 our chief guest for the Minister of World and Development, your services, the ambassador present, distinguished conference speakers, colleagues from Macquarie University, ladies and gentlemen, I do recognize each one of you present. It's a great pleasure for me and in need, great pride from Macquarie University to welcome you to the 11th Committee-Based Adaptation International Conference, your most welcome. Allow me to welcome, especially, our chief guest, the Minister of Water and Development, Sal, your most welcome. Allow me to thank the International Institute for Environment and Development, the best in the UK, and the International Central Climate Change and Development, based in Penetri University, Bangladesh, for not only organizing the CPA conferences, but also producing the Government of Uganda and its partnering institutions to host the 11th CPA Conference. We do not take this opportunity for granted. And sincerely, thank you for organizing Macquarie University's efforts to address climate change through research and participation in workshops of similar magnitude. The theme of the conference, balancing natural resources and the ecosystem of adaptation, is in line with the Global Development Agenda agreed on by world leaders to build resilient societies. The Global Development Agenda, as implied in the Sustainable Development Goals, is geared at transforming society. The conference theme focuses on empowering communities to use their own knowledge and system-making processes to take action on climate change. One of the six most important drivers of the transform society is a knowledge economy. It's gratifying that the Sustainable Development Goals have included education, broadly, as a proven vehicle for sustainability. As academic institutions, we are committed to adapt our training to address these issues related to sustainability. Ladies and gentlemen, we all appreciate that effective adaptation to climate change takes place at community level. A bottom-up approach to adaptation enables local knowledge and practices to be shared among communities, academics, and project managers, so that those most exposed impacts of climate change are better able to adapt. The vision of Mercury University is to be the leading mistrition of academic excellence and innovation in Africa, and our core functions are teaching and learning, research and innovations, as well as knowledge to transfer partnerships and the networking. This conference is therefore in line with Mercury's vision and core functions and their privilege to be part of it. I'm happy to report that in 2012, in 2012, the Mercury University Center for Climate Research and Innovations was launched in the courage of agricultural and environmental sciences to strengthen East African resilience and climate change adaptation capacity through training, research, and policy improvement interventions. Through Mercury University Center for Climate Research and Innovations, the university has brought together researchers and scientists from within and outside of Mercury, government officials and the society, and the private sector actors to collaboratively and locally address climate change, share information, and the programs of adaptation technologies and research. We are also using the Mercury University Center for Climate Research and Innovations as a vehicle to improve and support undergraduate, graduate diploma and postgraduate education in climate science, meteorology, and climate adaptation and mitigation. So, through you, Archive guests, I'd like to thank the government of Uganda for the support towards this conference. I thank also the authors who submitted papers, the conference, and especially, I'd like to take the opportunity to appreciate the keynote speakers for making the necessary preparations to be with us during this conference. This conference will not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, to file IEDEU in support of the parliament and grant IWI to mention but a few. I thank you all of you. Last but not least, I'd like to thank the National Organizing Committee for the great effort you have put in to ensure that the conference is successful. Mr. Benjamin, once again, welcoming to the 11th Community Based Adaptation International Conference. It's my sincere hope that you will have a fruitful conference for the good of mankind and for the good of our communities. I'd like to thank you very much.