Report by Ben LARYEA
The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adopted Land Use
(WASCAL) in partnership with the German Climate Service Centre (GERICS) has rolled
out an initiative dubbed, Customised and Integrated Climate and Environmental Services
for Improved Resilience and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in West Africa
(CICLES).
Speaking at a news conference in Accra, the Interim Executive Director of WASCAL, Prof.
Kehinde Ogunjobi said CICLES is working fervently in leveraging operations and activities
to scale up resilience to climate change in Africa.
The media encounter is aimed at taking stock at WASCAL commitment in providing
climate services in West Africa at the just ended COP 28 and to enable stakeholders to
combat climate change to improve livelihoods in West Africa.
The program created a platform for stakeholders in the climate change space to discuss and
deliberate on issues and challenges relating to climate change and swift measures to put in
place to address the challenges on the backdrop of the just ended COP 28.
The 36 month project kick started in August 2023, is geared towards building the capacities
of risk- prone nations and resilience to global warming of an end to end climate and
environmental services.
He said the core mandate of the CICLES was to promote climate change resilience,
sustainable development and improving livelihoods in West Africa.
For his part, Mr. Torsten Weber, Representative of the German Climate Service Centre
(GERICS) called for a collective effort from stakeholders to prioritise issues on climate,
saying the gesture helps to promote resilience for sustainable development.
He therefore urged governments around the world to have a data base to address climate
change and release also adequate funding for climate related agencies to function
effectively, adding their facilities must be upgraded to march emerging trends on climate
change.
