SciDev.Net

This site provides access to a suite of climate related observations, projections and predictions for the African continent. Of particular interest are the up-to-date seasonal predictions and the African monsoon bulletin. There is also a searchable archive of climate data and research activities detailed in French. ACMAD also offers 'on the job training' in climatology. The website is also available in French.

The AMMA programme aims to study how the West African monsoon affects meningitis and malaria epidemics. While it focuses on one weather system, the climate factors it looks at can be generalised to other environments. For example, it examines how wind, dust, rainfall, temperature and humidity, amongst others, affect mosquito density and malaria or meningitis epidemics in people. The website also offers a key resource for researchers in the form of an open-access bibliographic database containing more than 250 scientific articles.

This site provides access to reports of projects and case studies conducted as part of the international Assessments of Impacts and Adaptations to Climate Change in Multiple Regions and Sectors (AIACC) initiative. A searchable database of projects by country, region, and sector contains some of the final reports in pdf format.

The projects cover adaptation in almost all sectors, with five projects with final reports in southern Africa, one project in eastern Africa and three projects in western Africa. The site also provides accessible summaries of each project, as well as updates posted throughout the duration of the studies.

A project of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, AlertNet is a news aggregator that aims to raise awareness of humanitarian crises around the globe, particularly 'forgotten' emergencies that rarely make headlines. It publishes news from over 400 aid agencies and other media outlets across a range of topics, from natural disasters to climate change to health. AlertNet also provides tools for journalists, including facts and figures, crisis briefings and training modules.

The Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS) plays an important role in reducing deforestation in the Amazon Region. FAS manages the Juma reserve, established by the Government of Amazonas in 2006, and runs the Bolsa Floresta programme that pays families and communities to contribute to sustainable forest management. The FAS website provides an introduction to the organisation, an overview of their programmes and links to relevant related documents.

ASB is a global partnership for research on tropical forest margins that operates as part of the Consultative Group for International Research in Agriculture (CGIAR). By including a broad range of stakeholders, ASB identifies and develops policies and practices that can achieve their vision of prosperous people and flourishing forests across the tropics. It publishes information on its work, policy briefs and working group reports.

This web portal is the starting point for Africa-related biomass information. It contains the latest news on biofuels research on the continent, as well as an events calendar and discussion forum.

Biopact is a non-profit volunteer organisation connecting African and European citizens. It seeks to establish a 'mutually beneficial' biofuel and bioenergy relationship between the two continents. The group is web-based, and provides consulting services for a number of initiatives, including various bioenergy projects in the South.

Some of Biopact's ongoing projects include compiling an 'atlas' of biofuel production for use in estimating production factors, and exploiting Nica fruticans, a potential Nigerian biofuel crop.

CABI is a not-for-profit, intergovernmental organisation specialising in agricultural and environmental research, publishing and communication. With over 40 different member countries, its scientific projects include finding ways to lower production costs while using ecological practices. CABI studies environmental impacts of invasive species and pests, and searches for natural ways of controlling them. CABI also finds solutions to agricultural problems caused by climate change, provides microbial services and advises on trade policy.

With its headquarters in Indonesia, CIFOR conducts collaborative research with partners in over 40 countries to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. The website provides a thorough introduction to CIFOR research including an overview of regions covered by the centre and access to publications including journal articles, working papers and info briefs. Activities are arranged into three programmes covering environmental services and sustainable use of forests, forest governance, and forests and livelihoods.

Checkbiotech's Green Portal focuses on using biotechnology for a sustainable future. It contains news and features on biofuels research and development in both developed and developing countries.

Articles focus on: how improving production methods with enzymes can increase biofuel yields; key research breakthroughs; how enhancing plant genetics can improve biofuel yields and make agriculture more sustainable; world politics surrounding biofuels; who the key industry players in the biofuels market are; and how biofuels are changing global economics.

CHIEX investigates how climate variability affects human health in the tropical Americas. It runs projects in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico and Venezuela, and focuses specifically on the spread of dengue fever and malaria in these countries. These projects have practical implications; for example, a study in Cuba led to the development of a "bioclimatological" monitoring system that uses climatic predictions to prevent and control disease.

This online resource captures current articles, reports, papers and books sourced from nongovernmental organisations and development agencies such as ActionAid, SouthSouthNorth, the International Institute for Environment and Development and the World Bank. The site features short summaries and links to full papers, all of which are relevant to adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa.

The health gateway of the Climate Institute, which aims to help policymakers tackle climate change, has detailed notes on the resurgence of infectious diseases through global warming. These include vector-borne diseases spread through mosquitoes, ticks, triatomine bugs, sandflies and blackflies. It also looks at rodent-borne diseases, which are also set to increase as the climate changes — increased heavy rainfall can drive rodents out of their burrows and climate change is set to alter human migration patterns which could bring people into closer contact with rodents.

The Climate Prediction Centre's African Desk aims to create a partnership between the United States' National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the African Meteorological Services to encourage exchange of data and train meteorologists. 

The website contains weather summaries, rainfall, monsoon predictions and various short and long term weather forecasts. The African Desk also hosts two visitors at a time for training in climate change monitoring and predictions methods.

Climate-L.org, run by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, publishes information on international climate change negotiations and other related activities, including updates on UN processes and notification of research publications. The information is arranged by actors involved, activities undertaken or issues considered (including reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation – REDD). Site highlights include regular policy updates and a diary of upcoming events.