West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use

West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use
Name	West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use
Abbreviation	WASCAL
Formation	2010
Type	Research and capacity building network
Headquarters	Accra, Ghana
Region served	West Africa
Languages	English language, French language
Leader title	Executive Director

West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use is a transnational research and capacity-building center established to strengthen climate change research, agriculture adaptation strategies, and resiliency in West Africa. The center coordinates scientific networks, graduate training, and policy-oriented projects across national and regional platforms including collaboration with international organizations and donor agencies.

Background and Mandate

WASCAL was created through a partnership involving the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, national governments of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and other Sahelian and coastal states, with aims aligned to continental initiatives such as the African Union's research priorities and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The mandate emphasizes applied climate science for smallholder farmers and natural resources management stakeholders, integrating modelling efforts from centres like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional meteorological services including the West African Meteorological Organization. WASCAL’s tasks include generating climate information services, supporting master's degree and PhD programs, and advising policy processes such as National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions under international frameworks.

Governance and Organizational Structure

Governance is exercised through a Governing Board comprising representatives from member states, donor partners such as the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, and academic partners including University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana, and research institutes like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Centre de Suivi Ecologique. The Executive Director reports to the Board and coordinates thematic hubs and graduate schools hosted at partner universities in locations such as Ouagadougou and Kumasi. Administrative units liaise with regional bodies like the Economic Community of West African States and intergovernmental entities such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union to align priorities and operational plans. Advisory committees draw expertise from institutions including the World Meteorological Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Research Programs and Thematic Areas

WASCAL’s research portfolio spans climate modelling and downscaling, hydrology and water resources, agro-ecosystems and soil science, and socio-economic resilience studies linked to migration and urbanization in capitals such as Dakar and Abidjan. Programs integrate methodologies from the Copernicus Programme and remote sensing teams using data from satellites operated by agencies like the European Space Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Interdisciplinary projects engage partner universities including Cheikh Anta Diop University and University of Ibadan alongside research organizations such as the International Livestock Research Institute and the International Food Policy Research Institute to co-produce climate services and decision-support tools for ministries of agriculture and environment.

Capacity Building and Training Initiatives

A central pillar is graduate education via regional Doctoral Research Programs and Graduate Schools hosted with universities including University of Bonn and Technische Universität Dresden partners, offering curricula in climatology, hydrology, and adaptation sciences. Training modules, short courses, and exchanges involve institutions such as the African Union Commission training arms and capacity networks like the Global Framework for Climate Services, targeting mid-career professionals from meteorological services and ministries of environment. Scholarships and joint supervision arrangements connect students with supervisors at University of Cologne and research centers like the International Centre for Theoretical Physics to enhance research skills and knowledge transfer.

Partnerships and Regional Engagement

WASCAL operates through consortia that include national research councils, regional bodies like the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel, donor agencies including the German Academic Exchange Service, and global partners such as the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank. Engagement extends to civil society organizations and farmer cooperatives, linking to initiatives by Oxfam and CARE International, and to private sector actors in climate services and agritech ecosystems in cities such as Lagos and Accra. The center also interacts with pan-African science networks including the African Academy of Sciences and the Science Granting Councils Initiative to mainstream research outputs into policy dialogues.

Funding and Resource Mobilization

Initial capitalization and continuing support have come from bilateral funding by the Federal Republic of Germany and co-financing by member state ministries of science and technology and environment. Project-specific grants have been obtained from multilateral funds including the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. WASCAL leverages competitive research grants from the European Commission's research programmes and partners with development banks like the African Development Bank for infrastructure and capacity investments.

Impact, Achievements, and Challenges

Achievements include establishment of regional Graduate Schools, operational climate services for agricultural advisories used by ministries in Niger and Burkina Faso, and contributions to national adaptation planning processes and scientific assessments informing delegations to the Conference of the Parties. WASCAL has delivered peer-reviewed outputs in collaboration with institutions such as the University of Cape Town and Covenant University, and supported early-career researchers who now work at national meteorological agencies and NGOs. Challenges persist in sustaining financing, scaling transboundary data-sharing among agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, addressing infrastructure gaps in computing and observation networks, and ensuring equitable benefit sharing across diverse linguistic and institutional contexts represented by member states such as Benin and Togo. Continued engagement with regional economic communities and international funders is central to addressing these constraints and expanding impacts.

Category:Research institutes in Africa Category:Climate change organizations