Australia Awards Africa launches a Pan-African Climate Resilience Community of Practice (CoP)

Australia Awards Africa officially launched its Pan-African Climate Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) on UN World Environment Day on 5 June 2024.

Since the Alumni Climate Resilience Workshop held in South Africa in April 2024, a volunteering Alumni CoP Working Committee was hard at work to prepare the groundwork for the CoP and the launch. The Group agreed on a Terms of Reference and a Code of Ethics for members. Overall, the CoP aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing across the continent to address climate change challenges more effectively. Other focus areas of the CoP are:

• Enabling members from diverse African nations to exchange experiences, best practices, and lessons on climate resilience strategies, adaptation measures, environmental and social safeguards, thereby fostering collective progress.
• Fostering continuous learning and skill development in climate resilience through diverse opportunities such as webinars, seminars, training programs, resource sharing, and active engagement in generating new knowledge, thereby promoting a culture of ongoing improvement and professional growth.
• Promoting a culture of innovation and research aimed at developing tailored solutions to address climate change, including the investigation of indigenous knowledge, facilitation of technology transfer, and advancement of applied research efforts.
• Providing collaborative platforms, both within the community and on a global scale, fostering the exchange of problem-solving techniques and the showcasing of innovative practices among members and external experts.
• Assisting members in using their knowledge to influence evidence-based policymaking, advocate for meaningful initiatives, and enable the implementation of climate-resilient policies and practices on a local, national, and regional scale.

Once established, members of the CoP will elect leaders such as a chairperson,  a secretary and a treasurer. The CoP will function voluntarily as an informal group of which membership is open to Australia Awards Africa alumni with expertise in climate change and resilience or a demonstrated interest in the topic.

Let is know at if you want to become part of the CoP’s WhatsApp group.

This year’s UN World Environment Day campaign focuses on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”  More information about the Day and celebration is available at https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/about/theme-host

Introducing the Working Committee Members of the CoP

World Environment Day offers the ideal opportunity to also introduce the Working Committee members to the broader Australia Awards alumni network. We asked the Committee members what World Environment Day mean to them, why they volunteered to be part of the CoP, and what skills and experience they bring to the CoP.