A less predictable climate is undermining traditional decision-making around controlled burns in the Sahel. Columbia’s ACToday project is forging connections to enhance these communities’ resilience to the changing climate.
by
Natalie Duncan
|March 19, 2021
She studies how environmental changes impact communities around the world, and how communities adapt.
To improve climate forecasts, scientists study the complex interactions and mechanisms within the climate system. But they also need to hear from potential users of climate information, such as farmers, to get a better understanding of how people may use that information in their decision making.
An Earth Institute pilot project has brought smart solar power to farmers in Senegal, making agriculture more efficient, economical and sustainable.
Recent trainings in Senegal have improved trust between farmers and researchers, leading to increased use of climate forecasts and other information.
In a world of increasing rates of obesity, it is sometimes hard to remember that another type of malnutrition—undernutrition—remains a major contributor to mortality. Although all ages may be affected by malnutrition, children are most vulnerable to death and long-term disabilities caused by this disease. As such, treating and preventing undernutrition in children contribute to… read more
The following is a guest blog, authored by Jim Teicher, Executive Director, CyberSmart! Africa. Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this blog do not represent the opinion of the Millennium Cities Initiative, the Earth Institute at Columbia University or any of its professional consultants. How can every school in Africa deliver a 21st-century… read more
Just how pervasive is gender inequality across sub-Saharan Africa? This topic is particularly timely today, March 8, designated International Women’s Day by the United Nations. Despite the valiant efforts of many government officials, international and local non-governmental organizations and women’s advocates, in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa, women do not yet enjoy equal status with… read more