Download Minister Molewa – DEA

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUMMIT:
PANEL 3:
STRENGTHENING
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND
MULTI-STAKEHOLDER
COLLABORATION TO BUILD
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
06 APRIL 2017, Gallagher
Estates
Panelist 1: Ms BE Molewa, Minister for Environmental Affairs
Building climate change resilient municipalities to address the socioeconomic challenges: The importance of inter-sectoral and crossdepartmental coordination
2
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Local government is faced with the challenge of ensuring sustainable socioeconomic development while also ensuring that communities become
environmentally resilient and are able to adapt to the uncertainties posed by
climate change.
Environmental challenges and climate change impacts have the greatest
effect on the most vulnerable communities, and potentially undermine
service delivery
Examples include: Poor air quality, poorly managed waste, unmanaged fire,
flooding associated with intense rainfall, drought, sea level rise, loss of
biodiversity and habitat.
3
PROBLEM STATEMENT (cont)
Key challenges associated with effective environmental management at local
government level include:
• Lack of dedicated and properly resourced environmental management
units in most municipalities
• Lack of dedicated finance for environmental management priorities
• Competing development priorities, with environmental management often
considered to be a lower level priority in improving quality of life
• Limited integration of environmental sustainability and climate resilient
principles in development planning frameworks
4
PERSPECTIVES ON ENVIRONMENT SECTOR AREA OF WORK
Our vision is to achieve environmentally sustainable and climate resilient
municipalities, and to promote programmes that ensure fulfillment of the
environmental right (section 24) in the Constitution: this is the right to an environment
that is not harmful to health and well being.
Key objectives include:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Improved environmental governance systems
Sustainable and efficient management and use of natural resources
Improved socio economic benefits
Planned and managed climate change response
These four strategic levers are enablers for radical socio-economic transformation
5
Improved environmental governance systems
• Forty four (44) (100 %) functional District Environmental Management forums have been
established. These forums are vehicles for implementation of the Local Government
Support Strategy and for monitoring progress on set targets.
• There are 279 Environmental Management Inspectors designated in forty seven (47)
municipalities to ensure compliance with environmental legislations.
• An additional 120 municipal officials have been trained on Environmental Management
Inspections (EMIs).
6
Improved environmental governance systems
Air Quality Management: In the past financial year, the following support initiatives on air quality
management were rendered:
•
Air Quality Monitoring Training conducted for municipalities in Mpumalanga, Western &
Eastern Cape Provinces. Municipalities in other provinces are currently receiving training
•
Support provided to 3 district municipalities on the development of their Air Quality
Management Plans: Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati municipality (NW) Ehlanzeni District
Municipality (MP) & Lejweleputswa District Municipality (FS)
•
Further support on Air Quality Management Planning currently being provided to
Mpumalanga Province and Northern Cape Province
•
Training on air quality licensing systems provided to municipalities in the following
provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, KZN, Free State, Eastern Cape,
Mpumalanga & North West
•
In Air Quality Priority Areas, the Department provides ongoing support in respect of financial
and human resources to all local authorities in the air quality priority areas as part of the
implementation of the Air Quality Management Plans
7
How the environment sector work contributes to radical socioeconomic transformation at local level
Integrated Waste Management:
• To date 121 waste management officials have been designated in municipalities.
• The department has supported municipalities with licensing of forty two Waste Disposal
Facilities.
• The sector made progress in ensuring 84% waste license applications were finalised within
legislated timeframes
• We are now embarking on a process of ensuring implementation of a full cycle of waste
management (circular economy). This entails managing waste from cradle to grave and back
to re-use.
• We are also supporting municipalities in landfill site refurbishment. We have completed 341
to date and are still continuing with the remainder
Sustainable and efficient management and use of natural resources interventions are
responding to Back to Basics pillar on Delivering Basic Services
8
Building Resilient Communities
Climate change response and disaster risk reduction
The Long Term Adaptation Scenario Research work of 2015 provides climate change
impact and adaptation scenarios for all key economic sectors, as well as options for
disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), in the context of increasing extreme
events such as droughts, floods and sea level rise etc.
The Department is implementing adaptation programmes aimed at risk reduction
measures such:
- restoration of critical ecological systems such as restoring of natural systems,
- removal of invasive alien plants,
- rehabilitation of wetlands,
- Promoting ecosystem based adaptation approaches
- rehabilitation of dongas, and re-vegetation of degraded lands
9
How the environment sector work contributes to radical socioeconomic transformation at local level
Local Government Climate Change Adaptation Support Programme
The Department of Environmental Affairs in partnership with the South African Local Government
Association (SALGA), intensified its roll out of the capacity building and awareness programme through
the roll- out of the Let’s Respond Toolkit, which is guideline for incorporating climate change into
integrated development plans and effective community climate change responses.
The roll out programme was conducted in 23 Districts and 107 Local Municipalities in 6 provinces
(Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Cape, and Free State)
Climate change vulnerability assessment and response plans for 23 Districts were developed in
2015/16 and 2016/17
2017/18 will focus on the remaining 21 districts for the Roll out of the Let’s Respond Toolkit and the
development of the Adaptation Response plans
10
Measures the department has taken to strengthen collaborative
working with other partners and stakeholders
Partnership in Climate adaptation finance and implementation
DEA through SANBI and other implementing partners has supported implementation of Adaptation Funded (UNFCCC) projects in 3
Provinces (Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo and Northern Cape)
The projects focus on food and water security, climate resilient settlements, savings for adaptation response and provision of early
warning systems to reduce the risks for disasters.
Project led by World Vision South Africa, “Hlula
Ndlala” in Mopani DM (Limpopo Province)
Introduction of heat and drought tolerant Meat master rams
and indigenous veld goats in Namakwa DM (Northern Cape)
11
How the environment sector work contributes to radical socioeconomic transformation at local level
Improved socio Economic benefits (2016\17 progress)
• In the quest to improve and expedite environmental impact management and decision
making within local government, the department developed regulatory interventions
to streamline the environmental authorisation process for Strategic Infrastructure
Projects (SIPs)
• To date 182 168 employment opportunities have been created;
• In addition, 23 959 Non EPWP work opportunities were created;
• 2 520 SMMEs have been created in environmental programmes;
Improved socio Economic benefits is responding to Back to Basics pillar on Putting
People First
12
Actions towards radical socio-economic transformation
Improved socio Economic benefits: 2017/18
Through the Environment and Culture Sector EPWP 405,328 work opportunities will be
created over the MTSF period
In 2017/18, the Department is aiming to create about 71 684 work opportunities and 38 140
Full time Equivalent jobs
The Department has designed youth focussed interventions which will ensure that 5 400
Youth are recruited in various programmes during 2017/18:
• 3 000 Environmental Management personnel placed in Municipalities (including
Waste Management and Biodiversity Management)
• 900 Youth Environmental Service;
• 1 500 Environmental Monitors deployed in conservation areas.
13
Conclusion
• Environmental management is a cross-generational challenge
• The effects of action or inaction will not only be felt immediately, but will continue to
have significant consequences for future generations.
• We need to work collectively to build environmentally sustainable and climate resilient
communities, through continued strengthening of capacity for planning, resourcing,
and implementation, towards the fulfilment of the Constitutional right to an
environment that is not harmful to health and well being.
14