Research Units | Environmental & Geographical Science

Individual members of the department are engaged in a broad range of research topics. In addition however, the department also houses three seperate research units. Members of the department work in close collaboration with these units.

Climate System Analysis Group (CSAG)

This is the climatology research group based in the EGS department. CSAG was recently made the START/PACOM Centre of Excellence. The unit strongly focuses on climate modelling and climate change studies, but also has numerous projects that deal with atmospheric research issues pertinent to the country and region.

For more information about CSAG please visit their website - www.csag.uct.ac.za

African Centre for Cities (ACC)

ACC is an interdisciplinary hub at the University of Cape Town with a mandate to conduct meaningful research on how to understand, recast and address pressing urban crises. Since most urban challenges—for example, food security, climate change adaptation, economic inclusion, cultural vitality and tolerance—are inherently interdisciplinary and spatially layered, ACC nurtures the co-production of knowledge between academia and other social sectors. Furthermore, research gets designed with multiple publics in mind and a concern with continuously enriching curriculum and postgraduate development.

For more information about ACC please visit their website - www.africancentreforcities.net

African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI)

The African Climate & Development Initiative (ACDI) is UCT’s active response to the climate change and development challenge. The ACDI was set up in 2011 by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Max Price as one of four strategic initiatives, each contributing to UCT’s mission to tackle key issues in the social and natural worlds. It is also one of the Vice-Chancellor’s signature themes; these themes are chosen to drive research in a strategic manner, and are grounded in existing areas of internationally-recognized excellence at UCT , whilst being aligned to institutional, regional and national priorities. Uniquely, the ACDI merges climate change issues with development issues, bringing together UCT’s breadth and depth of research and teaching in these areas, which previously were conducted largely in isolation within a variety of departments and research centres.