Full Room for the Launch of the Development of the National Climate Change Learning Strategy of Burkina Faso
11 March 2015, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has started the process of systematically strengthening learning and skills development related to climate change: close to 50 people from the government sector, as well as civil society, training institutions and development partners took part in the National Planning Workshop for the Development of Burkina Faso’s National Climate Change Learning Strategy. The event, which took place at the Palm Beach Hotel in Ouagadougou on 11 March 2015, was an occasion to ensure all national partners were on board, agree on a number of priority sectors, as well as to validate the background report and work plan for the development of the strategy. The event was organized by the Secrétariat Permanent du Conseil national pour l’environnement et le développement durable (SP-CONEDD) of Burkina Faso with support from UN CC:Learn and financing from the Swiss Development Corporation. Representatives from neighbouring countries, Benin and Niger, also attended.
High-Level Support
“The issue of skills development is fundamental to attain the national objectives in terms of climate change”, said Mr. Marc Rubin, head of UNICEF in Burkina Faso in the opening session. Mr. Salomon Dilema, Technical Advisor of the Minister of Environment of Burkina, added that even though “the National Adaption Plan of Action (NAPA) reports show that Burkina Faso can count on over 500,000 people that are aware of climate change issues […], current training and awareness-raising activities remain insufficient when one looks at the actual and projected impacts of climate change in our country”. As such, the development of a National Climate Change Learning Strategy is a way to rise up to the challenge of scaling-up skills development in the country.
A First Step Towards a National Climate Change Learning Strategy
Mr. Joël Korahire, National Coordinator of the UN CC:Learn project in Burkina, presented the proposed work plan for the development of the National Climate Change Learning Strategy in Burkina, which was validated by the participants. Participants also endorsed the background report, the priority sectors and the vision for the Strategy. The next step will be to organize the learning needs and capacity assessments which will support the definition of priority learning activities.
Regional Cooperation
The workshop provided an opportunity for Mr. Léonce Glèlè Ahanhanzo, Climate Change Learning Ambassador from Benin, to share his experience with developing and implementing a National Climate Change Learning Strategy in Benin. A representative from Niger, Mr. Gousmane Moussa, climate change advisor at the Secrétariat Exécutif du Conseil national de l’environnement pour un développement durable (SE-CNEDD) of Niger, was also present in order to find inspiration for the launch of the project in his country, which is expected to happen in May 2015.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Moumini Savadogo, head of the country programme for UICN and moderator of the workshop, highlighted opportunities for regional collaboration between Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger in the area of climate change training and education.
Support from the UN System
One the day following the National Planning Workshop, the UN Resident Coordinator convened the UN system in the country for a meeting with the national coordinator of the project and the UN CC:Learn Secretariat in order to discuss synergies between the Climate Change Learning Strategy and the various programmes present in Burkina Faso. The meeting was attended by heads and representatives of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). UN partners congratulated the Government of Burkina for their leadership in strengthening climate change learning in the country and expressed their support for the development and implementation of the National Strategy.
The event was featured on the national television, coverage can be found here (starting at minute 4:45).
About UN CC:Learn
UN CC:Learn is a partnership of more than 30 multilateral organizations supporting countries to design and implement systematic, recurrent and results-oriented climate change learning. At the global level, the partnership supports knowledge-sharing, promotes the development of common climate change learning materials, and coordinates learning interventions through a collaboration of UN agencies and other partners. At the national level, UN CC:Learn supports countries in developing and implementing national climate change learning strategies. Through its engagement at the national and global levels, UN CC:Learn contributes to the implementation of Article 6 of the UNFCCC on training, education and public awareness-raising, and the 2012-2020 Doha Work Programme. Funding for UN CC:Learn is provided by the Swiss Government and UN partners. The Secretariat for UN CC:Learn is hosted by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
Image 1: Participants to the National planning workshop
Image 2: M. Marc Rubin, head of UNICEF in Burkina Faso, M. Salomon Dilema, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Environment of Burkina, and Pamoussa Ouedraogo, Technical Coordinator of Programmes at SP-CONEDD
Image 3: Left : M. Vincens Côté, UN CC:Learn Secretariat; M. Léonce Glèlè Ahanhanzo, Climate Change Learning Ambassador from Bénin; M. Joël Korahire, National Coordinator of the UN CC:Learn project in Burkina Faso; Amrei Horstbrink, UN CC:Learn Secretariat; Gousmane Moussa, Climate Change Advisor at SE-CNEDD in Niger. Right: Dr. Moumini Savadogo, Head of the Burkina Faso UICN programme moderated the workshop.