Nowhere in the world are the impacts of climate change felt more than in the Global South. For the first time, WCRP will hold its Open Science Conference in Africa to further develop mutual understanding and explore opportunities and challenges of the continent. This once-in-a-decade conference will bring together the climate, environment, and related communities to discuss the latest developments in climate science and explore the transformative actions urgently needed to ensure a sustainable future. Taking place at a critical moment in Earth’s history, the outcome of all conference sessions will culminate with the “Kigali Declaration” – a conference statement that will be submitted to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) taking place in the United Arab Emirates immediately after the Conference.
A community effort
The WCRP OSC brings together the work of the WCRP Core Projects, Lighthouse Activities and celebrates the achievements of the recently sunset Grand Challenges. It also features many contributions from our partners, in terms of scientific research, organizational co-design and sponsorship. We are still actively looking for conference sponsors, particularly to support the hybrid event and for early- and mid-career researcher travel support. We invite you to visit our sponsorship page and get in touch with us.
What to expect
Kigali is a truly remarkable conference venue and will give conference participants a unique opportunity to share their work with research and practitioner communities in the region. We anticipate 1,500 delegates on site and an equal number connecting remotely. Come and join us to learn about the new WCRP, share your ideas, and meet with colleagues from around the world.
Conference program key features
- Plenary sessions: twice a day all participants will gather under the Conference center dome to hear keynote presentations from leading scientists, policy makers and practitioners about the role of climate science in meeting challenges society will face in coming decades
- Key themes will resonate throughout the plenaries and the 40 parallel sessions
- Major emphasis on participation by Early to Mid-Career Researchers (EMCRs) and researchers from the Global South
- Remote and onsite participation
- Keynotes by leading scientists, policy makers and practitioners
- Virtual poster gallery and onsite poster sessions
- Opportunities for booths, side meetings, workshops and townhalls
- Learning labs to foster knowledge exchange, dialogue and co-production
Conference outcomes
- New collaborations and scientific advances
- Innovation in useful and useable climate data and information
- Improved understanding and prediction of precipitation in regions around the world through launch of a global experiment/WCRP Decade of Water Research
- Improved assessment of climate risks and extremes
- Innovative ways to bridge science and society and build a Global North/South dialogue
- Increased climate science leadership from the Global South and around the world
- Input to the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP 28), taking place in the United Arab Emirates in November 2023