2nd WEBINAR
Climate And Environmental Services For Water Excess Management , Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, November 6th, 2023, 9h00-15h30 GMT
1. Background
This second webinar aims to focus on, Climate and environmental services for water excess management in West Africa and will be held at ACE CCBAD (African Centre of Excellence on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture) in the University Félix Houphouet Boigny, Bingerville, Côte d’Ivoire on November, 6th, 2023.
According to IPCC AR6 (2021, 2022), precipitation will significantly increase in countries of the Guinea Coast of West Africa and flooding mainly over coastal areas is likely to increase. Managing excess water in both rural and urban areas is crucial to mitigate the impact of floods, erosion, and waterlogging in agricultural areas, while also ensuring an optimal and sustainable water supply. However, effective water excess management requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines climate science, hydrology, infrastructure planning, and community engagement.
This second webinar of CS4RRA aims to highlight how climate and environmental services can play a vital role in providing the necessary information and supporting solutions to mitigate the impacts of excess water events and build climate resilience.
Session 1: A full session of the webinar will be focused on climate services and tools that can support water excess management:
- Weather/flood forecasting and warning systems (follow-up of webinar 1)
- Hydrological monitoring and flood risk mapping
- Climate models and scenario planning (improvement of surface hydrology and vegetation/land cover change)
- Climate resilience assessments
- Data and information sharing platforms for Decision Support Systems (DSS) using climate and hydrological data to assist decision-makers in choosing the most effective water excess management strategies and help optimize reservoir releases, flood defenses, and evacuation plans.
- Customized climate and environmental services for specific sectors such as agriculture, urban planning, and water resource management, to address sector-specific water excess challenges.
Session 2: Acknowledging from webinar 1 that water excess management is a multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of engineering, environmental, regulatory, and community-based approaches, another session will be dedicated on tailoring solutions to specific local conditions and involving the community in planning and preparedness efforts and strategies for managing excess water:
- Floodplain zoning and land use planning
- Dikes and dams
- Retention and detention ponds
- Green infrastructure
- Channelization and river management
- Stormwater management
- Elevation and relocation
- Natural flood control measures
- Insurance and risk management
In both sessions, the 4 issues below will be discussed :
- Capacity building and training for local authorities, emergency responders, and community members to improve their understanding of water excess risks and management.
- Public awareness and education through public outreach and education campaigns to raise awareness about water excess risks and encourage preparedness among the general population.
- Research and innovation gaps and priorities to support the development of more accurate climate and environmental services and tools for water excess management.
- International cooperation to foster collaboration between neighboring countries to develop shared strategies for managing excess water and addressing transboundary water issues, and to contribute to secure funding and resources from both domestic and international sources to implement and sustain these strategies.
2. Pratical Informations
- Venue: Auditorium of African Centre of Excellence on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture, Bingerville, University Félix Houphouet Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire
- Date: October, 6, 2023
- Time: 9:00-15:30 (UTC+0), Côte d’Ivoire time
- Website and registrations for attendance online: https://events.wascal.org/event/3/
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 will 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 webinarin Abidjan, Côte dIvoire. This committee comprises, WASCAL Côte d’Ivoire, African Centre of Excellence on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture, University Félix Houphouet Boigny, ONPC, SODEXAM, Red Cross Cote d’Ivoire, 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.
