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WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2005: Global change science has a considerable history in South and southern Africa . This field of science is multi-disciplinary, inherently diverse, and ranges from the study of physical atmospheric processes, through biological and ecological responses and feedbacks, to interactions with human society and economic activities. South African scientists have played an important role in raising awareness of this field of study, and its importance for developing regional, national and local responses to the threat of climate change. In this regard, a series of scientific conferences has been held on this topic, beginning with a national workshop in 1987 (“Long term data series relating to South Africa ’s renewable resources”), followed by several national conferences and co-ordinated research activities. In 1989 the national conference on “Geosphere-Biosphere Change in Southern Africa” was held at University of Cape Town, and in 1995 the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) supported a regional conference “Global environmental change: Implications for southern Africa” at the CSIR in Pretoria. In the late 1990’s, many South African scientists contributed to the SA Country Study on Climate Change, and in 2003 the conference “Global change and regional sustainability” was held at Kirstenbosch in Cape Town .
These activities, together with ambitious regional multi-national scientific studies, such as the SAFARI and SAFARI 2000 studies of regional atmospheric impacts of natural and human-caused fires in southern Africa , raised awareness of global environmental change. Ongoing research has also provided information for national negotiating teams involved in deliberations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These activities informed the drafting of the Initial National Communication – submitted to the UNFCCC in 2003, and the National Climate Change Response Strategy, which was approved by Cabinet in September 2004 - providing a framework for climate change response in South Africa . However, it is recognized that scientific meetings and activities must actively engage with the world of stakeholders and affected parties.
Thus it was decided in 2005 to combine a focused science meeting with a meeting of stakeholders in a consultative program, encouraging mutual interaction and exchange of information to allow a deeper understanding both of the science and its uncertainties, and the concerns of those potentially affected. For this reason, key scientific inputs were canvassed from scientists from a wide range of disciplines and regions, and merged into an exciting and innovative program to allow productive interaction with stakeholders in a consultative framework. To this end many mainstream national and international scientists who have published their work in high impact journals such as Nature and Science are included in the science program. It was obviously not feasible to include each and every scientist in this exercise, but the aim has been to provide a window on the developing science of global change and its uncertainties, specifically with reference to Africa , and through this to test this approach for future deliberations.
The Conference is organised under the auspices of an Inter-Ministerial Committee of Cabinet, chaired by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and including as the core Ministers the Ministers of Water Affairs & Forestry, Science & Technology, Minerals & Energy, and Agriculture & Land Affairs.
In addition, broad stakeholder involvement in the planning of the Climate Change Conference was ensured through the engagement of the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC), a multi-stakeholder forum set up to guide the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) on matters relating to climate change. Stakeholders from the NGO and business communities have welcomed the conference and will be attending and making use of the conference facilities by hosting their own side-events and exhibition stands.
The programme of the consultative conference has been developed to allow for informal discussion, debate, and feedback from the scientific conference. A broad range of issues is therefore up for discussion, as is their impact on South African climate change policy. Stakeholders will be invited to contribute to debate and shape the conference outcomes.
This combination of meetings is therefore an innovative and ground-breaking initiative which brings scientists, politicians, NGO’s and other stakeholders into the same venue to discuss and deliberate on the urgency and potential responses to the threat of climate change in southern Africa and Africa as a whole.
Download the agenda HERE
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