Sappi Research Chair at Wits marks a milestone year of climate action

It’s been an eventful year since the Sappi Chair in Climate Change and Plantation Sustainability was launched at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). As we celebrate another World Environment Day on 05 June the Forestry team at Wits reflects on a year of significant progress, characterised by collaboration and dialogue.

Under the guidance of Professor Mary Scholes – an internationally recognised authority on tree physiology and climate change- the team has pioneered research and capacity-building initiatives that equip the forestry industry to navigate the challenges of climate change. With the southern hemisphere’s winter heralding a forecast of scant rainfall, the insights provided by the Wits Research Chair to the forestry industry on El Nino impacts and the risk of increased wildfire prevalence in the 2024 fire season in South Africa’s plantation regions, is just one of the crucial areas where this research is proving to be invaluable.

“Although we are routinely proactive in this regard, these predictions from the Wits team will lead to us intensifying our annual fire readiness measures. This includes collaborating with our neighbours to ensure that fire prevention methods like fuel load reduction and fire breaks are properly implemented and maintained,” said Duane Roothman, Vice President of Sappi Forests. “Besides protecting our assets, and that of our surrounding communities from the risks of wildfire, this important research work will help us to be more resilient in future-proofing our assets. Like all other crops, our trees are negatively impacted by climate change, and although we practice climate-smart forestry and while our own Sappi research teams have been hard at work developing drought-resistant genotypes, for many decades, this collaboration at an industry level is essential for us to continue to thrive,” he said.
more at: https://www.sappi.com/sappi-research-chair-at-wits-marks-a-milestone-year-of-climate-action