City of Joburg adapts to climate change

As the city gears up to host the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Mayors Summit from 4-6 February, the executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Mpho Parks Tau says: "The impact of the choices we make today will be evident in the atypical weather conditions the latter half of the century will experience. To reduce this future impact, the city is implementing adaptation measures as a proactive response to climate changes."

Resource efficiency

To mitigate the impact of climate change, Joburg's focus is on resource efficiency. Resource efficiency includes the development of green transportation like the Rea Vaya rapid bus transport system, climate resilient and energy efficient buildings, such as the Cosmo City housing project and the Alexandra urban renewal project.

Resource efficiency also includes green infrastructure development across the energy, transport, water, waste, housing and building sectors. These green projects include recycling of waste, converting landfill gas to energy to generate green electricity and removing greenhouse gas emissions, installing solar geysers in selected housing developments, retro-fitting identified households with energy saving light bulbs, promoting water conservation initiatives such as water harvesting and greening the city by planting trees, to name but a few.

City's response

A liveable and resilient city is a city that is climate-proofed against these extreme weather conditions through adaptation and mitigation. The city's responses to climate change can be seen as promoting proactive development pathways, one of which is the hosting of the C40 Global Summit, the first for the African continent.

"Climate change is a global problem that affects current and future generations. Our responses must therefore be collaborative and intensive. Citizens are urged to become part of the solution," Tau says.