Dec 07, 2018
Succesfull Workshop on the Adaptation to Climate Change in Southern Africa
From December 3 – 5 the international workshop on “Increased Resilience to Multiple Risks of Climate Change in Southern Africa - MultiRisk” took place in Bloemfontein (South Africa). The meeting coordinated by the two water experts Prof. Niels Schütze (Hydrology) and Dr. Dirk Jungmann (Aquatic Ecology) aimed at the definition of a joint research project to be funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research – BMBF within the frame of CLIENT II (International Partnerships for Sustainable Innovation). The initiative is connecting various partners from different disciplines of the TUD-Faculty of Environmental Sciences, the United Nations University (UNU-FLORES institute based in Dresden), the University of the Free State (UFS-UV) and several other institutions from South Africa and Namibia. Both on the German and South African side small-medium enterprises are involved, too. During the workshop the highly topical issues were substantiated. A special topic was the involvement of stakeholders, e.g. farmers at contrasting farm sizes and management types, communal water suppliers, water management associations, and mining enterprises. During a 1-day excursion potential research sites located in the Vaal River bassin could be inspected and assessed on their their suitability for the project.
Participants of the CLIENT-II MultiRisk workshop in front of the historical main building on the UFS-UV campus in Bloemfontein
In his welcome address the Dean of the UFS-UV Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof. Danie Vermeulen, underlined the specific relevance of the research theme for this part of Africa that already now is subject to the effects of climate change. Prof. Karl-Heinz Feger (Dean of TUD Enviromental Sciences) gave sincere thanks to the South African partner for the invation to come to Bloemfontein and the hospitality received. Starting in 2009 the collaboration between the two academic institutions has grown considerably. The present research initiative marks another important and highly visible component in the international and inter-/transdiciplinary oriented environmental research at TU Dresden.
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