HSRC Webinar Sets Stage for Africa’s Climate Futures Conference in Namibia

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is today hosting a critical webinar ahead of the 3rd Climate Change and Futures in Africa Conference, with discussions focused on “Decolonising Climate Risk Scholarship from the Global North to Africa.”

The virtual event, scheduled between 11am and 1pm, is being held in collaboration with the University of Venda (South Africa), Midlands State University (Zimbabwe), and the National Youth Climate Action Network of Namibia.

A Shift in Climate Knowledge Production

The HSRC has positioned the webinar as more than an academic conversation. Instead, it seeks to confront long-standing imbalances in climate research, particularly the dominance of Global North narratives that often sideline perspectives from the Global South.

According to organisers, the session aims to disrupt entrenched hierarchies in knowledge production by highlighting African perspectives, indigenous knowledge systems, and community-led insights that can strengthen climate risk management.

“It is designed to challenge existing knowledge hierarchies that systematically marginalise Global South perspectives, while simultaneously elevating indigenous and local knowledge systems,” the HSRC said in a statement.

Towards Collaborative and Decolonial Approaches

Principal convener Dr Wilfred Lunga of the HSRC explained that the event is part of a broader push for transformative dialogue that moves away from extractive research practices, which historically treat African communities as subjects rather than contributors.

“Our approach recognises that meaningful climate action requires not merely the inclusion of Global South voices as subjects of research, but their recognition as authoritative knowledge producers, whose insights can fundamentally reshape how we understand and respond to climate challenges,” Lunga said.

He added that centring African experiences can demonstrate how decolonial methodologies yield more contextually relevant, robust, and socially just climate knowledge.

“This aligns with a growing recognition that technical solutions divorced from social and cultural contexts consistently fail to address the root causes of climate vulnerability,” he noted.

Looking Ahead: 3rd Climate Change and Futures in Africa Conference

The webinar sets the stage for the 3rd Climate Change and Futures in Africa Conference, which will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, from 29 October to 1 November 2025.

Themed “Risk in Time and Space”, the conference will focus on how climate and disaster risks evolve across geographies and over time. It will bring together climate experts, disaster risk practitioners, academics, policymakers, and community leaders to explore innovative solutions for resilience.

A Platform for Global Collaboration

The gathering will not only feature expert presentations but also offer:

• Interactive panel discussions on pressing climate issues.

• Workshops designed to strengthen practical skills in risk assessment and community engagement.

• Breakout sessions to foster collaboration between researchers, governments, NGOs, and grassroots organisations.

By blending academic research, policy debate, and community voices, the event aims to create actionable strategies to address the complex social, economic, and environmental challenges posed by climate change.

Building Africa’s Climate Futures

Both the webinar and the upcoming conference underscore Africa’s determination to take a leading role in global climate conversations, ensuring that solutions are locally informed, socially inclusive, and globally relevant.

As Dr Lunga emphasised, “Only when African knowledge systems are valued on equal terms can we generate climate strategies that truly address vulnerability while driving sustainable development.”