IPCC, UNEP, UNESCO and WMO Support Africa-wide Climate Change Education Day

The comprehensive scientific body of knowledge on matters related to climate change in Africa is seldom getting through to local learning institutions. In an effort to engage with young people and future professionals in a dialogue about the impacts of climate change and potential local solutions, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany (HAW Hamburg) is partnering with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and numerous African institutions to organize the first "African Climate Teach-in Day", 3 June 2011. The day will be devoted to lectures and lessons around the issue of climate change in Africa, to be held in universities and secondary schools across the continent. Registration is now open.

The main aim of the African Climate Teach-In Day is to disseminate scientific information on climate change in Africa in a way that will be broadly understood, thereby raising awareness among secondary and university students on the complexity of the issue and the need for personal engagement and action. The day further provides an opportunity to discuss the problems, barriers, challenges and potential related to climate change in Africa, both at the local and regional levels; as well as to introduce projects and other initiatives being undertaken by schools, universities, government bodies, international organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders to address the problem. By encouraging networking and information exchange among participants the African Climate Teach-In Day is intended to catalyze new cooperation initiatives and projects.
 
The event will consist of a set of lectures and videos in English on the scientific, economic and social aspects of climate change; as well as a discussion forum which will offer participants the chance to directly interact with the lecturers. In addition, participants will have access to a Climate Change Studies Library, a one-stop site where relevant studies and reports can be downloaded, and the Climate Projects Around the World database that showcases climate projects from different continents.
 
The lecture series is divided into three categories:
  • Category A:  Lectures on the scientific aspects of climate change including on modeling, forecasts and data analysis
  • Category B:  Lectures on social aspects of climate change, including economics, policy-making and social impacts
  • Category C:  Lectures dealing with education, communication and training on climate change
Along the three themes, the focus will be on regional initiatives, projects and other efforts involving different groups and stakeholders that may be replicable or likely to be of interest to a wide audience. In order to keep the requirements as simple as possible, the lectures will be made available as downloadable PDF presentations. In addition, a set of guiding questions will be provided which can be discussed at the end of the lectures. A range of related video clips will also be available for visualizing selected impacts of climate change.
 
The organization of transnational on-line climate teach-ins, is a concept developed by the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences as part of the International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP). The African Climate Teach-in Day builds on the success of the "European Climate Teach-In Day" held on 5 June 2009 and the "World Climate Teach-In Day", 4 June 2010, through which several thousand students in 55 countries were reached.
 
The African Climate Teach-in Day is recognized by UNESCO as a project in the framework of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). The latter seeks to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning, in order to address the social, economic, cultural and environmental problems of the 21st century.
 
For further information please contact the Conference Office at press@african.climateday.net.
 

Registration: http://african.climateday.net/en/reg