Guided by Just Energy Transition principles and relevant Sustainable Development Goals, our work aims to understand, quantify and assess mitigation solutions compatible with social-ecological resilience, and to minimize risks due to their implementation.
This project will develop an extensive floristic and plant database. Species trait data such as climate, geology and soil data will be collated to define Southern African tree species biogeoclimatic niches. This data will be used to promote indigenous tree use to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Duration: 2024 -2025
Leader: Prof Guy Midgley, Julia Harper
The project is about using marginal lands across Europe to develop sustainable and circular value chains to produce bioproducts and biofuels from natural raw materials. South Africa brings another perspective with the use of biomass from the clearing of lands covered with invasive alien trees. The …
Duration: 2022 – 2026
Leader: Romain Pirard
CVEs are important because they provide climate-related benefits, like carbon capture and coastal protection from sea level rise and storm events. A multidisciplinary research project aims to support the restoration, conservation, and management of CVEs and inshore coastal systems.
Duration: 2021 – 2024
Leader: Prof Sophie von der Heyden
This project examines the potential impacts of afforestation on carbon sequestration, water yields, and ecosystem functionality in Southern Africa, particularly in Fynbos. It determines if naturally tree-free ecosystems in these regions may be more effective at carbon sequestration than afforested areas to inform land management policies in Africa.
Duration: 2024-2026
Leader: Jonathan Müller
This project assesses the environmental impacts of the clearance of alien invasive species to supply value-added industries such as bioenergy industries with collected biomass. It aims to guide the framing of harmonised policies and investments in the emerging bioeconomy and policies on the management of biomass from alien invasive species.
Duration: 2024 – 2026
Leader: Dr Duduzile Ngwenya