Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Western Cape gets serious about climate change
The Western Cape recently held the first Indaba of its kind in the province to create a platform through which government and the private sector can work together to tackle challenges associated with climate change.
Prof Guy Midgley, from Stellenbosch University school of climate studies, said that climate change was increasing the chances of extreme weather events in South Africa. Long-term weather data also indicated that the province was receiving less rain, which resulted in low soil moisture, with important implications for the agriculture sector.
Dr Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, highlighted that the provincial government had recently approved a climate change framework and the Agriculture Department had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Californian Department of Agriculture to promote co-operation between these regions. One of the aims of the memorandum is the exchange of information on climate change mitigation and best practices within the agriculture sector.
Anton Bredell, the Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, said the impact of extreme weather events was clear to see. “The Western Cape suffered řǰśȹȱȱȱȱȱŘŖŘřȱ and also huge losses due to storm surges along the coastline last winter.
“This summer, we are experiencing a wildfire season that is stretching our resources to the limits,” said Bredell.
He said the government has an overarching climate change strategy, which sets out a mission to be a net-zero emissions and climate ȱȱ¢ȱŘŖśŖǯ
Bredell said climate change should not be blamed for incidents that result from poor management or bad planning. In this regard, he underlined the importance of alien clearing as a measure to maintain healthy ecosystems, and of working sewerage and water networks for water security.
“Many towns in South Africa are struggling with water insecurity – not because of climate change, but because of poor maintenance of infrastructure, such as pipes leaking,” he said.
Bongiwe Mbunge, partner at Mazars, said business leaders had to make tough decisions now to ensure a sustainable future.
She used the analogy, “we cannot change the wind direction, but can adjust our sails to always reach our destinations”, to describe how businesses should adapt to reduce their contribution to climate change, while remaining profitable.