CLIMATE CHANGE
Durban was the first city in Africa to release its climate action plan
While sea, sand and sun are what most people associate with Durban, the city is building a reputation as a climate change champion. Durban was the first city in Africa to release its climate action plan, which includes strategies to conserve and manage its ecological resources, especially river systems.
“AFD is a member of the C40 Cities Finance Facility, and a co-funder of CICLIA (Cities and Climate in subSaharan Africa) – a financial facility to provide project preparation funds.” 22
MAR /APR 2022
ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY takes the lead on riverine management
D
urban, a coastal city within KwaZulu-Natal, contains 18 major river systems, some of which extend far inland of the city boundary. Over the past 30 years, deteriorating river water quality and more frequent flooding have caused escalating costs to the city, businesses and its citizens. The protection and management of its river systems is a central pillar in Durban’s climate change action plan, as human health and safety risks are being increasingly linked to poor riverine management.
Partnership
EThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) has formed a partnership with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to help with the implementation of its Transformative Riverine Management Programme. AFD is a member of the C40 Cities Finance Facility, and a co-funder of CICLIA (Cities and Climate in sub-Saharan Africa) – a financial facility to provide project preparation funds. “In less than 18 months, the plans are coming together, and Durban’s innovative solutions may be replicated in cities around the world,” says Zoé Ramondou,
project manager: Municipalities and Urban Development, AFD. Projects falling within the TRMP represent powerful partnerships between EMM, external partners like AFD and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), civil society groups, and communities. The pilot projects embarked upon to date, with support from the C40 Cities Finance Facility and GIZ as implementing agency, include a strong focus on community involvement, capacitybuilding and skills development.
Climate change risks
“Alternating cycles of drought and floods have driven informal settlements into flood plains, resulting in extreme vulnerability and loss of life and property. The projected impacts of climate change on Durban’s water systems include declining water quality, more intense flooding, reduced water availability and food security. When combined with blocked rivers and streams and settlements in vulnerable, flood-prone areas, the impact of a changing climate can be disastrous,” adds Ramondou. Because rivers are dynamic systems that are constantly responding to human and biophysical impacts, river management
