CSAG is a leading international climate research centre based in Africa with broad research skills and competency in both physical and social dimensions of climate, a strong experience in engaging with society, and an excellent track record in capacity development. We prioritize societally relevant research to support responses to climate variability and change.
It feels like time to write another post that challenges myself as much as anyone else. I know there has been a lot of positive press about the recent climate marches around the world with the march in New York gathering somewhere close to 400,000 people. There was a march here in Cape Town though… Read more »
Thanks to cultivation of a slackline hobby, I have been recently spending sunny afternoons in one of the Cape Town parks, amongst suburban dog-walkers, young parents and their offspring. It all does seem rather idyllic, but have no doubt, the activity can frequently turn unpleasant. This is thanks to the dog walkers, or in fact… Read more »
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I… Read more »
On Tuesday the German national team defied several historical precedents in the course of their world cup semi-final with Brazil. Like a tropical cyclone that intersects with an upper atmospheric instability, the conditions aligned for an extreme, and to many, devastating, event. Could this have been expected? Of course in retrospect we have proof that… Read more »
In order to celebrate all those who have contributed to the CSAG blog over the past few years, and to pay homage to the most interesting, entertaining and thought provoking blog posts, the Joe Blogs Award for the CSAG blog of the year has been established. It may be a little overdue but this morning… Read more »
“A lost world of giants, 60 million years old… Ruled by a reptile of unbelievable size, it sounds like fantasy, but it’s not. This world was once here… Dominated by the most terrifying predator… This is Titanoboa.” As climate scientists, we are always very excited to deepen our knowledge of future climate. But… Read more »
The other day I was invited by a friend to fill out a prediction bracket for the upcoming World Cup for a pool he had organised. In many ways relating a one off sport tournament to the analysis of climate systems is a bit of stretch. However, while doing so I noticed that there were… Read more »
We (the CSAG “seniors”) were having one of those informal lunch discussions (lounging around tables in the courtyard, surreptitiously eyeing each other’s food, talking a mixture of philosophy, fun, and frivolity). The topic morphed to the role of climate scientist’s activism in the public sphere. The subsequent vigorous debate suggests it was a sensitive point… Read more »
A new article, titled “The role of regional climate projections in managing complex socio-ecological systems”, has been published in the journal Regional Environmental Change. Written with colleagues at CSAG, namely Kate Sutherland, Chris Jack and Bruce Hewitson, the paper explores the difficulties and intricacies of using regional downscaled model climate projections to inform adaptation decisions…. Read more »