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Climate-related extreme events pose a major threat to biodiversity and wildlife habitats. Cyclones and floods cause major disruptions to ecosystems, and the southern African region has not been spared from the impact of these natural disasters. Yet to date, limited studies have profiled the effects of cyclone and flood events on biodiversity and wildlife resources in southern Africa. This chapter, therefore, assesses the impact of cyclones and floods on biodiversity and wildlife resources in southern Africa for the period 1974–2019. A systematic review of literature on cyclone and flood events was done using Google Scholar, electronic databases and technical reports. Documents with relevant titles and abstracts on cyclones and floods were selected based on key search words and phrases relevant to biodiversity and wildlife resources. The findings from this review indicate that between 1975 and 2019, cyclones and floods hit parts of southern Africa. This has resulted in changes in the structure and composition of marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats. These changes have had significant implications on the availability of ecosystem goods and services. Additionally, the results of this review reveal that a firm understanding of the influence of climate change–induced extreme events on biodiversity and wildlife resources by relevant stakeholders is vital for the promotion of adaptive biodiversity management strategies. They also point to the need for future studies which focus on real-time monitoring of the affected habitats and which compare the diversity of species before and after cyclone and flood events.

Institutions of Higher Education, particularly universities contribute immensely to the United Nations landmark 2030 agenda and the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals—the SDGs. Universities are uniquely placed to broken links between different sectors through fostering cross-cutting approaches to achieving the climate change-related sustainable development goals. This chapter documents the extent to which Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) in Zimbabwe contributes towards achieving the climate change-related SDGs (specifically SDG #13) through research, community engagement, and teaching. The chapter relied on desktop reviews of grey literature produced by the university in the form of reports, research records, and the CUT database. The data was interpreted using content analysis. Findings indicate that the university offers modules with components on climate change especially in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SAST) as well as School of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (SWEC). The study also found that apart from taught degree programmes, some academics collaborate internally and with external stakeholders towards research activities and community programmes, which contribute towards climate change science, adaptation, mitigation, and resilience in Zimbabwe and Africa. CUT can be used as a model on how universities can translate climate-related research into policy and action through fostering linkages between academics and other stakeholders towards climate smart development initiatives.