Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate in research, training and capacity building on climate change.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Romanus Odhiambo, received the guests from PACJA; Dr. Mithika Mwenda (Executive Director), Hon. Joseph M’Eruaki (Associate) and Ann Gitonga (Human Resource and Partnerships Lead).

Speaking during the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor noted that this partnership with PACJA was timely especially on matters of Climate Change.  He said that institutions of higher learning have the capacity to provide solutions on mitigation measures that address issues of climate change through research.

“No country today is immune from the impacts of climate change. Unchecked, climate change will push 132 million people into poverty over the next 10 years, undoing hard-won development gains.  Reducing emissions and becoming more resilient are possible, but require major social, economic and technological changes. There are significant effects of human-caused climate change. Sustainability simply implies working on our existence on this planet. We can transform the world every day though our actions and decisions.  This MoU with PACJA will enable us work together to create resilient technologies that will address some of these issues.” Prof. Romanus Odhiambo

PACJA Executive Director, Dr. Mithinka Mwenda said that Universities have a global mandate to respond to challenges that affect people.  He said that change can only come from our communities by sensitizing them on climate change.

“The Transformation we envisage has to be cultivated from learning.  The young people should be trained about the immediate environment which is changing as early as when they are in primary and high schools as well as in the Universities so that they can grow with this reality.” Dr. Mithika Mwenda

About PACJA: PACJA is a consortium of more than 1000 organisations from 48 African countries that brings together a diverse membership drawn from Grassroots, Community-Based Organizations, Faith-based Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Trusts, Foundations, Indigenous Communities, Farmers and Pastoralist Groups with a shared vision to advance a people-centered, right-based, just and inclusive approach to address climate and environmental challenges facing humanity and the planet.