Assessing maize water requirements in the context of climate change uncertainties over southern Africa

Climate change studies are subject to high uncertainties partly resulting from data reliability. This study investigates the challenges of using statistical downscaled climate data to examine the likely impacts of climate change on maize growth in southern Africa in the context of these uncertainties

An investigation into dry and wet spell characteristics over Zambia and into the onset of the rainy season

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-124).Recurring dry/wet spells and decreased agricultural productivity during the last decade in the southern and northern parts of Zambia point to the need for a clearer understanding of these events, their frequencies and their possible connection to large-scale climate modes. Apart from having a high number of dry spells during the December-February (DJF) core rainy season, the southern part of Zambia is frequently subjected to late onset dates and short durations of the rainy season whereas the northern and northwestern region frequently have high numbers of wet spells which in most cases lead to flooding. Using CMAP and station data, rainfall variability in terms of dry spells, wet spells, onset and cessation dates of the Zambian rainy season and the associated circulation anomalies are investigated. The study also looks at relationship between these extreme events with Nin03.4 SST anomalies. Low level easterly anomalies over Zambia are enhanced during seasons with high dry spells. As a result, there is reduced moisture penetration into Zambia from the Angola low and reduced low level moisture convergence over the country and hence increased dry spells. During the seasons with high numbers of wet spells, there are low level westerly anomalies over southern Angola and western Zambia implying a strong moisture influx from the tropical South East Atlantic and increased convergence over Zambia. It was shown that El Nino (La Nina) events typically result in above (below) average DJF dry spell frequency in Zambia. Early onset dates over the northern parts of Zambia were observed to occur during strong El Nino seasons and the strength of the observed relationship with Nin03.4 SSTs seems to be stronger for years during the 1980s than those during the 1990s. Early onset dates tend to occur for years with higher than average dry spell frequency in the following DJF season. This suggests that early onset may be a disadvantage in that it often leads to more dry spells during the subsequent peak growing period of the season

Management of Research Infrastructures: A South African Funding Perspective

This open access book provides an overview of the building blocks necessary for managing, steering and guiding the establishment of a research infrastructure (RI). It offers valuable insights into RI investment, access and management at the academic, grants management, agency and policy level, and serves as a useful guide for the research community, students, and those in the private sector wishing to understand the approaches and opportunities involved in the establishment, maintenance and management of research infrastructure platforms. Presenting a holistic view of RI investment and granting cycles from a South African perspective, the book’s target audience includes those working in science diplomacy, policymaking and science grants councils (especially in Africa) as well as funders and donors

Appropriate Climate Smart Technologies for Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Nearly 70 per cent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) live in rural areas and rely mainly on agriculture for livelihood security. Low agricultural productivity in the region keeps this population under constant pressure, even though investment in agriculture is a proven way to reduce regional poverty. Studies have shown that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in agriculture is at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as GDP growth originating outside agriculture. It is therefore necessary to develop and implement appropriate agricultural policies to support proven practices to alleviate poverty in this region where the majority of the population live on less than US$ 2 per day

Climate Smart Agriculture: More Than Technologies Are Needed to Move Smallholder Farmers Toward Resilient and Sustainable Livelihoods

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is defined as agricultural practices that sustainably increase productivity and system resilience while reducing greenhouse gas emissions1. CSA helps ensure that climate change adaptation and mitigation are directly incorporated into agricultural development planning and investment strategies. Our perspective on CSA is sustainable agriculture, based upon integrated management of water, land and ecosystems at landscape scale. CSA is being widely promoted as the future of African agriculture and as a viable answer to climate change. Because agriculture remains key to development in Africa, CSA has the potential to increase productivity and resilience while reducing the vulnerability of hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers. CSA can benefit smallholder farmers directly by increasing efficiency of precious inputs such as labour, seeds and fertilizers, increasing food security, and opportunities for income generation. By protecting ecosystems and landscapes, CSA helps protect natural resources for future generations. Yet, CSA technologies and approaches alone will not increase resilience or improve livelihoods of significant numbers of small holders who survive within complex systems. Decades and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in research, development and technology transfer have not transformed African smallholders. Evidence shows that top down command and control systems for technology diffusion do not generate sustainable change

Tracing future spring and summer drying in southern Africa to tropical lows and the Congo Air Boundary

In southern Africa, models from the 5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) predict robust future drying associated with a delayed rainy season onset in the Austral spring and a range of wetting and drying patterns in the Austral summer. This paper relates these rainfall changes to dynamical shifts in two classes of weather systems: the Congo Air Boundary (CAB) and tropical lows. Objective algorithms are used to track these features in CMIP5 model output. It is then established that the climatological locations and frequencies of these systems are reasonably well represented in the CMIP5 models. RCP8.5 end of 21st century projections are compared with historical end of 20th century simulations. Future projections in tropical low locations and frequencies diverge, but indicate an overall average decrease of 15% and in some cases a northward shift. The projected spatial change in the tropical low frequency distribution is weakly positively correlated to the projected spatial change in the Austral summer rainfall distribution. Meanwhile, future projections indicate a 13% increase in CAB frequency from October to December. This is associated with the gradual climatological CAB breakdown occurring half a month later on average in end of 21st century RCP8.5 projections. A delay in the gradual seasonal decline of the CAB prevents rainfall to the south of the CAB’s mean position, most of which is shown to occur on CAB breakdown days, hence creating the Austral spring drying signal and delayed wet season onset. Inter-model variability in the magnitude of CAB frequency increase is able to explain inter-model variability in the projected drying

Crop response to climate change in Southern Africa : a scoping study

Concern over future food security in southern Africa has led to various studies that assess the impact of climate change on crops in the region. The results vary according to applied methods and tools. This study reviewed and consolidated results from 19 recent studies which quantitatively project the impact of climate change on crops for the 21st century in southern Africa. Results were assessed according to crop modelling techniques, which included process-based, statistical and economic (Ricardian) modelling. Studies were assessed for their reporting and recommendations concerning adaptation and CO2 fertilisation. Results suggest that the aggregate impact of climate change on crops in southern Africa will be negative. Maize yields are projected to decline on average by 18%. The collective impact of climate change on all crop yields shows a median decline of -11% and -14% respectively under process-based and statistical methodologies. Median impacts show declining crop yields through the 21st century. No significant change in the near future, -18% for the mid century and -30% for late century. GCM driven Ricardian projections are highly variable. However, uniform climate scenarios project a median revenue decline. Notwithstanding the challenges of such a review; lack of data, bias towards reported methods and tools, uncertainty, scale etc., results indicate that climate change may impact southern African crops in important ways thereby making adaptation essential. Adaptation and CO2 fertilisation could potentially moderate the negative impacts of climate change. This implies a need for studies into future adaptation that consider CO2 fertilisation

UP's Open Access Colloquium: Open Science, Open Data, and Open Scholarship

The UP's Department of Library Services hosted Professor G.J.M. Meijer, the Director and Scientific Member at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany (since 2002), Prof Michael Pepper, Director, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Director, SAMRC Extramural Unit for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Professor, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria and Dr. Sepo Hachigonta, a Director in the Strategic Partnerships Unit at the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Participating in UP’s 2021 Open Access Symposium will be as simple or involved as you like. It will be a chance to learn the full rein of Open Science from a regional and global perspective from the experts, hear about their Open Science perspectives on leading initiatives, and an invaluable chance to connect the global momentum toward open sharing with the advancement of policy changes on the local level.Papers presented at the UP's Open Access Colloquium webinar themed "It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity" during the Open Access Week at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, 26 October 2021