Background
Background
CR4D was established to advance current climate knowledge frontiers, bridging the gap between social and biophysical research, between research and application, towards the delivery of a coordinated climate research agenda for Africa to address user needs. The process leading to the establishment of CR4D took about four years of extensive consultations among the African climate community and their international collaborators. The initial discussions that triggered that took place during CLIVAR -Africa panel meeting in November 2011, Cape Town, South Africa. At this meeting, attended by a small number of African and international climate scientists, it was resolved that climate research in Africa should be demand-driven, responsive to the user needs, and thus should be situated within human decision and sustainable Development Planning contexts. The meeting also resolved that from then onwards CLIVAR-Africa priority climate research agenda for Africa must incorporate climate information users’ needs. These ideas were further consolidated and informed the Africa Climate Conference 2013 (ACC2013) agenda.
In summary, the key events that led to the launch of CR4D initiative in February 2015 are the following: -
- Africa Climate Conference (ACC2013) in Arusha on 15-18 October 2013 recommending formation of a Pan-Africa Climate Research for Development
- ClimDev-Africa endorsed (ACC2013) Conference Recommendations Statement on CR4D at the Third conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-III) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (October 2013)
- Consultative meeting between representatives of the ACC2013 Steering Committee (Chair ACC2013, WMO , ACPC, WCRP and AMCOMET ) in Geneva in December 2013 to plan on the next steps toward formation of CR4D
- Strategic Meeting to discuss CR4D governance structure in Marrakech, Morocco (October 2014) as a pre-event of the Fourth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-IV)
- Strategic Meeting in Geneva (November 2014) as a parallel-event of the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services to consolidate recommendations of the Marrakech meeting
- Launch of the CR4D Agenda on the margins of the Third Session of African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET-3) in Cape Verde (February 2015)
- CR4D Secretariat at the African Climate Policy Center (ACPC) formally begun operations in middle of June 2015
Summary of major CR4D Milestones
The Secretariat
In recognition of the need for enhanced understanding of the mutual processes driving Africa’s development, and variability and change in the climate system in order to improve predictive capabilities at all timescales and development scenarios, participants of the Climate Research for Development (CR4D) initiative meeting in Marrakech decided to set up a temporary Secretariat at the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Hence, the Secretariat formally begun operations in the middle of June 2015 with its immediate task of developing an election mechanism for the selection of members of the scientific committee. Moreover, the Secretariat is/will be responsible for the implementation of CR4D-Africa agenda. The CR4D Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and managing the day-to-day activities of the Secretariat including provision of technical and strategic leadership, programme co-ordination and management roles, as well as programme outreach and networking support.