WASCAL and SASSCAL Climate Competence Centres

How can Africa cope with the consequences of climate change? What approaches can strengthen the resilience of people, the economy and the natural environment against the growing risks posed by droughts, floods, extreme weather events and resource scarcity? The WASCAL and SASSCAL Climate Competence Centres, funded by the BMFTR, are working together with German research institutions to develop innovative solutions.

Africa is the continent that emits the least pollutants, but climate change threatens to hit it particularly hard. For this reason, Africa requires greater help for developing strategies and measures in order to adapt to climate change. In this context, land use is a particularly important factor, since ecosystems' outputs provide the basis for nutrition and livelihood. So there is an ever more urgent question as to which extent climate changes and which consequences for land use and water resources African countries are going to have to deal with. For this reason, the BMBF is initiating, in collaboration with African partner countries, the development of Regional Science Service Centres for climate change and adapted land use in Africa. Over the next years, the BMBF will invest up to 100 million euros in development and the initial operational phase. There are currently 10 West African countries and 5 South African countries actively involved in preparations as Partners in order to take over complete responsibility for their long-term operation. The Centres will focus on applied research and, at the same time, adopt an advisory role in their region for public and private decision-makers. One of their key roles will be to bring qualifications to young scientists from African countries. On behalf of the BMBF the organisational unit Environment, Culture, Sustainability in the German Aerospace Center Project Management Agency (DLR-PT) attends functionally and administratively to the Regional Science Service Centres.
Construction of a weather station in Angola.© Marina Rižovski-Jansen, DLR Projektträger

Africa is one of the regions particularly hard hit by the consequences of climate change. Rising temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events are affecting agriculture, water availability and ecosystems – and thus the livelihoods of many people as well as the economic productivity of African countries. At the same time, many countries have only limited resources with which to tackle these challenges effectively. The targeted development of regional expertise, drawing on existing local knowledge of how to deal with the impacts of climate change, is therefore a key component in putting effective strategies and measures in place.

The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is addressing this issue and, in 2012, founded two climate competence centres in collaboration with African partner countries: WASCAL in West Africa and SASSCAL in Southern Africa. Both centres pursue a common overarching goal: to better equip people, the economy and the environment to cope with the impacts of climate change and to strengthen resilience. They pool expertise on climate protection, climate adaptation, sustainable land use, water security and management, renewable energies and hydrogen technologies.

In this way, the BMFTR is making a significant contribution to building an African knowledge-based society and to strengthening Africa’s capacity to adapt to climate change. By establishing scientific and academic structures, the BMFTR supports its African partners in making evidence-based decisions, for example in the areas of sustainable land use, energy and water supply, and food security. Furthermore, the aim is to support partner countries in representing a well-founded and knowledge-based position at international level – for instance, in dealings with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In this way, Germany is taking responsibility and contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

From the outset, the BMFTR has pursued an approach aimed at strengthening the centres’ structures and capabilities so that, in the long term, they can operate independently and the partner countries can develop their own solutions to the consequences of climate change.

Three pillars: capacity building, research, services

Capacity building

WASCAL and SASSCAL strengthen regional expertise by training and connecting highly qualified experts. The WASCAL and SASSCAL graduate studies programmes offer structured academic training for Master’s and PhD students in the fields of climate change – including agricultural and water management – renewable energies and green hydrogen. Students receive scholarships, are involved in research projects and have the opportunity to carry out part of their research in Germany.

Research

Scientists at the two centres are working on a range of international research projects, focusing on the key areas of climate, food security, water, biodiversity, energy and water security. In doing so, they are laying the foundations for innovative solutions.

Climate Services
  • Collection of climate data at data centres (WADI/OADC): Coordination and operation of observation and measurement networks and instruments. The centres are designed to fill local and regional gaps in knowledge and data. All climate data held by the data centres is freely accessible on their respective online platforms.
  • Advice for policymakers and researchers: Anyone seeking support or advice on analysing the data collected by the centres can contact the staff at the data centres. They provide technical assistance, for example through GIS analyses or simulations.

Roles of the Climate Competence Centres

The WASCAL and SASSCAL centres undertake a wide range of tasks to build and strengthen regional knowledge:

  • Training qualified specialists
  • Carrying out research projects
  • Operating their own data centres and providing reliable climate data
  • Advising governments and institutions on the (further) development of national and regional climate strategies
  • Fostering links between local authorities, academia, the business sector and civil society, as well as with international partners
  • Planning and organising conferences, workshops, training courses and information campaigns

History of the Climate Competence Centres

The two Climate Competence Centres were conceived and established as strategic partnerships between African states and the Federal Ministry of Research. Building on joint research initiatives, structures were created which today play a key role in strengthening regional expertise in the fields of climate, renewable energy and water management. Their development demonstrates how international partnerships can have a lasting impact.

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