The National Research Foundation’s South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON) celebrated its twenty-first anniversary on Friday. Organised in “nodes” spread across the country, the NRF-SAEON undertakes environmental monitoring and research. With precisely one employee when it was set up in 2002 (its founding MD, Johan Pauw), it now has 115 country-wide, most of them environmental scientists.

The network is currently composed of seven nodes, plus three “environmental research infrastructures” (which also form part of the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap). The nodes are subdivided into four terrestrial nodes, two marine nodes and one data node. In alphabetical order, these are the Arid Lands Node, Egagasini Node, Elwandle Coastal Node, Fynbos Node, Ndlovu Node, Grasslands-Forests-Wetlands Node and the uLwazi Node. The research infrastructures the Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network, the Shallow Marine and Coastal Research Infrastructure, and the South African Polar Research Infrastructure.

The work of the NRF-SAEON is in support of the country’s biodiversity, its landscapes and its surrounding oceans. It maintains an open data platform that, just two days before the network’s twenty-first anniversary, received international accreditation as a trusted and sustainable data repository, making it one of only two systems with such accreditation in Africa, as well as one of only 160 worldwide.

“Two decades ago, in a world grappling with environmental challenges, a group of passionate individuals united under a shared purpose to champion the cause of sustainability, to safeguard the delicate balance of our ecosystem and of course to inspire a global movement towards long-term research for a more sustainable future,” highlighted NRF CEO Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo. “As we celebrate this significant milestone, let us reflect on the profound impact of our environmental research platforms containing monitoring science, data management systems and research facilities. From Limpopo to Antarctica, NRF-SAEON scientific platforms have helped us to understand the complex dynamics of our environment. The knowledge that has been gained has led to informed policy interventions aimed at the conservation of our precious biodiversity, the mitigation of the impacts of climate change and the sustainable use of our natural resources.”

“In the next decade NRF-SAEON will contribute to ensuring delivery of priorities that have been set in the [Science, Technology and Innovation] decadal plan,” emphasised Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) director: marine, polar research and palaeosciences Dr Gilbert Siko. “The decadal plan intends to take the NSI (national system of innovation) to another level and address societal challenges, and also contribute towards accelerating knowledge, digital and innovative. On behalf of the DSI, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate NRF-SAEON on the splendid job well done over the last 21 years. We’re looking forward, as the DSI, to working with NRF-SAEON to grow the South African knowledge economy.”