UN and partners launch initiative to promote demand-driven climate research in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, 3 June
(Xinhua / GNA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and its partners
Monday announced the first cohort of 21 young African scientists as recipients
grant to conduct demand-driven research to promote climate
science in Africa.

ECA, in a
statement released on Monday revealed that the 21 young African scientists who
are selected as part of the first cohort will receive up to 100,000 British
approximately US $ 126,000 to conduct research on demand in
areas of basic science of climate, its application and commitment
political, development and decision-making communities.

The initiative was
launched by Climate Research for Development (CR4D) research in Africa – a
An initiative led by Africa and created through a partnership of African Climate
ECA Policy Center, African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology,
World Meteorological Organization, Global Framework for Climate Services,
and the World Climate Research Program.

"ECA, as one
founding members and principals responsible for the implementation of the CR4D initiative,
pleased to see the launch of research grants, "reads a statement from the ECA
Monday.

Executive Secretary of
Vera Songwe, of the European Court of Auditors, described the grant as "the beginning of a
program that will develop and allow Africa to develop a large pool of young people
scientists who are able to conduct research that can provide evidence to support
development and planning policy for a climate-smart economy to ensure sustainability.
development in Africa ".

The 21 beneficiaries, who
would come from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana,
Madagascar, Namibia, Uganda, Senegal and Zimbabwe were selected by a
commissioning process of highly competitive research, according to ECA.

The announcement on
Monday arrived after several years of investment in the creation of partnerships with
other institutions, prominent scientists and academics, through which the CR4D
a collaborative governance structure and a five-year strategy have been developed to
guide the research program, it was noted.

The initiative is a
results of the 2013 African Climate Conference (ACC-2013), which is held at
Arusha, Tanzania, seeks to strengthen the links between climate science
research and climate information needs in support of development planning in
key sectors of the continent's development.

According to ECA,
African Academy of Sciences (AAS) will invest in the career development of
the 21 researchers by inducting them into their postdoctoral fellowships
programs in the framework of the AAS Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa platform for
Implement and manage CR4D research grants.

GNA