The conference will be held at the University of Cologne campus. Cologne offers a variety of accommodation ranging from simple hostels to convenient hotels at a price from 30 € to 150 € per night. In early summer, Cologne is a very
attractive tourist destination with a rich cultural variety and many tourist attractions – among which is the famous gothic cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage.
The climate of Africa has been highly variable throughout the last several decades, with amplitudes often exceeding
those anywhere else on Earth. For the coming decades, the 4th Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts an overall warming trend for Africa and dryer conditions for subtropical North and South Africa.
In addition to climatic factors which already limit freshwater availability and crop yields in large areas, the situation in Africa is aggravated by land degradation, high population growth, poor economic growth, and large social problems, spread of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, meningitis, and diarrhea, and a general decay of the
ecosystem. These processes are largely interdependent and driven to a high proportion by climate change. The rate of negative changes increases by negative feedback loops.
To break this disastrous spiral of ever decaying social, economic, and natural conditions, unprecedented efforts
are needed based on insights in natural, social, economic, political, and health sciences. The support of decision
making processes based on a thorough understanding of all related processes is mandatory to overcome the pressing problems.
Therefore, the aim of this conference is to bring together scientists that may substantially contribute with disciplinary and trans-disciplinary knowledge to develop solutions for consequences of a rapid global change.
For further information, please, visit
http://www.impetus.uni-koeln.de/en/conference.html, consult the attached flyer or email
africa-conference@uni-koeln.de 
