The Southern African Science Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) Council of Ministers has appointed Angolan Minister for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Maria do Rosário Bragança Sambo as Chairperson.
The newly elected Chair takes over from Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein. Namibia was at the helm as interim chair from 2018 to 2019 and was elected substantive Chair from 2019 to 2021.
Botswana’s Philda Kereng, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, was elected Vice-Chairperson.
This was during the virtual 2nd Ordinary Council of Ministers meeting on 14 October, during which they endorsed the 2020 – 2024 SASSCAL Business Plan, Financial Sustainability, and its transformation into an International Organization. The Council of Ministers meeting takes place every two years to deliberate on SASSCAL matters of strategic importance.
In her acceptance speech, the newly elected Chairperson said she looked forward to the implementation of the SASSCAL business plan 2020 – 2024 and would work hard to achieve SASSCAL’S transformation to an international organisation.
Meanwhile, do Rosário Bragança confirmed that Angola, the second-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, with an average daily production of about 1.2 million barrels, is also working towards migrating to low carbon energy sources, making migration in its energy mix with renewable energies.
Multidisciplinary research to identify the full potential of renewable energy sources existing in Angola, resulted in the production of the Atlas and National Strategy for the New Renewable Energies, under the coordination of the country’s Ministry of Energy and Water. The results of the research also served as the basis for Angola’s contribution to SASSCAL’s “H2 Atlas Africa” project.