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Adaptation Plan of the City of Durban
Summary:
The following case study is featured in the Meister Consultants Group study: *Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets: Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Around the World*.
South Africa faces serious challenges associated with climate change. Water scarcity is already very high on the political agenda, and climate change will further aggravate the water situation. Other important challenges include health effects. Biodiversity loss will be especially economically important, given some of the country’s unique natural habitats and their relevance to the tourism industry. South Africa is better prepared to deal with the consequences of climate change than many other African countries because of the availability of more reliable climate data and projections than other African states. Since 2004, South Africa has had a national climate strategy that addresses the need for adaptation. A more detailed adaptation policy is currently under preparation and is expected to be released in 2010.
_Source: Dr. Hans-Peter Meister, I. K., Martina Richwein, Wilson Rickerson, Chad Laurent. Additional contributors: Jeff Snell, Elisa Burchert, Florian Lux. (2009). *Floating Houses and Mosquito Nets: Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Around the World.* Boston: Meister Consultants Group. p. 20._
For more detailed information and references refer to: [Floating Houses - Full Report](http://files.mc-group.com/clst/Study%20Climate%20Change%20Adaption.pdf).
[Meister Consultants Group](http://www.mc-group.com/)
Adaptation Experience:
The city of Durban, located on the Indian Ocean, has more than three million inhabitants and represents the center of the South African province KwaZulu Natal. Due to its costal location, the city is frequently affected by floods and storms, with significant impacts on the city’s infrastructure.
Climate change will likely increase these risks. As a result, the regional administration has been considering the possible impacts of climate change on Durban. In 2004, the Department for the Environment of the City initiated an analysis of the likely regional impacts of climate change. The increasing frequency of floods and droughts, the intensification of coastal erosion, damage to infrastructure, the decrease of water availability, and food insecurity were identified as important challenges. The analysis was extended through a discussion process with the relevant stakeholders in 2006, and then summarized in a report.
Based on this report, Durban developed the Headline Adaptation Strategy. The strategy identifies sectors that will be affected by climate change and develops guidelines for adaptation. In order to specify these guidelines and to integrate adaptation into the strategies and plans of the relevant sectors, the city is developing sector-specific plans (Municipal Action Plans). Important focus areas are water and health.
Source:South African Weather Service: http://www.weathersa.co.za/Pressroom/2007/2007Mar22KZN.jsp id21: http://www.id21.org/insights/insights71/art05.html eThekwini Municipality Durban: www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/departments/environment/climate-change
Results and Learning:
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Sustainability:
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Replication:
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