Accra, July, 12, GNA-To help build climate resilience, scientific coordinators and deputy directors from 12 universities under WASCAL in the West Africa sub-region have been equipped with policy brief development skills.
The training conducted by the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (STEPRI-CSIR) with funding from the German’s Federal Ministry of Education will enable the scientific coordinators to effectively engage policymakers, using policy briefs.
Participants after the training would also train students pursuing climate change related topics in master and doctorate programme to enable them to develop policy briefs for communities in their respective countries.
Dr Portia Adade Williams, a Research Scientist at STEPRI-CSIR and one of the resource persons, speaking during the technical session of the three-day event, said climate change posed risks to human health, ecosystems, social and cultural systems, and economic development, but also provides opportunities.
She stated that Climate policies are intended to reduce the risks of climate change while at the same time taking advantage of the opportunities it presents.
“To make informed decisions, policymakers require timely and useful information about the possible consequences of climate change, people’s perceptions of whether the consequences are positive or negative, available adaptation options, and the benefits of slowing the rate of climate change,” she said.
Dr Williams noted that the challenge was how to effectively provide the information to inform decision making by policymakers.
She schooled the participants on topics, including how to prepare policy briefs, key elements and brief development processes among others.
The resource persons included Dr Wilhelmina Quaye, the Director of CSIR-STEPRI, and Dr George Owusu Essegbey, a former Director of CSIR-STEPRI.
Dr Moumini Savadogo, the Executive Director of West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), said getting scientific findings to the heart of policy makers and the general public was crucial to building climate resilience.
GNA