The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management (SASSCAL) and its main funder, German- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), signed a Grant Agreement for the implementation of SASSCAL 2.0 Research Programme in SADC.
This grant agreement is based on the Joint Declaration between the Ministry of High Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Angola, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism of the Republic of Botswana, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform of the Republic of Namibia, the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Republic of South Africa, the Ministry of Technology and Science of the Republic of Zambia, on the one hand, and the Federal Ministry for Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMBF) on the other hand, on the sustainable development of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) signed on 26th of September, 2019 in Windhoek, Namibia.
The new agreement, which covers the period from 1st of December 2021 until 31st of May 2026 was signed on the 9th of December, 2021 by SASSCAL Executive Director, Dr Jane Olwoch and the German Aerospace Center Project Management Agency (DLR-PT), which is an administrative authority responsible for the grant and all other legal aspects on behalf of BMBF.
Dr Jane Olwoch says that after winding up the SASSCAL 1.0 Research Programme, which covered the period 2012 – 2018, SASSCAL has been positioning itself to commence a new phase of its research activities under the SASSCAL 2.0.
“I am also happy to report that the donor (BMBF) has funded all the 13 projects that were approved by the SASSCAL Governing Board in 2020. Research in climate change and adaptive land management remains central to the development of relevant adaptation strategies against the impact of climate change. The Human Capital Development enshrined in the research portfolio is a significant contribution to the creation of knowledge economy in SADC”, she said.
Dr Olwoch also indicated that the SASSCAL 2.0 Grant launch will officially be announced by the Governing Board early next year, 2022.
A key aspect of SASSCAL 2.0 is the prioritisation of regionality and interdisciplinarity of the projects. The organisation’s five key priority areas namely; Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate, Forest and Water Resources Management, remain the focus of SASSCAL 2.0. The development of relevant and innovative products and services is a required outcome of SASSCAL 2.0 research projects.
SASSCAL’s other programs in 2022 include:
- The SASSCAL Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management (SGSP-IWRM)
- Climap Africa Postdoctoral Program
- Atlas of Green Hydrogen Potential in Southern Africa
- Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa – WeMAST
All SASSCAL’s activities are geared towards addressing regional needs within the context of the Agenda 2063, the ‘Africa We Want’, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, the African global change research initiatives, national policies as well as the various SADC actions and development plans, especially on climate change as well as science, technology and innovation.
