ICTP in West Africa

The February issue of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) project newsletter, IGACnews, carries a report on the ICTP activity "Capacity Building Workshop on Modeling of Regional Climate and Air Quality for West Africa". The workshop, organised by ICTP Earth System Physics (ESP) research scientist Fabien Solmon, was held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire in October 2013. The aim of the workshop was to help develop a network to facilitate exchange of ideas and expertise between ICTP and climate researchers in West Africa.

"West Africa is a region featuring intense and diverse sources of chemical compounds (both natural and anthropogenic), complex atmospheric dynamics, and a fast demographic development associated with environmental pressure and population exposure," says Solmon in the report, explaining why the workshop's location was chosen.

The same issue of IGACnews profiles ICTP STEP student N'Datchoh Evelyne Toure in its young scientist spotlight section. Toure, who was one of the participants at the Abidjan workshop, is currently pursuing her PhD at the Laboratoire de Physique de l'atmosphere (LAPA) at University Felix Houphouet-Boigny (Cote d'Ivoire). Her research focus is understanding the interaction between biomass burning, aerosol emissions and their impact on the West African climate system.

Toure's work is partially supported by the ICTP-IAEA Sandwich Training Educational Programme (STEP), which offers fellowship opportunities to PhD students from developing countries.

The complete report on the ICTP workshop and the young scientist spotlight is available in Issue 51 of IGACnews.