RATIONALE
Southern African ecosystems are complex and dynamic. Strong and persistent forces are changing the functioning and state of ecosystems. These stressors may broadly be classified into:

  • the economic and cultural activities of the local human population as promoted by political regimes (food production, fishing, harvesting, hunting, grazing, settlement, energy generation, transport, water provision, tourism, pollution, etc.)
  • the economic and cultural activities of the global human population leading to mega-changes in the earth systems (oceans, atmosphere, land)
  • exceptional natural events (floods, droughts, fires, tornado's, etc.)


Research systems are very often dominated by short-term studies under the pressures of career development and post-graduate qualifications to provide quick results. Generalisations resulting from short-term studies are high-risk inputs into policy development processes because of the complexity and dynamism of the ecosystems. Environmental research is furthermore too often based on too few species and too small spatial scales leading to results of limited value at the national and regional levels.

Comprehensive and effective regional scientific networking and collaboration is crucial for addressing politically sensitive regional trans-boundary issues (water management in the Limpopo, Orange, Kunene, Zambezi and Okavango systems; elephant population distribution, dynamics, and management; ecology and control of alien invasive species; sustainable agro-ecological systems; trans-boundary conservation area management and biodiversity dynamics; ecological and social impacts of climate change) in Southern Africa. In recognition of the need for long-term large-scale studies of environmental change, scientists from six countries in Southern Africa formed the Environmental Long-Term Observatories Network of Southern Africa (ELTOSA) in May 2001.

People living in rural conditions are generally under-resourced and vulnerable to natural hazards. Their vulnerability is exacerbated by wide-spread diseases such as HIV-Aids and malaria.

Ecosystems and environmental issues are not fenced in by political boundaries. Southern African countries share a common environment. Within ELTOSA, these countries are joining forces to increase the effectiveness of environmental research and information and thereby to strengthen national environmental policies. Such policies will be informed by overall environmental issues in the region. Effective environmental policies resulting in productive environments will in turn strengthen the economy of the Southern African Sub-Continent.

There are more details in the full Rationale which can be downloaded here in Acrobat PDF.


 ::  Back to the top
 ::  Please email the webmaster if you experience any problems.
 ::  Download Acrobat to view PDF documents on this site