The Climate Research for Development (CR4D) in Africa initiative announced the first cohort of 21 young African scientists who will receive up to $170,000 each to carry out demand-driven research in the areas of climate science, application and engagement with policy, development and decision communities.
The grantees from Benin, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Namibia, Uganda, Senegal and Zimbabwe were selected through a highly competitive research commissioning process, UNECA said in a statement on Monday
The CR4D is an African-led initiative created through a partnership of the African Climate Policy Center (ACPC) of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).
The initiative is the outcome of the African Climate Conference 2013 (ACC-2013), which was held in Arusha, Tanzania, and seeks to strengthen the links between climate science research and climate information needs in support of development planning in the continent’s key development sectors.
Following the establishment of the CR4D governing bodies, the Oversight Board (OB), the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), the Institutional Collaboration Platform (ICP) and the Secretariat hosted at ACPC, the ECA partnered with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) to implement and manage the CR4D research grants.
Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the ECA, was quoted as saying that the program will enable Africa to develop a large pool of young scientists who are able to conduct research that can provide evidence to support development policy.
She said it will facllitate planning for a climate smart economy to ensure sustainable development in Africa.
MG/as/APA