26 Mar 2018

 Executive director of Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) Dr Jane Olwoch says countries are not alive to the impacts of climate change.

 

Addressing a SASSCAL mini symposium in Maun recently, Dr Olwoch said climate change was affecting many economies in Africa.

 

She therefore said there was need for adaptation strategies in the Southern African region, noting that 2015, 2016 and 2017 were recorded as the warmest years since 2001. 

 

She said the trend of warming was going into the future while low rainfall was recorded. 

 

The impact of climate change, she said was also affecting population growth as food insecurities, prolonged droughts, floods and water stress were experienced. She however added that climate change was not necessarily the cause of all the challenges experienced, but exacerbated them. 

 

Dr Olwoch said it was necessary to think towards sustainability and diversity.  She noted that SASSCAL was a joint initiative of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Germany, responding to the challenges of global change.

 

She noted that SASSCAL supported the countries through funding and Botswana has so far received funding for research worth over P30 million to enhance understanding on issues of climate change and sustainable land management.

 

In his welcome remarks, an official from the Department of Meteorological Services, Mr Radithupa Radithupa said Botswana was also affected by climate change as evidenced by changes in temperature and rainfall patterns.

 

Mr Radithupa appreciated the regional approach by SASSCAL. 

 

He however said there was need for systems which are up to date and a regional based statistics centre.

He noted that data management was crucial in addressing issues of climate change. The mini symposium was a preparation for a symposium to be held in Zambia towards the end of next month.  ENDS