South Africa must adapt to climate change – here’s what to do

Climate change experts at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have identified several priority areas South Africa must urgently focus on over the next 10 years to reduce the negative impacts of climate change – especially for society’s most vulnerable. And it won’t come cheap.

According to Dr Anna Taylor, a climate adaptation researcher at UCT’s African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), the country currently faces several major climate-related risks. These include water scarcity, health threats (linked to shifting environmental factors), food insecurity, damage to infrastructure, biodiversity losses, and declining labour productivity. These risks, Dr Taylor explained, are directly attributed to global warming and extreme weather (heatwaves, heavy rains and droughts). To reduce the impact and potential damages, the country must use the next decade to focus its attention on adequately adapting to climate change.

South Africa needs investment of roughly R250 billion to get the job done. And while this amount is only expected to get it to a basic level of adaptation, without it, the effects will be catastrophic. Establishing these priority areas took work. Taylor and a team of researchers from the ACDI synthesised existing climate change risk information from various publications, as well as expert opinions; and reviewed existing climate adaptation programmes, projects and plans across the country. The work was commissioned by the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and served as a basis for developing South Africa’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC2) to meet the goals set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Priority areas

Taylor said while the length and breadth of the country are affected by a changing climate and needs support to adapt, a recent analysis of climate vulnerability found that KwaZulu-Natal, the North West, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape need urgent adaptation interventions.

“We have identified these priority areas based on evidence analysis of climate risks and articulated adaption priorities within the Southern African context.”

But what does the country need to focus on first? High on the list is redeveloping water and sanitation systems to cope with droughts and floods; providing better access to healthcare facilities, especially in informal settlements to protect vulnerable residents; ensuring that farmers and fishers receive adequate support to help them adapt to changing weather conditions and to ensure food is readily available and affordable; protecting South Africa’s natural habitat; and improving the roads, rails and ports to withstand heavier rain, heat and strong winds. Further, upgrading towns and cities – the nodes of economic activity – to withstand climate change; and strengthening capacity for implementing the DFFE’s National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is crucial.

“We have identified these priority areas based on evidence analysis of climate risks and articulated adaptation priorities within the South African context. They are realistic in terms of need, but whether they are attainable is dependent on decisions regarding resource allocation and capacities,” she said.

Where to take action

Taylor said among these goals, researchers have identified several actions that need to happen as soon as possible. As a start, she said, more than 50 000 rented portable toilets stationed in informal settlements across the country must be replaced with 1 000 sanitation blocks and be moved away from food vendors. This, she added, is necessary for the health and well-being of the community and could save thousands of rands in the long-term.

“South Africa needs to strengthen its capacity, oversight and leadership in this regard if we are to avoid the rising cost of climate change.”

In addition, these few actions are crucial: improving the Southern African Development Community’s regional climate monitoring system to ensure communities receive early warnings on floods and extreme weather; installing one million waterless sanitation systems with a focus on schools, crèches and sport halls; building 100 emergency climate-resilient shelters; clearing water catchment areas of invasive plants; training additional 2 000 social workers to provide communities hardest hit by inclement weather with psychosocial support; and building additional clinics that are equipped to deal with an increase in water- and vector-borne diseases.

But it doesn’t end there. She said what are also of utmost importance are urgently maintaining 7 000 km of rivers, roads and culverts to protect high-risk communities against floods; supporting farmers in developing and using drought-resistant crops and heat-tolerant livestock and fish; and relocating 1 000 public transport assets such as bus depots and taxi ranks out of high-risk zones. Training community leaders on how to interpret climate information, and building government capacity to implement and monitor adaptation measures are crucial.

Strengthen capacity

Anton Cartwright, a member of the project team, said they identified priority areas based on climate risk assessments and existing or articulated adaptation priorities in the country.

“In terms of need, they are not just realistic but essential. Whether they are attainable is dependent on the ability to implement existing policies and the programmes that support them. In many instances, this will require new partnerships and intra-governmental coordination,” he said.

Cartwright helped to design and conduct a combined multi-criteria and cost-benefit analysis on the actions that need to be taken to reduce the impacts of climate change – to avoid the sense of creating a ‘wish list’ and to highlight the economic value of adapting well.

“It is widely recognised that South Africa needs to strengthen its capacity, oversight and leadership in this regard if we are to avoid the rising cost of climate change,” he said.

Get cracking

But reaching these goals cannot rest on the shoulders of government alone. Historically, Cartwright said, climate change adaptation has generally been the public sector’s responsibility, but this is fast changing. The private sector plays an important role in the process, and is needed to redirect finance, investment and insurance away from risky activities and towards climate resilient options. He said the sector also serves as a key source of the innovation required to design climate adaptive agriculture, sanitation and building construction. And the adaptation options highlighted in this research, he explained, distinguish well between public, private, and public–private sector interventions to share the responsibility.

“All this needs to happen fast. The risks and benefits are evident and the lead times for full implementation are significant.”

“All this needs to happen fast. The risks and benefits are evident and the lead times for full implementation are significant. As far as specifics go, such as when, how, where and what resources need to be used, all of that should be worked out by the relevant capacity holders, as mandated by the Climate Change Act,” he said.

South Africa is required to submit an updated NDC every five years, along with other countries that are signatories to UNFCCC. Therefore, the approach adopted in this work lays a basis for iterative progress. The UNFCCC Secretariat has asked the researchers to present this work at the upcoming National Adaptation Plans (NAP) Expo in Kigali, Rwanda, later this month. This provides a platform to share the research with teams from other countries working to set and cost adaptation priorities.