17 August 2017: Recent capacity-building initiatives promoted climate change learning in Ghana and Burkina Faso, and a training workshop on national early warning systems enhanced Pacific Island Countries’ disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development capacities.

Ghana included climate change and green economy into the national school curricula under its ten-year Climate Change Learning Strategy, a product of the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn) aiming to improve learning and awareness about climate change. UN CC:Learn is a collaborative initiative that supports countries in designing and implementing country-driven, results-oriented and sustainable learning to address climate change. The initiative involves more than 30 multilateral organizations, and its Secretariat is provided by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). [UNITAR Press Release] [SDG Knowledge Hub Post on Initiatives Enhancing Climate Education in West Africa]

Burkina Faso’s National Strategy on Climate Change Learning is aligned with the implementation of the country’s National Plan for Economic and Social Development 2016-2020, as well as its NDC and NAP.

Burkina Faso implemented a national 2014-2017 UN CC:Learn Project, which culminated in the launch of the National Strategy on Climate Change Learning on 1 August 2017. According to Burkina Faso’s Government, the strategy is fully aligned with the implementation of the National Plan for Economic and Social Development (PNDES) 2016-2020, the country’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) and its National Adaptation Plan (NAP). [UNITAR Press Release] [PNDES 2016-2020]

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) conducted a three-week training on ‘National Multi-Hazards Early Warning System with Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development.’ Funded by the Government of Japan, the training took place at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Training Center in Citeko, Indonesia, from 10 July to 2 August 2017. It brought together National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) representatives from six Pacific Island Countries. [WMO Press Release] [Training Outline]