InternatIonal relatIons I n a 2006 BAMS article, Washington et al. identified two key constraints to development of African climate (and weather) science: a scarcity of both African observations and African scientists.The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Africa Initiative (AI) is addressing these overarching needs by developing sustained partnerships with African researchers and operational meteorologists.The AI has contributed to three recent projects focused on West Africa and the Sahel: 1) a modest radar network and data distribution system within and between Burkina Faso and Mali; 2) a partnership among UCAR, the Ghana Meteorological Agency, and the Ghana university community to develop an operational Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for West Africa; and 3) a recent workshop titled "Sahel 2007: Improving Lives by Understanding Weather."In addition to these pilot projects, a number of other UCAR programs are active in Africa.The AI's key benefit to UCAR has been to provide a connection among these various programs and develop collaborations in Africa.These AI efforts are meant to provide a springboard for broader participation.We recognize that
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Lamptey et al. (2008) studied this question.