Abstract:
South Africa has been an active participant in Antarctic research for fifty years and is a founder member of the Antarctic Treaty. It has made and is making substantial contributions to our understanding of the continent and its surrounding seas and has considerable investments in infrastructure to support this research. Pages are out of order. Manuscript notes on several documents. Contains duplicates.
An assessment of the health and standing of its present Antarctic science community shows that its overall output is good and that the best scientists are on a par with those from leading Antarctic countries in Europe and North America. However, there are important areas of science that are missing or declining and these need to be recovered to allow an integrated view of the Antarctic to be developed. The critical mass of some groups needs enhancing and more cross-disciplinary work needs to be encouraged. An important way to encourage scientific initiatives and enhance training would be to establish a new Institute of Antarctic Earth System Science. International linkages in biology and physics appear good and improving, whilst those in oceanography will be stimulated by research possibilities on the new ship.
Future science strategy should be developed to ensure that government has its long term monitoring needs defined, that thematic fields such as climate change are linked both to topical concerns and international programmes, and that blue skies proposals continue to be funded. Data needs to be recognised as a valuable resource and an Antarctic National Data Centre nominated.
Governance of the programme needs to be more coherent and transparent, in order to provide all stakeholders with a robust and consultative decision-making process. The present management structure for SANAP across two departments is confusing and should be simplified and made more effective by establishing SANAP as a National Facility lead by a senior scientist and reporting through a single department.
In the Antarctic Treaty System South Africa needs to assume a more positive role, ensuring that it is included in developing new initiatives and making other countries more aware of the African contribution.
Provided a new ship is purchased the Review Panel concludes that the future research programme is not simply sustainable but provides a basis on which to build enhanced educational opportunities and possible economic gains
