CENTRE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENDER STUDIES (3CGS)

Our Vision

The vision of 3CGS is to become a World-class research and advocacy centre that spearheads Climate Change and Gender Studies through innovation, research and capacity development that is holistically sustainable.

Our Mission

The Mission of 3CGS is to promote, coordinate, facilitate and disseminate research and developmental initiatives that deal with the nexus between Climate Change and Gender in Ghana and beyond; it provides a platform for capacity building and training in cutting edge research skills and project implementation for sustainable development.

About Us

The Centre for Climate Change and Gender Studies (3CGS)of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) is an evidence-based research and policy advocacy centre that focuses on the issues relating to the nexuses between climate change and public health, energy, water, food, and other natural resources, and other social issues within the broad concepts of gender and intersectionality. The working background knowledge with which the Centre operates is that, though issues of sustainable development, gender, poverty, and social inclusion anteceded climate change as issues of international concern, climate change is seen as a phenomenon that both increases the challenge and provides an opportunity to address them.

In every society, there are already existing gender issues. Gender and climate change can be a vicious cycle of worsening inequalities and impacts if not well addressed. Thus, addressing climate change issues provides an opportunity to increase gender mainstreaming while dealing with the most conspicuous issues that relate to sustainable development. As a research-based unit within the University, the Centre is supported by the pillars of academic freedom, sustainable development, creativity and innovation. The Centre seeks to develop creative and innovative ideas and concepts, as well as cutting-edge research which advances the frontiers of knowledge and promotes national sustainable development.

Overall Objective

To strengthen research capacity and harness it in the service of policymaking, planning, sustainable development in the area of climate change and gender and its linkages with energy, agriculture, natural resources and technology.

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Specific Objectives

Specific Objectives were based on the five pillars of 3CGS

A. Research

  1. Develop and maintain mutually beneficial and collaborative relationships with community development practitioners, academic institutions, governments, and other stakeholders in research and extension services in communities.
  2. To increase inter and intra-disciplinary research in the University that keeps up with international research and developments trends.

Activity one

  • Develop research proposal writing and fundraising skills for staff of the institute
  • Explore calls for proposals and network with other institutions
  • Develop proposals with partners
  • Conduct research to explore innovative approaches and best practices in community development and resource management in Ghana and other parts of the world and to adapt the best practices to reduce poverty and enhance quality of life.

   3. Engage in strategic institutional collaborations home and abroad that contributes to sustainable development, especially in the area of climate change, gender, poverty reduction, population growth and other social issues.

B. Capacity Building

1. Develop MSc. and PhD programmes in Sustainable Development (Gender, Climate Change and Poverty reduction)

2. Training programmes for different stakeholders (i.e. practitioners, postgraduate and undergraduate students, University staff)

  • Training in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
  • Short courses in climate change and gender across different disciplines (energy, agriculture, natural resources, and technology)
  • Training on proposal writing, M&E, Project management

3. Develop proposals for research and project funding, and explore other sources of revenue-generating initiatives to support research, knowledge transfer initiatives, and sustain the operations and maintenance of the centre.

4. Professionally manage the centre to render the expected accountability to stakeholders, clients, funders, and partners to deliver quality results in its operations.

C. Community Outreach Programme

  1. Engage in community outreach and advocacy on climate change and gender-related issues through existing and new networks.
  2. Stakeholders outreach programmes and Community dissemination of research findings.

D. Consultancy

Engage in consultancy services in the area of climate change and social issues across different disciplines.

E. Knowledge Co-creation and sharing

  1. Engender research and publication interest by providing platforms for knowledge creation and sharing, advocacy and sensitizations through periodic public lectures, seminars and conferences that keep lecturers, researchers and students abreast with challenging international research breakthroughs and findings.
  2. Provide the platform for sharing knowledge through the organization of Learning Platforms for stakeholders (farmers, government and non-government institutions

Core Values

  • Service: to the University community, institutions and other communities
  • Innovation: in the delivery of services to our clients
  • Equality: within gender perspectives towards climate change mitigation and adaptation and its related issues
  • Advocacy: through documentation and dissemination.
  • Teamwork: among ourselves and clients in the delivery of our mandate.

The Centre is under the leadership of the Director, with an interdisciplinary advisory board made up of members drawn from all the four Schools under UENR (School of; Agriculture and Technology, Sciences, Engineering, and Natural Resources), professionals in Natural Resources Management, and a Gender Expert.

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Projects

The Centre has since its inception embarked on several projects in collaboration with both Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations. Short courses are also run at the Centre on various courses.

Projects run by the Centre

Climate Impact Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement (CIRCLE) Project.

Short Courses

  1. Introduction to Climate Change
  2. Gender-Sensitive Research Approaches
  3. Project Management
  4. Fundamentals of Gender-Sensitive Analysis
  5. Gender Responsive Analysis
  6. Academic Research Proposal Writing
  7. Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
  8. Project proposal writing
  9. Software Training and Data Analysis.

Ongoing Research

  1. The nexus between Climate Change and Conservation of Enteromius subinensis in Ghana.
  2. Interlinking analysis of Climate Change and status of rare endemic Leptopholcus Kintampo.
  3. Implications of Climate Change dynamics on conservation of Acanthodactylus boueti in Ghana.

Visiting Scholars

Teresa Roebuck, WINROCK International

Teresa Roebuck was a volunteer on the Farmer-to-Farmer programme which is a result of collaboration between USAID and WINROCK International. She gave formally structured training activities on how to develop a strategic plan to serve as a guide and baseline to achieve on organisation’s vision and mission. As part of her assignment, she assisted the Centre to develop a 5-year strategic plan for the Centre.

Dr. Usha R. Palaniswamy, WINROCK International

USAID in collaboration with WINROCK International under the farmer-to-farmer programme brought Dr Usha R. Palaniswany a specialist in curriculum development from the United States to share her expertise on Curriculum Development. She helped the Centre in assessing its Short Courses Structure.

Mr Edmond Yeboah, (PhD Scholar, Heidelberg University, Germany). Heidelberg Institute of Global Health.

Partners

Internal (UENR)

  • Earth Observation Research & Innovation Centre (EORIC)
  • Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES)
  • Building Resilience of Lake Bosumtwi to Climate Change (RELAB)

External

  • Department of Environmental Management, KNUST
  • Forestry Commission, Accra (Centre for Climate Change)
  • Environmental Protection Agency, Accra
  • Timber Industry Development Division
  • Kumasi Technical University (KsTU)
  • Livelihood Empowerment Ghana (LEG)
  • Ghana Cocoa Board
  • Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA)
  • USAID
  • WINROCK International
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