Zambezi River Basin

Profile of SARDC IMERCSA

updated, as well as a series of Zambezi Basin factsheets and other publications.

The Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) is an independent regional knowledge resource centre that seeks to strengthen key development processes in southern Africa through the collection, production and dissemination of information, and generating access to knowledge. SARDC was established in 1985 with offices in Harare and Maputo. The Founding Patron of SARDC was Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, and the current Chairperson is Hon. Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi, MP, from Namibia. The SARDC institutee responsible for environmental reporting and climate change issues, including indicators development, is the I Musokotwane Environment Resource Centre for Southern Africa (SARDC IMERCSA), named for the late IUCN Regional Director for Southern Africa, India Musokotwane from Zambia, who inspired IMERCSA and its Vision that: “…people at all levels of environmental decision-making in southern Africa are motivated and empowered to take positive actions to counter environmental degradation and move towards sustainable development paths through provision of accurate, accessible and meaningful knowledge and information on the environment.” Formerly called State of the Environment (SOE) reports, the Environment Outlooks are IMERCSA’s most sought after outputs. Two regional outlooks have been produced, as well as five thematic reports including State of the Environment Zambezi Basin 2000, soon to be revised and

SARDC IMERCSA initiated the first report on the southern African environment in 1994, State of the Environment in Southern Africa, in partnership with SADC and IUCN-The World Conservation Union, and has continued to produce thematic and other reports on the southern African environment. The most recent environmental reports produced by IMERCSA are the Southern Africa Environment Outlook launched in 2009, and Responding to Climate Change Impacts: Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies as Practiced in the Zambezi River Basin, published 2010. These reports highlight the state of environment, impact of climate change in southern Africa on people and the environment, and future prospects and scenarios. SARDC works in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) through a Memorandum of Understanding, and has regional and national partners throughout southern Africa. SARDC IMERCSA is the regional collaborating centre for southern Africa for UNEP, and collaborates with UNEP through the Africa Environment Information Network, notably through contributions to the Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) and the Global Environment Outlook (GEO), and producing the Southern Africa Environment Outlook (SAEO).

www.sardc.net Knowledge for Development

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