Page 39 - State of Biodiversity Report 2022/2023

2022/2023 Update: Climate Change Department
The Climate Adaptation Branch (CAB) and Energy Office together make up the City’s Climate Change Department. As yet, the department continues to be without a Deputy Head to lead it, but interviews for that post have been completed. Once the department leader is in position, there will likely be a department strategic planning process to map out the department’s work plan and vision.The CAB continues to provide oversight of implementation of the Durban Climate Change Implementation Plan by supporting reporting through the city’s Enterprise Performance Monitoring Application. Project implementers were preparing reporting for Q1 of the 23/24 implementation plan. Reporting outcomes are collated for presentation at the City’s Climate Change Committee, chaired by His Worship, Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and the Executive Management Committee, chaired by the City Manager, Mr T.B. Mbhele. Substantial progress is being made in implementing the Enabling Theme, although the Climate Change Department is struggling with capacity to fully implement all programmes in the theme. Much of the City’s flood-related climate change projects are on hold as the City’s engineers continue to be overwhelmed with flood response.
Procurement for the fourth three-year phase of the Global Environmental Change Research Programme is almost complete and a Memorandum of Agreement is being drafted for Council approval. During the week of 3rd November, UKZN were planning to host
a transdisciplinary research workshop to better understand research needs within the city and its communities.These inputs will be refined into a research programme over the coming two months.The Global Environmental Change Research Programme (Phase 4) will commence with the beginning of the 2024 academic year, and will be implemented within the Durban Research Action Partnership.
The Climate Adaptation Branch continues to drive implementation of the City’s Transformative River Management Programme through the Palmiet Catchment Rehabilitation Project. During September, a workshop was convened in the Kloof Scouts Hall to review the ten-year old Palmiet Action Plan. These outcomes are being collated into a report which will be shared with all catchment stakeholders. The Kloof Conservancy is thanked for the use of the hall. Related to this work, the INACCT Resilience project concluded a theory
of change workshop to guide the research programme that seeks to develop a resilience framework, particularly for residents in informal settlements. Focusing on flood events of April 2022 in the Quarry Road West Informal Settlement (and cyclone events in Beira, Mozambique), the INACCT Resilience project team hope to understand how the Community-based Flood Early Warning System, which successfully saved so many lives during that flood event, can be formalised into an effective system that reaches all vulnerable communities in eThekwini Municipality.
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