I would like to thank the Southern African Regional Universities
Association for the holding of this meeting in Mauritius within its five year
programme for Climate Change Capacity Development. This programme which is
endorsed by 61 universities is of significant importance to all our countries,
and in particular to small island states. The aim of this programme is to
strengthen and increase higher education research and innovation, through
expanded inter-institutional collaboration and capacity building initiatives
throughout the Southern African Development Community region. The forum is one of the instances that will contribute in
identifying the issues, in analysing them and develop the way forward in the face
of climate change.