Academy of Science of South Africa
The World Academy of Sciences - Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (TWAS-ROSSA)Not a member yet
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Mobilising Science and Science Academies for Policymaking 2012
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2012). Regulation of Agricultural GM Technology in Africa: Mobilising Science and Science Academies for Policymaking. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/81This policymakers’ booklet is produced by
the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) as part of the project “GMOs
for African Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges”. The project was implemented through ASSAf’s Committee on Science for Poverty Alleviation. The project is in
its second year of implementation with funding from the Global Network of Science Academies (IAP).The Global Network of Science Academies (IAP) and the Mauritius Academy of Science and Technology (MAST), the John Templeton Foundatio
Quest Volume 8 Number 1
No full textThe moving Earth QuEST looks at how the Earth was formed; The Barberton granites: South Africa has a rich record of Earth's history in the Barberton granites; QUEST explains how earth scientists are uncovering the evidence: Teaching science; QUEST finds out how science clubs can make science rock: Not so set in stone - Coelacanth: the fossil that really came to life: Penny Hawworth tells the exciting story of the fish that everyone thought was extinct; Terrestrial predators, mammal-like reptiles and the pampas: A team of paleontologists, including; South Africans, have uncovered evidence of one of the earliest land predators. QUEST tells the story of butterflies and bumpy black holes; Marisa Geyer and Jeandrew Brink tell us about extremely massive compact objects; A voice for young scientists in South Africa: Caradee Wright, Genevieve Langdon and Penny Moore tell us about the launch of an exciting new venture for young South African scientists; How little we know Chris Clarkson explains how little we know about our universe What's faster than light'? Chris Clarkson asks the question Nanotechnology and nanoparticles: should be concerned about our health'?
Rietha Oosthuizen discusses the possible health implications of nanoparticles; Grapes, genes and climate change
Wilmot James explains how the Pinot Nair grape has given scientists and wine makers a lot to think about; Real-life problem solving
QuEsts resident mathematician, Steve Sherman, shows us how to love maths.Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio
Nuclear Energy Safety Symposium. Proceedings Report
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2012). Nuclear Energy Safety Symposium. Proceedings Report. [Online] Available at: DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf/0012Both public and political attitudes on the introduction and use of nuclear energy change with time and events. A movement towards extending its use and building new advanced power stations is driven largely by the contribution that nuclear energy can make to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and hence nuclear energy’s positive role in the climate change debate, as well as its contribution to satisfying the world’s increasing demand for base load electricity.
Should the South African government continue with its plans to expand the contribution of nuclear energy to the energy mix, there is no room for complacency, particularly after the March 2011 events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. These events have focused attention on safety and risk as key issues in the use of nuclear power and have created an understandable anxiety about the use of nuclear technology. South Africa needs to heed the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident, as well as other accidents and ensure that these lessons are incorporated into current and future nuclear energy planning.
The symposium was initiated by the ASSAf commentary on the IRP 2010 requested by the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. The idea developed during the meeting of the G8+5 Academies of Science. The international and local inputs to this symposium were very refreshing, original and decisive in conveying specific and relevant points.Science Council of Japan
French Embassy of South Africa
United States Department of Energy
Academy of Science of South Afric
Science, Water and Sanitation: Supporting Equitable and Sustainable Development in southern Africa
Get PDFCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2012). Science, Water and Sanitation: Supporting Equitable and Sustainable Development in southern Africa. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/80The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region faces a number of challenges in ensuring water for equitable and sustainable development. In most of these countries water resources infrastructure is underdeveloped, and significant climate variability means economic sustainability and development is hostage to rainfall. The aim of this policy-makers’ booklet is to outline the role that science academies can play in assisting policy-makers and managers to address some of the key water challenges in the southern African region. This is part of a process of building a strong partnership between the science community and government actors. It is intended to be useful to policy-makers in the water sector, and to policy-makers in those sectors that are major water users, such as the agricultural, industrial and mining sectors, as well as those with a mandate to protect the
natural environment and whose policies and decisions impact directly or indirectly on water quantity, quality and accessibility. The booklet is focused on six countries, namely Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa and Namibia, each of which has an established science academy, or one that is in the process of being established. However, the messages in this booklet are relevant to the broader southern African region as a whole. This booklet should resonate with policy-makers in the southern Africa region, and together with other similar studies from East, West and North Africa, present an overview of water issues in the
continent. The main aim will be to inform the African Ministers’ Committee on Water (AMCOW)
and other political and technical leadership in the continent.InterAcademy Pane
Preparing for the Future of HIV/AIDS in Africa: A Shared Responsibiltiy
No full textCite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2012). Preparing for the Future of HIV/AIDS in Africa: A Shared Responsibility. [Online] Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/77The sub-Saharan Africa region still remains the region most heavily affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2010, about 68% of all people living with HIV resided in sub-Saharan Africa and the region also accounted for 70% of new HIV infections. However, there has been a notable decline in the regional rate of new infections. The epidemic continues to be most severe in southern Africa, with South Africa having more people living with HIV (an estimated 5.6 million) than any other country in the world (UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report, 2011).Department of Science and Technology (DST
Quest Volume 8 Number 3
No full textBuilding MeerKAT: Tracy Cheetham explains the infrastructure required; Systems engineering - how to make a radio telescope work
Richard Lord explains how to make the SKA work; KAT-7 control and monitoring: it's all about the users; The KAT-7 CAM team explain how to integrate control and monitoring Radio frequency interference and radio astronomy: why the fuss?; Richard Lord tells QUEST why radio frequency interference can stop SKA from working; From theory to practice Oleg Smirnov shows how radio telescopes provide astronomical data; How do we measure historical temperature trends?; Andries Kruger and Charlotte McBride look at the role of our weather stations; Renewable energy: the role of hydrogen Jan Smit looks at hydrogen powered fuel cells; The Square Kilometre Array (SKA): QuEST provides a brief introduction; Bringing the SKA to Africa: Willem Esterhuyse shows us how it is done; The ltty Bitty Telescope (IBT): Tips for building a simple telescope: How to build your own radio telescope; Communicating South Africa's science triumph: Patsy Scholtz talks to Sarah Wild; Kick starting the Congo: Tim Jackson (in Africa Geographic) reports on ecotourism in this challenging region; A new tool for polar research: Mike Lucas takes us aboard the SA Agulhus II.Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio
Quest Volume 7 Number 3
No full textOut of Africa: QUEST looks at how geneticists have traced humans back to Africa; The human journey 60 000 years ago humans left Africa: QUEST explains; The dawn of humankind: QuEST finds out how science is unravelling human origins; Using fire for more than light and warmth; Early modern humans used fire to make tools, evidence of complex behaviour; Humankind rising Australopithecus sediba provides us with more evidence about modern human origins; African fractals: new futures for old tradition; Mathematics in African culture; Should we worry about sea level rise?: Sea levels are seldom stable and they are on the move again; Air quality in the Dasspoort Tunnel: a multidisciplinary, multi-institution collaboration: A team approach to looking at air quality; Coral reefs: a world beyond our imagination: These wonderful ocean communities are under threat; Smoking, tomato juice and infants' lungs: Can tomato juice prevent the lung damage caused by smoking?;Academy of Science of South Africa: Department of Science and Innovatio