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The document details how Southern Africa is experiencing temperature increases above the global average, increased frequency of heatwaves and droughts, and significant economic losses. It projects severe future risks to food security, human health, and biodiversity, while emphasizing the need for transformative adaptation and increased climate finance to build resilience.

Southern Africa has experienced warming exceeding the global average, leading to increased heatwaves, droughts, and economic losses. Future projections indicate severe risks to food systems, human health, and biodiversity, with significant GDP losses if warming reaches 2°C. Adaptation requires transformative, equity-based approaches and a substantial increase in climate finance and research funding for African institutions.

The document commemorates Andries Steenkamp, an outspoken leader from the Kalahari and the Khomani San community. He is recognized for his significant contributions to indigenous peoples in South Africa and his involvement in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cases concerning Hoodia, Scelletium, and Rooibos.

The document analyzes the governance of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin through OKACOM, highlighting how a strong institutional framework and political trust among Angola, Namibia, and Botswana have enabled 20 years of co-operation. It identifies challenges such as climate change, population growth, and asymmetrical economic benefits, recommending the adoption of economic water accounting and benefit-sharing mechanisms to sustain the basin's ecological integrity.

Researchers from the University of Cape Town developed insulated nest boxes to protect southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert from extreme heat. The project found that insulated boxes significantly reduced nest temperatures, leading to higher fledging rates and healthier nestlings and females compared to uninsulated boxes.