State of Climate Change Science and Technology in South Africa

This report on the State of Climate Change Science and Technology in South Africa was compiled by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). It was commissioned by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and aligns with the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) of the government of South Africa, which in turn stems from the work of the National Planning Commission and its National Development Plan (NDP).
Outcome 10 of the MTSF calls for a report on the state of climate change science and technology in South Africa to be provided to Cabinet by the DST and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) every two years. This is the first such report.
The report aims to:
• provide a critical assessment and comparative overview of climate change
scientific research and related technological innovations;
• identify any gaps or barriers in research and technology development value
chains;
• suggest ways to improve the current situation and maximise opportunities for South Africa.
A small panel of experts appointed by the ASSAf Council produced the report over the period June to December 2016. Information was sourced from a review of policies, data gathering from published reports and papers, and bibliometric surveys. In addition, a consultative approach was adopted in which information was solicited from semistructured interviews with 20 key stakeholders; questionnaires that were distributed to 45 individuals, representative of the research community, private sector and civil society; a consultative workshop attended by 26 individuals; and selected stakeholder inputs on the draft report.