Sophie Rigg, Emma Visman and Mark Pelling, researchers affiliated with the host institution of the IRDR International Centre for Excellence on Risk Interpretation and Action (IRDR ICoE RIA), recently issued a “Learning Paper” that outlines novel methods for linking scientific and practitioner knowledge.

“Climate change is having significant impact on climate extremes in East and West Africa. It is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts, and threatening already vulnerable livelihoods and the existence of some remote rural villages. It is also undermining the traditional indicators (such as insect behaviour) that farmers in these regions have used to predict the weather and seasonal climate. In rural Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, these challenges are made worse by the limited access to externally generated weather and climate information, and the low capacity of local actors to respond to climate extremes. Addressing these difficulties and building the resilience of vulnerable people to climate shocks and stresses is an immediate priority and the aim of the Christian Aid-led, DFID funded, Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED) projects.”

The Ethiopia project (£4m) will benefit more than 700,000 people in 12 districts, while the Burkina Faso project (£7m) will benefit more than 1.3 million people in four provinces. View BRACED projects at King’s College London.