Africa's climate is one of the least-researched and poorly understood in the world, but looks set to change significantly in the decades ahead. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that temperatures could warm up to 6ºC on the continent this century, and vast areas could experience more intense drought or rainfall than known before.
Governments and the private sector currently plough $70bn into infrastructure investments in Africa each year. There are major questions over whether these investments will be resilient to the climate of the future.
Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) is supporting five major research projects to develop better climate information for Africa and to test how the new information could be used in decision-making. FCFA is a joint programme of the DFID and NERC.
"We know that climate change will alter significantly the risks faced by African societies over the coming decades. That's why DFID is delighted to work with the NERC to address this challenge through jointly funding the FCFA programme," said Dr Tim Wheeler, DFID's deputy chief scientific adviser.
"FCFA will not only improve the climate information available to African decision-makers, but it also aims to work with both scientists and stakeholders across the continent to ensure that information is better tailored to users' needs and to strengthen the skills of users in the interpretation and use of climate information. The programme will also make a significant contribution to training African climate scientists. That way, African researchers can support decision-makers as they invest in infrastructure and development programmes in Africa in the future."
NERC chief executive, Duncan Wingham, said supporting science that helps society manage the effects of environmental change is one of NERC's key strategic objectives. "We are delighted to be investing in FCFA, which will provide African governments, business and other stakeholders with the information they need to make decisions that increase resilience and reduce climate risk."
"African societies are already affected by climate change including sustained droughts, deadly floods and rising sea levels, which entrench poverty and undermine economic growth," said Stefan Raubenheimer, director of FCFA's Coordination, Capacity Development and Knowledge Exchange unit. "The FCFA programme will provide high quality climate information to help governments and businesses make more climate-resilient investments. The programme will safeguard economic development and contribute to the fight against poverty in the long-term."
"FCFA will empower tens of thousands of scientists and policy-makers through knowledge and decision-making support tools available on open platforms, with potential benefit for millions of people whose lives will ultimately be affected," he added.
