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.
CSAG was involved in a USAID funded project on Assessing Sustainability and Effectiveness of Climate Information Services in Africa (Sustainable CIS). The aim of the project was to better understand how to design and implement sustainable CIS models within African NMHSs. The Sustainable CIS project assessed the current capacity of NMHSs in seven sub-Saharan countries… Read more »
Every year, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a division of the UN, produces a State of Food Security report. This year, a key focus of the report was on the role of climate extremes and variability in the recently observed rise in hunger globally. A number of CSAG researchers (Olivier Crespo, Christopher Jack, Mark… Read more »
The annual CSAG Winter School marks an exciting time for CSAG staff, affiliates and colleagues. Personally, being involved in developing course content, facilitation, logistics, participating (to some extent) in the week long course and engaging with participants, the whole process was equally exciting, educational and informative. For myself and many others, this year was particularly exciting… Read more »
9-point summary: The Cape Town water crisis was the consequence of a severe 3-year drought affecting most of the winter-rainfall zone (WRZ) of South Africa and especially the Boland Mountain Catchment (BMC) that supplies water to Cape Town’s supply dams (see Piotr’s detailed analyses on drought severity and drivers) The Western Cape Province has 3… Read more »
Much has been argued about the causes of the 2017 Cape Town’s water crisis. Is it the drought? Is it climate change? Is it population growth? Is it lack of foresight by the national government or the local government? Is it the rich? Is it the poor? Is it farmers? Or industry? Or invasive trees?… Read more »
This is a blog about my experience coordinating, engaging with students and participating in activities for the EGS4038F Course Field Trip. The field trip took place over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of May 2018. Coordinating this event facilitated introductions to the students and provided me with the opportunity to work more closely… Read more »
THE FIRST ROUND OF APPLICATIONS ARE IN AND BEING ASSESSED A REMINDER OF THE FINAL DEADLINE, GET YOUR APPLICATION IN BY THE 1st June 2018.
Having fingers in all “pies” is becoming the life for most scientists,the need to understand information needs,emotions and society in general is fast growing in the quest to answer questions such as: Why is it so difficult to get through to people using scientific facts? Why do people go all out to defend what… Read more »
This is an article I wrote on invitation from Bulletin of Atomic Scientist (weird, I know, but physicists are very interested in changing climate, and from that – it is not a long road to our drought). I look here at the drought from the perspective of a couple of months. The story is written… Read more »