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DACCIWA' is a research project into the links between air quality, regional scale air pollution, clouds, meteorology and climate in West Africa run by European and African universities and meteorological services. The purpose it to improve our understanding for these topics in West Africa and so be able to provide better policy advice to both European and African governments and agencies. The project is coordinated by Prof Peter Knippertz of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Science Activities
The project is split into 7 main science activities

WP1 - Boundary Layer Dynamics Project Lead: Dr Norbert Kalthoff The structure of the atmospheric boundary layer depends mainly on the energy exchange at the Earth’s surface. However, due to the high natural and anthropogenic emissions in Southwest Africa, gaseous and aerosol air pollutants also affect the diurnal cycle of the ABL as do, sea breeze and monsoon flows from the Gulf of Guinea.

WP2 - Air Pollution and Health Project Lead: Dr Cathy Liouse Air pollution both inside and outside causes a range of health impacts. In this work package measurements and modelling will investigate the impact of industrial and domestic activities on air quality and health

WP3 - Atmospheric Chemistry Project Lead: Dr Céline Mari Industrial and domestic emission from West African cities are blown over the agricultural and forested land. Here the emissions are transformed through chemical and physical processes where they can transform into other pollutants like ozone, acids and aerosols. This work package will investigate these processes through measurements and modelling.

WP4 - Cloud-Aerosol Interactions / Project Lead: Prof Hugh Coe Aerosols produced by human activity can impact sunlight by directly scattering it or by impacting the nature of clouds. By acting as cloud condensation nuclii aerosols can change the number and size of cloud droplets and so change their precipitative and radiative properties. This work package will link the observations made by the aircraft with the meteorological modelling.

WP5 - Radiative Processes Project Lead: Dr Christine Chiu Radiative processes strongly influence synoptic-scale evolution and climate change. However to accurately predict them you need to knowing the properties of the surface and of gases, clouds, precipitation and aerosols in the atmosphere. This work package will investigate our ability to make these prediction both from field data and from models.

WP6 - Precipitative Processes Project Lead: Prof Andreas Fink Rain plays a central role in the economy of West Africa. Both energy and food production in the region relies upon the rain fall. Improvements in forecasting of weather has a range of benefits for the region. How this rainfall changes with changing human influence is the focus of this work package.

WP7 - Monsoon Processes Project Lead: Prof Peter Knippertz The West African monsoon brings the seasonal rains to West Africa. It plays a significant role in determining the annual changes in life in the region. However, out understanding of this region is poor. Climate models predict a range futures for the monsoon which makes planning for the future difficult. This work package aims to bring together the research from other work packages to investigate the future on the monsoon.

Field activities
The project will collect a large number of observations over West Africa. From enhanced sounding of the atmosphere from met sondes to intensive research flights by three of Europe's leading research aircraft the observational dataset will provide a unique perspective on the atmosphere over West African.

Expected results
The main expected results of the DACCIWA project are:
 * A unique observational dataset of the composition and physical state of the atmosphere over West Africa
 * New emissions estimates for human generated pollutants in the region
 * Improved representation of the gas phase and aerosol phase processes occurring in West Africa
 * Improvements in meteorological and climate model representations of West Africa