AMMANET

The need to set up a network of African scientists is related to the objectives of AMMA program. Indeed, the AMMA Program does not correspond exclusively to one specific scientific action, but comprises a significant component "TRAINING" and also a section on "APPLICATION" for research work geared towards development.

It is because its partnership and multidisciplinary nature come within the framework of this international program and that its feasibility and continuity necessarily pass through an effective implication of institutions and African scientists that, as from November 2001, a call for contribution was launched on behalf of African scientists in order to engage a common discussion on the principal questions to handle.

 

It is due to this that a letter, to the attention of African researchers wishing to see the scientific community of this continent participate effectively in AMMA, was sent with the first version of the project to more than 400 researchers and teachers of the various African institutions.

This initiative was at the origin in February 2002 of the creation of a network of scientists benefiting from the support of meteorological and hydrological services, universities and regional centres like AGRHYMET (regional centre for agriculture, hydrology and meteorology) and ACMAD (African Centre for Meteorology Applied to Development).

 

Baptized or code-named AMMANET, this network now counts more than 200 participants. AMMANET is constituted of a Follow-up Committee made up of 7 members who are the authors of this text and in each country, of a national coordinator in charge of the information dissemination. The network has a web site.

The objective of AMMANET is to have locally, structures and teams that function through standard funding (financing) mechanisms START/PACOM or those proposed by the IRD. In addition, the national committees, headed by a national coordinator, are supported by international cooperation agencies established in the various countries (request for funding is forwarded to the cultural action services of embassies, NGOs…). The presence of a Web site where all the invitations to tender are stored constitutes a financing opportunity that will help the different teams to work in an autonomous manner. In this wise, AMMANET will contribute to the reinforcement of the capacities of the various national or regional institutions and universities.

 

The national committees have to regularly organize meetings to discuss scientific matters and coordination between the various teams. Parallel to this, summer schools will be organized each year (the first will be in September 2003 in France) with the objective of presenting a state of up-to-date knowledge to about thirty participants and to discuss with them the stakes (expectations) in terms of research and applications, as perceived by the African scientists.

 

More generally, AMMANET has as ambition to promote research and in earth sciences, for applications to development. This partnership will have to move towards the creation of a true African pole of competences on climatic variability and its impacts in Africa. It will contribute to build strong bonds between research and its applications, another significant objective of AMMA. The models and the developed data bases could be tested and used by African organizations as means of the development of strategies of adapting to environmental changes.