Climate change in south Climate change in south Durban, South AfricaDurban, South Africa

Copyright © 2010 CCAA Project

Who is the South Durban Who is the South Durban Community Environmental Community Environmental

Alliance? Alliance? A non-governmental coalition of 16 community and

environmental organisations concerned with environmental justice and sustainable development in south Durban and eThekwini (the broader Durban municipal area)

Launched in 1995 to unite members in a common struggle for a healthy living environment and environmentally sustainable and socially just development in south Durban

South Durban is home to approximately half a million people, and is also the location of South Africa’s largest chemical industry cluster including two major oil refineries (Engen and Sapref) and two big paper mills (Mondi and Sappi Saicorr) as well as the transport infrastructure associated with Africa’s largest port

Location of poor and mostly black people close to polluting industries. The history of racially-motivated planning has resulted in the difficult circumstances in which south Durban communities continue to find themselves: choking on noxious fumes, suffering pollution-related illness, and rapidly deteriorating neighbourhoods

In 2002/2206 a health study was carried out by the eThekwini Municipality and University of Michigan – results had shown that 52% of the children from Settlers Primary School (found in close proximity to Engen refinery) had asthma

These stats had made the Guinness Book of records for the highest percentage of affected children

Overview of climate change Overview of climate change project in south Durbanproject in south Durban

Climate change book launch – February 2009

Climate change and poverty hearing – August 2009

Durban’s build up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP 15 7th Dec 09 – Video screening (The story of stuff and carbon

trading) 9th Dec 09 – Picket outside Sapref, Engen and Mondi

refineries 12th Dec 09 – Global day of action Youth Rally 12th Dec 09 – Candlelight vigil outside Engen refinery 14th Dec 09 – Press briefing – The World Bank and Eskom:

Banking on climate destruction

Attending COP 15 in Copenhagen – December 2009

Copenhagen review workshop – February 2010

Kids painted banners and t-shirts with messages to President Jacob Zuma

Protest outside Mondi paper mill

Global day of action, Youth Rally

Scientific evidence: increases in temperature increased rainfall variability extreme weather events (e.g. flooding and

drought)

CO2, N2O, CH4 exceed values over the past

650 000 years

5% chance this is natural variability

Climate change in south Climate change in south DurbanDurban

What can we expect?What can we expect? Rising temperatures Water shortages and

extreme weather events Sea level rise Ocean currents, ocean

temperatures, and marine biodiversity

Terrestrial biodiversity Illness and disease Air pollution Social problems

A hint of things A hint of things to come?to come?

March 2007March 2007

November 2008November 2008

Stories from South Stories from South DurbanDurban

Clarabelle Mthembu has serious asthma

Patience Green has a son and grandson with chronic breathing problems

Siga Govender (farmer)Siga Govender (farmer) Farmed near Durban Airport

since 1976 March 2007, March & June

2008 Faced financial ruin Water resource is

compromised. In May 2010, water from the canal had dried up because of warmer conditions experienced leading to farmers having to dig up bore holes. Usually the bore hole water resource is used in September.

Water scarcity leads to farmers planting crops that require less water like parsley, thyme, spinach and coriander

Flooding had lead to loss of newly planted seedlings

Community empowerment and education

Farmers are still farming on land

Essop Mohammed Essop Mohammed (fisherman)(fisherman) Fishing off the harbour

since 1860 Move to different areas

along the harbour due to scarcity of species

Time of day has also been moved, from mornings to the evenings

Strong winds influence movement of the fish

Fishermen’s involvement with government

Draft policy for the development of viable (resilient) small scale fisheries sector in SA

Interim relief measure granted in the Cape and parts of KZN

Fishermen’s involvement with the city

Access to fishing piers

In 2004 defiance of the

link road campaign

Formed the KZN Subsistence Fisheries Forum

Pyramid of power and Pyramid of power and responsibility: climate responsibility: climate

changechange

Climate Climate change is a change is a global global problem, problem, yet each yet each one of us one of us has the has the power to power to make a make a differencedifference