The UCAR Africa Initiative: Recent Insights, Challenges, and Opportunities to Foster Collaborative Research for Environmental Sustainability

Abstract Africa is increasingly being exposed to the negative impacts of climate and environmental change, while having less capacity to respond compared to other continents. The vulnerability partially results from unprecedented demographic growth, urbanization, and industrialization. However, the continent has still largely been underserved by the broader Earth system science (ESS) community, as evidenced by the limited amount of ESS data and research that cover Africa compared to other areas of the world. Here, we present the recent University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Africa Initiative that aims to enhance environmental sustainability in Africa by fostering international collaborative research partnerships coled by African scientists. Specifically, we outline urgent challenges and opportunities identified through an international workshop in six areas of ESS, namely, 1) air quality and health, 2) weather, 3) climate, 4) land and water, 5) social science perspectives, and 6) developing equitable collaboration and sustainable infrastructure. We highlight examples of successful partnerships and conclude with recommendations to advance collaborative, actionable ESS research that addresses Africa’s critical environmental challenges. Significance Statement Africa is experiencing the negative impacts of climate and environmental change. However, relevant research and hence suggested solutions are very limited. As a key outcome of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Africa Initiative, we highlight the importance of the international community in supporting and coleading successful collaborative efforts with African scientists that can address Africa’s environmental challenges through equitable partnerships. This paper provides a forward-looking perspective by highlighting collaborative research opportunities in six critical Earth system science (ESS) areas and identifies practical directions to advance environmental sustainability in Africa through more coordinated scientific engagement.