Photo: Courtesy of @Edson Silva Delgado, GEOMAR
Full article: Forschung für Nachhaltigkeit (FONA) – FONA
West Africa is among the regions most severely affected by climate change. Coastal erosion, prolonged droughts, marine heatwaves, and declining fish stocks are already having significant impacts on local communities, economies, and ecosystems. Addressing these challenges requires not only scientific knowledge but also a new generation of highly qualified climate experts.
To help meet this need, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), together with partner countries in West Africa, launched the graduate school program of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) in 2012. The initiative aims to strengthen scientific capacity in the region by training future researchers and professionals in climate-related fields.
In May 2026, eleven students from WASCAL’s Master’s Program in Climate Change and Marine Sciences at the Universidade Técnica do Atlântico (UTA) in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, boarded the research ship POLARSTERN in Mindelo. During their two-week training and research voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany, they participated in scientific activities at sea, applying their classroom knowledge in a real-world research environment while working alongside experienced scientists.