UCT R&I Highlights 2020-21 High res - Flipbook - Page 25
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WILD FOOD
PLANTS
AT RISK FROM
CLIMATE CHANGE
UCT LAUNCHES FIRST SESOTHO
OPEN-ACCESS BOOK
Shining a spotlight on teenage pregnancy in South Africa, the story
emphasises the importance of strong family ties.
Climate warming could
reduce the range of wildharvested food plants in
southern Africa by a third.
Wild-harvested food plants are important
ingredients in the diets of millions of people,
especially during times of hardship when
staple crops fail. Although they contribute
to food security in southern Africa, little is
known about the risk that climate change
poses to these edible plants
UCT’s Carina Wessels, who at the time
was affiliated with the African Climate
and Development Initiative (ACDI), in
collaboration with ACDI’s Dr Christopher
Trisos and colleagues from the University of
Connecticut, began to fill that gap.
Examining the links between climate change,
traditional knowledge, food security and wildharvested food plants, they investigated the
climate change risk to 1 190 wild food plant
species used by 19 native language groups in
the region. These include the num-num, the
sour fig, rooibos and the marula fruit.
The team considered two future
greenhouse gas scenarios. In the lowemissions scenario, global warming is
likely to have stayed below 2°C higher than
pre-industrial levels by 2081–2100. The
high-emissions scenario represents a future
reaching more than 4°C of global warming by
the end of this century.
Results show the ranges of 40% of wild
food-plant species will probably shrink in
66% of wild food plant
species are projected
to experience range
reduction.
the low-emissions scenario. Roughly six out
of every 10 wild-food species, however, are
expected to expand their range.
This pattern is reversed in the highemissions scenario: 66% of wild food plant
species are projected to experience range
reduction, and only 34% to experience a
range increase.
“There is a mix of winners and losers in a
world that is up to 2°C warmer,” Trisos said.
“If we allow warming beyond this threshold,
however, there will be more losers than
winners.”
CLICK HERE TO
READ THE ARTICLE
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Dikeledi ha di wele fatshe (loosely
translated as ‘Tears do not fall in vain’)
was authored by Dr Rethabile PossaMogoera from the Department of African
Languages and Literatures. Published by
UCT Libraries, it is also available on the
open-access continental platform, which
means it’s accessible to readers outside
the campus community.
The book is aimed at high-school learners
and introduces the concept of teaching
and learning an indigenous language using
technology. It tells the story of a teenage
girl, Mamello, who becomes pregnant in
Grade 8; and the ensuing fracas between
her family and that of the baby’s father.
Ultimately, Mamello’s father supports her
pregnancy, which is social commentary
from Possa-Mogoera: “This book seeks to
change the status quo, where – in most
cases – mothers are always supporting
their pregnant daughters, while fathers
steer clear. In this case it’s different.”
Acknowledging the book’s relevance, the
national Department of Basic Education has
expressed an interest in including it on its
reading list.
“This new book is a contribution to the
restoration of the value of African culture
and languages, and is an important step
towards decolonising higher education,”
said UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor
Mamokgethi Phakeng. “This is good; not
only for Africans, but for the world.”
CLICK HERE TO
READ THE ARTICLE
This new book is a
contribution to the
restoration of the value
of African culture and
languages, and is an
important step towards
decolonising higher
education.
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