Press Release s66

AfricaAdapt PRESS RELEASE South Africa Embargoed until 4th May 2009

New pan-African network to share South Africa’s knowledge to help other countries in Africa reduce climate impacts

Farmers living in the Limpopo River Basin in South Africa have been testing options to adapt to climate change and protect their crops. Their experience could help other communities in Africa facing similar challenges, yet this experience and other research and innovations taking place are not being widely shared across the continent. AfricaAdapt is a new bilingual network that will address this problem – ensuring African knowledge on climate change adaptation is effectively gathered and shared.

Leading African organisations Environment and Development in the Third World (ENDA), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) have teamed with the Institute of Development Studies, UK, to create AfricaAdapt.

‘AfricaAdapt is the first pan-African network dedicated to climate change adaptation. It will overcome linguistic and geographical divides ensuring that knowledge that can help vulnerable communities adapt to the changes taking place is accessible to anybody exploring responses to climate change.’ says Mr. Abebe Tadege, from Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC).

‘Our interactive website, our events, specialised radio broadcasts and support for innovation will facilitate the sharing of new and traditional knowledge on adaptation from South Africa with other researchers and vulnerable communities across the continent.’

AfricaAdapt is free to access and open to any individuals and organisations working on climate change adaptation in Africa. The website will be a platform connecting users according to their areas of interest and their activities. They can sign up to updates on projects, themes, and events and receive them through email, newsletters or automatic newsfeeds.

Face-to-face forums, and local radio programmes will be used to reach out to local communities and ensure that their own knowledge and experiences are shared with others working to address climate change impacts in Africa.

‘We believe African media have a key role to play in facilitating the sharing of knowledge with our communities. This is why we will work with community-based radios and seek opportunities to collaborate with journalists across the region’ Mr. Abebe Tadege continues. AfricaAdapt is funded through the UK Government Department for International Development (DFID) and the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Notes to editor:

For interviews please contact: Mr. Abebe Tadege, ICPAC, Kenya Tel: +254 (0) 716223871 Email: [email protected]

For a press pack please contact [email protected]

Press Pack contents: - AfricaAdapt launch press releases –International (French/English) and for African countries including Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Tanzania, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda (French/English as appropriate) - Africa Adapt videos (French/English) for Windows and Mac - AfricaAdapt introductory leaflet (French/English)

Watch AfricaAdapt introductory videos English version: http://www.vimeo.com/4242177 French version: http://www.vimeo.com/4218562

On AfricaAdapt AfricaAdapt is collaboratively hosted by Environment and Development in the Third World (ENDA- TM); Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA); IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC); and Institute of Development Studies (IDS). The network is funded through the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Climate Change Adaptation in Africa programme.

AfricaAdapt website www.africa-adapt.net goes life on 4th May.