African Climate & Development Initiative (ACDI)
overview
The African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) at UCT sets out to build knowledge and research capacity in climate change with its compass pointed directly at Africa. It was identified by the vice-chancellor as a strategic research interest of national and international concern.
Under the leadership of Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark New, the ACDI aims to enhance the value of UCT's climate change research capacity in addressing Africa's climate and development challenges from an African perspective.
The ACDI will further strengthen UCT's role as the leading institution for anyone wishing to research climate change and development on the continent. The Initiative draws on the intellectual capital across a range of disciplines at UCT and external collaborators, to create the largest concentration of expertise in climate and development in Africa. The ACDI aims to stimulate the interdisciplinary research and training that is needed to solve the pressing issues of low carbon and climate resilient development.
The ACDI uses three focus areas to realise its vision:
Cutting-edge research
ACDI research aims to answer the problem of achieving sustainable development in a changing climate, in the context of high levels of inequality and poverty in South Africa, and the wider African continent. They do this by identifying, facilitating and coordinating innovative multi-disciplinary research programmes that are reactive ( responding to policy needs), and proactive (setting the research agenda that will answer tomorrow's questions).
Teaching
Developing a strong tap-root into primary disciplines from undergraduate through to postgraduate levels is central to the vision of the ACDI. To this end, training is provided in relevant disciplines through research Masters and PhD degrees, funded through bursaries and running costs made available by the ACDI. At a more general educational level, a multi-disciplinary coursework Master's programme has been established in the general field of Climate Change and Development. This programme is tailored to the needs of those wanting a general exposure to the issues of climate change and mitigation, and who have ambitions of a more vocational application.
Social/public engagement
To raise general levels of exposure to issues of climate change and climate variability, the public must be made aware of contrasting arguments in a responsible way. The interplay between the two oceans, local geology and flora are wonderfully exposed in the south-western Cape, as are the distressing socio-economic impacts of local climate variability. Part of the education of all students, in schools and universities, should be familiarity with and an appreciation of, their natural heritage and its global significance.
The ACDI actively creates this awareness and raises general levels of engagement with issues of climate change and climate variability. Most importantly, the quality of its research enables debate and public awareness of contrasting arguments in a responsible way.