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Climate Change projects in
SANCOOP
South Africa –Norway research co-operation – SANCOOP
Recipe for lower meat consumption
Why do people eat so much
meat and what can we do to
reduce consumption?
A group of researchers from Norway and
South Africa are working to find the answer
to this question. The project is headed
by Sunita Prugsamatz Ofstad, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of
Psychology at the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology in Trondheim. Dr
Prugsamatz Ofstad says that reducing meat
consumption among the population will
result in huge environmental gains.
“Global meat consumption creates
more greenhouse gas emissions than all
cars, planes, trains, trailers, busses and
other forms of transport. Meat production
is one of the worst climate offenders in
the world, and accounts for 18 per cent of
global greenhouse gas emissions,” says Dr
Prugsamatz Ofstad.
In spite of this, very little research has
been conducted on which methods can be
used to change people’s consumption of
meat. South Africans eat an average of 59
kilos of meat per capita each year, while the
corresponding figure for Norwegians is 66
kilos. Meat consumption is not easily dealt
Project title: Towards an integrated
tailored food policy: Consumer-level
mitigation using a hybrid analysis of
meat choice and behavioural change
Cooperating institutions: Norwegian
University of Science and Technology
(NTNU) and the University of
Johannesburg
Project managers: Sunita Prugsamatz
Ofstad [email protected]
and Johane Dikgang, [email protected]
Habits, identity, health concerns, and food labelling
are the most important factors affecting our meat
consumption. Research shows that the price of meat and
people’s personal financial situation are less significant
(Photo: Shutterstock).
with at a purely rational level, as eating any
food involves social rules, habits, meaning
and emotions. The primary objective of the
research project is to increase knowledge of
this area and understand how consumers
make choices.
The researchers recommend conducting
information campaigns that emphasise
the benefits of lower meat consumption
for people’s lifestyle and health. These
campaigns must be followed up with
practical information about how people can
change their diet to make it healthier. Food
labels, particularly on meat products, should
play an active role in targeting more specific
information towards consumers rather than
providing generic product information.
“So far our research shows that most
consumers in both South Africa and Norway
are unaware of the impact of reducing their
meat consumption or how changing meat
choices in their everyday lives could make a
difference on CO2 emissions. Information
that is tailored to people’s lifestyle and how
they can eat less meat is better than general
advice on needing to reduce their meat
consumption,” says Dr Prugsamatz Ofstad.
Lichens can signal
climate change
Reindeer lichen and
thousands of other lichen
species in nature may provide
an early warning about
changes to the climate and
the ozone layer.
Lichens may not
seem like much, but
they are vital to biodiversity in nature:
thousands of lichen
species grow in dry
desert areas, deep
forests and sparsely
vegetated mountain
landscapes. Some
Richard Peter Beckett is a
species are a source
Professor of Biology at the
of food for animals;
University of KwaZulu-Naothers are an imtal in South Africa.
portant binding element in topsoil, preventing erosion in arid parts of Africa, for
instance.
Richard Peter Beckett is a Professor of
Biology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
in South Africa. He is particularly interested
in stressors that have an impact on the
living conditions for lichens. Professor
Beckett refers to lichens as “early warners
of global climate changes.”
“Lichens are incredibly rugged
organisms that can survive long-term
stresses such as cold, heat and drought.
Somewhat ironically, however, they are
also very sensitive to change in their
climate. By studying lichens we can see an
early indication of how climate change is
>>
>> affecting the natural surroundings,” states
Richard Peter Beckett.
The research project headed by Professor
Beckett and his Norwegian research
colleagues at the Norwegian University of
Life Sciences (NBMU) focuses specifically
on the protection mechanisms of lichens
against harmful UV radiation.
­“People who often sunbathe produce the
dark brown pigment melanin which helps to
block the damaging effects of UV radiation.
Lichens protect themselves in the same
way. We are attempting to measure how
UV radiation stimulates the production of
melanin in lichens and we are looking at how
this affects the growth and spread of lichens.
Could melanin potentially protect lichens
against the harmful effects of increased UVradiation levels?” says Professor Beckett.
The Norwegian-South African research
cooperation has thus far resulted in several
master’s degrees and a doctoral dissertation
is underway. The knowledge acquired could
lead to more answers regarding how lichens
will react to global climate change.
Project title: Climate change – can
lichens protect themselves using UVinduced melanins?
Partners: Norwegian University
of Life Sciences and University of
KwaZulu-Natal
Project managers: Richard Peter
Beckett, [email protected], and
Knut Asbjørn Solhaug
[email protected]
Two cities deal with climate change
differently
Floods and drought have the greatest impact for the poor
population of South Africa’s cities. Durban and Cape Town are
taking different approaches to these challenges.
“We have studied how the cities of Durban
and Cape Town address water security,
flood protection and the ensuing pollution
problems,” says Catherine Sutherland of
the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “Climate
change has led to more powerful storms
with extreme precipitation and long
periods of drought. The two cities face
many of the same challenges. What needs
to be done to ensure access to clean water
for all the residents?”
Another major challenge in addition
to flooding is pollution. In periods with
extreme precipitation, flooding and surface
water can pollute sources of drinking water.
In times of drought, the water supply may
dry up entirely. People have traditionally
used the rivers as a reserve source of water,
but the river water may be polluted and
hazardous to health.
“Increasingly, the authorities and
residents are calling for more measures to
ensure a supply of clean water and prevent
flooding in the wake of climate change. City
planning and construction of infrastructure
are needed to safeguard the future
quality of life of the residents,” explains Dr
Sutherland.
Joyce Stein, community committee member in Durban’s
Quarry Road West settlement, informs project members
about issues in the settlement.
The multidisciplinary research project
is analysing institutional constraints on
and potential for urban water resource
management and adaptation to climate
change in the two cities. Cape Town has
chosen to actively involve civil society and
residents in efforts to work out sound,
sustainable measures. Durban is following
a more top-down strategy. Project
Climate awareness through creative design
Can models and illustrations illuminate how climate change
will affect the natural environment and our own lives?
Professor Håkan Edeholt of the Oslo School
of Architecture and Design thinks so.
Together with his colleagues from Cape
Peninsula University of Technology in
South Africa, he is studying how to raise
awareness of and involvement in climate
change issues using design as a tool.
“The biggest challenge today is to
translate the knowledge we have about
anthropogenic climate change into concrete
action to limit the damage to nature and the
environment. Researchers who study the
environment and climate change seem to
be the only ones who truly understand the
magnitude of the problem,” says Dr Edeholt.
The project’s first fieldwork resulted
in the installation “Fiscilla”, which was
on display in several design exhibitions
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in South Africa in 2014. The installation
was a model of a tiger fish with engraved
messages from farmers and fishermen
in South Africa and Namibia who live in
areas where drought and lack of water
threaten their existence. In 2016, design
students from Oslo, Cape Town and Nairobi
conducted field studies in both a typical
urban shanty town and then compared it
with a typical rural area outside the town.
The students mapped out environmental
challenges and explored opportunities for
measures that could yield climate benefits.
According to Dr Edeholt, the two field
studies use design in various ways to
achieve the same objective: to address
complex climate challenges.
Dr Edeholt thinks there is a need for
simple, effective models that can illustrate
the future impacts of ongoing climate
change. The point of departure is to depict
a scenario that has not happened yet in
a way that makes it possible for people
to truly understand it, experience it and
discuss it. Dr Edeholt is talking about
using design to conceptualise the climate
problem.
Project title: C-SAN Futures –
Designerly Strategies for Scaling Up
Climate Change Approaches in South
Africa and Norway
Cooperating institutions: Oslo School
of Architecture and Design and Cape
Peninsula University of Technology
Project managers: Håkan Edeholt
[email protected] and Aletta
Chisin, chisina@[email protected]
researchers are analysing the different
approaches and looking at how the political
processes are translated into practice at the
local level.
“Political ideas and knowledge about
adapting to climate change are conveyed
to a wide array of organisational and
institutional actors across sectors and
administrative levels, and appear to be
incorporated in different ways into policy
and practice.”
A number of key actors in the water
resource and environmental sectors of Cape
Town and Durban have been interviewed.
Students from Norway and South Africa
have contributed to field studies and
participated in exchange projects. “This
cooperation with Norway has yielded major
academic benefits for the project and the
students.”
Project title: Climate change and
urban water governance; pathways
to social transformation
Cooperating institutions: Norwegian
Institute for Urban and Regional
Research (NIBR), University of
KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of
Cape Town (UCT) and University of
Oslo (UiO)
Project managers: Catherine
Sutherland [email protected]
and Trond Vedeld trond.vedeld@nibr.
hioa.no
Help with sustainable water
management
Water is in short supply in
South Africa and the
government needs tools to
support sustainable, fair
distribution
Since 2014 a group of researchers has been
working to develop a framework to enable
local authorities to create a sustainable water management strategy. Project manager
Herman Helness, Senior Scientist at the research institute SINTEF, explains that this type
of planning is necessary to meet anticipated
changes in climate and precipitation levels.
“Many areas of South Africa are vulnerable to climate change. Agricultural areas
and cities with expanding populations are
dependent on a reliable water supply, and
periods of drought can lead to major problems,” says Mr Helness.
The research activity is based in Hessequa
Municipality in South Africa, an agricultural
area situated between two regions marked
by summer and winter rains, respectively.
Much of the area’s water supply comes from
a reservoir formed by the Korente-Vette
dam. The city of Riversdale and surrounding
farmlands are entirely dependent on this as
their source of water, and are allocated water
according to a defined distribution key.
“The authorities expect future water
needs to exceed the facility’s capacity.
They need a framework for sustainable,
A toolbox for water conservation
Can information influence South Africans to stop wasting water?
South Africa’s water supply is under
pressure. Last year was the driest year
in two decades, but the population has
apparently not yet grasped that water has
become a scarce resource. Domestic water
prices are low for most households and
Part of the team that is testing out the efficacy of methods to encourage more sustainable water consumption. From left: Love Idiosa, Dr Hege Westkog, Dr Jorge
Garcia, Samantha De Martino and Dr Kerri Brick.
waste is common. Professor Martine Visser
of the University of Cape Town wants to
find out what needs to be done to convince
the population to change its consumption
habits.
“Water resources in the country are
shrinking, but water is being wasted by rich
and poor alike. The largest consumers are
the wealthy, who freely water their gardens
and fill up their swimming pools. They are
not bothered by a small hike in water rates.
It remains to be seen whether information
campaigns can change behaviour and give
the population a deeper understanding
of the need for more sustainable water
consumption,” says Martine Visser.
She is working together with Jorge
Hernan Garcia Lopez from the Center for
International Climate and Environmental
Research - Oslo (CICERO) to analyse the
Project title: Sustainable water
management for resilience to climate
change adaption
Cooperating institutions:
Stellenbosch University and SINTEF
Project managers: Willelm Petrus De
Clercq, [email protected] and Herman
Helness, [email protected]
integrated water management. We will help
them by providing a method that supports
decision-making based on utilisation
patterns, future water needs and the social,
environmental and economic impact of
different measures,” Mr Helness states.
The project is a collaboration between
Stellenbosch University and the research
institute SINTEF. Much of the work
involves systematising existing data on
water utilisation and plans to reach local
development goals.
“We have presented a sustainability
analysis to representatives of the public
and private sectors, and we have discussed
strategies for adapting to anticipated
climate change impacts. One measure may
be to increase water supply by raising the
height of the dam in the Korente-Vette
dam reservoir or by establishing a second
reservoir. Other potential measures include
increased water recycling or changing the
distribution key between various sectors,”
Mr Helness explains.
Project title: The role of behavioural
interventions in climate change
adaption and mitigation; the case of
local communities in South Africa
Cooperating institutions: Center for
International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo (CICERO) and
the University of Cape Town (UCT)
Project managers: Jorge Hernan
Garcia Lopez, [email protected]
and Martine Visser, martine.visser@
uct.ac.za
effect of various behavioural interventions
aimed at South African households. They
are testing nine behavioural treatments,
including using different forms of
messaging, challenging social norms and
communicating that water is an invaluable,
scarce resource. The researchers have
carried out a randomised, controlled trial
(RCT) in a region of the Western Cape
province with 400 000 households. The
region is particularly susceptible to drought >>
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>> and is home to a large number of lowincome households.
“Our hypothesis was that reliable, easyto-understand information about the
water shortage and the potential effects
of climate change would sway households
to conserve water. We assumed this would
lead them to act more responsibly and
with greater awareness,” Professor Visser
explains.
Information was conveyed to households
primarily through messages included
with their domestic water bills. She says
it is still a little too soon to draw any final
conclusions following the trial.
“We are still working to collect data from
households. So far, the results indicate that
low-income groups are primarily moved
to save water when the price of water and
potential to save money are made explicit
on their invoices. Higher-income households
were more receptive to interventions
seeking to change attitudes, encouraging
them to be more socially responsible and to
support sustainable resource use.”
Professor Visser says that the measures
tested thus far appear to change anywhere
from two to eight per cent of the population’s
consumption patterns, depending on which
population segments are asked.
The role of beliefs in the fight against
climate change
Is it more difficult for people
with deep religious convictions
to adapt to climate change?
The Research Council of Norway
Drammensveien 288
P. O. Box 564
NO–1327 Lysaker
This is a question that scientist and
philosopher Ruth Ananke Loubser of NorthWest University in South Africa is looking to
answer. In cooperation with South African
and Norwegian colleagues and students,
she has studied how attitudes, cultural
backgrounds and belief systems affect
the South African population’s perception
of, and willingness to act in response to,
climate risk and vulnerability.
“We need a better understanding of
how people’s beliefs and world view affect
their ability to accept climate change as a
real problem and subsequently to adapt.
This will make it easier to reach them with
sensible recommendations on actions to
take,” states Dr Ruth Ananke Loubser.
The researchers have conducted field
studies and undertaken a large number
of in-depth interviews in a rural area in
the northwest of South Africa. This region
is marked by high unemployment, low
education and a weak economy, which
makes the population vulnerable to the
adverse effects of climate change. Dr
Loubser says that people with strong
religious convictions and a fixed world view
may be more inclined to simply accept
circumstances than other groups.
National Research Foundation
Meiring Naudé Road
Brummeria
P.O. Box 2600
Pretoria 0001
Project title: Exploring the relationship
between belief systems and climate
change impact on society in South
Africa.
Cooperating institutions: University of
Oslo (UiO) and North-West University
(NWU), South Africa
Project managers: Ruth Ananka
Loubser, [email protected]
and Karen Linda O´Brien
[email protected]
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[email protected]
[email protected]
Coordinators
Jan Monteverde Haakonsen
Mob: +47 90127878
[email protected]
Researchers and students have carried out over 100 interviews among the population of South Africa to compile information on their world view and their outlook
on climate change.
“Some people have a fatalistic outlook
and believe that humans have no power to
change nature. We also find groups whose
perspective on the future does not extend
beyond four to five years. This makes it
difficult to convince them to take action
in the face of future impacts of climate
change,” she says.
Although belief systems provide stable
points of reference that help people
to make sense of the world, it is also
important for individual and collective
belief systems to be flexible when new
information about changes in the external
environment becomes available.
“A good point of departure can be to
present concrete proof of the adverse
effects of climate change. Our field studies
show that many people find it easier to
believe what they can see than what they
hear,” she points out.
She says that the results provide a good
foundation for better understanding the
correlation between world view and the
ability to adapt to climate change.
Teuns Phahlamohlaka
Tel: +27 12 481 4385
[email protected]
Text and layout
Mediepartner
Melkeveien Designkontor
November 2016
About the programme
SANCOOP
The programme for South African –
Norwegian research co-operation on
Climate Change, the Environment
and Clean Energy seeks to establish
the basis for long-term research cooperation between Norway and South
Africa through the funding of joint
research projects.
www.forskningsradet.no/sancoop