Bridging science and practice – good practice from multistakeholder partnerships between Europe and Africa

Engagement of local communities and stakeholders in development of climate change adaptation solutions has become one of the key factors for successful outcomes particularly in developing countries. However, despite various European initiatives focusing on supporting knowledge transfer and collaborative scientific and applied projects, many African countries still face challenges related to ensure sustainability and visibility of impacts. Overcoming these constraints remains a core challenge in developing countries. The more opportunities countries have, the better they are equipped to face climate change and build resilience.

The Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management (FTZ NK)” has a several decades experience in supporting knowledge technology transfer including training programmes and community engagement as well as fundamental and applied research on climate issues.

In this session, we will share key insights and good practices of two key projects of the Centre that illustrate how distinctive collaborative multistakeholder action has contributed effectively to the translation of research results into practical applications and communication of results to communities and stakeholders in the context of climate change impacts and adaptation in Africa are:

Project “Green Garden/Jardins adaptés au climat (Towards Climate Resilient Farming/Des jardins partagés et d'adaptation aux changements climatiques)”, jointly funded by the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) and by the Deutsch Forschungsgemienschaft (DFG) brings together 200 vulnerable farmers from seven enterprises in Benin, Morocco, and Canada and 20 researchers representing an interdisciplinary consortium of researchers from Canada, Germany, Morocco, and Benin to co-design and adopt successful climate change adaptation practices in agriculture and agroforestry in collaboration with local communities.

Project “RECC-LUM (Feasibility Study on Climate Change, Land Use Management, and Renewable Energy in The Gambia)” funded by BMFTR and supported by The Gambia Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (MoHERST) focuses on sustainable land management practices within the Gambian agricultural landscape and the role played by using renewable energy in the process with active engagement of local farmers. Besides co-creation and collaborative learning with local stakeholders and strong international cooperation and visibility, one of the key components of the project is continuous and strong communication of results to stakeholders and policy makers.