Climate change is one of the «hottest» topics nowadays, as all prediction models agree that its impact will be significant in agriculture in general, and livestock farming in particular. The Mediterranean region is particularly vulnerable to climate change as it is in a transition zone between the dry climate of North Africa and the temperate and rainy climate of Central Europe. Indeed, the Mediterranean region has been experiencing major climate change in the past and has been identified as one of the most important Hot-Spots for future climate change predictions.
The “CLICHA” project (Climate Change in Agriculture-Project No. 586273-EPP-1-2017-1-EN-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), which is co-funded by the European Union’s ERASMUS+ program, is dealing with this exact issue. The wider goal of the project is to create specialized scientists who, through their training, will contribute to the adoption of more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural and livestock practices. These scientists could be the transforming factor for the entire society towards a more sustainable model of production and consumption.
In particular, the project aims at: (a) developing specialized educational material on climate change and its implications for agriculture and livestock farming, as well as measures that could be implemented locally; (b) modernizing university courses, based on the educational material created in the previous goal, through the evaluation of the existing courses and the creation of proper lectures; (c) the adaptation of courses to the particular circumstances of the southern Mediterranean in general, and more accurately to the ones of Tunisia; (d) the use of modern technologies for the provision of courses by the creation of specific tools (presentations, video, website, e-learning platform, NCAs), and (e) strengthening the internationalization of HEIs and their capacity to cooperate effectively in research, as well as in scientific and technological innovation.
The project “CLICHA: Climate Change in Agriculture” is being implemented in Tunisia and coordinated by the Department of Animal Science of the Agricultural University of Athens (Prof. Iosif Bizelis). On behalf of the European Union, the University of Turin (Italy), the Agricultural University of Latvia, NCSR Demokritos (Greece) and NGO CREATIVE THINKING DEVELOPMENT (Greece) participate as partners. From Tunisia, three Higher Education Institutions (Jendouba University, Cartagena University and Sousse University), the National Institute of Crop Production and the Climate Change Adaptation Center participate in the project. In this project ELGO-DIMITRA is represented by the researcher of the Research Institute of Animal Science Dr. George Symeon, as a member of the scientific team.
Climate Change in Agriculture