South Africa / Flanders Climate Adaptation Research and Training Partnership (SAF-ADAPT)

The South Africa / Flanders Climate Adaptation Research and Training Partnership (SAF-ADAPT) is funded by the Government of Flanders, and is a 4.5-year collaborative project between three South African universities (University of Cape Town, University of Fort Hare, and University of Venda); KLIMOS, a consortium of Belgian universities and research groups; and the South African Adaptation Network. It aims to fill critical adaptation research gaps and enhance the capacity of South African universities and individuals, especially early career researchers, to generate and communicate research evidence for impact, and build the capacity of those tasked with climate adaptation to deliver on their mandates.

South Africa faces considerable challenges adapting to climate change so as to achieve climate resilient development. This is a key pillar of the country’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as of its own National Development Plan and climate change response policies. In South Africa, the research capacity and evidence base focussed on climate change impacts is strong, but for adaptation, the number of well-trained researchers, the existing evidence base, and the capacity of policymakers and practitioners to apply this knowledge to build climate resilience is much less well-developed. There is therefore a need to strengthen adaptation research capacity, generate new research evidence to support adaptation, and to build the adaptation community of practice across government, universities, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector.

Aims & Objectives

The SAF-ADAPT project aims to strengthen the knowledge base for innovation in climate change adaptation in South Africa and enhance the country’s climate change response by connecting multiple actors in government, civil society, local communities, academia and the private sector.

The programme fills critical adaptation research gaps, enhances the capacity of South African universities and individuals, especially early career researchers, to generate and communicate research evidence for impact, and build the capacity of those tasked with climate adaptation to deliver on their mandates.

The project supports the career development of historically disadvantaged South African researchers and practitioners, prioritising women wherever feasible.

Impact

The project has the following desired outcomes and impacts include:

(i) Original, high quality research on climate change adaptation within the South African context, that fills strategic knowledge gaps;

(ii) productive research partnerships between Belgian and South African research institutions;

(iii) training and graduation of historically disadvantaged South African research scientists who are capacitated to undertake climate change research; and

(iv) increased awareness and knowledge of civil society, private sector, multilateral organisations and local communities about how to respond to climate change impacts, and to engage in transdisciplinary climate change research.

Project Team

Project Leads

Prof Mark New (ACDI), Research Lead from UCT (mark.new@uct.ac.za)

Dr Leocadia Zhou (UFH), Research Lead from UFH (Lzhou@ufh.ac.za)

Dr NS Nethengwe (UNIVEN), Research Lead from UNIVEN (nthaduleni.nethengwe@univen.ac.za)

Dr Bruno Verbist (KLIMOS), Research Lead from KU Leuven (bruno.verbist@kuleuven.be)

Michelle Shields, Communications from UCT (michelle.shields@uct.ac.za)

The SAF-ADAPT project is co-implemented by a consortium of four university partners, and the Adaptation Network. Each university partner brings complementary research and capacity building expertise across the natural and social sciences, and communication and advice at the research-policy interface. The South African institutions have a good regional spread, covering three provinces across South Africa, and bring existing links to national, provincial and local government.

KLIMOS brings together a network of Belgian university partners that have existing links to South Africa, as well as other developing country regions, enabling experiences from across the global South to fertilise research in South Africa.

The Adaptation Network is the main CCA community of practice in South Africa, and so will play a crucial role in dissemination of project information to a wide community, and in offering expertise for capacity building and outreach activities.