The University of Cape Town is an internationally renowned hub for climate change research and training whose work aims to produce societally relevant knowledge, build capacity and support resilient, climate-sensitive decision-making across Africa. The education and outreach activities described below — short courses, training schools, public synthesis reports and community-facing seminars in 2024 — show UCT translating research into learning and engagement opportunities that equip government, civil society and community actors with the knowledge and tools needed for risk reduction, early warning, adaptation and mitigation.

In 2024 the University of Cape Town delivered multiple education and capacity-building activities addressing climate risks, impacts and adaptation for local and regional stakeholders. Notable examples include CSAG’s Short Course on Navigating Climate Risk (applications opened 25 March 2024) and the CSAG-CONFER Climate Risk Training School (2–6 September 2024), the launch and hosting of the first climate change synthesis centre for Africa at UCT (April 2024), and public synthesis outputs such as Climate change impacts in South Africa: What climate change means for a country and its people (reported 11 March 2024). UCT also ran public seminars linking climate change to health (Green Campus Initiative seminar, 23 April 2024) and maintained e-learning and training materials that support early-warning interpretation and adaptation planning. These activities demonstrate sustained, practical education and outreach to government, civil society and community actors on climate mitigation, adaptation, impact-reduction and early warning in 2024.

2024 programmes, events and outputs

1. CSAG — “Short Course on Navigating Climate Risk” (applications announced 25 March 2024; annual short course / training activity in 2024)

The Climate System Analysis Group (CSAG) at UCT announced applications for its annual Short Course on Navigating Climate Risk on 25 March 2024. CSAG runs accessible, practical short courses and e-learning modules that teach climate risk concepts, interpretation of climate information, and how to use forecasts and warnings for decision-making — i.e., capacity building directly relevant to early warning, adaptation planning and impact reduction. The short course is a capacity-development opportunity for practitioners, policy makers and stakeholders who must act on climate risk.

2. CSAG-CONFER Climate Risk Training School (2–6 September 2024)

In partnership with CONFER (a Horizon 2020 EU funded project), CSAG organized an intensive Climate Risk Training School scheduled for 2–6 September 2024 (announced on partner pages in April 2024). This week-long training school targeted early- and mid-career professionals and students and focused on climate risk, its contexts and practical risk-management strategies — a direct education pathway for stakeholders working on mitigation, adaptation and early warning systems. The training school is explicitly practice-oriented and intended to strengthen the capacity of participants to interpret climate information and apply it in decision contexts.

3. ACDI - Launch / hosting of the first climate change synthesis centre for Africa (announced 22 April 2024)

In April 2024 UCT’s African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) was announced as the host for the first climate change synthesis centre for Africa, intended to accelerate synthesis of climate-and-development evidence and support policy-relevant knowledge transfer across the continent. A synthesis centre’s remit is to translate research into actionable guidance and training for policy makers and practitioners — which supports local education programmes and capacity building on mitigation, adaptation and early warning. The launch of this centre at UCT signals institutional investment in knowledge translation and education in 2024.

4. Public synthesis report & public communication - “What climate change means for South Africa and its people”

(UCT News, 11 March 2024 / CSAG posting 28 Feb 2024)

UCT climate researchers produced a synthesis report titled “Climate change impacts in South Africa: What climate change means for a country and its people” with public coverage on the UCT news site on 11 March 2024 and a CSAG blog post on 28 February 2024. The synthesis frames the national-scale risks, sectoral impacts and adaptation needs and is intended to inform government, practitioners and civil society — serving as an educational resource for policy audiences and community stakeholders on climate risks and adaptation priorities.

5. Climate Change & Health Seminar — Green Campus Initiative participation (23 April 2024)

As part of UCT’s Green Week programming, the Green Campus Initiative participated in a Climate Change and Health Seminar on 23 April 2024. The seminar included presentations on planetary health and links between climate impacts and public health and featured student presentations (Planetary Health Report Card). This event represents UCT’s cross-faculty outreach and community-facing education on climate impacts, adaptation and health implications aimed at staff, students and the broader public.

Other capacity-building resources active in 2024

(Supporting early warning and practical adaptation)

  • CSAG e-learning modules (freely accessible to all and ongoing): CSAG hosts open e-learning modules on climate data, models, projections and downscaling that are available to students, practitioners and decision-makers in 2024. These modules underpin practical uptake of climate information for early warning and adaptation planning.
  • CSAG project work on early-warning and drought systems: CSAG’s past and ongoing projects include work on early warning and integrated adaptation/mitigation systems (e.g., integrated early warning for hydrological drought), which provide the technical foundations for local workshops and practitioner trainings.