“Climate change was chosen as the topic for the tenth Senior Policy Seminar to be convened by the African Economic Research
Consortium (AERC). The theme is a major departure for the Consortium, but the policy connection compels AERC’s involvement in this issue. Thus the seminar addressed the physical, socioeconomic and global impacts of climate change with reference to sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in terms of poverty reduction measures since agriculture forms the backbone of the continent’s
economies and the livelihoods of Africa’s poor. Nearly 80 participants from 21
countries came together for the event. They included top African policy makers and advisors, scholars, resource persons, and directors of various research institutes.
To policy makers who feel that poverty issues are more pressing than climate change, Prof. Richard S. Odingo, one of the presenters, pointed out that “we can’t solve poverty until we stop climate change”. This was the challenge facing the participants at this seminar.”
