World experts unite in SA to discuss global environmental issues

THE University of Zululand (UNIZULU), in partnership with Chang’an University in China and funded by the National Research Fund (NRF), recently hosted more than 300 delegates at the Durban International Convention Centre for the third biennial International Conference on Earth and Environmental Sciences (ICEES).

- NALEDI HLEFANE

Launched in 2021, ICEES is part of a memorandum of cooperation between UNIZULU and Chang’an University. The conference serves as a vital platform for multidisciplinary problem-solving where science, policy and industry can converge to address pressing planetary challenges.

This year’s conference attracted world-leading scientists, policymakers and industry experts in the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, climate change, water security, biodiversity loss and pollution. Participants travelled from 70 countries located across five continents with the singular objective of deliberating on and potentially devising solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. These problems were framed into key areas: climate change, water security and sustainable resource management; pollution and environmental degradation; and biodiversity loss and ecosystem services decline.

Leading the conversation was Professor Xoliswa Mtose, UNIZULU Vice-Chancellor and Principal, who hailed the event as a significant platform for fruitful discourse to chart the path to an eco-friendly planet for future generations. She said attendees would get the opportunity to share their experiences and research findings, discuss prevalent problems and establish productive new academic and industry research collaborations.