Prof Bob Scholes, one of the world’s leading scientists on climate change, has died while on a hike in Namibia.
Wits University said in a statement it was “shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of such a giant in the field of climate science, not only in SA, but in the world.
“Prof Scholes was a true leader, a conscientious and dedicated scientist, and a teacher to all.
“This is a sad, sad day for Wits. Bob is irreplaceable.”
A professor of systems ecology at Wits, Scholes served as the Director of the Global Change Institute (GCI). He was among the top 1% of environmental scientists worldwide, based on citation frequency, and he published widely in the fields of savanna ecology, global change, and earth observation.
Prof Scholes led several high-profile studies and held high-profile positions in the fields of climate change and environmental studies globally. He was one of the lead authors in the assessment reports of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the present and future effects of climate change and how we can adapt to, or reduce it. He also served as a member of the steering committees of several global earth observation bodies.
A spokesperson at Wits said, “Today South Africa lost one of its very finest and most globally recognised scientists. Many of us lost a great friend. He was a curious mix of profound intellect, immense knowledge and gentle arrogance. I salute Bob Scholes whose passing leaves us so much poorer.”
His wife, Prof Mary Scholes, is the Professor of Systems Analysis in the School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences at Wits.
Photo by Neil Palmer/CIAT