Sustainability Of Southern African Ecosystems Under Global Change

This book presents a comprehensive overview of climate variability and change in Africa, and includes impact assessments and case studies from integration frameworks, with a particular focus on climate, agriculture and water resources. Richly illustrated, the book highlights case studies from western, eastern and southern African region, and explores related development policies. Climate change adaptation research, prediction, and reanalysis are also addressed

Southern Africa is well-blessed with a diverse and vibrant human population and a wealth of natural capital. The key challenge for sustainable development is to grow society?s capacity to use this natural capital to meet the needs of the region?s human population, especially the poor, in ways that sustain environmental life-support systems. Collaborating across disciplines, the authors explore the underpinning principles and the potential of sustainability science in a number of case studies.

This volume provides a textbook and reference work on the physical and biotic landscapes of Southern Africa. It examines the links between these environments and the ways in which they have been, are and will likely be subject to change. It covers the geomorphology, soils, vegetation and land use across a range of landscapes, including mountains, coasts, savannah, drylands and wetlands, and identifies the impacts of current and potential climate change and other factors on these environments. The geographical focus is on the region defined by Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland. Illustrated throughout in full colour, the book will serve as a reference volume for researchers and environmental professionals internationally, as well as a textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate-level students of geography, ecology and environmental studies in Southern Africa.

Adverse climate impacts are already evident across Southern Africa and pose a serious threat to the development prospects of the region's societies. Sustainable development in this region will depend on the rapid development and implementation of effective adaptation measures.This volume identifies the new socioeconomic and political boundaries to development that result from ongoing climate change in Southern Africa. The collected papers explore the region's potential for a transition to development strategies that combine meaningful socioeconomic investment and adaptation measures while also improving livelihoods in the region. The chapters are backed up by detailed case studies which underscore the urgent need for national governments and multilateral agencies to develop strategies to support Southern Africa's societies in adapting to climate change.

This book is volume 33 of the yearbook seriesPalaeoecology of Africa presenting the outcome of atribute conference to the internationally recognized South African researcher and palynologist Professor Louis Scott. He has recently retired, but is continuing his active research career. The conference proceedings and articles published here

This volume, published in association with the United Nations Environment Programme, examines how co-ordinated action among neighbouring countries could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ways which are environmentally, economically and socially beneficial. A framework is presented for analyzing regional mitigation options, along with specific proposals for southern Africa, such as pooling electricity supplies, changing transport patterns and promoting new forms of energy. It shows how regional projects and policies can be developed and supported by the global community to help reduce climate change, and provides a study for decision makers, researchers and students in the areas of global climate change, international relations, energy and environmental studies and African affairs.

The depletion of South Africa’s (and in some cases the world’s) natural resources and the degradation of environmental sinks (including the atmosphere, lakes and rivers, and land) are continuing at such a rate that natural resource prices are climbing and many critical ecosystem services that underpin human welfare are increasingly threatened. The concept of the ‘green economy’ has gained increasing traction in South African policy discourses over the past few years. However, in much of this discourse it is viewed in a piecemeal way as one part or sector of the economy (e.g. an industrial sector dealing with manufacture and installation of renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient equipment and appliances). In the view of the authors, ‘greening the South African economy’ requires an application of sustainability principles and practices across the full range of primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy in an integrated manner. The aim of this book is therefore to apply principles of sustainability and ‘green economics’ to the entire South African socio-economic system and its major elements in an integrated and comprehensive manner.