Dr. Michele Leone, Program Officer at IDRC, visited the AV‑STEC team as part of his tour of CLARE project partners in West Africa.

The visit comprised two sessions: a closed meeting with the project team followed by a stakeholder meeting with Ghanaian partners relevant to project implementation.

During the meeting, Dr. Leone emphasized CLARE’s commitment to funding applied research and noted its leadership role in supporting one of the largest climate‑change programs to date, which focuses on applied research and strengthening adaptation strategies. He acknowledged the relatively short implementation window for AV‑STEC but expressed confidence that the project can still deliver meaningful and insightful results.

The project team provided progress updates, including reconnaissance surveys to identify potential communities, the inception meeting, and the selection of beneficiary communities in Ghana and Burkina Faso. Professor Fidelia Ohemeng reported that the socio‑economic survey instrument has been finalized; the team is now awaiting population data from the Ghana Statistical Service (household counts and sex‑disaggregated population figures) to determine sample sizes for each community. Professor Yaa Ntiamoa‑Baidu indicated that the target is to complete all data collection by year‑end and to commence interventions at the start of the project’s second year.

In the stakeholder session, Dr. Amponsah‑Mensah presented an overview of the project. Dr. Leone remarked that the discussions helped clarify how the AV-STEC project fits into broader efforts, acknowledging the complexity of the issue. He then asked whether dam management practices could be adjusted to reduce the frequency or severity of spillages. The Hydrological Authority representative explained that adjustments are challenging given climate variability and intense rainfall patterns but noted improvements in early‑warning systems and community education. He recommended supporting flood‑resilient infrastructure and interventions such as desilting and dredging. Further discussions revolved around smooth collaboration between the project team and stakeholder to ensure successful implementation.

The visit concluded with closing remarks from Emerita Professor Yaa Ntiamoa‑Baidu, Chair of CBCR and Principal Investigator for AV‑STEC.