African Universities and Communities Climate Week 2026 Dvc Professor Thoruwa Call for Stronger University-Community Partnerships in Climate Fight

Kenyatta University Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Outreach Prof. Caroline Thoruwa and African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) researcher Alice Ritho have called for stronger partnerships between universities and communities to tackle the growing impact of climate change across Africa.

Speaking during the African Universities and Communities Climate Week 2026, Prof. Thoruwa said universities have a responsibility to move research beyond academic institutions and translate knowledge into practical solutions that improve the lives of communities.

She said climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern but a reality affecting food production, water access, livelihoods, biodiversity and public health.

Prof. Thoruwa said the challenges require closer collaboration between universities, governments, communities, policymakers, researchers, the private sector and other stakeholders.

“This year's theme, One Health for One Planet, is timely because climate change is no longer an isolated environmental concern. It is already reshaping how we grow our food, how we access our water, how diseases spread and how ecosystems function,” she said.

She said the One Health approach provides an important framework for understanding the interconnectedness of human health, animal health and the environment.

Prof. Thoruwa also challenged African universities to strengthen interdisciplinary research and ensure findings generated by scholars are translated into policies, technologies and innovations that address challenges facing communities.

She said universities should become centres of partnership, innovation and community engagement rather than limiting their role to teaching and research.

The DVC further underscored the importance of local and indigenous knowledge in responding to climate change, saying communities have developed valuable practices over generations that can complement modern scientific knowledge.

“Our responsibility is not just to replace this knowledge. Our responsibility is to respect it, learn from it, strengthen it with scientific evidence, and ensure it informs our policies and investments,” she said.

Prof. Thoruwa urged researchers to conduct research with communities rather than simply on communities, saying local people should be recognised as partners and important sources of knowledge and innovation.

Alice Ritho echoed the call, stressing that climate research must reflect the realities and experiences of communities directly affected by environmental changes.

The APHRC researcher said communities should not only be regarded as beneficiaries of research but also as creators and custodians of knowledge.

She called for stronger links between researchers, communities and policymakers to ensure evidence generated through research translates into practical interventions.

Ritho said indigenous knowledge in areas such as farming, pastoralism, water management, medicinal practices and conservation remains an important resource in building climate resilience.

She said bringing scientific and indigenous knowledge together could produce solutions that are more practical, locally relevant and sustainable.

The two speakers also highlighted the role of young people, women and other vulnerable groups in shaping climate responses, calling for their meaningful participation in research, innovation and decision-making.

Prof. Thoruwa said climate adaptation and mitigation programmes should deliver benefits beyond environmental protection by improving health, nutrition, livelihoods and social equity.

She urged participants to use the Climate Week as a platform for building partnerships capable of turning research and local innovations into action.

The conference brought together researchers, academics, policymakers, community leaders, indigenous knowledge holders and young innovators to deliberate on sustainable development, climate resilience and the role of local solutions in addressing environmental and health challenges.

Prof. Thoruwa challenged participants to leave the gathering with renewed commitment to transforming research into solutions, knowledge into action and partnerships into lasting impact.

Speakers similarly urged researchers to strengthen community engagement and ensure that the voices and experiences of local populations remain central to Africa’s climate and health agenda.