Helping to implement a WASCAL master research program "Climate change and Marine Sciences" at Mindelo / Cabo Verde 

Climate change poses a significant challenge to African societies within the next decades. Direct effects such as droughts and water shortages will be amplified through increased economic and population growth. To combat climate change effects and maintain the livelihoods of the peoples is thus the major aim of WASCAL. Marine resources will play a significant role in the future supply of protein for human nutrition in West Africa.

Background and Objective

The "West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use" (WASCAL) consists of a collaboration of numerous African research institutes supported by German partner institutes and the German Ministry of Science and Education (BMBF). The competence centre is distributed across 12 West African universities in the different WASCAL member states, of which the marine section is hosted by the University of Cabo Verde, Mindelo. The WASCAL competence centre comprises 3 areas of activities: the research programme, the provision of climate related information services and capacity devlopment. The 'Climate Change and Marine Sciences' masters course belongs to the latter and is open to students from all WASCAL member states.

Target Group

Science, policy makers and the public

Approach

The Thünen Institute supports the Masters course in 4 modules:

• CCM 06 Fisheries Ecology and Climate Change effects
• CCM 08 Fisheries stock assessment
• CCM 13 Hydroacoustics in Fisheries and Marine Ecology
• CCM 18 Genetic tools applied to marine biology

Our Research Questions

Augmenting the WASCAL research programme by means of strengthening partnerships between West African and German partners

Development of applied demand driven information services in relation to climate change , climate fluctuations and environment.

Links and Downloads

www.bmbf.de/foerderungen/bekanntmachung-2331.html

wascal.org/master-programme-climate-change-and-marine-sciences/ 

Thünen-Contact

• Fock, Heino Institute of Sea Fisheries

Involved Thünen-Partners

• Hanel, Reinhold Institute of Fisheries Ecology
• Schaber, Matthias Institute of Sea Fisheries

Involved external Thünen-Partners

• GEOMAR - Helmholtz Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel
  (Kiel, Deutschland)
• Universidade de Cabo Verde
  (Praia, Kap Verde)

Funding Body

• Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  (national, öffentlich)

Duration

1.2020 - 12.2024

More Information

Projekt type:
Project status: ongoing