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The Southern African Science Service Centre for Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will be co-hosting the GMES and Africa Southern African Regional Workshop from the 5th -7th June 2023 in Luanda, Angola. The regional workshop aims to bring policy and decision makers in Southern Africa and other…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will be co-hosting the GMES and Africa Southern African Regional Workshop from the 5th -7th June 2023 in Luanda, Angola. The regional workshop aims to bring policy and decision makers in Southern Africa and other…

SASSCAL, its technical partner and stakeholders at the WeMAST Phase II wetlands monitoring stakeholders’ engagement for the Cuvelai River Basin in Ongwediva, Namibia on 11 May 2023. The Southern African Science Service for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and its technical partner hosted the WeMAST Phase II wetlands monitoring stakeholders’ engagement meeting for…

For Immediate Release                                                                                                         …

Pictured at the occasion, BMBF Minister, Hon. Bettina Stark-Watzinger, German Ambassador to Namibia H.E. Herbert Beck, SASSCAL Executive Dr Jane Olwoch pictured with management from NUST and the SGSP-IWRM students The German Federal Minister for Education and Research Hon. Bettina Swark-Watzinger yesterday visited the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water and Resource Management programme…

Organized by Mittweida University of Applied Sciences and The African Climate Competence Centres SASSCAL and WASCAL. Date: 12 to 16 June 2023 For more information:

Participants  gathered at the SASSCAL 2.0 Kick-off meeting  had a chance  to glance at the future projected temperatures in SADC. German Ambassador to Namibia, H.E Herbert Beck has reminded the world to take heed of warnings of the worsening effects of climate change. The ambassador was speaking in Windhoek recently during the launch of the SASSCAL…

Mr Mansmann, Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will vist the Daures Green Hydrogen Village on the 27th March 2023.  The aim of the site visit is to see the progress that the Daures consortium has made in the implementation of the activities. The event will be attended…

The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa (GMES & Africa) ‘s Consortium, Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) hosted its first Earth Observation (EO) training in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe from 02-03 March 2023. The Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins  (WeMAST)  Phase II  face-to face…

After a decade of the organization’s establishment and implementation of its first Research Portfolio, the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) will be moving into its second phase of research this month. The regional organization will  launch SASSCAL 2.0 Research Programme on 22 – 23 March 2023 at…

Joint efforts have become necessary to tackling problems of global scale such as climate change. With this in mind, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Southern African Science Services Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) as well as the Western African Science Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive…

27 February 2023 For Immediate Release SASSCAL’ s WeMAST Phase II Project to host its first training on Earth Observation for 2023 The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) ‘s WeMAST project, will be hosting a Two (2) days training on Earth Observation (EO) Applications in Wetland Monitoring and Assessment…

The African Union Commission (AUC) has applauded the Southern Africa Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL)’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST) project for the progress made in 2022 on its Implementation Action Plan in enhancing an operational  Geoportal and executing Earth Observation Capacity…

GOOGLE EARTH ENGINE CLOUD-COMPUTING AND EARTH OBSERVATION APPLICATIONS IN WETLAND MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Platform for Transboundary River Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST) project is pleased to announce a training course on Earth Observation (EO) Data Access and Analytics using Google Earth Engine Cloud-Computing Platform for wetlands monitoring and assessment. The course is designed to develop fundamental…

SASSCAL was very honored to receive a courtesy visit from  Michelle McLean this morning at the Regional Secretariat in Windhoek. SASSCAL has been occupying the Michelle McLean House for the past 14 years.  SASSCAL staff were in a jovial mood as Michelle McLean took a tour of the office accompanied by SASSCAL’s Executive Director, Dr…

Background, rationale and objectives Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Transboundary River Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST) project is pleased to announce a training course on Earth Observation (EO) applications in wetlands monitoring and assessment. Expected outputs/Learning outcomes By the end of the training, participants should able to demonstrate: Mode of Training The training will…

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will towards the end of February host a joint Ministerial Meeting of  Science Services Centres of Southern and Western Africa. The high-level meeting of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and its sister organization, West African Science Service…

As we prepare the official launch of the SASSCAL 2.0 research programme in March , 2023, Executive Director Dr. Jane Olwoch received Two Academicians, Prof. Joscha Becker and his PhD student Ms  Elisa Toth from the University of Hamburg, Germany on the 19th of January 2023. The two academicians are involved in the SUSTAIN project…

Full article: Young Namibians to receive green hydrogen scholarships press release

Climate Change! 21st Century Humanity greatest threat. Across the globe, the effects of climate change on agriculture, water, biodiversity, and energy are felt by societies across the socio-economic spectrum, especially for citizens of the developing countries such as Zambia. For this reason, Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and…

The Southern African Science Services Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has hit the ground running again with its mission to amplify and enhance conversations and dialogue on climate change issues, this time with a focus on Botswana. On the 27th of October 2022, the climate change and sustainable land management front-runner…

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Southern African Science Centre for Climate  Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) co-hosted the second GMES Regional  Workshop on the impact of Earth observation services and technologies on regional socioeconomic, environmental and security activities and targets in Southern Africa at the CSIR Convention Centre, in…

SASSCAL participated at the popular Windhoek Livestock and Agriculture Show better known as the Windhoek Show from 28 September to 1 October 2022 in Windhoek, Namibia. The Show provided  SASSCAL with a good platform to promote its brand and showcase all its products and services including research, capacity development programmes, Green hydrogen Project and WeMast…

The Southern African Science Services Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) through its National Node of Angola, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation will hold a two-day high-level National Dialogue on Climate Change in Huambo, Angola. The event, slated from 17 to 18 October 2022, will…

SASSCAL successfully hosted a three-day technical review workshop on the progress of the completion of the Green Hydrogen Atlas, Southern Africa. This workshop took place from the 23rd to the 25th August 2022, under the theme “Go green Go Africa: Germany-Africa partnership for sustainable energy solution through green hydrogen”. The workshop aimed to showcase the progress made…

Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) participated in the first Namibia Green Hydrogen conference. The event was organized by the Economic Association of Namibia (EAN), in collaboration with the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board of Namibia (NIPDB), with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). The conference…

World Population Prospects 2022 report from the United Nations shows that the world’s population is projected to reach 8 billion in 2022. While Africa is nearing 1.3 billion with an average annual increase rate of 2.5%. The youth population between the ages of 15 and 24 years is estimated to be 1.2 billion, accounting for 15.5%…

Expectations are plenty on the first cohort of the SASSCAL Graduate Study Programme in Integrated Water and Resource Management to finish their studies and provide solutions to water and energy insecurity. “We are not creating a normal PHD programme, whereby you finish and you have your thesis and the only thing you can do is…

Botswana Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, Honourable Philda Nani Kereng who is also the Vice-Chairperson of SASSCAL Council of Ministers hosted the SASSCAL Board Members on 26 July 2022. The Board members in the delegation to the Minister include Board Chair and Zambian representative, Mrs Jane Mubanga Chinkusu, Professor Virginia Lacerda Quartim…

SASSCAL’s 2nd Ordinary Board Meeting (OBM) held from 25 – 29 July 2022 in Gaborone, Botswana, culminated in a visit to the Botswana Node office during which the board familiarised themselves with developments at the office. The courtesy visit on 26 July aimed at providing insights into progress regarding the operations of the Node and the…

SASSCAL as the lead consortium for the WeMAST Phase II hosted the technical partners involved in an inception meeting from 6th to 7th July 2022 in Windhoek, Namibia to start the practical and effective implementation of the WeMAST Phase II of GMES & Africa programme. The primary purpose of the inception meeting was to ensure that project…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), its West African counterpart WASCAL and the Mittweida University will from now collaborate on a number of areas of interest. On Friday, 24 June 2022, SASSCAL, WASCAL and the Mittweida University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), that will see the…

SASSCAL participated at the GMES and Africa First Continental Service Workshop on Natural Resources and Water in Lusaka, Zambia which took place from 13 – 15 June 2022. The aim was to facilitate cross-fertilization of services among the consortia and to resolve technical issues related to the implementation of natural resources and water services. This…

SASSCAL expresses a warm welcome to Dr. Budzanani Tacheba who is joining the organisation as the newly appointed Director of Science, Technology and Capacity Development on 1st July 2022. Dr Tacheba is no newcomer to the science, research, and innovation fields having had representation in these areas in Botswana, at African continental Institutes and international bodies.…

The first cohort of the SASSCAL Graduate Study Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management (SGSP-IWRM) has commenced their studies. The 15 students are drawn from the five SASSCAL member states namely Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. On Friday, 17 June 2022, SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch presided over the event during which…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land management (SASSCAL) recently launched its Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resource Management (SGSP-IWRM). During the launch of the three-year programme, which will be undertaken at Namibia’s University of Science and Technology (NUST) from 2022 to 2024, 15 students from four of SASSCAL member…

It was a celebratory moment when the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) staff members convened in Lome, Togo on the 26th of May 2022 to celebrate the Institution’s 10th anniversary.  In 2012, WASCAL Cooperation Agreement was signed in Lome, Togo. In a celebratory mode were German Federal…

It was a celebratory moment when the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) staff members convened in Lome, Togo on the 26th of May 2022 to celebrate the Institution’s 10th anniversary.  In 2012, WASCAL Cooperation Agreement was signed in Lome, Togo. In a celebratory mode were German Federal…

The Southern African Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has signed two strategic Memoranda of Understanding that will see it cooperate with other institutions in building capacity, conducting scientific research and providing solutions to the pressing problems of climate change. SASSCAL signed MoUs with the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGCA)…

The First German-Angolan Symposium on Green Hydrogen was held on Thursday, 14 May 2022. Angola and Germany foster their cooperation in the field of green hydrogen under the umbrella of the German-Angolan Energy Partnership. The Symposium on Green Hydrogen kickstarted this new cooperation. The symposium provided an overview of the prospects for green hydrogen and…

The SASSCAL 10th Anniversary was not just an event, but an untold story filled with celebratory mood, a look back into the past, remembering and revelling the journey of SASSCAL from its infancy to where it is today, an organisation vested with international status. Full article available on the following link: SASSCAL 10th Anniversary Article

SASSCAL and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security & Africa (GMES and Africa) team from the African Union Commission held a 3-days inception workshop for the phase 2 Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Transboundary River Basins in Southern Africa (WeMast) Project from 20th to 22nd of April 2022 in Windhoek Namibia. GMES and Africa Coordinator…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land management (SASSCAL) recently launched its Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resource Management (SGSP-IWRM). During the launch of the three-year programme, which will be undertaken at Namibia’s University of Science and Technology (NUST) from 2022 to 2024, 15 students from four of SASSCAL member…

As part of its 10th anniversary commemoration, the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management (SASSCAL), undertook a tree planting and clean up campaign across its member states on 6 April, 2022. The exercise is amongst a number of events lined up to celebrate 10 years of various programmes and…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land management (SASSCAL) will officially launch its Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resource Management (SGSP-IWRM) on 7 April, 2022 in Windhoek. Through its main funder, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, SASSCAL has established the SGSP – IWRM, which will be implemented at the…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year on 12th April. Full article available on the following link: SASSCAL 10 Years_Newspaper Article_Final

The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security & Africa (GMES and Africa) is an initiative between the Africa Union and the European Union in the area of space science & technology and a key priority under the EU-Africa partnership. GMES & Africa aims to promote development of local capacities, institutional, human and technical resources for…

SASSCAL GRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAMME: INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IWRM) SASSCAL RESEARCH CHAIRS CALL 2022 – 2024 Enquiries and details regarding this post, may be directed to sgsp-iwrm@nust.na Closing date for receipt of applications is 28 March 2022. Successful candidates are expected to commence duties from 14 April 2022. Announcement Document: Research_Call_DETAILED_REQUIREMENTS SGSP-IWRM Research Chairs Call_Advert_VF

The Green Hydrogen Innovation Commissioner at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Dr. Stefan Kaufmann visited Namibia from 24 – 26 February 2022. The purpose of the visit was to advance the implementation of the Joint Com­muniqué of Intent (JCoI) signed between Namibia and Germany on cooperation in the field of energy…

Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, Green Hydrogen Innovation Commissioner at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be visiting Namibia from 24 – 26 February 2022. The purpose of Dr. Kaufmann´s visit is to advance the implementation of the Joint Com­muniqué of Intent (JCoI) signed between Namibia and Germany on cooperation in the field of…

On the 15th of February 2022, Copernicus-GMES & Africa Partnership held a virtual roundtable discussion titled “Space for Sustainable Development”. The objective of this event was to unveil the past to present progress and future opportunities of partnership between Africa and EU on Earth Observation (EO) development with an orientation towards enhancing policy dialogue, business, gender and young…

SASSCAL Executive Director visits Botswana Node The Executive Director of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), Dr. Jane Olwoch recently visited the SASSCAL Botswana Node. During the visit from 10 – 13 January 2022, Dr. Olwoch met Botswana’s Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism Permanent Secretary and…

In an effort to address the capacity needs of the regional water sector, SASSCAL is establishing the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management (SGSP – IWRM) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The programme is implemented by NUST in partnership with the International Centre of Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC)…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management (SASSCAL) and its main funder, German- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), signed a Grant Agreement for the implementation of SASSCAL 2.0 Research Programme in SADC. This grant agreement is based on the Joint Declaration between the Ministry of High Education,…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management (SASSCAL) announces with great sorrow the untimely death of Dr Obakeng Sethamo, who until the time of his death was SASSCAL Botswana Node’s Programme Coordinator. Dr Sethamo died in a car accident on Friday, 10th December 2021 on his way from a…

SASSCAL participated at the GMES and Africa 2nd continental forum in Abidjan, which took place from 6 – 10 December 2021. The Forum addressed on how Earth Observation can power Environmental Sustainability and Socio-economic growth in Africa. This theme is reflective of the overarching mandate of the Programme, including the utilization of EO services and applications…

The DAAD Climate research Alumni and Postdocs in Africa (climapAfrica) program, implemented in collaboration with SASSCAL and WASCAL, brings together high-potential African researchers in climate change research and protection with African alumni experts of German funding initiatives in the field of climate research. Through currently seven thematic working groups, it seeks to catalyse uptake and…

  The Southern African Science Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) Council of Ministers held a successful virtual 2nd Ordinary Council of Ministers meeting on 14 October, 2021 during which they endorsed the 2020 – 2024 SASSCAL Business Plan, Financial Sustainability, and its transformation into an International Organization. The Council of Ministers meeting…

In an effort to address the capacity needs of the regional water sector, SASSCAL is establishing the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management (SGSP – IWRM) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The programme is implemented by NUST in partnership with the International Centre of Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC)…

  The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) held a fruitful Hybrid GMES and Africa Regional workshop from 27 – 29 September 2021, at Safari Hotel in Windhoek, Namibia. The workshop became a significant platform to promote…

The African Union Commission’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa and SASSCAL has held a three day report back conference in Windhoek Namibia from the 14th to 16th of September 2021. The conference comes at a time when GMES and Africa, SASSCAL and its consortia conclude the first phase of the Wetlands Monitoring and…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will hold a Hybrid GMES and Africa Regional workshop from 27 – 29 September 2021, at Safari Hotel in Windhoek, Namibia. The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) commends and hails the recent signing of a Joint Communication of Intent on Green Hydrogen cooperation, between German and Namibia. The partnership seeks to invest efforts on green hydrogen energy in the Namibian nation which will have a positive catalytic effect…

    SASSCAL’s Executive Director sets SASSCAL’s high level stakeholder engagement on course as she meets the political and administrative leadership of the Botswana Ministry of Tertiary Education Research, Science and Technology. The Ministry of Tertiary Education Research, Science and Technology in Botswana plays an influential role in the advancement of science-based research and climate…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) marks a significant milestone in the Green Hydrogen developments in Southern Africa. This comes amid a global movement to transform the global energy sector into one which contributes to climate-friendly products. SASSCAL successfully hosted a four-day virtual Green Hydrogen Regional Data…

SASSCAL through its Botswana node has rolled out an inaugural scientific writing week series in Botswana. The five-day programme was conducted on the 21st of June to the 25th June 2021 in collaboration with the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN). This scientific writing week series is a practical training programme that aims at capacitating…

The H2Atlas-Africa national teams in the 12 counties in Southern Africa successfully completed the National data validation workshops. The H2Atlas project is being implemented in Angola, Botswana, Democratic republic of Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The National data validation workshops were attended by various relevant stakeholders including government…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) will host a five-day virtual Green Hydrogen Regional Data Validation Workshop from the 2nd to the 5th of August 2021. The high-level opening ceremony of the regional data validation workshop will be held on Monday, 2 August 2021 from 9:00 –…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has unleashed $N40 million (2.4 million Euro) worth of funding to establish the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resource Management (SGSP – IWRM) implemented at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The SGSP – IWRM will constitute…

  SASSCAL’s Executive Director paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR). The purpose of the visit was to acquaint the key stakeholders of the ministry on SASSCAL’s historical perspectives and achievements, current statusof projects, the institution’s future plans as well to deliberate on  issues that will inform the…

SASSCAL conducted a training course “WeMAST Training on Earth Observation Products Validation and Geoportal Use” on the 24 – 25th June 2021.  SASSCAL is the lead of the Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Transboundary River Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST) consortium. The latter is comprised of technical partners from leading academic institutions (Midlands State University,…

  GREEN hydrogen is fast becoming a topic of global interest among environmentalists, energy experts and governments, as the world looks towards more environmentally friendly forms of energy. Namibia has also set its sights on the prospect of mechanising the renewable energy. In the recently launched Harambee Prosperity Plan II, president Hage Geingob pinpointed Namibia’s…

SASSCAL and WASCAL participated in the high level and well-attended session during the “1ST UNLOCKING INDUSTRIES –GREEN HYDROGEN IN AFRICA” online event. The event was hosted by the Afrika-Verein Veranstaltungs-GmbH (AVV) on 8th of June 2021. The main objective of the conference was to provide country insights on hydrogen potential and business opportunities and discussions on the necessary strategic…

  SASSCAL, as the lead of the Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Transboundary River Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST) consortium, together with its technical partners from leading academic institutions (Midlands State University, Zimbabwe, University of Botswana, University of the Western Cape, South Africa and University of Zambia) and satellite-service providers (South African National Space…

Objectives of the Webinar The proposed training will develop a mass of critical of researchers with skills in proposal development and publication skills as well as mentoring skills. The specific objectives will be i) to train researchers on how to develop a good research proposal (Phd, MSc), ii) to train researchers on how to prepare…

  The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) resoundingly held a two-day high-level Stakeholder Engagement Meetings in Lusaka, Zambia from the 20th to the 21st of May 2021. The purpose of this high-level engagements was to shed light and to report on SASSCAL’s progress on its projects and milestones. As…

The SGSP-IWRM is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST – https://www.nust.na/) is the host while the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC – https://www.waterandchange.org) is the German Partner. SGSP(IWRM) is the first step in a process of establishing SASSCAL Centres of…

SASSCAL participated in the high level green hydrogen e-conference in Africa. The e-conference was hosted by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) from 24 to 25 March 2021. The e-conference organiser, and CEO of AFSIA, Mr John van Zuylen has brought together heads of relevant institutions and high-level international experts in the industry including the…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) successfully hosted its first virtual SRTC Meeting for the Green H2Atlas-Africa project on Tuesday, 23 March 2021. H2Atlas-Africa project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project is the first-phase of a Go Green Go…

  Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation and coordination on the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and sharing of data hosted in SASSCAL Open Access Data Centre (OADC). During the signing ceremony SASSCAL’s Executive Director,…

  SASSCAL, as the lead of the WeMAST consortium, has the pleasure to announce two Earth Observation (EO) training courses on satellite-based product development and validation and WeMAST geoportal applications and usage. The courses are made possible with funding from the GMES and Africa Support Programme, an initiative of the African Union and the European Commission. Expected outputs/Learning outcomes By the…

  Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) is hosting a virtual Conference on Green Hydrogen in Africa from 24 to 25 March 2021. The E-Conference organiser, and CEO of AFSIA , Mr John van John van Zuylen has brought   together heads of relevant institutions and high-level international experts in the industry including the Head of Energy…

The first SASSCAL Climate Science Exhibition under the theme “From Knowledge to Action: Advancing Sustainable Climate Change Technologies for Adaptation” was held on Thursday, 3 December 2020. The main objective of the Climate Science Exhibition was to showcase existing climate change adaptation technologies, projects, inventions and experiments that have been developed for the communities, while…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is a joint initiative of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Germany in response to the challenges of global change. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of the century affecting the lives of millions of people in all…

The Federal Commissioner for Green Hydrogen and Member of the German Bundestag (MdB), Dr. Stefan Kaufmann visited Namibia and South Africa from 11th to 14th November 2020. The purpose of the visit was to meet stakeholders from science, economy and politics in South Africa and Namibia, to discuss the common interests of the three countries and develop…

  Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, 4 November 2020. The MoU is based on mutual areas of cooperation and aimed to establish a long-term relationship to achieve environmental sustainability and to improve livelihoods…

SASSCAL was well-represented at  the 21st WaterNet / WARFSA/GWPSA Symposium to create awareness of initiatives such as the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in ‘Integrated Water Resources Management”, the SASSCAL WeatherNet, and other  SASSCAL activities  like the  SASSCAL Dam and Reservoir Atlas, and the WeMAST initiative. WeMAST (Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa) is an initiative under…

  The 5th AfriAlliance Innovation Bridge Event (IBE) on “Climate proof IWRM” was held on Thursday, 29 October 2020. The online conference was hosted as part of the 21st WaterNet Symposium. The main objective of AfriAlliance Innovation Bridge Events (IBE) was to serve as a networking platform for universities, science service centres and organizations in water and climate…

The climate science exhibition will provide a platform to connect institutions sharing practical applications of climate change research in communities. It seeks to increase understanding on climate change adaptation technologies that have been developed for the communities, while inspiring advocacy for climate change solutions to societies. The exhibitors will showcase innovative and practical climate change…

  SASSCAL, as the lead of the WeMAST consortium, is hosting a Special Session on WeMAST Capacity Development at the WaterNet Symposium. WeMAST is funded by the GMES and Africa Support Programme, in initiative of the African Union and the European Commission. Some of our WeMAST funded students will be presenting their work during a Special Session. The SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch will open proceedings. The session will…

SASSCAL, as the lead of the WeMAST consortium, has the pleasure to announce two short courses on Earth Observation (EO) technology. The courses are made possible with funding from the GMES and Africa Support Programme, an initiative of the African Union and the European Commission. BACKGROUND The Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Transboundary River Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST) is…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has been established by five Southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia with financial support from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. SASSCAL’S Mission is to strengthen the Regional capacity to generate and use scientific knowledge products…

  Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) and West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) have renewed their long term cooperation through signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in September. The MoU is based on mutual areas of support and aimed to…

  H2Atlas-Africa project is the first-phase of a Go Green Go Africa Hydrogen initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and African partners in the Sub-Saharan region to explore the potentials of green hydrogen production from the enormous renewable energy sources. The H2Atlas Africa project aims to support sustainable development in…

The  Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has received funds from The African Union toward the development of Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa and intends to apply a portion of this funding to eligible payments under this Contract, reference number 01/AU/GMES/SASSCAL/QCBS/2020 – Consultancy…

  SASSCAL successfully hosted its virtual inception meeting for the H2Atlas-Africa project on Tuesday 18 August 2020. Participants were drawn from all 12 project implementing Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries as well as the funding country, Germany. The meeting was also attended by the SASSCAL Governing Board chair, Mrs Jane Chinkusu as well as…

  In preparation for the H2Atlas-Africa project inception meeting scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday 18 August, BMBF  and SASSCAL participated in a live TV interview with the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation. Dr Christoph Roevekamp – Head of Energy and Green Hydrogen Technologies Division at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and SASSCAL Executive Director,…

The lead of the WeMAST (Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa) consortium, SASSCAL, met with the African Union (AU) delegation, implementing the GMES and Africa Support Programme, which is jointly funded by the AU and the European Commission. The purpose of the milestone meeting was a follow-up meeting of the midterm review…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is hosting a virtual H2Atlas-Africa project inception meeting. The meeting, to be held on 18 August 2020, will be attended by the Head of Energy and Green Hydrogen Technologies Division, from the Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) –…

The international virtual symposium on climatological, meteorological and environmental factors in the COVID-19 pandemic was held from 4 to 6 August. This e-symposium was hosted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and its international scientific partners which include Future Earth. It was officially opened by the South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade…

Global COVID-19 infections are currently reported at more than 16.9 million confirmed cases, and over 663 000 deaths. The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread globally, within a wide range of climates and seasonal and environmental settings. There is no evidence that environmental conditions are the principal drivers of the first wave of the pandemic. However,…

Human Capital Development is one of the three strategic objectives of SASSCAL.  It is against this background that SASSCAL and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management (SGSP-IWRM). The SGSP-IWRM is funded by the…

  SASSCAL participated in the high level and well-attended webinar on biodiversity and preventing future pandemics held on Wednesday 17 June 2020.  The Webinar was hosted by the  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The minister of environment in the government of Rwanda Hon Dr Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya was the guest speaker.  She…

The Map of the Month is the most recent initiative of SASSCAL and is produced by the OADC team.  Every month, SASSCAL will publish a Map of the Month,  in order to communicate a  general weather or climate observation, depicted by a combination of data from the SASSCAL WeatherNet and/or other reliable climate data sources. The map may also visualise…

The H2Atlas-Africa project was officially launched on 10 June 2020 in Jülich. The project funded by the Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for about 5.7 million euros was given a go-head by  Thomas Rachel, Parliamentary State Secretary.                               …

  The SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) and the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) signed an MoU to establish long term cooperation in areas of mutual interest.  Both institutions have been identified as key players in the soon to be launched Green Hydrogen…

Go green Go Africa: German-African Partnership for sustainable energy solution through green hydrogen Africa has a growing population of nearly 1.3 billion, which has been increasing at an average annual rate of 2.5% for the last 10 years. The growing population directly implies growing demand for energy and expanded infrastructure to match the growth. The…

Energy is vital to development in Southern Africa. Beyond its use in daily life, energy catalyses infrastructure projects that drive both regional integration and economic growth. As the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region industrialises on its path to sustained development, energy production and distribution will only increase in importance. The regional energy generation mix is still…

The Green Talents programme has been hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research since 2009. It is held under the patronage of the German Minister of Education and Research, Ms Anja Karliczek. Honouring 25 young international researches each year, the initiative has successfully fostered the global exchange of innovative green ideas within…

The GMES and Africa Earth observation (EO) Communication Workshop, was held at the Africa Union Commission headquarters from 9 to 12 March 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop was attended by GMES and Africa consortia, representatives of the GMES and Africa Program Management Unit (PMU) and various representatives from AU and consultants from Space-Tec. The workshop was…

SASSCAL convened and participated in a side event during COP 25 in Madrid, Spain on 13 December in the EU Pavilion. SASSCAL held the joint side event titled ‘Challenges and solutions for agricultural adaptation planning in Sub-Saharan Africa with Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and  WASSCAL. In his opening remarks Dr Karsten Hess…

The 2019 joint event under the theme: Igniting Conversations About Science for Innovation with Impact, was held at the CSIR International Convention Centre from 4 to 6 December 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa. SASSCAL staff including the Executive Director interacting with delegates at the SASSCAL exhibition Stand   SASSCAL hosted a successful and interactive exhibition stand at ‘the Innovation…

SASSCAL Executive Director Dr Jane M Olwoch has been serving in the Future Earth Interim Steering Committee since February 2019.  Future Earth held a panel discussion on 4 December  during the Innovation Bridge Technology Showcasing and Matchmaking Event and Science Forum South Africa (IBSFSA) in  Pretoria  titled Towards the Future Earth Regional Office for Southern Africa…

The SASSCAL August 2019 Newsletter reports on the SASSCAL participation in the “SDGs Implementation in Africa – Reflections on A Three-Year Journey” , the SASSCAL II National Stakeholder workshops, progress on the GMES and Africa wetland monitoring and assessment project and other SASSCAL initiatives. The SASSCAL August 2019 Newsletter can be downloaded as PDF or viewed…

Future Earth Global was founded in 2015 as an international research program designed to provide the knowledge needed to support transformations towards sustainability.  It aims to be an inclusive global research and engagement platform in order to build knowledge about the environmental and human aspects of global change, and to find solutions for sustainable development. …

The SASSCAL Ministerial Council held its first Meeting on 26 September 2019. The meeting was held after the signing ceremony of the SASSCAL Treaty and Joint Declaration. The meeting was attended by the host Minister and elected Chair of the Ministerial Council, Honourable Alpheus !Naruseb (Namibia); Honourable Minister; Maria do Rosario Bragança Sambo (Angola); Her…

  SASSCAL held its second Ministerial meeting on 26 September 2019 in Windhoek, Namibia. The meeting marked a historic milestone in the history of the Joint Initiative as the Member states representatives signed the SASSCAL Treaty and Joint Declaration.  Signing of the two documents has set in motion the transformation of SASSCAL into an international…

International Partnerships for Climate Action through  the SASSCAL Treaty and Joint Declaration.  The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is a product  of a partnership between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Germany in response to the challenges of global change.  As a result of its integrated regional service delivery focus, SASSCAL delivers scientific knowledge products, services and capacity building on climate…

SASSCAL 2.0 Research Programme was successfully announced through various media from  29 April 2019. SASSCAL 2.0 is supported by BMBF for Euro 10 million. After the successful announcement of the research Call, SASSCAL embarked on national stakeholder workshops in member states. The aim of the national workshops was to share information and provide a platform…

The SASSCAL June 2019 Newsletter reports on the launch of the SASSCAL II Research Call,  the SASSCAL Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Graduate Studies Programme and the optimism as SASSCAL enters a new phase in the institutions realisation of its vision. The SASSCAL June 2019 Newsletter can be downloaded as PDF or viewed as flipbook: SASSCAL June…

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Centre for Africa  (SDG/CA) convened a conference “SDGs Implementation in Africa – Reflections on A Three-Year Journey”. The conference was held on 13 June 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda. Over two thousand participants convened in Kigali and engaged in effective dialogue on the optimal functioning of the SDGs systems in Africa.…

  Professor René Haak, Head of Division 723, Global Change and  Germany Board Member during his recent visit to South Africa, Namibia and Zambia  met  staff and students and delivered a talk  at the University of Zambia (UNZA). Most of the participants are beneficiaries  from BMBF funds  through SASSCAL 1 Research phase.  During the visit,…

Various media houses convened at the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat on 21 May 2019 for the SASSCAL Press Conference. The aim of the Press Conference was to inform a wider audience about the launch of the SASSCAL II research programme as well as the establishment of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Post Graduate Programme. The Press…

SASSCAL in collaboration with Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) hosted a stakeholder engagement workshop on 21 May 2019 in Windhoek, Namibia marking a major milestone towards the establishment of the Integrated Water resources Management (IWRM) Graduate Studies Programme. With funding from the Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF),the  establishment of the…

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has so far funded projects worth R300 million in areas of research, capacity building and infrastructure development aimed at combating the effects of climate change in Southern Africa, its Executive Director, Dr Jane M Olwoch, has revealed. To read the full…

Dr Jane Olwoch, SASSCAL Executive Director participated in the tour of Germany’s leading research centres focusing on renewable energy. Under the tagline “Building Bridges – a tour of Germany’s leading research centres”, it took place in late March 2019. As the host, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) initiated partnerships between numerous…

SASSCAL Executive Dr Jane Olwoch and GERICS director Prof Daniela Jacob signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) at the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) on Wednesday, 20 March 2019. SASSCAL’s objectives are research management, provision of services and capacity building. The MoA falls within these SASSCAL pillars as it establishes a formal…

The first SASSCAL Newsletter for 2019 is here. In this Newsletter, our SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch, discusses “SASSCAL at the centre of Science Diplomacy”, we provide an overview of the year 2018 for SASSCAL, we celebrate the successes and work conducted by SASSCAL-funded Master and PhD students and we report back on other…

The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia and Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday, 14 March 2019, in Windhoek, Namibia. The long-term relationship between the two institutions is aimed at developing complementary research, institutional development and capacity development through…

Dr Martin Mbewe joins SASSCAL as Programme Coordinator for the Zambian National Node. He will represent SASSCAL’s research at a national level. Dr Mbewe is responsible for ensuring the day to day implementation, effective management and successful execution of the SASSCAL programme in Zambia. Prior to joining SASSCAL, Dr Mbewe’s work experience includes: Adaptation Expert…

SASSCAL hosted a vibrant and very interactive exhibition stand at the South Africa Science Forum. The SASF was held at the CSIR in Pretoria from 12 to 14 November 2018. The forum attracted more than 3.000 delegates and more than 70 exhibitors. The SASF served as a large, open, public platform for debating the “science and…

    To browse through the Newsletter, you may open the Flipbook or download the entire Newsletter as PDF. Good reading!

The SASSCAL unprecedented first Ministerial Meeting was held in Windhoek on Friday, 21 September 2018. The meeting was held under the theme ‘Promoting Science for Sustainable Development’. Mr Abraham Nehemia, the Namibia alternate SASSCAL Board Member and Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry, in his remarks as the Master of Ceremonies noted…

Mattie Otto, joins SASSCAL as Human Resources Officer, based at the Regional Secretariat. He will manage the Human Resource portfolio at the Regional Office and have oversight responsibility for human resource management in the partner countries. Prior to joining SASSCAL, Mattie worked as a Senior Human Resources Officer at the National Youth Service, at the…

SASSCAL colleagues joined forces to meet some of the needs of the less fortunate communities, by responding to the Round Table’s call for donations towards the annual Winter Knights initiative. According to the Namibia Round Table, over 60% of the Namibian population does not have the means to protect themselves against the winter cold. Southern…

The SASSCAL Science Symposium was held on 16-20 April 2018 in Lusaka, Zambia. It was hosted by the Zambia Ministry of Higher Education and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The theme of the symposium was Science Diplomacy Supporting Climate Change Action in SADC. Science Policy Forum The symposium was…

2018 SASSCAL SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM “SCIENCE DIPLOMACY SUPPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION IN SADC” 16 to 20 April 2018, Mulungushi International Conference Center, Lusaka, Zambia The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) invites and welcomes SASSCAL researchers and stakeholders from science, policy, the public and private sector to the SASSCAL Science Symposium…

The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) & Africa is an initiative between the Africa Union and the European Union in the area of space science & technology and a key priority under the EU-Africa partnership. GMES & Africa aims to promote development of local capacities, institutional, human and technical resources for access to…

Ms Chipo Chirefu-Toto  has been appointed as the new Director of Administration and Finance at the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management  (SASSCAL )  effective 3rd of January 2018.  Prior to this appointment, she was a  Senior Finance and Operations Manager for Management Sciences for Health (MSH) an international non-governmental organization…

On 14 November 2017, the African Science Service Centres for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL and WASCAL), together with the Centre for Development Research of the University of Bonn (ZEF), hosted a World Café event with the topic “Climate research made in West and Southern Africa”. The event was sponsored by the German…

On 14 November 2017, the African Science Service Centres for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL and WASCAL), together with the Centre for Development Research of the University of Bonn (ZEF), will be hosting a World Café event with the topic “Climate research made in West and Southern Africa”. The event will be sponsored…

Congratulations to the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) for winning the Platinum Award for the 2nd year in a row at the Windhoek Agricultural Show. SASSCAL is proud to have been part of your exhibition. SASSCAL joined the NUST stand with a small exhibition that it shared with the Department of Natural Resources.…

Johannes Beck recently joined the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat as Environmental Data Specialist. Johannes has an interdisciplinary professional background in both academic research, in the natural sciences, as well as sustainable land management in Sub-Saharan Africa. After having studied physics and working in experimental quantum physics research at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, Johannes decided to…

The last three months have been an eventful and fruitful time for SASSCAL. You can read all about it and more in our September 2017 Newsletter: SASSCAL signed an MoU with the UNDP SASSCAL hosted its first Information Sharing Session during the European Climate Diplomacy Week Many researchers report on their significant progress and results…

The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) launched the first two projects to be funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Namibia. The launch was held on 30 August 2017 at the Windhoek Country Club. Representatives included Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Shifeta Pohamba, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Hon. John Mutorwa, Minister of…

SASSCAL participated in the 91st Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show during the period of 2 to the 7th of August 2017. This year’s Show was themed “Promoting a green economy” which is in line with the objectives of SASSCAL. Each year, the Agricultural and Commercial Show attracts an impressive number of organizations from all sectors…

On 21 August 2017, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), in line with the goals of its NSDI (National Spatial Data Infrastructure), presented and launched Geofind (http://geofind.nsa.org.na/), an online geospatial data portal, as well as the NSDI Metadata Browser, an online geospatial data catalogue of different government data sets. The event was opened by Florette Nakusera,…

The Hon. Minister, Maria Cândida Teixeira, Minister of Science and Technology, was delighted to welcome the  SASSCAL Governing Board to Luanda, Angola on 26 July 2017. She reminded the Board on the important decisions that were taken during the signing of the joint declaration. One of the decisions being the importance of rotating meetings in…

The OPTIMASS (Options for sustainable geo-biosphere feedback management in savanna systems under regional and global change) project is a three-year collaborative, inter- and trans disciplinary German-Namibian research project, funded by the BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research). It is part of the SPACES (Science Partnerships for the Assessment of Complex Earth System Processes)…

The launch of the SASSCAL sponsored Master of Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation (SASSCAL Task 303) was held on 6 June 2017 in the Vice Chancellor’s senate chambers of the University of Zambia (UNZA) in Lusaka, Zambia. In attendance were the guests of honour Prof Luke Mumba, Vice Chancellor UNZA, First Secretary of Angola Embassy,…

Three NUST students, conducting their Master thesis in the context of SASSCAL’s Research Portfolio, presented their work at the 60th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) in June 2017 at Palermo, Italy. Amber Nott presented her thesis for her Master in Applied Science in Earth Observation , GIS and Remove Sensing,…

The Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST, formerly Polytechnic of Namibia) hosted a SASSCAL Projects Information Sharing Session on 04 July 2017. SASSCAL and the Namibian Stakeholder Ministries were invited at the event. Dr Rolf Becker, the Dean of Natural Resources and Spatial Sciences, opened the event, by outlining the value of SASSCAL’s Research Portfolio…

A long anticipated moment has arrived: The signing of a MoU between SASSCAL and the UNDP took place on the 7th of July, 2017 at the UN House in Windhoek, Namibia. The UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Kiki Gbeho and other senior officials from the UNDP,  the WHO and other collaborators falling under the umbrella of…

On 30 June 2017, the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat hosted the first SASSCAL Information Sharing Session in honor of the European Climate Diplomacy Week. The event was directed jointly by the SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch, and the SASSCAL National Director of Zambia, Indie Dinala. The invited guests included the Head of Cooperation from the German…

The Zambia Water Forum and Exhibition (ZAWAFE) is an annual event that is hosted by the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO). The sixth ZAWAFE conference, themed “Water, Sanitation and Sustainable Development Goals: What is Zambia Doing?”, took place on 12th and 13th June 2017 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia.…

We are excited to present our June 2017 Newsletter:  SASSCAL June 2017 Newsletter The features in this newsletter include: A message from our SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch Information on the upcoming SASSCAL Research Book Articles on the workshops, conferences and seminars organised, as well as supported by SASSCAL and Articles on SASSCAL’s progress with the SASSCAL…

The 37th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-37) took place in Tshwane, South Africa 8 to 12 May 2017. The theme was “Earth Observation for Development and Adaptation to a Changing World”. The 2017 Symposium was the second time in this millennium that the African continent hosted ISRSE. It coincided with the implementation…

On 19th and 20th of May 2017, the West African Climate Service Centre on Adapted Land Management (WASCAL) hosted a workshop on the Long-Term Sustainability of the organisation at the centre’s headquarters in Accra, Ghana. WASCAL is a partnership of 10 ECOWAS countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo)…

Already at the beginning of the SASSCAL initiative, it became apparent that the southern African region was in dire need of a data centre that would ensure that information and the resources crucial to research and decision making processes are readily available. Towards the end of 2014, the OADC/KE (Open Access Data Centre / Knowledge…

There are many actors in the weather and climate services field in Africa. International organizations, continental institutions, sub-regional and national entities are all implementing various programmes and projects with a view to improving the development, provision and uptake of weather and climate services. To emphasise the need for regional alliance around this important thematic area,…

Cacti are popular horticultural addition to the arid garden landscape: they require very little water, they are always green, they thrive in hot climates and they are particularly ornamental, especially when in bloom. However, cacti are predominantly new world species with only one species of cacti (Rhipsalis baccifera) known to naturally occur in the old…

The SASSCAL WeatherNet, a regional network of more than 140 Automatic Weather Stations, has been established as a central service facility that feeds weather data in close to real time via the cell phone or satellite network into the OADC that hosts a website (SASSCAL WeatherNet Website) providing weather information without time delay and free…

There are currently 20 SASSCAL research tasks focusing on assessments to understand the impact of land use on the environment under changing climatic conditions. The aim is to identify the resulting challenges and to gain insight through applied research in order to mitigate the negative effects and to find solutions that can be applied by…

The 18th Meeting of the International Council for Science (ICSU) Regional Office for Africa (ROA) Science Seminar was held at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka, Zambia, on 15th March, 2017, as a wrap-up to the main meeting that preceded it. The Conference was held under the theme “Role of Science and Meteorology in Sustainable…

We are excited to present our first Newsletter for the year 2017. The features in this newsletter include: An introduction to the newly appointed Executive Director Dr Jane Olwoch, An insight into the impact of mining on the water resources in north-east Angola, Generation of phenologically normalized composites across large areas using optical earth observation…

The Fifth International Conference on Climate Services (ICCS5) was held from 28 February to 2 March 2017 in Cape Town. It aimed at providing a platform for researchers, stakeholders, politicians, practitioners and users of climate services, to discuss the latest developments, innovations and capacity development needs in the climate service sector. The conference was attended…

As part of her orientation programme, the newly appointed SASSCAL Executive Director (ED), Dr Jane Olwoch, visited Zambia on 20th February, 2017. Dr Olwoch had a two-part programme while she was in Zambia: a courtesy call to the Zambian representative on the SASSCAL Governing Board (who is also Board Chairperson) and a meeting with the…

As part of research tasks 006 (Expanding the database for a robust regional climate change assessment and uncertainty analysis) and 203 (Climate Change and Impacts), SASSCAL offered a training course on “Regional Climate Change Assessment and Impact Analysis” in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 20 to 24 February 2017. The course was conducted jointly by the…

From 21 to 23 February 2017, 25 Researchers from the SASSCAL consortium have joined forces in Livingstone, Zambia, to discuss the way forward in the areas of vegetation mapping and the monitoring of biodiversity. Since the inception of SASSCAL researchers have initiated a vegetation survey with the final goal to produce a first vegetation map for…

On the 20th of January 2017, the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, launched the 2016/17 National Tree Planting in Lusaka, after which each District followed suit. The Zambian government had made a call on each district to plant at least 20 hectares of trees in a bid to…

The SASSCAL Rainfall App ( https://rain.sasscal.org/) was launched a year ago. The Rain App is, strictly speaking, no App at all but rather a device-independent data entry web-based platform that the volunteer user can access and use without having to install anything. In other words, to enter and share your rainfall data, you can use either…

The end-of-year SASSCAL Newsletter, that covers events and activities for the months of October and November 2016, is available. This newsletter is made available in a FULL (left image, 12 MB) and a LITE (right image, 2 MB) version: SASSCAL Newsletters. Both versions contain the same content and the difference lies in the amount of design aspects…

Postgraduate programmes, specifically in Geoinformation Science are presented at very few tertiary institutions in the SADC region, and where it is presented it is often integrated as a module in a degree programme of a related discipline such as Environmental Science or Geography. The collaborative Master programme in GIS, Remote Sensing and Earth Observation will…

The SASSCAL Director of Science and Technology / Capacity Development, Dr. Jörg Helmschrot, participated in the Southern Africa Regional Climate Services Workshop ‘Towards Exploiting the Full Potential of Climate Services’ that was held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from 29 November – 2 December 2016. In four thematic session, more than 50 representatives of National Meteorological…

The Zambia National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), with the support of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, and the German Research Foundation (DFG) organised the first Zambia Science Conference, which took place from 19 to 21 October 2016 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka. The focus of the conference was agriculture,…

The advanced international training in Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in arid areas for the South-South Cooperation in arid areas, part of the Chinese Ecological Forum, was organised by the Institute of Geographic and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The training, which took place from 10 to 21 October in Beijing China, was sponsored by the…

On 31 October 2016, the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) launched the Digitisation of Weather Records initiative. The event was held at the Longacres Lodge in Lusaka and the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) National Director, Ms. Indie Dinala was invited to give some remarks on behalf of…

From the 26th August to the 29th September 2016 the SE Atlantic, off the Western shores of Africa (from 0-20°S) became the focus area of a large scale airborne laboratory.  The field campaign was conducted to carry out the science questions asked by the NASA ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) project team.  The overarching research topic of the ORACLES project is to determine how aerosols, generated by burning biomass (i.e. vegetation fires), that takes place over much of Africa between August – October every year, are interacting and impacting on the permanent stratocumulous (SC) cloud deck situated over the SE Atlantic ocean. on the cloud properties and thus on the meteorology of the region? BIOMASS BURNING (BB) PLUME AND PERMANENT STRATO-CUMULOUS (SC) INTERACTION To take a step back and get everyone on the same page, the SC cloud deck referred…

SASSCAL whole heartedly congratulates their colleague and friend, Dr. Vera De Cauwer, on her recent successful PhD defence in Leuven, Belgium. On Friday 9 September, the PI of SASSCAL Task 038 successfully defended her PhD at the Arenberg campus of K.U. Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit) University, Belgium. During a 40 minute presentation, she outlined her dissertation “Autecological…

The SASSCAL Acting Executive Director (ED), Dr. Yonah Seleti, visited Zambia on a two day mission to conduct meetings with various stakeholders. The visit took place between the 21st and 22nd September, 2016. The ED’s visit started with a meeting with SASSCAL Zambia staff where he gave an indication of the roles and responsibilities of…