Zambezi River Basin

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Profile of SARDC IMERCSA
updated, as well as a series of Zambezi Basin factsheets and
other publications.
SARDC IMERCSA initiated the first report on the southern
African environment in 1994, State of the Environment in
Southern Africa, in partnership with SADC and IUCN-The World
Conservation Union, and has continued to produce thematic
and other reports on the southern African environment.
The most recent environmental reports produced by IMERCSA
are the Southern Africa Environment Outlook launched in 2009,
and Responding to Climate Change Impacts: Adaptation and
Mitigation Strategies as Practiced in the Zambezi River Basin,
published 2010. These reports highlight the state of environment,
impact of climate change in southern Africa on people and the
environment, and future prospects and scenarios.
SARDC works in partnership with the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) through a Memorandum
of Understanding, and has regional and national partners
throughout southern Africa. SARDC IMERCSA is the regional
collaborating centre for southern Africa for UNEP, and
collaborates with UNEP through the Africa Environment
Information Network, notably through contributions to
the Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) and the Global
Environment Outlook (GEO), and producing the Southern
Africa Environment Outlook (SAEO).
Knowledge for Development
The Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
(SARDC) is an independent regional knowledge resource
centre that seeks to strengthen key development processes
in southern Africa through the collection, production and
dissemination of information, and generating access to
knowledge. SARDC was established in 1985 with offices in
Harare and Maputo. The Founding Patron of SARDC was
Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, and the current Chairperson is
Hon. Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi, MP, from Namibia.
The SARDC institutee responsible for environmental
reporting and climate change issues, including indicators
development, is the I Musokotwane Environment Resource
Centre for Southern Africa (SARDC IMERCSA), named for
the late IUCN Regional Director for Southern Africa, India
Musokotwane from Zambia, who inspired IMERCSA and its
Vision that:
“…people at all levels of environmental decision-making in
southern Africa are motivated and empowered to take positive
actions to counter environmental degradation and move
towards sustainable development paths through provision
of accurate, accessible and meaningful knowledge and
information on the environment.”
Formerly called State of the Environment (SOE) reports,
the Environment Outlooks are IMERCSA’s most sought
after outputs. Two regional outlooks have been produced,
as well as five thematic reports including State of the
Environment Zambezi Basin 2000, soon to be revised and
© SARDC