1. Background
Taking advantage of new digital tools for climate-friendly research and innovation, it is proposed to organize a forum through a series of scientific in-depth webinars (mostly virtual or hybrid) associating West-African, German and French representatives along common items using the three complementary angles. Those events could be based within a number of West African Hubs, involving African Universities/ Research Institutes with African Services/Authorities/Funders and potentially also WASCAL Competence Centre and Graduate Schools as locations.
The overall goals are to:
- strengthen climate resilience in Africa in order to raise awareness about climate knowledge, identify key services for adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction;
- examine potential areas for cooperation in research on climate risk management, resilience and adaptation in West Africa and thus defragment the programme landscape in favour of common goals and common impact of funding;
- describe pathways and priorities for research, innovation and capacity development in the area of Climate Services for Risk Reduction that contribute to the new Innovation Agenda between African Union and European Union;
- identify actionable and complementary steps to boost KIC via trilateral or multilateral joint calls or actions (South-South and South-North).
2. Theme, Date and Venue
This first webinar aims to focus on, improvement of early warning system and adaptation measures for disaster risk reduction in the West African region and will be held at WASCAL, in the University of Lomé, Lomé, TOGO on September, 28, 2023. It will cover the following topics:
- Increase knowledge of the hazard;
- Better forecasting it;
- Communicate the forecast;
- Develop adaptation and mitigation measures;
- Post-evaluate any measure in terms of socio-economic value.
- The "value chain" of early warning systems.
- Predictability of rainfall and temperature from weather forecasts to S2S time scales.
- Identify needs, what science can bring and migrate from science to policy advice.
3. Format and Activities
This hybrid webinar (in-situ and virtual) will be for one day. Attendees will be able to participate either on-site (physically) or virtual. The webinar will be divided into i) opening ceremony; ii) plenary session, iii) two parallel round table sessions (panel discussion). The plenary session will be made up of one moderator and 2 keynote speakers. Each panel session will be made up of one moderator and 6 speakers.
The webinar shall be in English and French languages. However, translations across both languages will be provided.
4. Targets and invitations to attend the webinar physically or online
The organizations, institutions and groups targeted specifically to intend this webinar are: researchers, WMO, Red Cross, decision-makers, NGOs, Representatives of higher and school education, WASCAL graduate schools, National Emergency management agency (NEMA), National Meteorology and Hydrological agencies, West African Health Organization, relevant ministries and departments (hydro, agriculture, health, etc.) and agencies for policy guidelines, CoC scientists, WASCAL GSP students, and Alumina.
The local Organizing Committee
The Local Organizing Committee is in charge of the organisation and operationalization of the webinar in Lomé, Togo. This committee comprises, WASCAL Togo, University of Lomé, ANPC, ANAMET, Red Cross Togo, GIZ with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Ministry of security and civil protection, Ministry of the environment and Forest Resources, Ministry of Water and Village Hydraulics, Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries and Coastal Protection. IRD and KIT are supporting institutions for this committee.
