Leveraging mathematical sciences for climate-resilient solutions

 

Climate variability and extremes pose significant development challenges for Africa in the 21st century. The impacts are already being felt in diverse sectors, including agriculture and food security, education and health, affecting people’s livelihoods, wellbeing and the overall economy. Africa's current adaptive and resilience capacities are weak in the face of the impacts of climate change. The convergence of mathematical sciences and artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to generate comprehensive scenarios on climate risk, vulnerability patterns and greenhouse gas emissions to aid with predictions and resilience planning. Through collection and analysis of vast volumes of weather and climate data, integrating AI in mathematical modelling can improve the accuracy of climate change predictions and guide appropriate responses.

The number of scientists with the requisite skills to effectively integrate AI and mathematical techniques in climate modelling remains low in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, university curricula have been slow to adapt to the rapidly evolving practical needs of policymakers and private sector stakeholders.

To address the skills gap, this project will strengthen the capacities of African scientists to contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change by enabling a foundation for integrating AI in mathematical modelling within academic and policy spaces. It builds on the outcomes of previous mathematical sciences for climate change resilience projects, which demonstrated the value of targeted training initiatives in strengthening specific capacities. It focuses on capacity strengthening for early-career researchers and facilitating linkages with policymakers and private sector stakeholders.