Understanding change in the Lake Sibaya region
SAEON’s vision
•“World-class environmental research platforms
forasustainablesociety”
–Ourjob is to tryandunderstandGlobalchange
impacts on the environment and society
Humans are changing the carbon cycle
•Changes in Land use and land cover
•Increased CO2emissions
Global change
Climate Change
•Weather=shortterm
•Climate long term
•What isit- The green house effect?
•What causesit?Humanactivitythat gives offCO2
Impacts of Climate Change?
•Temperaturesareincreasing
•This messes with the climate! (Climate change)
•Oceans heating up
•Weatherisbecomemoreextremeandlesspredictable
An increase in extreme temperatureSevere drought
High intensity tropical cyclonesChanges in the timing of phenological events
What does the future hold for here?
•Definitely hotter
•Definitely more extreme weather
–More server / longer droughts,
–More intense storms
–More heat waves
•Rainfall in general for this area?
–Big Uncertainty???
–Youareinatransitionareawhichmakesfuture
difficult to predict
–Not enough data specific to this area
–Implications for water security???
•Income and livelihoods????
Umhlabuyalingana: Unique and fragile water
dependant ecosystems
Valueofyourwetlands
•Drink water
•Tourism
•Fishing
•Fiber
•Crafts
•Farming
•Livestock
More unique features
From 2000 to 2021
HLABISA MBAZWANA as primary station
Mean period 1960 -1990
Zoominginonlast21years
Aug 2016
18 Feb 2017
15 Nov 2017
2015
Land use change???
Climate change???
Abstraction???
Ramjeawon, M., Demlie, M., Toucher, M.L. & Janse van Rensburg, S., 2020, ‘Analysis of three
decades of land cover changes in the Maputaland Coastal Plain, South Africa’, Koedoe62(1),
a1642. https://doi. org/10.4102/koedoe. v62i1.1642
“forestry increased by more than 100% between 1986 and 2019”
What about the impact of land use and land cover??
Exotic trees use lots of water!
