The CAIAC (Climate Analysis in African Cities) project is designed to produce high-resolution climate data tailored to the unique challenges faced by African cities, particularly regarding extreme heat and flooding. This work is aligned with climate scenarios outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and aims to address local priorities through active engagement with experts and stakeholders. Their input will guide the selection of cities, identification of key climate indicators, and definition of research priorities in urban climate studies.
Funded under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI), the project relies on Earth Observation (EO) data from CCI to study past and projected climate changes across multiple African cities. This data is used to train process models focused on urbanisation, flood risks, and heat extremes, while additional EO datasets are applied to validate the model outputs. The ultimate goal is to deliver climate trend analyses for at least one city in every African country, providing valuable insights for both mitigation and adaptation planning.
In September, CAIAC will be part of a new wave of climate change and urban-focused projects within ESA’s CCI portfolio. These initiatives collectively aim to advance climate science, improve modelling capabilities, and inform global climate policy and action, including commitments under the Paris Agreement.
