Climate change capacity building in Africa: initiatives at the United Nations University Bonn

With the mission to build knowledge for a sustainable world, the United Nations University in Bonn (UNU Bonn) (including the Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and the Vice-Rectorate in Europe (UNU-VIE)) is heavily involved in capacity development, especially in Africa, where the effects of climate change and associated extremes are felt disproportionately. UNU Bonn integrates its cutting-edge research on risk, adaptation and transformation into its capacity development activities in collaboration with universities in different countries of Africa, for example through the WASCAL Graduate Studies Programs in West Africa, the Pan African University, and the Disaster Management Training and Education Center in South Africa. In addition, UNU Bonn implements capacity building components in direct relation to and as part of the implementation of innovative research projects.

Against this background and in direct response to the aim of this session, UNU Bonn can provide an overview of the most recent and relevant capacity building initiatives in the context of climate change in Africa. Examples are contributions from UNU Bonn to university curricula in the context of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, Training of Trainers initiatives, e.g. on "transboundary water management" in Togo and Benin, capacity building initiatives in the field "GIS and Remote Sensing for Impact-Based Early Warning", or training programs for young professionals, accelerating gender-just energy transition. In addition, UNU Bonn is closely working with regional organizations, such as the African Montane Unit (ARU) and co-organizing the Southern African Mountain Conference series (SAMC) with the aim to bring together science, policy and practitioners and build capacities on water management issues in the context of climate risks in different southern African mountain regions. UNU Bonn, furthermore, promotes innovation around “Internet of Things” (IoT) in agricultural production.

We can also bring insights into new projects, which build the basis for future capacity building initiatives, for example in the field of multi-goal-oriented management of ecosystems to address climate change, disaster risk, biodiversity loss, and land degradation simultaneously through targeted and strategic management of e.g. wetlands or forests.

With these initiatives, UNU Bonn builds and fosters African capacities of tomorrow’s decision-makers, enabling them to deal with climate change impacts – something the European-African Network for Capacity Development in Climate Change Adaptation Research in Africa can learn from and build on.