Climate Change in the context of Sustainable Development Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Provincial Government of the Western Cape Republic of South Africa Dipolelo Elford

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Climate Change in the context of Sustainable
DevelopmentDepartment of Environmental Affairs
and Development PlanningProvincial Government
of the Western CapeRepublic of South
AfricaDipolelo Elford
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Western Cape Context

• 5.3 Million citizens, 90 live in cities and
  towns
• Growing economy and lower unemployment rate than
  national average
• Home to two Biodiversity Hotspots Cape
  Floristic Region and Succulent Karoo
• Western Cape is an important tourist destination.
  In 2002/03 foreign direct investment from tourism
  gtR550 million
• Bordered by gt1000km of coastline
• Energy security key economic concern

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Sustainable Development Imperative

• Vision - A sustainable home for all now and
  forever
• Sustainable Development Declaration
• Sustainable Development Implementation Plan
• - Will be achieved through implementing
  integrated governance systems that promote
  economic growth in a manner that contributes to
  greater social equity and that maintains the
  ongoing capacity of the natural environment to
  provide the ecological services upon which
  socio-economic development depends

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Sustainable Development in the Province

• Challenge Balancing economic growth and
  environmental integrity
• Western Cape Provincial Growth and Development
  Strategy (PGDS) recognises that growth must take
  place within a sustainable development framework
• The SDIP is one of several provincial strategies
  and plans that seeks to give expression to the
  Provinces vision of shared growth and integrated
  development.

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Sustainable Development Challenges

• Economic Development
• Human Settlements
• Energy and Climate Change
• Water and Waste
• Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
• Governance

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6 Thematic Areas of SDIP

• Biodiversity and Natural Resources
• Energy and Climate Change
• Sustainable Human Settlements
• Sustainable Transport
• Waste Management
• Water Use and Management

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Sustaible Development Strategic context
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Sustainable Development Strategic Context

• 1992 UN Conference on Environment and
  Development
• 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
  (WSSD)
• 2002 Gauteng Declaration on the Role of Regional
  Governments in Sustainable Development
• Western Cape Growth and Development Framework
• iKapa elihlumayo Strategies
• Integrated Development Planning
• 2007 Western Cape Sustainable Development
  Implementation Plan
• 2007 Western Cape Climate Change Response
  strategy and Action Plan

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PROVINCIAL CONTEXT
Transport SIP
Economic Development MEDS
Urban/Spatial development PSDF
Key Growth Drivers for the Province
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
PGDS
Investment
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The Western Cape Province
Namaqualand
Dry
Moist
NOT ALL DISTRICTS WILL BE AFFECTED THE SAME BY
CLIMATE CHANGE
Great Karoo
Mountains
Coastal
plain
Mountains
Little Karoo
Mountains
CapeTown
Garden Route
Coastal plain
Moist
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Key Predictions about Climate Change in the
Western Cape

• Changes are detectable and attributable
• Warmer temperatures more so in the interior.
• Drier conditions in the shoulder seasons,
  especially away from mountains
• weaker cold fronts, (longer burn season).
• Increased humidity and greater persistence of
  stronger southerly winds.
• increased rainfall intensity and extreme events
• Possible increases in inter-annual variability

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Climate Change threats to Sustainable Development
in the Province

• The 2005 - Climate Change Status Quo and
  vulnerability assessment Report which shows that
  climate change will have double the global
  average impact in the Western Cape.
• Hotter and drier weather will lead to
• - More fires, floods and drought
• - Changes and drop in agricultural production
• - Less water
• - Increased vulnerability of the poor

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The Western Cape Climate Change Response Strategy
and Action Plan
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Contents

• The Provincial Action Plan
• - departmental projects, timeframes,
  budgets

• Three Adaptation Programmes
• Water Supply and Infrastructure Management
• Climate Change Research and Monitoring
• Linking livelihoods, land stewardship and
  economic growth.

• 4. One Mitigation Programme
• Reducing our carbon footprint and maximising
  energy efficiency opportunities

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Programme 1 Integrated Water supply and
Infrastructure
Conserve wetlands estuaries and rivers
Establish and implement the ecological reserve-
incrementally
Research areas demand, cost benefit of
irrigation, irrigation efficiency and
profitability
Integrated water programme
Increase water efficiency through pricing
strategies
Establish science / environmental / government
dialogue
Establish uninterrupted water conservancy targets
Systems maintenance and repairs
Strengthen provincial capacity against 1100 year
drought
Programme custodian DWAF
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Programme 2 Climate change research and
monitoring
Extend weather stations network
Increase Air Quality stations integrate other
data - e.g. traffic
Foster science / environmental / government
dialogue
Research, monitoring and validation
Research pest sensitivity to climate change
Research irrigation efficiency
Programme custodian PCCC / DEADP
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Programme 3 Establish clear linkages between
land stewardship, biodiversity, livelihoods and
the economy
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Programme 4 Reducing our carbon footprint and
maximising energy efficiency opportunities
Air quality monitoring
Waste management, energy conversion and recycling
initiatives
Household fuel replacement
Transport fuel replacement integrated housing
and transport planning - town planning (IDPs)
Mitigation programmes
Develop the provincial renewable resources
Integrate CC into building standards, EE houses
Energy efficiency - drive targets, incentivise
through pricing strategies
Develop provincial industry and innovations -
electric car, SWH installation capacity Solar
panels manufacturing
Programme custodians DEADP DME CTC DoT
Housing
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Environmental Authorisations

• Reducing the cumulative impacts on water sources
• Water and energy efficiency measures
• Transport focus on public transport measures
• Development setbacks in coastal zones and flood
  prone areas
• Avoiding damage to wetlands, aquatic systems,
  forests, other fragile environments and
  biodiversity hotspots and corridors
• Avoiding development of high potential
  agricultural land
• Avoiding impacts and promoting environmental
  rights of socio-economically disadvantaged
  communities

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Conclusion

• Climate change poses a particular challenge over
  and above the already existing challenge of
  achieving sustainable development
• Key imperative is to adapt our provincial
  development initiatives and activities to
  minimise the impact of adverse climate trends on
  our citizens socio-economic development and on
  natural resource conservation
• Need to limit green house gas emissions and
  improve energy security
• Need to act sooner rather than later

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Thank You