West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use

What West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use does

WASCAL (West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use) is a non-profit international research organization established in 2012 and headquartered in Accra, Ghana, with its research Competence Centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It pools scientific expertise across 11 West African member countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) plus Germany under funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Its mission centers on climate change adaptation and mitigation across three pillars: climate and environmental services, evidence-based research, and capacity building.

The technological foundation is the WASCAL Data Infrastructure (WADI), comprising observation networks, high-performance computing, a GIS/Remote Sensing Laboratory, and the WASREP data portal (wascal-dataportal.org). Three instrumented experimental watersheds — Dassari, Dano, and Vea/Sissilli — generate long-term hydrometeorological time-series. The bundled CICLES service package delivers eight integrated climate services (climate-smart agriculture, timely information on climate extremes, climate policy and action, data/computing services, renewable energy, climate-smart landscapes, migration under natural hazard, and scientific exchanges). Specialized programmes include the IMP-EGH Master's in Energy and Green Hydrogen, the PPeDMaS precision agriculture platform with the AI-empowered PlanteSaine mobile app, the H2-ATLAS AFRICA green hydrogen initiative, and the developing West African Earth System Model (WESM). Capacity building is delivered via 11 doctoral and 6 master's programmes spread across 13 partner universities, supplemented by 4 International Master's tracks in Energy and Green Hydrogen accredited by ASIIN in 2025.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. BMBF provides core institutional funding plus project-level grants (e.g., €3M for the PV2H Green Hydrogen programme, €20K maximum per WISE innovation grant). Revenue streams are diversified across funder relationships but concentrated in BMBF as primary anchor. End-users and delivery partners comprise West African government ministries, national meteorological and water authorities, agricultural research systems, 13 partner universities, 120+ smallholder farmers receiving climate-smart agriculture services, ECOWAS, and international frameworks including UNFCCC (where WASCAL holds observer status) and the NDC Partnership.

Name

West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use

Legal name

West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use

Website

https://wascal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WASCAL is a non-profit international research organization delivering climate science, data infrastructure, and graduate education across 11 West African member countries, primarily funded by Germany's BMBF and serving governments, universities, and farmers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate and Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Finance, Carbon Markets & MRV Systems (BPADALAB), GHG Monitoring Plans & Sampling Design (Field Protocols, QA/QC) (EUABACAE)

Keywords

• Climate research services
• Graduate climate education
• Climate data infrastructure
• Environmental data services
• Renewable energy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government/Institutional Funding: WASCAL is primarily funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The organization operates as a non-profit research and capacity building institution rather than a commercial enterprise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WASCAL delivers science-based climate and environmental services, evidence-oriented research, and graduate-level capacity building across 13 West African countries. Its product portfolio combines the WASCAL Data Infrastructure (WADI) for climate data collection and dissemination, integrated climate services (CICLES) for policymakers and farmers, and 11 doctoral plus 6 master's programmes hosted through 13 partner universities. Customers are governments, universities, researchers, and farmers; the offering is grant-funded primarily by BMBF rather than priced commercially.

Product overview

WASCAL is a research-focused Climate Service Centre that operates as a platform of integrated products and services for climate action in West Africa. Its core offerings include the WASCAL Competence Centre (research hub in Ouagadougou), the WASCAL Data Infrastructure (WADI) with observation networks, HPC, and GIS/Remote Sensing capabilities, and the WASCAL Data Repository and Portals (WASREP) accessible via wascal-dataportal.org. The CICLES package bundles eight climate services (CSA, TIX, CPA, DSC, REN, CSL, MUH, STC). Educational products include the Graduate Studies Programme (11 Doctoral + 6 Master's programmes) and IMP-EGH (International Master's in Energy and Green Hydrogen). Specialized technology products include PPeDMaS (precision agriculture platform with AI-powered mobile app PlanteSaine) for pest management, and research initiatives in hydrogen (H2-ATLAS AFRICA) and waste-to-energy. The organization operates three equipped research basins and provides data services to governments, institutions, and stakeholders across West Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CICLES: Customized and Integrated Climate Services for Improved Resilience and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in West Africa. Provides eight integrated services including CSA (Climate-Smart Agriculture), TIX (Timely Information on Climate Extremes), CPA (Climate Policy and Action), DSC (Data, Storage, and Computing Services), REN (Renewable and Clean Energy), CSL (Climate-Smart Landscapes), MUH (Migration under Natural Hazard), and STC (Scientific Exchanges, Training, and Vocation Courses).
• WADI
• IMP-EGH

Products and services

• WASCAL Competence Centre Regional science-based hub situated in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso that delivers climate and environmental services to WASCAL member countries across five thematic areas (sustainable agriculture, land use, migration, climate extremes, renewable energy) and houses the Data Management Department with the WADI infrastructure.
• WASCAL Data Infrastructure (WADI) Multi-purpose infrastructure comprising observation networks, data repositories (WASREP), high-performance computing (HPC), and GIS/Remote Sensing laboratory for climate data collection, storage, management, and dissemination across West Africa.
• WASCAL Data Repository and Portals (WASREP) Online platform for harvesting, storing, archiving, managing, publishing, sharing, and disseminating climate and environmental heterogeneous datasets, including the WASCAL-hydromet-net.org time-series hydrometeorological data portal and mobile field data collection systems.
• CICLES (Customized and Integrated Climate Services) Integrated climate services package bundling eight services: CSA (Climate-Smart Agriculture), TIX (Timely Information on Climate Extremes), CPA (Climate Policy and Action), DSC (Data, Storage, and Computing), REN (Renewable and Clean Energy), CSL (Climate-Smart Landscapes), MUH (Migration under Natural Hazard), and STC (Scientific Exchanges and Training).
• IMP-EGH (International Master's Programme in Energy and Green Hydrogen) Double degree Master's programme (5 semesters) coordinated by WASCAL and funded by BMBF, offering six specializations (Economics/Policy/Infrastructure, Photovoltaics, Energy System Analysis, Georesources, Green Hydrogen Production, and Bioenergy) with RWTH Aachen University and University of Rostock.
• WASCAL Graduate Studies Programme (GSP) Academic education programme comprising 11 Doctoral and 6 Master's programmes across 13 West African universities in climate change thematic areas, in collaboration with German institutions and including 4 International Master's programmes in Energy and Green Hydrogen.
• PPeDMaS (Precision Pest and Disease Management System) Digital platform providing precision pest and disease management solutions for maize, onion, and tomato farmers, combining crowdsourced mobile data, UAV multispectral imaging, and AI for early warning and expert advisory services.
• PlanteSaine Mobile Application AI-empowered mobile application for pest and disease management for maize, tomato, and onion farmers in Burkina Faso, using computer vision to identify crop health issues and provide immediate solutions.
• WASCAL Observation Networks High-resolution observation data collection network across WASCAL member countries using innovative measurement techniques and improved facilities for meteorology, hydrology, and agriculture.
• WASCAL High Performance Computer (HPC) Computational facility providing operational power for regional climate model development, climate projections, and simulation experiments in partnership with DKRZ.
• GIS/Remote Sensing Laboratory Fully functional laboratory providing mapping infrastructure, value-added GIS and remotely sensed data, and short training courses in collaboration with the Capacity Building Programme.
• WASCAL Basins (Dassari, Dano, Vea/Sissilli) Three equipped research watersheds (Dassari in Benin, Dano in Burkina Faso, Vea/Sissilli in Ghana/Burkina Faso) serving as core research bases for studying the semi-arid Sudanian zone with hydro-meteorological equipment measuring more than 30 variables.

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Augsburg (Department of Geography)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented by Prof. Dr. H. Kunstmann. Collaborates on climate research, CONCERT project, and LANDSURF project for climate modeling.
• University of Rostock (Institute of Biological Sciences/Botany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented by Prof. Dr. S. Porembski. German partner university for the IMP-EGH double degree programme and bioenergy/biofuels specialization.
• University of WürzburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculties of Biology and Department of Geography and Geology. Contributes to teaching, research supervision, and LANDSURF project leadership.
• Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum (DKRZ), HamburgcoreTechnology or IntegrationGerman Climate Computing Centre providing high-performance computing infrastructure for climate modeling and simulations.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead German partner and project coordinator for H2-ATLAS-AFRICA and WASTE2ENERGY projects. Collaborates on green hydrogen research.
• Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) – IMK-IFUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute of Meteorology and Climate Research. Leads FURIFLOOD project on flood risk research.
• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)coreTechnology or IntegrationGerman Aerospace Center - Deutsches Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum (DFD). Supports climate research and remote sensing activities.
• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman partner university for IMP-EGH double degree programme in Energy and Green Hydrogen. Awards joint degree certificates.
• Université d'Abomey Calavi (Benin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for Doctoral Programme on Climate Change and Water Resources. Part of 13-university network across West Africa.
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for Doctoral Programme on Climate Change and Land Use. Major research partner in West Africa.
• Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), SenegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for Doctoral Programme on Climate Change Economics. Contributes to IMP-EGH Track 1 (Economics, Policy, Infrastructure).
• Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey (Niger)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for Doctoral Programme on Climate Change and Energy. Contributes to IMP-EGH Track 2 (Photovoltaics).
• Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, Côte d'IvoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for Doctoral Programme on Climate Change and Biodiversity. Contributes to IMP-EGH Tracks 4 & 5.
• Université de Lomé, TogocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead university for Doctoral Programme on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management. Contributes to IMP-EGH Track 6 (Bioenergy/Biofuels).
• ACMADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development - regional partner for climate services.
• ECOWAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic Community of West African States. WASCAL supports ECOWAS priority programs in environment and agriculture and contributes to regional climate policy.
• FARA (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for agricultural research coordination across Africa.
• AGRHYMET/CILSSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional climate and agricultural research center for the Sahel.
• CORAFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development.
• IWMI (International Water Management Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research organization on water resource management.
• UNU-EHSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security.
• GERICS (Climate Service Centre Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on CICLES (Customized and Integrated Climate Services) development and delivery of climate services.
• SASSCALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Africa Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management. Joint webinars and collaboration on climate leadership in Africa.
• UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed for climate change research collaboration through Memorandum of Understanding.
• NDC PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWASCAL endorsed as associate member to drive transformational climate action through the global coalition.
• Institut 2iEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Institute of Water and Sanitation in Ouagadougou.
• VBA (Volta Basin Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransboundary water management authority for the Volta River Basin.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SASSCAL: Southern Africa Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management - the structural twin of WASCAL, also BMBF-funded, operating across Southern African nations with research, graduate education, and climate services. WASCAL and SASSCAL even run joint webinars and alumni exchanges, confirming they serve as direct peer/partner institutions.
• ACMAD: African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development, based in Niamey, Niger. ACMAD is a continental climate application centre serving AU member states with weather, climate, and early warning services that directly overlap with WASCAL's CICLES offering and meteorological observation network mandate.
• AGRHYMET/CILSS: Regional climate and agricultural research centre for the Sahel, headquartered in Niamey, Niger. CILSS/AGRHYMET is a long-established climate service and food security institution covering overlapping geographies and serving similar government, farmer, and meteorological customers in West Africa.

Others

• FARA: Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, a continental umbrella for agricultural research. FARA is a listed WASCAL partner coordinating African agricultural research, providing an enabling ecosystem role rather than direct competition on climate data services or graduate education.
• IWMI: International Water Management Institute, a CGIAR research centre. IWMI is a listed WASCAL partner and addresses water resource management themes (one of WASCAL's doctoral programme areas), making it an adjacent enabling institution rather than direct competition.
• CORAF: West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development. CORAF is a WASCAL-listed partner coordinating agricultural R&D across the same region, with overlapping farmer and ministry stakeholders but a broader crop/agriculture mandate rather than climate services specialization.

Emerging players

• Climate Analytics: Climate Analytics is a science-based climate policy think tank working on the Africa region with similar UNFCCC engagement and policy advising. It operates at global/continental scale and overlaps with WASCAL's climate policy (CPA) service line but does not deliver on-the-ground data infrastructure or graduate education.
• CIFOR-ICRAF: Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry, a CGIAR system organization. ICRAF is highly relevant to WASCAL's land use, agroforestry, and climate-smart agriculture research portfolio and shares many of WASCAL's West African ministry stakeholders but operates globally rather than as a West Africa regional centre.

Broad incumbents

• RCMRD: Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development, based in Nairobi, Kenya. RCMRD serves Eastern and Southern Africa with Earth observation, GIS, and mapping services, overlapping with WASCAL's GIS/Remote Sensing lab and WADI infrastructure but at continental scale rather than focused on West Africa.
• GERICS: Climate Service Centre Germany, a flagship Helmholtz initiative. WASCAL is an explicit collaboration partner with GERICS on CICLES climate services delivery, but GERICS operates as a broader incumbent on global climate service design, methodology, and tooling rather than a West Africa specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wascalclimate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wascal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use