What are the Issues?
Increasingly, the wellbeing of people is undermined by adverse environmental changes. The sustainability of the environment and the resilience of societies have become growing concerns. In Africa, environmental issues have been linked to declining sources of livelihood, destabilizations, and infrastructure problems. Environmental issues are not only tied to the physical environment and cultures, but also economic and governance issues which destabilize people and communities generating mass migration, violent communal conflicts, and disaster situations. All of these raise critical questions about managing the environment, sharing and conserving resources, and preventing and managing disasters. At the core of these are issues of sustainability and resilience in the way we address and respond to environmental changes, the movement of people, and technological innovations. African countries have been acutely affected by both environmental changes and the negative social, economic, political and security effects of adverse environmental changes. In a way the environment has become a social problem just as it poses physical challenges.
How do we approach the issues?
We approach the issues of environmental sustainability and resilience through a multidisciplinary lens centered on evidence-based research that is cognizant of the need for policy solutions to the adverse environmental changes and their negative social, economic, political and security implications. We lay a vision of evidence-based knowledge that is geared toward solving environmental and human problems and we support academic research that fosters this vision. We understand environmental sustainability and resilience as multidimensional issues that require solid evidence-based knowledge from academic research and insights from the policy world on the everyday issues of environmental sustainability, societal resilience, and human wellbeing. We integrate evidence-based research with policy questions and insights throughout our works, from the conception of studies to the publication and dissemination of the knowledge acquired through evidence-based research.
What do we contribute?
Our contributions center on knowledge production and its use. Notably, we facilitate the production of evidence-based knowledge in formats that are accessible to policymakers and practitioners. We believe that evidence-based knowledge should be useful and accessible. By working with scholars and practitioners on Africa, especially those based in Africa, we contribute to the molding of research, publication of evidence-based knowledge in a variety of formats to be accessible to the academic and policy worlds, and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge through a variety of engagement activities directed at policy makers, stakeholders, and the public. In this way, we strive to be a catalyst for positive social change in the effort to enhance environmental sustainability and resilience through the production of useful and accessible knowledge.
How can you help us?
You can contribute as a scholar, policy experts, or a concerned person wanting to make a difference. Scholars and policy experts can join our network of fellows and be part of research teams. As a person who cares about issues of environmental sustainability and resilience in Africa, you can support IRPIA by making a financial donation and/or contributing your skills. Please contact us to learn more about how you can contribute.