The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is a joint initiative of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Germany in response to the challenges of global change.

The current processes of global change, including demographic change, climate change and the globalisation of economic systems, are an enormous challenge for societies worldwide. Climate change is affecting the lives of millions of people in all parts of the world. Current projections on future developments indicate that there is an urgent need to develop concepts on how to adapt to these challenges in due course. Science and research offer proactive approaches to deal with the current and the expected changes. In this regard, the role of science is to be understood as a service to those societies that are most severely affected by climate change and to provide decision-makers with evidence-based results and advice.

The establishment of SASSCAL adds value for the whole southern African region. The Centre is conceptualised and operationalised to complement the existing research and capacity development infrastructure and research initiatives in the region.

To be a leading regional centre in integrated climate change and adaptive land management science services for improved quality of life in southern Africa.

To strengthen the regional capacity to generate and use scientific knowledge products and services for decision making on climate change and adaptive land management through research management, human capital development and services brokerage.

• to conduct research in adaptation to climate change and sustainable land management
• to provide products, services and information for decision-making
• to contribute to the creation of a knowledge-based society through academic and non-academic capacity development programmes