1) The document discusses the benefits of including decision-makers in early project planning, highlighting the AMMA-2050 project which aims to improve understanding of how climate change will impact the West African monsoon and help societies adapt. 2) The FCFA programme will produce climate science focused on Africa to ensure it impacts human development on the continent. Pilot studies in Senegal and Burkina Faso engage decision-makers to support climate-resilient agriculture and urban planning. 3) Findings from scoping studies in Accra and Maputo show the need to consider non-climatic factors and interact with decision-makers to identify suitable adaptation strategies. Understanding viewpoints, legislation, and innovation is key to

1. Benefits for including decision-makers
in early project planning
Dr Tanya A. Warnaars
11 Dec. 2015

2. Outline of talk
• General needs for good policy dialogue
• Communicating
• FCFA programme & aims
• AMMA-2050 project - driven by decision makers
• Conclusions

3. General needs for Science-Policy Interfacing
Requires good knowledge of the decision making context, notably:
• Who are the decision makers that drive the policy on CC?
• Government (ministers, government committees)
• Civil servants
• Regional, local authorities
• Scientific & Political advisors
• What are the current policies & scale of operation
Local & regional; National; International
Timing: Are any changes anticipated in the near future?
• How are decisions reached: as scientists need to appreciate the decision
making process

4. Policy making process
Evidenced to
(new)
policies
Appraise the
options
Decide on
option
Implement
option
Assess risk
and
uncertainty
Review
evidence
Monitor
Progress
How do they get their
information is key to
understand when and where
to communicate

5. Communicating the message
• Needs to be tailored for the audience Part of this exercise is understanding
where the barriers are
• Knowledge exchange is a tool for interactions between these 2 ‘worlds’
• Should communicate science in an appropriate way to the right
decision/policy makers & showing how it fits their policy needs
Policy &
Practice
Research
KE • Goal is for effective ways for knowledge
sharing
• Proper funding is needed to support
such activities

6. FCFA: supporting medium term decision making
Future Climate For Africa (FCFA) programme will:
• produce innovative climate science focused on Africa
• ensure that this science has an impact on human development across the continent
FCFA funded by:
- Department for International Development (DFID): lead the UK’s contribution to end
extreme poverty
- Natural Environment Research Council: (NERC): leading UK funder of independent
research, training and innovation in environmental science
The partnership between DFID and NERC reflects the triple focus of the programme on
scientific excellence, achieving impact and strengthening scientific capacity & international
collaboration

7. AMMA-2050: African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis
Overall objectives:
• understanding how the monsoon will change
in future decades
• how this information can be most effectively
used to support development in the region
AMMA-2050 aims to improve understanding of how the West
African monsoon will be affected by climate change in the
coming decades, and help societies adapt.

8. Aims of AMMA-2050
• Determine drivers of High Impact Weather (HIW)
• Assess trustworthiness of HIW projections
• Identify impacts and adaptation options for decision-makers
• Apply knowledge in agricultural and urban hydrological settings
• Greater awareness of the value of climate information in medium-
term decision making

9. Pilot studies in resilient agriculture, Senegal
Agricultural study based in Niakhar, Senegal
• Transfer climate smart information and
technologies to decision-makers to support
their mid- and long-term strategies and policies
• Identify appropriate climate smart
agriculture technologies and innovations for
intensification
Policies & engagement
• COMNACC (Comité National Changement Climatique) :
All ministries, civil society, public and private sectors and
experts
• Programme de Relance et d’Accélération de l’Agriculture
au Sénégal” (PRACAS)
• Reporting to the stakeholders and elected officials
updated policies on climate change
• Briefing decision-makers at the sub-regional level in the
development of agricultural policies integrating
information and forecasts on climate
• helping small farmers build their capacities for
development resilience by providing both responsive and
proactive technical assistance

10. Pilot studies in urban flooding, Burkina Faso
Future floods study based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• Build a comprehensive knowledge base of flood
information
• Inform the urban planning process
• Evaluate the socio-economic impacts of flood predictions
• Develop tools and outputs that integrate climatic risks
and socio-economic factors
Policies & engagement
• CONASUR (Conseil National de Secours d'Urgence et de
Réhabilitation )
• The “Grand Ouaga” plan under development by the
Burkina Faso Ministry of Urban Planning and Habitat.
• Build a comprehensive knowledge base of flood
information
• Maps and reports on vulnerable flooding zones in
Ouagadougou
• Identify the key social and economic factors and drivers
which influence the flooding events in Ouagadougou.
Flooding in
Ouagadougou,
September 2009

11. FCFA Scoping studies findings
• Focus on: Using Climate information to achieve long term development
objects
• Location: Accra and Maputo
• neither city directly used future climate information
• non-climate issued were critical to finding suitable climate change adaptation
strategies / interventions
• Future plans need interaction of non-climatic and climatic factors
• Expressed need for improved observational data to support future planning
• Malawi study: highlighted barriers to using available climate information &
better use of existing information would improve resilience policies /planning

12. Conclusions
• Co-production: scientists and policy makers working together
• Demonstrate value of climate information in decision making
• Understanding of the different view points of communities:
• Know the Current regulating legislation
• Who are the decision makers that drive the policy on CC?
• Where is innovation coming from? Industry/research? Other?
Know this to get information to those who needed

13. More information:
twarnaars@ceh.ac.uk
www.futureclimateafrica.org
www.amma2050.org (under construction)
THANK YOU