The African Synthesis Centre for Climate Change Adaptation and Development (ASCEND) has successfully hosted the first three BAOBAB synthesis teams in Cape Town, marking the beginning of their collaborative efforts to tackle pressing climate change challenges. Comprising policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, these teams are dedicated to producing actionable insights that enhance both human and ecosystem wellbeing.
Each synthesis team convened independently for their inaugural workshops, setting the foundation for their respective projects. These workshops provided an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the establishment of key research priorities.
Building Climate-Resilient Education Systems
One of the synthesis teams focuses on the intersection of climate change and education, examining how climate-related challenges affect learning outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Schools in these regions face disruptions due to extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and deteriorating indoor environmental quality, impacting student attendance, cognitive performance, and overall educational attainment.
This team aims to synthesise existing literature, analyse geospatial data on school vulnerabilities across sub-Saharan Africa, and assess case studies on climate-proofing interventions. The ultimate goal is to provide policymakers with evidence-based recommendations to improve school resilience and ensure safe learning environments.
“The workshop was extremely useful in bringing the transdisciplinary team together to update the research plans. We were able to revise the plans based on updated research that has not yet been published as well as ensuring the research as relevant the policymakers who attended,” explained Taskeen Adams, team co-lead based at Open Development & Education (South Africa), “The key takeaway was that the work needs to be carried out in three collaborative streams: research, (big) data synthesis, policy. Each stream has their own milestones to reach before the next in-person meeting.”
Climate Justice-Centred Approach to Environmental Impact Assessment in Rural Southern Africa
Another synthesis team is dedicated to integrating climate justice into environmental impact assessments (EIAs), ensuring that rural communities’ concerns about land tenure and environmental health are adequately addressed. Rural communities in Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are often marginalised in environmental decision-making processes, leading to adverse effects such as forced relocations, land degradation, and water insecurity.
While South Africa has taken initial steps to incorporate climate considerations into EIAs, similar measures remain absent in Zimbabwe and Lesotho. This team will critically evaluate existing EIA laws and practices to propose improvements that empower local communities and enhance climate justice in development projects.
“The EIA4ClimateJustice team’s inaugural workshop was crucial for developing a shared understanding of the complex and contested concept of climate (in)justice and its relevance within the context of environmental impact assessments (EIA). The workshop also created a collaborative environment to deliberate on the similarities and differences in the EIA regimes of the three countries (Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa) that our project studies. Further, our team was able to refine our project goals and assign roles to team members to achieve these goals effectively,” explains Melanie Murcott, team co-lead based at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law (UCT).
Sustainable, Healthy, and Resilient Animal Source Food Systems in Southern Africa (AFS-SA)
The third synthesis team is investigating the resilience and sustainability of animal source food (ASF) systems in Southern Africa, with a focus on South Africa, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. While global advocacy often calls for a reduction in animal source food consumption to curb emissions, such discussions frequently overlook the nutritional and economic significance of livestock in African contexts.
For many African households, particularly in rural areas, ASF provides essential nutrients and serves as a financial safety net. However, climate change threatens these food systems by exacerbating food insecurity, inequality, and zoonotic disease risks. This team will use systems mapping and expert consultations to identify leverage points for improving ASF resilience and sustainability within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“The inaugural workshop provided our highly geographically and disciplinary diverse team the opportunity to really share our various contexts and views, building trust and working relations, but also allowing us to build the focus of our team’s research to tailor to the different country contexts we will be focusing on. Without having the time to share and discuss and debate and refine, we could not have come up with the focus we did,” explained Michelle North, co-lead for the team based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
A Collaborative Step Forward
The ASCEND-hosted workshops mark a significant milestone in advancing solution-oriented research for climate adaptation. By fostering collaboration between diverse stakeholders, the BAOBAB synthesis teams are well-positioned to generate impactful insights that inform policy and practice across Africa and beyond.
As these teams continue their work, their findings will contribute to shaping more resilient education systems, equitable environmental governance, and sustainable food systems, ensuring that climate adaptation efforts remain both inclusive and effective.
The BAOBAB synthesis teams are supported through the BAOBAB project, which is jointly funded by UK aid through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands as part of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) research programme and Step Change initiative.
