Environmental challenges in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are enormous - deforestation, land degradation and fragmentation, desertification, loss of soil fertility, a dramatic decline and loss of biodiversity. The protection of biological diversity and the sustainable use of resources has become a major pre-occupation for all ACP regions.

In a global context of climate change and high oil prices, renewable energy is increasingly seen as the way forward. In the Sub-Saharan region, however, technical expertise is limited and there is an acute shortage of qualified professionals in the solar and biofuel sectors.

In addition, with rapid urbanisation, population growth, growing income disparities and increasing water scarcity, waste management is insufficient and the access to safe drinking water remains meagre in many regions, particularly for the rural and urban poor.

EDULINK projects have set out to tackle these issues through building academic, institutional and research capacitates of universities across ACP regions in key environmental areas including renewable energy, sustainable tourism, water and waste management.