Climate change: Researchers asked to expand collaborations

Nov 30, 2022

“The economies of many African countries are highly dependent on the agricultural sector and because of this, climate change effects are more severe than in my country,”

H.E Elin Ostebo Johansen ,Ambassador of Norway in Uganda at Makerere – Bergen School at the Yusuf Lule training centre at Makerere University Kampala on November 28, 2022./ Photos by Lawrence Mulondo

Ivan Tsebeni
Journalist @New Vision

As the world grapples with the effects of climate change, many countries are banking more on research to find solutions

According to the experts, the main factor to counter the adverse impacts of climate change is increased research collaborations across borders. They say the challenges do not recognise things such as political borders, which calls for collaborative reasearch.

Speaking at the opening of the first-ever Makerere-Bergen Research School, a two-weeks event on Monday, November 28, 2022, Norway's ambassador to Uganda Elin Ostebo Johansen, said the previous years had shown that many countries were threatened by long dry spells and flooding. 

 (From Left) H.E Elin Ostebo Johansen the Ambassador of Norway in Uganda, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi the former Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training Makerere University and other participants attending the Makerere – Bergen School.

(From Left) H.E Elin Ostebo Johansen the Ambassador of Norway in Uganda, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi the former Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training Makerere University and other participants attending the Makerere – Bergen School.

She added that African countries were most hit by climate change effects.

“The economies of many African countries are highly dependent on the agricultural sector and because of this, climate change effects are more severe than in my country,” Ostebo said.

She observed that research is key for establishing knowledge and evidence from which decisions on climate change can be made. Ostebo stressed that Norway supports many areas of research collaborations in developing countries through NORHED (the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in higher education and research for development) flagship and other partners.

The genesis of Makerere-Bergen collaboration, according to Makerere academic registrar Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, dates back to 1988 and has been growing since.

Buyinza, who was representing vice-chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, said the two-weeks training would trace solutions to most of the climate change challenges.

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi the former Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training Makerere University making an address during the Makerere – Bergen School at the Yusuf Lulu training centre at Makerere University Kampala

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi the former Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training Makerere University making an address during the Makerere – Bergen School at the Yusuf Lulu training centre at Makerere University Kampala

“The world we knew during the time I was at university is different from the one we are in now and the transition for the worse is fast. It is important to engage young researchers,” he said.

The training has attracted a total of 21 students from 15 nations: Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mexico, Ethiopia, Norway, Philippines, Netherlands, Malaysia and Egypt.

 

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