The Erasmus Mundus African Chapter representing at the COP17 conference in Durban, South Africa

By Ms. Marli Geldenhuy (the EMA AC Southern Africa Regional Coordinator)

On the 27^th of November three of the EMA African Chapter Board members (and three other alumni) arrived in Durban, South Africa to take part in the COP17 Side Event: Emerging Scholars Symposium on Climate Change and Book Launches. The event was organized by the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) and Erasmus Mundus was one of the institutional partners. The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol.

The opening cocktail was held in the Docklands hotel and was a great icebreaker for the organizers and delegates. The Erasmus Mundus African Chapter members; Cosmas Kombat (the Vice-Chairman), Shingi Mutanga (the Events Coordinator) and Marli Geldenhuys (the South African Regional Coordinator) also met each other for the first time in real life at this event. The programme for the cocktail was directed by Shingi Mutanga. Everyone was welcomed by Dr. Thokozani Simelani; the head of the Science and Technology Unit at AISA. This event was a platform for networking among participants for the first time.

eThekwini Municipality had organized a very efficient bus system for COP17 delegates, which conveniently stopped at all the major hotels. It was pleasant to use this system, particularly on account of the inquisitive bus drivers questioning us about the COP17 event. The busses stopped at a well-organized improvised transport hub.

After disembarking it was a short walk towards the start of the Climate Change Response (CCR) Expo organized by the South African government. Upon entering the City of Cape Town´s Climate Smart Expo immediately attracts the attention (this expo also won prizes for the best outdoor and best overall stand). The Expo building is constructed of beverage crates, with reused milk bottles packed inside. Different coloured crates were used to create an outline of Cape Town´s iconic skyline with Table Mountain, Lion´s Head and Devil´s Peak. The building was also fitted with rainwater harvesting system, sun panels and a wind turbine. The crates stacked on floor level around the expo building also contained bottles, but in this case the bottles were used as improvised pots for salad plants and other vegetables.

Photo 1: The Cape Town Climate Smart Exhibition (from left Ms. Nomasonto Magano, Ms. Marli Geldenhuys and Mr. Cosmas Kombat)

The CCR Expo area was very well designed and included many plants, an eating area shaded by suspended banana leaves, a stage with live performances and much more. Particular highlights were the showcase of the first African designed and built electric car, the Joule by Optimal Energy, and also the AISA expo where the Erasmus Mundus programs were also promoted.

Day 2 of this particular Cop17 Side Event focussed on the works of the Emerging African Scholars in the field of climate change. Four sessions took place with the following focus areas; green economy, indigenous knowledge systems and climate change, energy security and development in Africa, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Four Erasmus Mundus Alumni members presented high quality papers on this day;

• Mr. Cosmas Kombat presented a paper titled ´Role of local and indigenous knowledge in addressing climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa´
• Mr. Youssef Melka presented a paper titled ´The use of traditional knowledge in coping with climate change variability: Indicators of change and coping strategies of rural communities in central rift valley of Ethiopia
• Mr. Justice Tambo  presented two papers titled ´Agricultural technology adaptation in a changing climate: Evidence from rural Nigeria´ and Views from the vulnerable: Small holder farmers´ perceptions and adaptation to climate change in North East Nigeria´
• Mr. Shingirirai Mutanga presented a paper titled ´Defining parameters for sustainable hydropower generation in light of climate change: A case study of Zambia´s Kafue Flats´

There was no doubt that the Erasmus Mundus Programme produces highly professional and competitive experts in various disciplines. Await a publication coming out soon!

Photo 2: Mr. Shingi Mutanga Programme Director

Photo 3: Some Delegates at the networking events

After all the symposium presentations there was also time for Cosmas Kombat to deliver a presentation about the Erasmus Mundus programmes. A discussion session was held after the presentation and from the amount of questions asked it seemed that there was much interest in these programs. The day concluded with further networking at a Gala Dinner event. Striking at the Gala Dinner was the Keynote address by Mmampei Mabusela, Chief Director for Multilateral Cooperation & Cooperation for the Department of Science and technology in South Africa.

The third and final day of the COP17 Side Event involved the book launches. A presentation session and discussion took place for each of the three books launched. Firstly, the book titled ´Green Economy and Climate Mitigation: Topics of Relevance to Africa´ was summarized by its editor, Prof. Godwell Nhamo, the Exxaro Chair for Business and Climate Change at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Two of the contributors, Dr. Mucha Togo and Mrs. Cecilia van Zyl also presented chapters of the book. Thereafter, Dr. Lesley Masters (a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue), presented the book she edited which was titled ´Overcoming Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation Implementation in Southern Africa´. Contributors presented in terms of the social, cultural and legal barriers to climate adaptation implementation. The third book presented was titled ´Energy Transition in Africa´ and Dr. Mohammed Adbel-Rahman presented this and chaired the presentation sessions. The day was concluded by a word of thanks from the CEO of AISA Dr Matlotleng Matlou and another cocktail event.

Some of the Erasmus Mundus members also had time for a brief discussion with the Public Diplomacy Officer of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of South Africa. The European Union Delegation to the Republic of South Africa´s exhibit had an ever-melting block of ice (which had to be replaced every morning) as part of the expo to showcase the threat global warming poses to icecaps, glaciers and sheet ice in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Photo 4: Erasmus Mundus Alumni at the European Comission´s Expo next to the melting block of ice (from left Mr. Shingi Mutanga, Mr. Frank Oberholzer (Public Diplomacy Officer at the European Delegation to South Africa), Mr. Cosmas Kombat, Ms. Marli Geldenhuys and Mr. Justice Tambo)

Photo 5: Mr.Cosmas Kombat (the Vice-Chairman) and Mr. Shingi Mutanga (the Events Coordinator) at the Chapter’s Exposition.

Photo 6: Cross section of participants at the Discussions on Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programme

Photo 7: Presenters and AISA Managers 

UWIZEYE, A. EMA AC Blogger Manager.