GLOWS hosts climate change risk, adaptation training in Africa

The Global Water for Sustainability (GLOWS) Program recently hosted a workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso regarding the effects of climate change and how communities can adapt.

The training is part of the ongoing U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WA-WASH) Program.

The workshop, titled “Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis,” brought together representatives of academic, government and non-government institutions, including professors, graduate students, politicians and community leaders, working in the sectors of meteorology, water, public health and animal resources.  The four-day event was conducted in conjunction with CARE International and Winrock International, partners in the GLOWS consortium.

The 22 participants were trained to master concepts and use tools of climate change vulnerability and adaptation. They were then able to apply what they learned in the workshop sessions through hands-on field work in the villages of Oueglega and Tama. The activities emphasized participatory learning and are designed so communities can do their own risk analysis and plan risk reduction.

“After the workshop in Burkina Faso, similar ones have been held in Niger and Ghana, offering training to the same type of participants,” said Seydou Traoré, public relations and communication officer for USAID WA-WASH Program. “We’re planning to follow up with these individuals to collect information and monitor clear signs of effectiveness. It’s part of a ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’ system currently in development.”

The WA-WASH Program was launched in 2011 in Ghana, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. These countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have been significantly behind in achieving global standards for safe water and adequate hygiene. Through a grant funded by the USAID, the program implements technologies and procedures to increase access to safe water, enhance sanitation, and improve hygiene in these regions.

GLOWS is a consortium of international organizations led by FIU, working to increase social, economic and environmental benefits to people of the developing world.  The program is an integral component of FIU’s School of Environment, Arts and Society in the College of Arts & Sciences. Other consortium members include WaterAid America, World Vision and the World Wildlife Fund. It provides expertise across the policy, governance, educational and technical dimensions of integrated water resources management.