Namibia and Spain, despite being continents apart, face similar climate challenges. Namibia endures the driest climate in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Spain experiences some of the Mediterranean’s most extreme temperatures. Erratic rainfall, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, bush encroachment, and recurrent wildfires pose significant threats to the rangeland ecosystems in these countries—the Dehesa in Spain and the Savannah in Namibia.
In response, this climate forum was initiated by the Spanish Embassy in Namibia as part of its Scientific Diplomatic Agenda. The forum, a collaborative initiative, was designed to strengthen research partnerships, raise awareness about EU-Africa funding opportunities, and revitalize past initiatives. It supports Spain’s Agenda 2030 and III Plan África and addresses climate change, energy insecurity, and food scarcity with innovative, sustainable solutions.
By fostering collaboration and identifying potential research areas for joint projects, the event contributes to the development of a strong research network between the two countries.
SDG: #2 (Zero Hunger), #13 (Climate Action), #13 (Climate Action), #17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
Sectors: Climate Resilience, Sustainable Agriculture, Rangeland Management
Countries: Spain and Namibia
Clients: Spanish Embassy in Namibia and Ramon Areces Foundation
Duration:
Project Title: The First Spain-Namibia Climate Forum
Project Partners: Spanish Embassy in Namibia, Association of Spanish Researchers in Southern and Ramon Areces Foundation
Aim: The event aimed to promote research cooperation between Namibian and Spanish universities, companies, start-ups, and research centers in the face of shared global challenges.
Objectives:
The Dehesa of Spain and the Savanna of Namibia are both important ecosystems that support agriculture, biodiversity, and livestock production. However, they face common environmental challenges, including erratic rainfall, droughts, biodiversity loss, bush encroachment, and soil erosion, all driven by climate change and land degradation.
Conventional land use practices do not suffice to safeguard these landscapes or the communities that rely on them. This offers an opportunity for scientific collaboration and research partnerships between Spain and Namibia to share knowledge and develop solutions to their climate-related challenges, making this forum both timely and essential.
Since the forum targeted Spanish and Namibian companies of all sizes, start-ups, universities and research centres, governments, and governmental research institutions, our in-depth understanding of both contexts was essential in fostering a dynamic exchange and promoting meaningful engagement.
We curated a hybrid event with carefully structured thematic blocks—Understanding Our Systems & Products, Harnessing Opportunities, Agri-Tech: Revolutionising Our Systems Through Data and Technology, One Health, Climate Change: Beyond Science, and Plenary Talks. Additionally, we designed matchmaking sessions to facilitate the formation of research consortia between Spanish and Namibian participants. This approach ensured that attendees engaged with topics most relevant to them while creating opportunities for future collaboration.
Does this sound interesting? Download the book of abstracts here.
Omeva Consulting played a key role as the event organiser and facilitator. Our experience in both countries, combined with our multilingual capabilities and expertise in international project management, was instrumental in delivering the forum.
We leveraged our network to secure top keynote speakers, while our marketing efforts ensured a strong and professional presence. These efforts contributed to high attendance and an engaged audience. Drawing on our expertise in stakeholder engagement and project management, we organised a forum that was both meaningful and impactful for all participants.
View more details here.
The First Spain-Namibia Climate Forum, themed “Targeting Resilience: Harnessing Spanish and Namibian Climate Solutions,” took place on 22 April at Roof of Africa, Windhoek, bringing together leading experts in agroforestry, conservation, livestock production, and One Health.
The opening speech was delivered by H.E. Alberto de la Calle, Ambassador of Spain to Namibia, who emphasised the role of scientific diplomacy in tackling global challenges and reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to it.
Keynote speakers included Mr Luis R. Cárdenas Benítez and Mr Carlos León Garrido, board member and president, respectively, of the School of Agriculture Technical Engineers of Western Andalusia, as well as Dr Rafael Laguens, President of the World Veterinary Medicine Association.
The event attracted 40 in-person attendees and over 100 online participants, leading to significant achievements:
The success of the event has sparked interest in establishing a biennial conference. As a result, the Second Spain-Namibia Climate Forum will take place in April 2026.
In the meantime, if you are interested in creating collaborative opportunities for experts to discuss and develop solutions, feel free to get in touch with us at info@omevaconsulting.com or maria@omevaconsulting.com.
Several upcoming courses and opportunities have emerged from this event. Follow us on social media to stay updated and ensure you do not miss out.
