Our impact
Turning Data into Decisive Climate Action Across Africa
We bring together Africa's leading scientists, policy-makers, and communities to translate existing data into practical, local solutions that protect lives and secure futures.
We focus on both accelerating breakthrough research and enhancing climate action for vulnerable people and places. Our synthesis teams deliver actionable insights to protect people and nature.
Portfolio
Our Synthesis Teams and Projects
Twelve transdisciplinary teams, grouped under four themes. Each team synthesises existing data, evidence, and knowledge into outputs that decision-makers can use.
Climate-resilient Systems and Infrastructure
Ensuring vital services, education, and public infrastructure can withstand the shocks of a changing climate.
Building Climate-Resilient Education Systems (BICRES)
- Focus
- This team will synthesise literature on the impact of climate change, analyse geospatial data to assess the climate vulnerability of schools across sub-Saharan Africa, and examine case studies of climate-proofing interventions.
- Expected outputs
- Localised, high-resolution climate vulnerability maps for schools
- Policy brief for ministries of education
- Climate-resilient schooling toolkit
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
HOSPITAL
- Focus
- This research team investigates the health impacts of extreme heat in African cities, examining how rising temperatures and heatwaves affect hospital admissions and mortality, and assessing the extent to which these outcomes can be attributed to human-driven climate change.
- Expected outputs
- Hospital vulnerability assessment framework
- Policy brief for health ministries
- Emergency continuity guidelines for facilities
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Emergency Vehicle Call Out
- Focus
- This research investigates whether climate change has increased the demand for emergency vehicle call outs by worsening climate-related health risks, and assesses the extent to which these changes are attributable to human influence on the climate.
- Expected outputs
- Route-optimisation models for climate-disrupted networks
- Public safety policy brief
- Open-access emergency response dataset
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Health, Heat and Wellbeing
Protecting vulnerable human populations from the direct physical, environmental, and epidemiological impacts of a warming planet.
Indoor Heat
- Focus
- This research team investigates how climate change influences indoor heat exposure and related health risks in low-income settlements across Africa, where poorly cooled housing can amplify heatwaves and intensify vulnerability to heat stress and heat-sensitive illnesses.
- Expected outputs
- Healthy housing guidelines for hot climates
- Regional indoor heat vulnerability dataset
- Policy recommendations for municipal housing
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Modeling the Epidemiologic Transition Study (METS)
- Focus
- This research team studies cardiometabolic health in African-origin populations across multiple countries, examining how physical activity, diet, and environmental factors influence obesity and disease risk over time.
- Expected outputs
- Epidemiological risk models
- Peer-reviewed synthesis paper
- Public health policy brief
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Animal Source Food Systems in Southern Africa
- Focus
- By using systems mapping and expert input, the project seeks to provide actionable recommendations to enhance the resilience and sustainability of animal source food systems across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in response to climate variability.
- Expected outputs
- Regional food system resilience map
- Practitioner toolkit for resilient livestock systems
- Policy recommendations for nutrition and agriculture ministries
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Nature, Biodiversity and Marine Ecosystems
Synthesising ecological, oceanic, and terrestrial data to preserve the continent's rich biodiversity and support coastal economies.
Blue Africa
- Focus
- The Blue Africa team seeks to ensure carbon storage efforts in African coastal and marine ecosystems are aligned with the needs of African people.
- Expected outputs
- Blue economy policy framework
- Regional marine vulnerability maps
- Marine conservation toolkit
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Green Resilience Africa
- Focus
- The Green Resilience Africa team will synthesise available data to generate evidence-based recommendations to support forest landscape restoration practices in countries including Ethiopia, Togo, and Madagascar.
- Expected outputs
- Nature-based solutions toolkit
- Land-use planning guidelines
- Community action white paper
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Guidance for Conserving African Biodiversity in a Changing Climate
- Focus
- This synthesis team examines how climate change is shaping biodiversity conservation in Africa and identifies which conservation actions are most effective for reducing climate-related risks.
- Expected outputs
- National biodiversity conservation guidelines
- Interactive species-vulnerability datasets
- Policy briefs for conservation agencies
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Climate Justice, Policy and Livelihoods
Centering human rights, fair resource allocation, and traditional knowledge in the response to climate hazards.
Climate Justice Centred-Approach to Environmental Impact Assessment in Rural Southern Africa
- Focus
- This climate justice synthesis team will develop a climate justice-centred approach to environmental impact assessments (EIAs), ensuring that community concerns about land tenure and environmental health are centred.
- Expected outputs
- Climate justice assessment toolkit
- Model legislation briefs
- Community advocacy guides
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Climate Vulnerabilities, Conflicts, and Livelihood Dynamics in the Sahel
- Focus
- This research team investigates the complex links between climate change, conflict, and agricultural livelihoods in the Sahel, where extreme weather events and resource scarcity intensify socio-economic vulnerabilities.
- Expected outputs
- Sahel security-climate mapping tool
- Transboundary policy brief
- Conflict-prevention toolkit
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Understanding Non-Economic Loss and Damage in Africa
- Focus
- This project aims to synthesize data on non-economic loss and damage (NELD) over the past decade, identifying key risks, and informing policy responses.
- Expected outputs
- Non-economic valuation guidelines
- Policy briefing for global climate negotiations (COP)
- Community loss registers
- Expected timeline
- Timeline to be confirmed
Want to work with us?
Propose a synthesis team, apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, or fund the pipeline that makes this work possible.