INTRODUCTION

Namibia and Spain, despite being continents apart, faced strikingly similar climate challenges. Namibia endured the driest climate in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Spain experienced some of the Mediterranean’s most extreme temperatures. These realities posed significant threats to their cherished rangeland ecosystems—the Dehesa and the Savannah—through erratic rainfall, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, bush encroachment, and recurrent wildfires.

The First Spain-Namibia Climate Forum, themed “Targeting Resilience: Harnessing Spanish and Namibian Climate Solutions,” brought together leading experts from agroforestry, conservation, livestock production, and One Health to exchange insights and explore collaborative solutions. This hybrid event, held on 22 April at Roof of Africa, Windhoek, and online, provided a platform for fostering research cooperation between Namibian and Spanish universities, companies, start-ups, and research institutions.

Organisers and facilitators: Initiated by the Spanish Embassy in Namibia as part of its Scientific Diplomatic Agenda, the forum aimed to strengthen research partnerships, raise awareness about EU-Africa funding opportunities, and revitalize past initiatives. Omeva Consulting played a key role as the organiser, ensuring a smooth and meaningful event, and as facilitator, ensuring effective coordination and engagement between stakeholders.

Strongly supported by the Association of Spanish Researchers in Southern Africa, the event was also co-funded by the Ramón Areces Foundation, a renowned Spanish institution supporting scientific and technical research.

Science, technology, and innovation played a central role in fostering collaboration between the two nations. The forum provided an opportunity to share expertise and explore solutions to climate challenges that affected both regions. Experts recognised the similarities between the Dehesa and the Savannah ecosystems and the potential for joint research initiatives to enhance resilience. The event marked a significant step towards strengthening scientific cooperation and harnessing local and international expertise to address climate change in both nations.