Keywords

Africa, global change research, scientific equity, climate change impacts.

Abstarct

Of all the regions in the World, sub-Saharan Africa is the least well equipped to respond to the issues associated with climate change. This paper discusses the significance of climate change to African nations and the related needs and opportunities. At the centre of the discussion are the important issues, often raised by African colleagues, of scientific equity and the urgent need for investment in African scientific infrastructure to help African scientists inform and advise African governments and decision makers on the likely impacts of climate change on their nations' economy and resource base.

In most African countries, funding for global change research is a low priority compared with more immediate and pressing societal issues. However, understanding the processes and predicting the impacts of climate change on African environment and economies necessitates a series of focused scientific initiatives within the region. These initiatives will require a combination of applied biological and social science and would benefit from being led by African scientists. Some initiatives are currently underway, supported in large part by the international community. African scientists need to be true partners in these scientific endeavours, from identifying the priority research questions, to designing and implementing the research and presenting the policy implications of the results. Now more than ever, support for African science and education must be part of the national and international development portfolios for the countries of the region.