African Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation at Haramaya University (ClimateSABC)

Climate change is a global issue posing challenges to sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and development. The impacts of climate change are pronounced in Eastern and Southern African countries more than any other regions of the continent. Climate change poses a serious risk to agriculture, natural resources, biodiversity and subsequently poverty reduction efforts in the region. The problems associated with climate change: food-insecurity, malnutrition, poverty and biodiversity loss are interwoven and remain as primary development challenge to Eastern and Sothern African countries. Agriculture, the pillar of the economies of the region has been practiced for millennia largely without modern science and technology. The agricultural productivity of the region is lower than in other African regions. Addressing these challenges requires sustained investment in human capital to generate new technologies and innovations. Yet the current human and institutional capacity of the region generally falls short of meeting these challenges. There is also a growing recognition that new approaches and technologies are needed, with new alliances and partnerships and a renewed vision for building regional strengths to combat these challenges more effectively. The African Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation (ClimateSABC) at Haramaya University in Ethiopia was proposed in response to the World Bank’s African Centres of Excellence (ACE II) initiative. The objective of ClimateSABC is to produce skilled human capital through research-based quality post-graduate programs and shortterm, skill-based training courses. We plan to upgrade our teaching and research facilities, support development and implementation of appropriate curricula and research programs through an integrated and holistic approach with our partners from other universities in the Eastern and Southern African region and other parts of the world. At the Centre, Master’s and PhD level training will be provided and applied research will be conducted focusing on generating climate smart agricultural technologies, intensifying agriculture, promoting and enhancing practices of climate smart agriculture, and exploring sustainable conservation and utilization of biodiversity. A doctoral ( PhD) program to be offered under the auspices of the Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation will have four sub-specializations (Crop Sciences, Livestock Sciences, Soil and Water Science, and Policy, Institution and Innovation Studies). Five MSc programs will be offered, with two new ones (Climate Smart