Highlights and images for 8 October 2019

Highlights for Tuesday, 8 October 2019

The African Climate Risks Conference (ACRC) 2019 continued on Tuesday, October 8, with a heavy agenda, including plenary and thematic parallel sessions as well as panel discussions, workshops, and seminars.In the morning, two plenary sessions focused on the state of climate research for development in Africa and on linking new science to application. In a keynote speech, Joseph Mukabana, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), highlighted that scientific research in Africa is hindered by inadequate funding and insufficient research infrastructure, as well as a lack of strong intra-regional collaboration. Focusing on the Climate Research for Development (CR4D) in Africa initiative, he outlined programmes aimed at addressing existing research gaps.During the panel discussion on the state of climate research in Africa, Oluyede Ajayi, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the Netherlands, highlighted the increasing recognition of the development aspect of the CR4D initiative, emphasizing the co-production of knowledge by different disciplines. Jane Olwoch, Executive Director, Southern Africa Science Service Center for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), focused on engagement with stakeholders; advocated multi-disciplinary research teams; and presented SASSCAL research projects. Bruce Hewitson, University of Cape Town, South Africa, highlighted the need to prioritize knowledge gaps, scaling research to match capacities, and emphasized that knowledge products should also reach relevant stakeholders, who cannot access face-to-face engagements.Regarding linking new science to application, Tazen Fowe, International Institute of Water and the Environment (2iE), Burkina Faso, provided an overview of a pilot flood risk management project in Ouagadougou. Emma Visman, Kings College, London, highlighted an AMMA 2050, pilot pearl millet project in Niakhar, Senegal, developed because climate change is affecting crop yields and millet tolerates higher temperatures. Declan Conway, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK, outlined the challenges in constraining model uncertainty in rainfall projections for the Lake Malawi and Shire River systems in Malawi and the Rufiji River basin in Tanzania, stressing the need to focus on responses that work well across a range of future scenarios.Throughout the day, parallel thematic sessions focused on:

The second day of ACRC 2019 also included two panel discussions, focusing on stepping up resilience and on multi-level governance in enabling climate resilient development. Three workshops addressed the co-production of weather and climate services, putting principles into practice; how social protection services can become more adaptive; and the long-term sustainability of water and energy nexus in Tana River Basin, Kenya. Two seminars discussed cities and climate risks, and lessons learned from the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) High Impact Weather Lake System (HIGHWAY) project. The official conference dinner took place in the evening at the Zoma Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, provided daily photographic coverage and a summary report from ACRC 2019. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth

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Plenary: State of Climate Research for Development in Africa

Delegates gather in plenary for the session on the state of climate research for development in Africa.

Joseph Mukabana, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Olu Ajayi, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the Netherlands

Judy Omumbo, African Academy of Sciences, and Climate Research for Development (CR4D) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), Kenya

Jane Olwoch, Southern Africa Science Service Center for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL)

Meron Teferi Taye, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Bruce Hewitson, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Linking New Science to Application: Piloting New Ways of Supporting Climate Relevant Decisions

Declan Conway, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK

Tazen Fowe, International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Burkina Faso

Mercy Mwaniki, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya

Alice McClure, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Emma Visman, King’s College London, UK

Theme 2: Latest research on the science and projections of future climate change in Africa

More than 15 presentations are made throughout the day sharing information about the latest research on climate science.

Denis Sonkoué, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon

Elizabeth Kendon, Met Office, UK

Luis Garcia-Carreras, University of Manchester, UK

Siny Ndoye, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal

Boram Lee, World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)

Theme 4: Delivering resilience in the face of climate change uncertainty

Dominic Boateng-Gyambiby, Center for Agribusiness and Development Research, Ghana

Caroline King, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK

Constansia Musvoto, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa

Elhadji Iro Illa, Abdou Moumouni University, Niger

Tara Southey, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Kennedy Muthee, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Theme 8: Cross-cutting issues: water-energy-food-health nexus

Delegates listen to 15 presentations throughout the day discussing the co-production of knowledge.

Ajay Bhave, University of Leeds, UK

Bianca Van Bavel, University of Leeds, UK

Ernestina Agyel, University of Ghana

Eromose Ebhuoma, University of South Africa (UNISA)

Workshops, Seminars, and Panel Sessions Throughout the Day

Delegates attending a seminar focused on cities and climate risks.

Delegates attending the workshop entitled 'How can social protection services become more adaptive? Gathering and synthesising information for enhanced resilience.'

Kathrin Hall, Met Office, UK

Genito Maure, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique

Anna Steynor, University of Cape Town, South Africa, presenting during a workshop entitled 'Putting principles into practice in the co-production of weather and climate services.'

Panel speakers for the workshop entitled 'Long-Term Sustainability of Water and Energy Nexus in Tana River Basin, Kenya.'

Kanta Kumari Rigaud, World Bank

Linus Mofor, UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Participants attending the panel discussion 'Multi-level governance in enabling climate resilient development: Tackling it in Africa.'

Delegates share ideas during an interactive exercise in the seminar 'Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) High Impact Weather Lake System (HIGHWAY), co-development on a regional
scale - lessons and challenges.'

Around the Venue

Around the conference centre of the UN Economic Commission of Africa (ECA).

Delegates speak informally between sessions.

A delegate participates in the interactive survey board, where thoughts and interests about the conference are shared using different colors of thread.

Materials on display around the venue.