African action on climate change urged

Fifteen African science academies have issued a joint statement calling on the African scientific community to intensify its study of climate change impacts. The statement was presented Monday at the eighth annual conference of African Science Academies in Lagos, Nigeria, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences reported. Characterizing Africa's contribution of scientific information to understanding climate change to date as "meager," the statement calls for African researchers to increase their observation, modeling, and analyses of the effects of climate change on a regional scale. The statement also urged science academies to help plan interventions to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change on the continent. The statement was released in cooperation with the African Science Academy Development Initiative, a partnership between the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and several African science academies to strengthen their capacity to provide evidence-based advice to inform policy-making and public discourse. The initiative is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.