South Africa
Since South Africa’s membership of IIASA, a range of research collaborations and capacity building activities have been developed by IIASA and over twenty South African research partners.
The most notable activity is the Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program (SA-YSSP) that developed system analytical research skills among over 80 doctoral students from 30 countries including 35 students from South Africa. This lead to the establishment of the Southern African Systems Analysis Centre, which has evolved from the success of the SA-YSSP.
Latest research news:
Finding pathways for sustainable development in Africa
A new project funded under the Belmont Forum’s joint Collaborative Research Action on Pathways to Sustainability will develop novel tools and capacities to understand and manage interlinkages between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and support sustainable development pathways for African countries, tailored to local capacities and priorities. More
Getting a fuller picture of COVID-19 infections
Options Summer 2020: Knowing how many people are infected is key to accurately monitor pandemics. IIASA researchers used a novel approach to indirectly estimate the fraction of people ever infected and the fraction of people detected among the infected in the United States. More
Raising climate ambitions could save millions of lives
Adopting policies that are consistent with achieving the Paris Agreement and prioritize health, could annually save 6.4 million lives due to healthier diets, 1.6 million lives due to cleaner air, and 2.1 million lives due to increased physical activity, according to new research. More
On the blog:
IIASA Connect: Mapping the IIASA network under lockdown
Kekeletso Makau shares her experiences using IIASA Connect to bring in the South African systems analysis network. More
Interview with the Science Advisory Committee Chair Mary Scholes
Mary Scholes has been serving on the IIASA Science Advisory Committee (SAC) since 2011 and was appointed as Chair in 2014. In this interview she discusses her views of SAC. More
Ethical research is a quest for truth
An interview with Dorsamy (Gansen) Pillay, IIASA council member for South Africa, on ethical research. More
Scientific exchange:
NMO DETAILS
Infosheet on IIASA activities with South Africa
PUBLICATIONS
Choruma, D.J., Balkovič, J. , Pietsch, S. , & Odume, O.N. (2021). Using EPIC to simulate the effects of different irrigation and fertilizer levels on maize yield in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Agricultural Water Management 254, e106974. 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.106974.
Fanadzo, M., Ncube, B., French, A., & Belete, A. (2021). Smallholder farmer coping and adaptation strategies during the 2015-18 drought in the Western Cape, South Africa. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, e102986. 10.1016/j.pce.2021.102986. (In Press)
Gyamfi-Ampadu, E., Gebreslasie, M., & Mendoza Ponce, A. (2020). Mapping natural forest cover using satellite imagery of Nkandla forest reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment 18, p. 100302. 10.1016/j.rsase.2020.100302.
Rao, N. , Min, J. , & Mastrucci, A. (2019). Energy requirements for decent living in India, Brazil and South Africa. Nature Energy 4 (12), 1025-1032. 10.1038/s41560-019-0497-9.
Lesiv, M. , See, L. , Mora, B., Pietsch, S. , Fritz, S., Bun, H., Sendabo, S., Kibuchi, S., et al. (2019). Accuracy Assessment of the ESA CCI 20M Land Cover Map: Kenya, Gabon, Ivory Coast and South Africa. IIASA Working Paper. Laxenburg, Austria: WP-19-009