Opportunities and challenges in African water research
As the 6th World Water Forum takes place in Marseilles in southern France this week, Research Africa takes stock of funding opportunities open for African water researchers.
Africa lags far behind its developing country counterparts when it comes to funding research and development. As a result, many researchers rely on international funding to shore up their projects.
However, water research is one of the areas that needs special attention in order for Africa to develop. And there are many opportunities for researchers on the continent—if they know where to look.
There is a call for applications for African researchers from the Australia-based International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management. The organisation offers international scholarships (for all opportunities, see link below).
Another big funder is the US Agency for International Development. USAID is currently inviting applications to its resilience in the Limpopo Basin programme (RESILIM), worth US$9 million.
Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a public corporation created to help developing countries use science and technology to find practical long-term solutions, funds graduate research awards on climate change and water. The 2012/13 call for proposals will be posted in June 2012.
As for Africa-based support for water science, this is currently patchy. The continent’s science and technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) includes a flagship programme focusing on water quality, sanitation and water resources management.
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s is setting up networks of centres of excellence in water science and technology, says Heidi Snyman from NEPAD’s science and technology office.
But only two of five regional networks in water science—the Western and Southern Africa ones—have been established, she said. “Very few applications were received from Central, East and Northern Africa,” she added.
According to Snyman, there is a need to revive water science in these three regions. The most effective way of doing this would be to engage with potential centres of excellence and demonstrate the successes of Western and Southern Africa at this week’s water forum.