THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

UNFCC COP15 (2009) states that the earths climate has always changed, flowing through series of warming and cooling cycles. However, recent largescale anthropogenic influences have led to dramatic changes within this system. As a result the earth has entered into a warming cycle of unprecedented speed at a time when it should be cooling.

Houghton (2005) indicates that Global warming' is a phrase that refers to the effect on the climate of human activities, in particular the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and large-scale deforestation, which cause emissions to the atmosphere of large amounts of 'greenhouse gases', of which the most important is carbon dioxide. Such gases absorb infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface and act as blankets over the surface keeping it warmer than it would otherwise be.

On the other hand, some scientists have mentioned that climate change does not only include global warming, but some areas are experiencing a cooling effect. Anthropogenic mineral particles from soils disturbed through overcultivation, deforestation and erosion, and sulphate particles from oxidation of sulphur dioxide pollutants cause a decrease in radiative forcing of climate, which has been called global cooling.

In The Gambia, many of the likely characteristics of the resulting changes in climate (such as more frequent heat waves, increases in rainfall, increase in frequency and intensity of many extreme climate events) can be identified. Because of its negative impacts on human communities (including for instance substantial sealevel rise) and on ecosystems, global warming is the most important environmental problem the world faces.

In The Gambia, three economic sectors, two of which are already flagged as highly sensitive to climate change, two natural resources sectors, and one social sector, are selected for inclusion in the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) study. These are shown below under relevant headings:

Economic Sector _ Agriculture (crop and livestock production sub-sectors) _ Fisheries _ Energy Natural Resources Sector _ Water Resources _ Forest Resources Social Sector _ Health

Adaptation to the inevitable impacts and mitigation to reduce their magnitude are both necessary. International action is being taken by the world's scientific and political communities and universities are of no exception.

What Is A University?

The traditional functions of universities are teaching and research. In their teaching activities, universities provide the professional training for high-level jobs, as well as the education necessary for the development of the personality. University research increased the body of theoretical knowledge as well as its application to practical problems. The traditional university restricted itself mainly to a close circle of professors and students from the upper strata of society and lived in relative isolation, the proverbial, ivory tower". It produced the elite of the nation, and society so to speak had to adopt to the elite.

Research was the privilege of the professors, determined to a large extent by personal interests and their contacts among each other. This, however, meant a reduction in performance: the ultimate yardstick for measuring the success of a university is the improvement in the lives of the people it serves. The full benefit from a university can be obtained only if the university and society are organically linked together. Raised in another way, the needs of society have to be at the center of a university's acitivities, and a flexible adjustment to changing needs is necessary.

In combating global warming, Universities must first look at institutional change in terms of curriculum. They should be able to attract or employ professors or lecturers who are experts on global warming or climate change issues. This will help them to construct their curriculum so as to incorporate environmental courses that treat topics related to climate change, i.e. to feature special faculty courses on global warming and climate change. This is very important for the mere fact that a university attracts students from different backgrounds, communities, cultures, and from all over the globe. Professors should be able to open their classes to students, mold and groom them to concentrate on specific aspects of global warming so that after they graduate and go back to their respective communities, they will stand as the ambassadors and convey what they have been taught to their communities.

Traditionally universities are biased towards theoretical work, and its application to problems of the real world is looked down upon and, sometimes, below the dignity of a real scientist.

Theory is the basis of scientific training which cannot be waived. It is fundamental for the development of science and for research. There is nothing more practical

than a good theory.

Therefore, the application of theories towards solving practical problems has to be taught and exercised in addition, if not only a few scientists, but graduates are to be trained.

On the other hand, the scientist's problems are not society's problems and the real world situation is usually different from the assumptions made in many theoretical models.

This however, would necessitate the availability of proper instruction materials and tools in universities.

Secondly, institutions should be encourage to make sustainability a priority and learn from one another by conducting annual evaluations of their practices and ultimately, to challenge universities to create change both within themselves as institutions first and then around them, as change must come from the edges.

Universities should apply best sustainable environmental practices within their campus, and this requires the cooperation of students, faculty and staff.

Universities and colleges should also work together to share information and study from each others sustainable environmental practices
.

Endowment Institutes should be set up to give universities points based on their performances and practices in different areas like Climate Change and Energy, Food and Recycling, Green Building, Endowment Transparency (how a college shares information about endowment investments), Investment Priorities (how committed schools were in investing in renewable energy, community development and optimizing investment returns) and Shareholder Engagement (how engaged colleges were in discussing and promoting sustainable investments).

McPhail Center for Environmental Studies, U.S.A (2008), found that many schools were taking significant steps towards improving sustainability: 45% of the universities surveyed had taken steps towards cutting carbon emissions, while more than a third of the schools had fulltime campus sustainability administrators. Denison University in Granville, Ohio formed an environmental task force to address environmental and sustainability issues within the governance system. Its goal: to determine a permanent body in the university that will decide on environmental issues. Junior Meredith Atwood, a student representative on the task force, said they have divided up certain areas, such as buildings and grounds, dining, energy and water, and waste management. A sustainability coordinator would manage the different areas, assess them with annual reports, and advise departments and offices on campus.

Next, Universities are not only teaching but also research institutions. Hahn et al (2009) states that the creation of new knowledge lies at the heart of the research university and results from tremendous investments of resources by universities, federal and state governments, industry, foundations, and others. Research projects and methods are centered on the needs, and conditions of its society. In the process, those products also advance further research and scholarship, along with the teaching and service missions of the university.

Waste management: Stop open dumping and capture methane to convert to electricity. This reduces the release of carbon dioxide by burning waste and the burning of fossil fuels.

Environmental Planning, Town and Country Planning: Appropriate drainage systems should be put in place and residential areas should be separated from industrial areas. Not all places can be residential areas, thus research, site investigation and landscape study should be carried out before designating an area as a residential area.

Furthermore, some areas in urban areas could be turned into green spaces. It grants ecological systems that take in pollutants and rainwater, alleviate flooding and offer shade and cooling. Shaw (2007) states that set of large open space can give provisional stores for water throughout storms and a cooling means for the city.

Research should be carried out on transforming Brownfield (abandoned land) into Greenfields, because keeping them as Brownfield will encourage erosion in all its forms.

The results of such research should always be circulated to law and policy makers and politicians for the better and sustainable development of our country and for the benefit of our society. University must become a primary tool for Africas green development in the new century. Universities can help develop African expertise; they can enhance the analysis of African problems; strengthen domestic institutions.

Finally, Universities can initiate their own environmental projects which can be funded by international funding bodies. Projects like Community Forestry, tree rehabilitation, and ways of preventing erosion are very significant. One example is a project initiated by the University of Wolverhampton, called the Borassus Project which is an EU funded project. Booth (2007) states that the Borassus Project is assessing their long-term efficiency in controlling soil erosion and calculating their sustainability and economic practicability in 10 countries including Africa. Palm geotextiles may enhance socioeconomic conditions for sustainable development and the benefits for developing countries may include poverty mitigation, environmental education and local community participation in land retrieval and environmental education programmes to mention a few.

Community Forestry in The Gambia

The establishment of the project in The Gambia is very timely because it will help rural communities to intensify the CF programmes and promote CF in communities that have not yet embraced them. An assessment of the ecology of the Borassus palm in the locality was conducted.

Villagers are now aware of another potential use of palms and have embarked on tree nursery projects for the development of large plantations of the palm. These plantations are well planned and, when fully established, will enhance reforestation, agroforestry and provide a sustainable supply of the leaves for geotextile production and food security.

Geotextile Mats
Studies have shown that geotextile mats;
lessen sediment yield

by 95%

Can be made at a

reasonably good price Euro 0.35 0.60 for every square meter, which is similar in price to other geotextiles.
They make a steady

non eroding environment that gives the required time for vegetation to grow.

The Gambia, being a semi-arid and sub-humid bioclimatic region, has a suitable environment for the growth of the palm. If the rural community could be made aware of this and taught how to make these mats then opportunities and benefits such as poverty alleviation and employment of disadvantaged groups would be realized. Small and Medium enterprises could then be developed and these mats could be exported to the industrialized world so as to earn hard currency and uplift the countys economy.

900 800 700 600

mats

500 400 300 200 100 0 Duru Kindi villages Households Mats Sany Sinchu

Male 1%

Youths 14%

Women 85%

Male

Youths

Women