Fourteen Degrees-funded scientists and collaborators attended and led sessions at the World Climate Research Program (WCRP)’s Open Science Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, between the 23 and 27 October 2023. This once-in-a-decade conference brought together the climate, environment, and related communities to discuss the latest developments in climate science and actions needed to ensure a sustainable future.
Prof. Inés Camilloni, Dr Pete Irvine, and Dr Romaric Odoulami–Degrees-funded scientists and collaborators–organised a special session titled ‘Mitigation scenarios including overshoot and climate intervention’, which included discussion of solar radiation modification (SRM). It was held in the conference’s main auditorium, attracting an in-person audience of over 100 people.
Discussions raised many of the socio-political issues that would constrain and shape the application of climate intervention strategies such as SRM. In general, speakers and participants stressed the need for inter- and trans-disciplinary research that informs stakeholders who would potentially be affected by these technologies.
As part of the session, Dr Thierry Fotso-Nguemo, principal investigator (PI) for the Degrees-funded team in Cameroon, gave a keynote lecture titled ‘Potential impact of solar radiation management geoengineering on water deficit risk over major Central African river basins’. Several other Degrees scientists also presented posters about their work with the Degrees Modelling Fund.
Dr Odoulami, Co-PI on Degrees teams in South Africa and Brazil, later chaired a side-session titled ‘Managing climate overshoot in Africa’. This included a panel of Degrees-funded researchers from across Africa: Prof. Babatunde Abiodun (South Africa 2023), Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse (Ghana 2023), Dr Franklin Opijah (Kenya 2021), and Dr Frederic Bonou (Benin 2023).
A consistent message from the discussions during these sessions was that while various proposals for SRM, as well as carbon dioxide removal, have the potential to reduce climate change impacts, neither is a substitute for emissions cuts, and both raise issues that cannot be adequately addressed without additional research.
The event represents an achievement for Degrees to have such a number of Degrees-funded scientists centre stage at the first WCRP Open Science Conference to be held in Africa.
Degrees-funded scientists in attendance (13)
Prof. Babatunde Abiodun – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2018, South Africa 2023)
Dr Frédéric Bonou – Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin (Benin 2023)
Prof. Inés Camilloni – University of Buenos Aires (Argentina 2018)
Dr Temitope Samuel Egbebiyi – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2018, Nigeria 2023)
Dr Thierry Fotso-Nguemo – National Institute of Cartography (Cameroon 2023)
Dr Carla Gulizia – University of Buenos Aires (Argentina 2018)
Dr Andreas Meyer – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2023)
Dr Christopher Lennard – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2018, Nigeria 2023)
Dr Romaric Odoulami – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2018, Brazil 2023, South Africa 2023)
Dr Bob Ogwang – Uganda National Meteorological Authority (Uganda 2023)
Prof. Franklin Opijah – University of Nairobi (Kenya 2021)
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse – University of Ghana (Ghana 2023)
Prof. Michelle Simões Reboita – Universidade Federal de Itajubá (Brazil 2023)
Degrees-funded research collaborators in attendance (4)
Prof. Babatunde Abiodun – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2018, South Africa 2023)
Prof. Inés Camilloni – University of Buenos Aires (Argentina 2018)
Dr Pete Irvine – University College London and Degrees’ Science Advisor
Dr Christopher Lennard – University of Cape Town (South Africa 2018, Nigeria 2023)