São Paulo – Organisations from France, Brazil and Africa should present, on June 20th, at 11:00, during the Rio+20, the first research programme dedicated to the fight against desertification in Africa. The programme is fruit of long cooperation between the parties involved and resulted in an engagement signed in March this year, during the 6th World Water Forum, in Marseilles, France.
The organisations involved in the research are the Institute for Research for Development (IRD), the Agency for Inter-institutional Research Development (Aird), the Centre for Management of Strategic Studies (CGEE), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the African Great Green Wall Agency.
According to a press statement by the IRD, the research programme “is aimed at structuring a tri-continental scientific community in support to the fight against desertification in Africa, to strengthen the scientific capacities of the continent and to consolidate the connection between science and society, aimed at contributing to sustainable management of Arid and semiarid zones in Africa.”
IRD researchers should also participate in several debates during the Rio+20, covering themes like Climate and development of dry lands , Ocean and sustainable development, Green economy and agriculture: instruments to fight against climate change , The space for development of the territories of the South: practice of solidary management of water resources and tropical forests , among others.
*Translated by Mark Ament
