Physical Geography & Geomorphology in Southern Africa
315-823 NPO
SOCIETIES & ASSOCIATIONS
​International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) is a scientific, non-governmental and non-profit organisation, whose principal objectives are development and promotion of geomorphology as a science through international co-operation and dissemination of knowledge of geomorphology. The IAG/AIG was founded at the Second International Conference on Geomorphology in Frankfurt/Main (Germany) in 1989 in order to strengthen international geomorphology.
IAG/AIG fulfils its aims through the establishment of working groups and task forces, organisation of international and regional conferences, publication activity and information exchange. Membership of the IAG/AIG is normally by countries. At present, 63 countries are affiliated to the IAG/AIG through their National Scientific Members. The activity of the IAG/AIG is steered by its Executive Committee.
​The Land Rehabilitation Society of Southern Africa (LaRSSA) is a multidisciplinary society that promotes land rehabilitation that is scientific, technically robust, economically viable, and socially acceptable.
LaRSSA was founded on the 8th of August 2012 and publicly inaugurated and constituted on the 15th November 2012. LaRSSA is a non-profit organization with a current membership of 250 and growing rapidly. LaRSSA has a potential member database of more than 2500.
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LaRSSA achieves land rehabilitation that is scientific, technically robust, economically viable, and socially acceptable by:
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Providing land rehabilitation discussion forums;
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Providing a platform for relevant capacity building of land rehabilitation best practice;
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Hosting various technical field workshops and an annual conference where scientific research, case studies, as well as success and non-success stories can be shared;
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Creating open communication channels between all stakeholders which will provide information that will influence policy to ensure more sustainable rehabilitation outcomes; and
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Promoting scientific research on land rehabilitation and communicate valuable outcomes.
The South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) is the legislated regulatory body for natural science practitioners in South Africa. The natural sciences encompass a wide range of scientific fields covering all of the basic sciences and many of their applied derivatives. For a complete list of the current fields of practise recognised by SACNASP, please have a look at their website here.
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Their mission is to establish, direct, sustain and ensure a high level of professionalism and ethical conscience amongst South African scientists. Their conduct should be internationally acceptable and in the broad interest of the community as outlined in the SACNASP Code of Conduct.
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SACNASP’s main objectives are to:
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Promote the practice of the natural science professions in South Africa;
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Ensure and administer the mandatory registration of natural scientists as required in terms of The Natural Scientific Professions Act of 2003;
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Exercise control over the standard of conduct of professional natural scientists;
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Monitor the standard of education and training of natural scientists;
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Set standards for the recognition of education and training of natural scientists; and
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Ensure that prospective registrants meet the educational standards required for registration.
​The Society of South African Geographers (SSAG), founded in 1994, main objective is to advance the research and educational activities of all South African geographers by:
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Collectively representing the interests of South African geographers regionally, nationally and internationally;
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Encouraging and supporting high quality research and teaching in Geography;
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Providing a national geographic information resource for geographers and interested groups;
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Stimulating awareness of geographic and environmental matters through academic collaboration with other intellectual communities and accountable interaction with the public at large; and
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Stimulating awareness of geographic and environmental matters through organising an annual South African National Geography Olympiad (SANGO).
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SSAG achieves these objectives by:
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Publishing and effectively disseminating scholarly research results in the South African Geographical Journal (SAGJ) and other occasional publications;
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Through the organization of prestige lectures;
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By encouraging regional and special interest group activities;
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By organising a biennial conference; and
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By performing other services such as representing geographers on various official Department of Education subject groups.
Membership of the Society is open to all who share its objectives. The Society recognizes the achievements of its members through several types of award, inter alia the Jubilee Bursary (for an Honours student), the Bronze Medal (for outstanding Masters thesis), the Gold Medal (four outstanding service to the geographical community in South Africa) and the Fellowship (for outstanding and sustained scholarly contributions).
​The Southern African Society for Quaternary Research (SASQUA) encourages and advances the study of Southern African research projects, arrange meetings, coordinate publications of research results, attract the interest of and boost opportunities for young scientists in the Quaternary field, assist research funding organizations, inform museums and universities about needs of Quaternary research in Southern Africa, assist authorities in connection with salvage and conservation operations. The society enrolls members, collect subscriptions and administer funds. The management and control of the society is vested in a council of which councilors are elected at a biennial general meeting. The society was formed in the nineteen sixties and has since then arranged successful and stimulating biennial conferences except during 1999 when it assisted in the organization of the INQUA conference in Durban.
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The XIX Biennial SASQUA Congress was held from 13th – 16th September 2012 in conjunction with the South African Association of Geomorphologists Biennial Conference (8th – 12th September 2012) in Gobabeb, Namibia.