CR4D initiative - developed five years Strategy Programme for the period 2019–2023 with the aim of maximizing the opportunities presented by climate variability/change and tackling the challenges posed to the socioeconomic development efforts of Africa. It specifically sets out directions and priorities to catalyse pan-African multidisciplinary climate research that is responsive to specific users and the development planning needs at the local, national and regional levels. In addition, the CR4D programme strategy is intended to create a platform through an interactive and collaborative approach uniting climate science, services and policymaking under a coordinated network of expertise and institutions.
The CR4D 5-year Implementation plan formulated in accordance with the three knowledge frontiers identified in the Programme Strategy document (2019-2023) https://uneca.org/cr4d . foundational climate science; Impact, information, translation and communication; and engagement with policy, development and decision-making communities. The document has also identified research thematic areas falling under each knowledge frontier, the proposed projects and the corresponding budget.
Hence, in the upcoming a-2 days joint meeting of the CR4D Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Institutional Collaborative Platform (ICP), members of SAC and ICP will review and endorse the proposed implementation plan. The Implementation plan has been shared and received several inputs from the member of SAC.
Output
The proposed 5-years implementation plan endorsed
Tentative Agenda
Presentations
Memorial Tribute to Prof Laban Ayieko Ogallo - Joseph R Mukabana
Memorial Tribute to Prof Laban Ayieko Ogallo CR4D SAC ICP Meeting
Opening Remarks at the Joint CR4D SAC and ICP Meeting