DRP-WACS WASCAL Information

The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is a German initiative and a West African international organization with focus on academic and multidisciplinary research, building graduate-level scientific capacity and serving policy makers in West Africa with science-based advice on adaptation to climate change impacts and land use management. It cooperates with many agencies and universities in the West African region, providing a knowledge platform of excellence for its partners. WASCAL is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), multilateral and bilateral partners and its 11 West African member countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia and Togo. The main goal of the programme is to build capacity in climate science, applications and risk management aimed at solving climate-related socio-economic challenges in Africa. The programme is geared towards producing professional personnel equipped with the research and technological skills to manage climate-related issues in priority areas such as health, water, energy, agriculture (food security) and disaster risk reduction. The PhD programme is thus primed to bridge the skills gaps by providing transformative climate management solutions to atmospheric, agriculture, water resources, health, coastal, and urban issues, environmental and other socio-economic problems occasioned by the interplay of extreme weather and climate. Specifically, DRP-WACS, Federal University of Technology Akure provide the following services: Manpower development and enhancement of skills for stakeholders to combat and manage the climate system. Development of climate services, as well as adaptation programmes including the prediction of extreme weather and climate conditions; impacts of climate change and variability on coastal areas, urbanization, agroforestry, energy demand, hydrology and water re