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Call for Papers – Interactions between Humans and Wildlife
Interdisciplinary Workshop for Early-Career Researchers 23. – 27. October 2023 – Bonn, Germany The DAAD Global Centres G-WAC and AFAS call for papers for a
The Role of Termites as Ecological Engineers across the African Savanna Landscape
Termites are small “soft-bodied eusocial ‘white ants’ insects” which feed on a variety of organic material, ranging from leaf litter, wood or soil humus. Their feeding character has made various people to perceive them differently. For instance, across agricultural landscapes, termites (together with earthworms) have been regarded as crucial sources of proteins, vitamins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals to poultry due to their high nutritional value (Tiroesele and Moreki, 2012). In contrast, other people regard termites as pests, owing to their destructive nature to farm produce resulting to low crop yields and huge losses to farmers. As a mitigation measure, the farmers have adopted various physical and chemical measures to manage them. The attribute of termites wreaking havoc to farmers was well known to the AFAS students mainly because a majority of them hail from agricultural backgrounds in Africa as they have witnessed first-hand their negative impact.
Nature Based Solutions: What are they? Why do they Matter?
As the students under the AFAS program diffuse into their various countries and localities to conduct field research, they carry along such virtues about nature-based solutions. World-class professionals and leading thinkers in this field have continuously devoted their time and effort in shaping the minds of the students during this academic phase. With these skills and knowledge, the students are determined to offer leadership in this nature-based solution sphere as practitioners, policymakers and as scientists. Their contribution will play a pivotal role to the achievement of resilient societies and ecosystems, not only within the confinement of the African savannas but also on the entire globe
OPEN NOW – call for applications
Call for Application: Second Cohort for the AFAS scholarship program on Nature Based Solutions regarding Climate Change Adaptation and Biodiversity Conservation in African Savannas
Application deadline:
30TH April 2023 (11:59 PM UTC)
Applications for the AFAS Master’s program should be should done electronically either at University of Nairobi or Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Meet the students
Ami Léonie Kanga
Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire
Anita Myriam Emma Kouassi
Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire
Claire Anulisa Adhiambo
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Focus
About us
The African Climate and Environment Center – Future African Savannas (AFAS) commenced in 2021 and is one of the DAAD Global Centres for Climate and Environment. AFAS is a consortium between two African and two German universities and strives for interdisciplinary and international exchange beyond academia by working on the science-policy-practice interface. The thematic focus of the center is nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and biodiversity loss in African savannas.
Our mission
The project initiative stems from the urgent need to develop sound and robust evidence-based and science-backed strategies to preserve and protect the fragile environments of the West and East African savannas against the combined threats of extensive and diverse land use and rapid climate change. AFAS aims to train young African scholars in the interdisciplinary field of climate change adaptation and biodiversity and to transfer scientific findings into practice, while at the same time reducing the climate and environmental footprint of education, research and international cooperation. The project specifically focuses on the potential of nature-based solutions and of cooperation on the science-policy-practice interface.
Global Centres for Climate and Environment as well as for Health and Pandemic Prevention
Image Film by DAAD
