The Food and Agriculture Organisation has just released an online learning course – available in Englsih, Spanish and French will follow – which provides an overview of the impacts of climate change on food security. It also introduces climate-smart agriculture and practices that contribute to climate change adaptation, mitigation, food security and development.
Further information: http://www.foodsec.org/dl/elcpages/food-security-courses.asp?pgLanguage=en&leftItemSelected=food-security-courses

CELA newsletter  01 / 2012  is available online now.

CELA International Capacity-Building seminar:
“Coping with climate change in Latin America – challenges and opportunities for clean technologies”
(Thursday 1^st March 2012, venue: Campus Universidad Católica Boliviana, La Paz, Bolivia)

Find details about the seminar here.

Background

Latin American (LA) developing countries are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Despite the fact that adaptation to climate change has a high priority among many LA governments, a current lack of technology and access to resources hinder these countries to adapt successfully. Therefore, there is a need for international assistance to enable Latin America countries to cope with the many challenges climate change poses to them. It is on the basis of the above needs, that the project CELA – Network of Climate Change Technology Transfer Centres in Europe and Latin America is been implemented.

It is widely known that the LA region is among the most vulnerable regions in the world in respect of the impacts of climate variation, climate change and extreme events. Technology can provide a concrete contribution towards addressing current problems.

In order to discuss the extent to which “green technologies” can assist government agencies, universities and businesses to cope with climate change, the Capacity-Building Seminar “Coping with Climate Change in Latin America- challenges and opportunities for clean technologies” is being organized. It will introduce and disseminate experiences on technology-based adaptation to climate change in the Latin American region and foster information exchange and networking among actors in the field.
This event is part of the ALFAIII-funded project “Network of Climate Change Technology Transfer Centres in Europe and Latin America” (CELA -http://www.cela-project.net/), a project which promotes joint research collaboration, technology transfer and exchanges of experiences between Europe and Latin America in the field of climate change and its related  technologies. Continue reading »

Sr Lic. Jaime Morales Carazo after his speech at the CELA seminar

From 1-2 September 2011, the first international capacity-building seminar was hosted at the Universidad Comerciales de Ciencias (UCC). It was a great honor for the organizers of UCC to welcome the Vice President of Nicaragua, Sr Lic. Jaime Morales Carazo who, in his speech, placed the theme of the seminar in the broader context of poverty reduction which he regarded as a common challenge for entire Latin America. Concerning Nicaragua, Sr Morales Carazo pointed out that the country was highly vulnerable to natural disasters as well as severe earthquakes which already struck Nicaragua twice in the past, severely impacting the country’s development path. Therefore, especially adaptation as well as disaster preparedness is high on the agenda of the Nicaraguan government. Continue reading »