KwaZulu-Natal’s tale shows up the state’s climate change fail
SA faces three problems — all related to climate change — that aren’t even being discussed, let alone dealt with. They are the need to adapt to changes brought about by climate change, the rising likelihood of uninsurable risks and the ability to respond quickly to damage due to climate change.
Take what’s been happening in KwaZulu-Natal for the past 12 years. All three spheres of government — national, provincial and municipal — show no seriousness in dealing with the effects of floods that are becoming more frequent, resulting in deaths and damage to property and infrastructure.
The situation is so bad that the eThekwini mayor was quoted recently as saying the government has yet to sort out housing for people whose homes were destroyed by the 2011 floods. That was 12 years ago. And eThekwini’s finances are worse now than they were in 2011. So are national and provincial government finances. On that measure alone victims of this year’s floods can expect to wait much longer than the victims of the 2011 floods.
eThekwini is doing nothing to adapt its infrastructure for future floods, which are likely to be more frequent and possibly more violent, meaning far worse damage than this year’s. eThekwini simply doesn’t have the money and the technical skills to deal with this challenge. And there is no sign that the municipality is doing anything to fix things.
The UN has warned that the longer adaptation efforts are put off “the more difficult and expensive responding to climate change will be”. It defines adaptation as adjustments to ecological, social or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects. Such adaptation calls for changes in processes, practices and structures to mitigate damage to socioeconomic infrastructure caused by the effects of climate change.
“Adaptation actions can take on many forms, depending on the unique context of a community, business, organisation, country or region. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all-solution ’— adaptation can range from building flood defences, setting up early warning systems for cyclones or switching to drought-resistant crops, to redesigning communication systems, business operations and government policies.”
If countries are to adapt they must mobilise citizens, businesses and other stakeholders to rally behind the initiative. None of that is being done in SA, let alone sustained communication and educational campaigns to educate the public about climate change and its effects.
Yet the failure to adapt exposes communities and countries to far worse damage from future natural disasters, leading insurers to raise premiums so much that most people and businesses will be priced out of the insurance market or, as Allianz has warned, insurers will cut cover for natural disasters out of their offerings.
Allianz says 2024 will be the fourth year running during which insurance costs from natural disasters globally will exceed $100bn.
The US already faces challenges. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the insurer Allstate had “resorted to a nuclear option” after running billions of dollars in losses. It threatened to ditch customers in those states that refused to approve an increase in its insurance premiums.
New Jersey approved premium increases for automotive insurance averaging 17%, New York 15% and California 30%. California has yet to decide on Allstate’s request for a 40% hike in home insurance premiums.
“For many Americans, getting insurance for both their cars and homes has gone from a routine, generally manageable expense to a door-die ordeal that can strain household budgets,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Home and car owners face reduced coverage and fewer insurers to choose from, it said.
The SA government’s capacity to respond to floods comes in two chunks. The first relates to getting assistance to the victims of floods, a responsibility that has been taken over by the Gift of the Givers and other nongovernmental organisations.
The second is about repairing damage to socioeconomic infrastructure so that people and businesses can resume their activities as soon as possible. Associated with this is assistance that can be given to families and businesses to rebuild homes and businesses. In this regard, SA’s capacity has shrunk.
These are all issues the government should be tackling head-on, working with communities, businesses and other stakeholders. But the country’s leaders have other priorities.