Many
environmental changes on a global level are of such a complex
nature, that their analysis and assessment asks for data
from a variety of sources. The wealth of ecological diversity
in the Southern African region renders it a clear and central
barometer for global environmental changes. Developing a
higher scientific capacity in the region is a prerequisite
for a functional global observing system. Yet the region's
food security issues, related to land use and freshwater
availability, demonstrate the inextricable relationship
between socio-economic factors and the environment.
