The Climate System Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town is a unique research group within Africa. We have an eclectic mix of specialties, but most importantly we put the needs of developing nation users at the forefront of everything we do. As a result, CSAG seeks to apply our core research to meet the knowledge needs of responding to climate variability and change.
Dianne Scott and Chris Jack (co-authored) What are narratives? Narratives are really just an academic way of talking about stories. Narratives, or stories, have a number of important elements. They describe different actors which can be people, institutions, environments, species, etc. Some actors may be villains, others may be victims, yet others may be saviors. … Read more »
I’m wary of fads or help-yourself-models that promise to change one’s life substantially. However, sometimes these self-help suggestions (or parts of them) include strategies or ideas that resonate with me as they do with most people, and it’s more about the way the suggestions are packaged (a “one size fits all” suite on offer) that… Read more »
The City of Cape Town currently has a draft Climate Change Policy out for public participation. Having been through numerous rounds of internal deliberation and refinement between public officials and councillors, the draft policy represents the local government’s proposed position on addressing climate change within the spatial extent of Cape Town, in coordination and collaboration… Read more »
Given the week that has just past, it would be remiss of me not to utilise the friendly reminder of “it’s your turn to write a blog” to reflect on the events of last week, which may have far-reaching ramifications for the field we work in. So ignoring my parent’s advice of “never bring up… Read more »
An opportunity for young graduates to intern in the Climate System Analysis Group, Environmental and Geographical Science Department at the University of Cape Town. We are looking for a self-motivated candidate who will work with key research staff within existing projects and towards proposals and new contract work within the unit. This opportunity is… Read more »
There is not yet a definitive answer to this question. But a few of us in the FRACTAL project (Di Scott, Anna Steynor, Alice McClure and I) have worked together to develop an answer, the best we can for now based on the literature we have reviewed and the experiences we have accumulated to-date. Seeing… Read more »
There has been much written, discussed, and argued about uncertainty, and in recent weeks this typically academic topic has taken a completely different spin as uncertainty over the university has arisen. The opinions voiced are often emphatic, absolute, accusatory, and demanding, leaving individuals little room to maneuver. At the same time the discourse between individuals… Read more »
The recent student protests have reignited a debate around university fees in particular, and education system in South Africa in general. That debate takes place through various channels, and one can hear or read a multitude of opinions on the topic in official ministerial and university communications, but also in social and traditional media, in… Read more »
Written by Brenda Mwalukanga (Lusaka Embedded Researcher) The Future Resilience of African Cities and Lands (FRACTAL) is a project that aims at understanding decision making around climate change in the context of the city system. It is a project that aims at merging climate science information with decision making practice in urban development and management, focusing… Read more »