1. Several hundred millions of dollars have already been spent in climate change capacity-building projects
Why capacity gaps have not been met? What are some limitations of the current initiatives?
How can we change the trend?

2. Stop Sending Consultants- Invest in Universities
Naznin Nasir & Saleemul Huq
Water Security and Climate Change Conference
Köln, Germany
20 September, 2017

3. Background To combat climate change countries need to scale up both
efforts to reduce emissions
increase resilience to the impacts of climate change
Not all countries are at the same level of development or have same capabilities
The countries that are most vulnerable are also often the ones with least capacities and resources
For the Paris agreement to be effective and universal, capacity building of those vulnerable nations is fundamentally important
Our work explores the role of Universities in building long-term climate capacity in the developing nations
WRI 2015, Huq 2016

4. Typical face of Capacity Building
Developed countries allocate funds through their own official development agencies
These agencies assign private consultancy companies from their own country
Consultants are sent to provide short-term assistance usually done by workshops delivered in a foreign language
After multiple visits by the designated consultants, some report writing, and it is assumed capacity building has happened
a major part of the capacity building funding flows back to the donor country

5. Lesson’s from Existing Initiatives
During COP21 negotiators from developing countries termed current capacity building practices to be inefficient, costly and unsustainable.
More pragmatic and ideal way of doing things would be to engage institutions within the countries themselves for driving capacity building.

6. Fourah Bay College- Sierra Leone (1827)
Why Universities
Universities are among the most sustainable institutions that one can think of!!
For over thousands of years universities have been building capacities
Money spent as an “investment” not just as an “expenditure”
Fourah Bay College- Sierra Leone (1827)
Hoffmeister et al. 2016

7. Workshop on Role of Universities in Implementing the Paris Agreement
Discussed how universities could be more relevant in climate capacity building

8. How universities can enhance their role
Building stronger global alliances
Research without boundaries
Enhanced access to information for enhancing mutual capacities
Capacity development of the educators
Distance learning and student exchange programmes
Hoffmeister et al. 2016

9. What are some challenges
Disciplinary division may hinder interdisciplinary research
Applied research vs. fundamental research
Deliverables of climate capacity building should more than peer reviewed publication
Lack of incentive for northern universities to engage with southern universities
Capacity building partnerships should be two ways
Limited capacity of LDC universities
high level of bureaucracy within university systems

10. Thinking Beyond the Horizon
A new paradigm of thinking is needed to bridge the capacity gap
Long-term sustainable capacity building initiatives are needed
University systems should be an integral part
Universities have to be more innovative in collaborating with each other
Address structural challenges hindering effective participation in capacity building initiatives
Knowledge should not be flowing in all direction not just north to south

11. ‘Climate change is real, so should be capacity building’
Thank You