Transcript Diapositive 1

Science, Education and the Role of
Universities in Promoting Adaptation to
Climate Change in Africa
Dr Daniel NYANGANYURA
ICSU Regional Office for Africa
[email protected]
www.icsu-africa.org
Forum on Education, Capacity Building, and Climate
Change: A Strategy for Collective Action in Africa
27 June – 1 July 2010, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
LIVELIHOOD IN AFRICA: Facts & Figures
■ 35 of the WORLD's 50 least
developed countries are on the
AFRICAN continent
■ About 70% of the African population
LIVES on less than US$ 2 a day
■ 75% of the population in subSaharan Africa don’t have access to
ELECTRICITY (Africa 73%, China
1.5%)
■ About 40% of the African population
has no access to safe and clean
drinking WATER
■ About 50% of the African population
lives in poor SANITATION
conditions
AFRICAN CHALLENGES
• African problems are transboundary in nature (health,
energy, pollution, food security, climate change & adaptation)
Scientific Research in Africa
A map of the world with the areas of countries
reshaped in proportion to their scientific growth
African countries
contributing
1.70% of world
share of ISI-listed
S&E papers
Courtesy : James Wilsdon – Physics World October 2008
Scientific Research in Africa
• Number of scientists/engineers vs. population
(Less than 1 per 10,000 inhabitants)
• Scientists don’t talk to each other
(few networks, little research collaborations,
different voices, compete for funds)
• Government/private sector/universities have no
coodinated activities
• Politicians don’t put money into research
No clear policy on climate change &
adaptation
The Role of Universities in Promoting
Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa
• Take lead in climate change research/programmes
relevant in answering questions of the vulnerable
• Support adaptation action research of NGOs, UN
agencies, etc – that enhance nation in its efforts to
adapt to the impacts of climate change
• Build human and institutional capacity to address the
expected impacts of climate change
• Improve the capacity to adapt to climate change in
ways that benefit the most vulnerable
• Promote the incorporation of indigenous knowledge
on coping with climate variability into research
projects
The Role of Universities in Promoting
Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa
• Measurement of progress in adapting to climate
change
• Influence policy processes with good quality
science-based knowledge
• Work together and knowledge sharing - relatively
limited among climate change actors in Africa
• Climate change adaptation network - coherence in
mobilizing resources and enhance key scientific,
technical and institutional adaptation capacity
• Make literature available to the end users –
collective action
Tell our success stories our way, publish them thru
an environment that is accessible to our people
“Until lions have their own historians,
tales of the hunt will always glorify the
hunter” African proverb
Thank You
A Strategy for
Collective Action
in Africa
For more information and up-dates, visit
ICSU global website: www.icsu.org
ICSU ROA website: www.icsu-africa.org