This cooperative research project is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the project period of three years with the budget of about 800.000 Euros. Three renowned institutes from Germany with their international networks are collaborating with two of the most significant regional scientific and higher education networks from Africa. From German site the partners are: the Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ITT) at TH Köln, the Centre for Development Research (ZEF) at University of Bonn and the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn. The African partners are represented through the Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey in Niger and the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES) positioned in Tlemcen Algeria. The Project Management Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is supervising the research component of the project and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is supervising the post graduate education and training component in the project.
Management of natural resources in urban and semi-urban regions belongs to the most demanding challenges worldwide. The situation is of particular importance on the African continent. Adaptation of fundamental urban supply systems including water, energy and food products are needed to address risks and impacts caused by proceeding climate change, transforming land-use dynamics and rapidly growing population. Scientific issues in this context are the important areas of research and crucial challenge for Africa of today and tomorrow.
“In order to assure sustainable urban development in the region an understanding of the most exposed elements of urban supply chain is necessary as well as insight into risks occurring by maintaining a continuous function of supply systems” explains Prof. Dr. Ramchandra Bhandari from TH Köln who is project leader of the RARSUS project. Risk assessment for relevant urban supply chain systems could provide important information on how technological and operational changes and renewals are to be implemented for effectively assisting a more sustainable development. In that respect a pilot project for evaluation of significant supply systems in urban and semi-urban regions in Africa is being implemented by addressing key actors in the field of public administration, industry, finance and civil Society.
The RARSUS research project is combining the areas of research, postgraduate training and networking. At the end of the project it is expected that the research results contribute to the efficient use of natural resources in urban and semi-urban context. Also the digital teaching materials for different research topics in the field of resource management (with focus on renewable energy, water and food security) will be developed and be made available for further use at all interested universities. In addition the project partners are developing a new master course curriculum in the field of Energy and Climate Change. This new master program is intended to be established at Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey. With this programme RARSUS is supporting to create long lasting university cooperation between Germany and Africa in the field of energy, water and food security.
Already in April two students of the ITT travel to Niger for three months to conduct field research within the framework of the RARSUS Project. One student will conduct research in the area of ‘Energy Supply System in Rural Communities’ and another will conduct his research on the issue of ‘Modelling of the Energy Supply in Niger’.
