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.