Participants

Martin Chari
Postdoc
University of Fort Hare

Martin M. Chari is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: SAF-ADAPT project in the Risk & Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC) at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa. He holds a Ph.D in Geography and has research interests in the following areas: Geographical Information Systems (GIS); remote sensing; climate change adaptation; vulnerability assessments; adaptation tracking; energy poverty.

Dion Gumbo
PhD Student
UNIVEN

Dion is a Ph.D. student under the SAF-ADAPT scholarship at the University of Venda in Limpopo. His research passion is in hydro-climatology. He has worked within the Pungwe River Basin, quantifying climate change's impacts on water resources availability in its headwaters. Water source regions are his area of study. He is currently determining environmental flows for a headwater catchment to assess the vulnerability and adaptation options of the riparian communities. He likes the outdoors, climate-water-energy research, visiting and learning from other cultures, and having a good laugh.

Munyai Frank
Masters Student
UNIVEN

Munyai Frank is an Environmental Scientist with a passion for Remote Sensing and GIS. He holds Bachelor of Environmental Sciences degree, Bachelor of Environmental Sciences Honours and recently working towards obtainment of Masters of Environmental Sciences In Geography all from the University of Venda. His previous studies (Hons) comprised mapping of underused spaces in Thohoyandou town (Limpopo) using remote sensing data and GIS techniques. Currently, he is working on a paper based study of mapping subtropic fruit tree species distribution and density using remotely sensed data in Thulamela local Municipality at a village level (MSc). Since his study is a paper based 3 peer-reviewed journals/articles will be published.

Tariroyashe Marufu
Masters Student
UCT

Tariroyashe is currently studying at the ACDI. She has a background in surveying and geomatics. Her master’s research focuses on developing a framework for identifying flood prone areas in Cape Town using geographic information systems (GIS) based multicriteria analysis. Tariroyashe has a keen interest in GIS driven solutions to climate change impacts in Africa. She also hopes to pursue a career exploring how the water circular economy can increase resilience to the impacts of climate change in Africa.

Asakundwi Makuya
Masters Student
UNIVEN

Asakundwi Makuya is an Environmental Scientist with a passion for Remote Sensing, GIS and Geomorphology. He holds Bachelor of Environmental Sciences degree, Bachelor of Environmental Sciences Honours and currently enrolled for Masters of Environmental Sciences In Geography all from the University of Venda. For his Honours he carried a study which focused on the Analysis of Enviro-Social impacts of migration on host towns: A case study of Thohoyandou, South Africa. In this study he adopted remote sensing and GIS approaches. For his current paper (Masters), he is focusing on the Analysis of Hydro-geomorphological hazards in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa. He is adopting the use of both remote sensing and GIS techniques for the data analysis. He aims to finish and submit his final dissertation by the end of the 2024 academic year.

Ephias Mugari
Postdoc
UNIVEN

Dr. Ephias Mugari is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the SAF-ADAPT project at the University of Venda. Dr. Mugari holds a PhD in Applied Ecology where he examined the relationships among climate change, vegetation dynamics, ecosystem service fluctuations, livelihoods and human adaptations in the semi-arid Limpopo Basin part of Botswana. His research aims to advance understanding of the role of ecosystem services to livelihoods relative to other livelihood sources, the vulnerability of rural households to environmental change, and identifying adaptation strategies that can promote both biodiversity conservation and livelihood security. His research interests are in transdisciplinary research, climate change adaptation, human-nature interactions, nature-based solutions, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and sustainability. 

Abenathi Mantshiyose
Masters Student
UCT

Abenathi Mantshiyose is a Science teacher at Axium education and a Masters graduate in Climate Change and Development at the University of Cape Town. Abenathi has a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Environmental Science at Rhodes University. Abenathi is passionate about making a difference in the environmental space in terms of its development, adaptation and sustainability. My second passion is empowering young people in rural areas and making a positive difference within the education space of rural areas

Fortunate Nomsa Maphuka
PhD Student
University of Fort Hare

Fortunate attained her Master of Science degree in Geography from the University of Fort Hare where she also obtained her Bachelor of Science in Geography and GIS, and BSc Honours in Geography.  From 2017 to 2020, Fortunate has been part of the group of students whose research focused on the Sub-Antarctic Marion Island. As a result, both her Honours and Masters research projects focused on rainfall and climate change on the Sub-Antarctic Marion Island, with specific focus on the trends, distribution, characteristics, associated air circulation patterns and the implications of climate change on rainfall. She has worked as an implementing agent for the Risk & Vulnerability Science Centre at the University if Fort Hare raising climate change awareness in communities. Fortunate is currently based at the University of Fort Hare where she is working on pursuing a PhD in Climate Adaptation under the SAF-ADAPT in 2021.  

Khothatso Mokhele
PhD Student
UCT

Khothatso holds a Masters degree in Energy and Sustainable Development from the University of Cape Town (UCT). Prior to it, with a focus on Risk and Foreign Direct Investment flows in South Africa, she completed a Masters degree from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in Political Sciences. Her PhD focusses on the water-energy-food nexus by improving understanding of the nexus interactions in South Africa and further highlight the viability of the application of chosen adaptation programs. She enjoys research that studies humans as economic agents and the implication of their interactions with their surrounding natural environment. Khothatso is in an avid golfer, she loves taking nature walks, and enjoys contemporary dance.

Lily Munhendzi
Masters Student
UNIVEN

Munzhedzi Lily is a qualified environmental scientist from Thohoyandou, Limpopo province, South Africa. She graduated with a BSc in Environmental sciences in 2018 and with an honour of Environmental Sciences in 2020, both from the University of Venda.  She worked as a research assistant for Rhodes University in 2019 in the department of Environmental sciences, she also worked as a field research assistant for the Inkawu Vervet Project at Mawana private reserve in 2020, all this experience of working with natural scientists, academics and researchers helped her realize that there is a gap in research with regards to climate change, therefore she decided to be part of the solution and fill in that gap. She is passionate about the environment and climate change and wants to help people adapt to or overcome the challenges brought about by climate change, and doing a masters in Environmental sciences with a research focusing on climate change is the perfect way for her to reach that goal. 

Ntsemeni Rainah Mudzanani
Masters Student
UNIVEN

Ntsemeni Rainah Mudzanani is a student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Venda. She holds BSc Honours of Environmental Sciences in Ecology and Resource Management, with area of interest being natural vegetation dynamics and the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) in monitoring, and BSc in Environmentral Sciences. My current research interests are climate change and crop production, further looks at the sustainable use of water as a resource. Looking at the impacts of climatic extremes on smallholder production and how irrigation schemes change due numerous factors over time.

Zolisanani Mpanyaro
Masters Student
University of Fort Hare

Zolisanani Mpanyaro is a dedicated and motivated master's student currently pursuing the degree of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Fort Hare. With a strong academic background in GIS, Remote Sensing and environmental studies, he is passionate about exploring the effects of climate change on vegetation and water resources within the field. Known for his analytical and critical thinking skills, Zolisanani is actively engaged in academic writings, the GACCES Lab and various NGOs. He aspires to contribute meaningful insight and information through his academic pursuits and research endeavors.

Patrick Nyambo
Postdoc
University of Fort Hare

Patrick Nyambo is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the University of Fort Hares’ Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, working on a project entitled Water-Energy-Food communities in South Africa: multi-actor nexus governance for social justice? He holds a PhD in Agronomy. His research interests are climate smart agriculture, climate change. Water - Food - Energy Nexus and food security issue.

Pfarelo Nwanamidwa
Masters Student
UNIVEN

Pfarelo is a Masters student under the SAF-ADAPT scholarship at the University of Venda in the department of Geography and Environmental Sciences. She graduated with her first degree with a Bachelor of Environmental Science in 2020 and completed her Honours in Environmental Sciences majoring in Geography in 2021. Pfarelo also obtained her Postgraduate Certificate in education majoring with geography and natural sciences (UNISA) in 2022. She is passionate, curious and has interests in the environment, climate change and the interaction between humans and the environment. Her current masters research focuses on analysis of climate change adaptation actions plan in response to flood disasters.

Thobela Ntsokotha
Masters Student
University of Fort Hare

Mr Xolani Thobela Ntsonkota is currently a second-year MSc student at the University of Fort Hare under the supervision of Prof Amon Taruvinga in the Department of Science and Agriculture and Co Supervised by Dr Zhou. His Master work focuses on AN ANALYSIS OF RURAL COASTAL HOUSEHOLD’S LIVELIHOOD ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CASE OF PORT ST JOHNS LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICAN. He holds an honours degree in BSc Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare. He recently attended an international conference of the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa that was held in Namibia 2022. 

Tiro Nkemelang
PhD Student
UCT

Tiro is a PhD student with ACDI funded under the South Africa/Flanders Climate Adaptation Research and Training Partnership (SAF-ADAPT) programme. He is working with a team of researchers from the University of Cape Town that looks to locate the fingerprint of anthropogenic climate change on weather and climate extremes, with a focus on extreme wildfire events in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Kingdom. Tiro completed his MSc Climate Change and Development in 2018 from UCT’s Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences under the ACDI’s ASSAR scholarship. He holds a BSc (Hons) Meteorology degree from the University of Reading (UK). He has worked as an Associate Researcher in the Climate Change Division at the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) and as a Meteorologist with the Botswana Meteorological Services. 

Lutendo Phophi
Masters Student
UNIVEN

Lutendo Phophi, a dedicated environmental science master’s student at University of Venda, focuses on researching the biological control of Chromolaena Odorata. Passionate about sustainable solutions, Lutendo’s work contributes to environmental advancement.

Takalani Rabakali
Masters Student
UCT

Takalani holds a Bachelor of Earth Sciences (Hons) in Hydrology and Water Resources obtained from the University of Venda, a Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) from the University of the Western Cape and Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Stellenbosch University. She completed her internship Programme at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) secondment to BBI Solutions Company to undertake Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) and Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) Assessment. During this internship, she managed to identify and quantify resource conservation opportunities for energy and water. She is extremely passionate about climate change and development research which is why she decided to join the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) to pursue master’s degree specialising in Climate Change and Sustainable Development programme at the University of Cape Town. Takalani expects to gain knowledge, skills and understanding about this programme. Her study focuses on Assessing the Sensitivity to Climate Change of the Berg River Vöelvlei Abstraction System in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The expected outcome of her study will show the gaps that need to be filled to incorporate sustainable strategies to help mitigate and adapt to climate change in South Africa.

Linda Sibisi
Masters Student
UCT

Linda Sibisi completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental & Geographical Sciences and Politics and Governance at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2021. He went on to pursue an honours degree in Environmental Management at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2022. He gained a deeper appreciation for the impacts that climate change has on rural communities while conducting his honours research on a wetland in rural Mpumalanga and decided to explore the phenomenon of climate change further at the Masters level. His research interests primarily lay in the arena that involves the effects that climate change has on rural communities and those communities which still live off the land and engage in subsistence activity. The ways in which these effects can be quantified, mitigated and adapted to are of a particular interest to him. In his spare time he enjoys sight-seeing, meeting up with friends, playing a variety of sports as well as painting and reading.

Shingirai Sakarombe
Masters Student
UCT

Born and raised in Eastern Zimbabwe, Shingirai Sakarombe is an Intern at ICLEI Africa with a background in community development, conservation, and biodiversity management. He has a profound interest and commitment to just energy transition particularly promoting clean cooking energy technologies and transformative climate change adaptation and resilience building in marginalised communities. He holds a BSc in Geography and Environmental Studies (2017) and currently pursuing an MSc in Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of Cape Town. His interest lies in practice-oriented research and is dedicated to working with diverse communities and local authorities, fostering collaborative efforts to address challenges presented by climate change.

Siyabonga Jonga
PhD Student
UFH

Siyabonga Jonga is currently a 3rd-year Ph.D. student at the University of Fort Hare under the supervision of Prof Amon Taruvinga in the Department of Science and Agriculture. Her doctoral work focuses on Climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies among rural coastal household farmers. She holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare. Her research for her master's was on Welfare implications and drivers of women’s participation in rural IK-based livelihood activities: The case of Ngqushwa Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.