NEWSPage 2 5 June 2009
MACK MAKHATHINI
WE CAN do something aboutclimate change if we all worktogether. That was the mess-age from the Municipality’sDurban Climate Change Sum-mit last week.
The summit identified waysfor local industry to tackleclimate change and identify“green” investment oppor-tunities. It was organised bythe City’s EnvironmentalManagement Department,Durban Investment Promo-tion Agency and the UnitedNations Industrial Develop-ment Organisation (Unido).
Debra Roberts, the City’sDeputy Head of Environ-mental Management, saidDurban, as a coastal city,would be particularly affectedby rises in temperature, rain-fall and sea level.
She predicted an increase indiseases transmitted by waterand animals and in the fre-quency and intensity of floodsand droughts.
At the same time, less waterwould be available and heatstress would increase.
“There will be extinctionsand changes in the distri-bution of plant and animalspecies, erosion of coastalareas and decreased foodsecurity,” Roberts warned.
The good news is that thesummit profiled several pro-jects aimed at blunting theeffect of climate change.
Lisa Constable, of Environ-mental Resources Manage-ment, said: “We will movefrom confidence in predictionof impacts to confidence inthe ability to respond.”
Constable said rainfall dataused in infrastructure design
and flood risk managementshould be revised. “We shouldprepare shoreline manage-ment plans for the wholecoastline,” she said.
Susan Viljoen, of the Wild-lands Conservation Trust, saideThekwini aimed to plant62 500 trees on 125ha in thebuffer zone of the BuffelsdraaiLandfill Site.
World Cup“The Buffelsdraai project is
the first initiative to contributetowards offsetting some ofDurban’s 2010 World Cupcarbon emissions,” she said.
Other positive spin-offs ofthe project include the rehab-ilitation of degraded forestecosystems, income gener-ation for poor communities,management of rainfall catch-ment areas and the protectionof downstream coastal assets.
“Tree-prenuers” from near-by communities will growseedlings at their homesteadsin exchange for food, clothingand school fees at anorganised “Tree Store”.
Khalil Hamdani, of Unido,said that the organisationencouraged low-carbon ind-ustrial development throughcross-border, public-privateco-operation.
“We chose Durban becauseit’s a manufacturing hub ofSouth Africa and it’s one of thebest managed City in thecountry and in Africa.”
Hamdani said companiesfrom China would be invitedto Durban to share bestpractices in clean production,eco-efficient management,carbon friendly designs, pro-cesses and products.
Climatechange inspotlight
MACK MAKHATHINI
THE EnvironmentalManagement Departmentlaunched a Green Roof pilotproject at their offices, offArchie Gumede (Old Fort)Place, last week.
The City initiative is part ofefforts to tackle globalwarming. A green roof ispartly or completely coveredwith plants and soil.
About 30 different plantspecies have been chosen forthe project and they areexpected to attract birds andanimals, bringing
biodiversity back into theheart of the city.
At the launch, Mayor ObedMlaba said: “We want to seemore and more projects ofthis nature across the city.”
He said young peopleshould be encouraged to lovenature by taking care of it.
Department Deputy HeadDebra Roberts said: “Thisproject aims to reducetemperatures and stormwater run-off, mitigate andadapt to climate change, andpromote inner citybiodiversity.”
DOWN TO EARTH: Mayor Obed Mlaba does a spot of gardening at the launch of the City’s Green Roof project
Green roof wetting
GROWTH POTENTIAL: About 30 different plant specieshave been chosen for eThekwini’s Green Roof pilotproject Pictures: THEMBA KHUMALO
SIPHOKAZI NTSHANGASE and ZIBUSE NDLOVU
AIR POLLUTION can be asbad, or even worse indoorsthan it is outdoors. That’s themessage City Health isspreading in an effort to tacklethis public health hazard.
“Most people are unawareof the air quality exposuresthey can have in the indoorenvironment,” said SivaChetty, Deputy Head of Pollu-tion Control and Risk Man-agement at City Health Unit.
Indoor air quality problemscan occur anywhere: informal and informal settle-ments, offices, crèches, oldage homes, cars, buses, trains,taxis and airplanes.
Most people spend longperiods indoors at homes, atwork or in shops, where theycan be exposed to harmfulbacteria, tobacco smoke,volatile organic compounds
and consumer products.People working in industrial
areas risk exposure to fumescaused by the burning of coal,heavy fuel oil, diesel andpetrol. At home, manyresidents, particularly thepoor, inhale unhealthyamounts of wood smoke orparaffin fumes.
Outdoor pollutants can alsoenter indoor spaces, wherethey may react with chemicalsand materials found indoorsto produce new pollutants.
Chetty said hydrocarbonsolvents, including benzene,can reach high levels duringpainting and soon afterwards.
He advised that water-basedpaints should be used wherepossible instead of oil paints.“Children in particular shouldnot be exposed to thesechemical odours,” he said.
“The most sustainable wayto improve indoor air qualityis to improve settlements by
providing housing, electricityand sanitation. While thebacklogs in these areas arebeing addressed, informationand awareness can be used toreduce exposure,” Chetty said.
City Health has held work-shops for university students,non-governmental organis-ations, environmental healthpractitioners and officialsfrom other municipalities.
“We hope to hold work-
shops at schools and displayinformation at shoppingmalls. Our aim is to reachevery citizen in eThekwini,”Chetty said.
Poor indoor air quality cancontribute and cause serioushealth hazards that could leadto the development of chronicrespiratory diseases such asasthma and hypersensitivity.
[email protected]@durban.gov.za
Public warned onindoor air quality
HAZARD: At home, many residents, particularly thepoor, inhale unhealthy amounts of wood smoke
METRO REPORTER
WITH winter upon us, theMunicipality’s Energy Officehas asked allresidents to dotheir bit to saveelectricity byfollowing thesehandy hints:
1 Don’t usepower-hungryheaters. Warmyour bed with anelectric blanketand switch it offwhen you turnin. A hot waterbottle is cheaper and worksjust as well.
2 Repair cracks and leakswhich allow cold air to enteryour house. Close the openspace between the door andfloor with a rug.
3 Close windows, doors,curtains and blinds early sothat cold evening air does notenter your home.
4 Dress warmly to beat thewinter chill.
5 Take a shorter shower.Every minute you cut from
your showersaves about 5l ofwater. Save morewater and powerby replacing yourshower head witha water savinghead.
6 Turn your ge-yser thermostatdown and saveon your energybill.
7 Boil only thewater that you need for thatwarm evening drink. Boilingmore wastes energy andincreases your electricity bill.
8 Replace worn refrigeratorseals which let warm air intoyour fridge, wasting energy.
Call the Energy Office at031 311 1145/6, e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.durban.gov.za .
Top tips to savepower this winter
IT’S IN YOUR HANDS:Save energy and helpsave the planet
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