Education, Science and Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation (PDF)

The German Alumni Summer School 2018 on ‘Education, science and cooperation
between German Alumni for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation in
Sub-Saharan Africa’ was jointly organized by the Faculty of Geography-Department
of Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing, the Faculty of Biology and Psychology-
Department of Conservation Biology, and the Karatina University, Kenya – School of
Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. This summer school was funded by the
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and targeted to the German Alumni
from Sub-Saharan Africa as well as scientist and experts from various discipline.
The European Union being confronted with mass migration from Sub-Saharan Africa
is currently working on a new political and economic strategy for Africa. Moreover
German Government initiated and proposed a new level of equal cooperation between
Africa and western countries in areas such as education, trade, business development
and energy. The main idea is to limit the effects of climate change and avoid climate
refugees, to prevent mass migration and to help create a future for Africa’s youth’, and
underscores the current status and efforts of German development policy towards
African countries.
Sub-Saharan Africa comprises of 49 states with the highest population growth, and by
the end of the 21st century the population is likely to triple. The average economic
growth rate for Sub-Saharan Africa countries slowed down from 5.1% in 2010 to 1.4
% in 2016. Africa is still the world’s poorest continent and widespread poverty is the
primary cause of malnutrition and health problems. Catastrophes like famines and the
recent hunger in Horn of Africa are additionally induced through climate change and
land grabbing. Corruption, armed conflict, political and ethnic tension, terrorist
activities, unstable state structures, national debt, dependence on global commodities
markets, and inequitable world trade mechanisms are mainly responsible for this
unstable and threatening situation. Biodiversity loss and diminishing of African
wildlife due to habitat loss and poaching are as well the serious concern and calls for
action.