IN a bold step to combat the escalating impacts of climate change, eThekwini Municipality launched the Municipal Forum for Climate Change recently.

The forum will serve as a collaborative platform to implement:

• The Durban Climate Change Strategy,
• Strengthen South Africa’s commitments under the Paris Agreement,
• Ensure that climate action leaves no one behind.

This initiative underscores the City’s commitment to reducing climate change impacts and aligns with the Climate Change Act, No. 22 of 2024, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June 2024.

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba emphasised the urgency of the initiative.

“Climate change is no longer a distant threat. In April 2022, eThekwini experienced its most devastating floods, claiming over 450 lives, displacing thousands, and causing damages worth billions of rands. Scientific evidence shows that rainfall during this event was 30% higher due to climate change, and projections indicate this figure could double by 2050-2070. We must act now to prepare for these impacts,” said Xaba.

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The forum brings together:

• Civil society,
• Traditional leaders,
• The private sector,
• Academia,
• Youth and other stakeholders to oversee mitigation and adaptation efforts, prioritising vulnerable communities.

“The Climate Change Act provides a clear framework for co-ordinated action across all spheres of government. Forums like this are critical to ensure that local implementation aligns with national priorities and that communities are empowered to respond effectively to climate risks,” said Mikateko Sithole, Director: Climate Change Monitoring and Evaluation: Impact and Adaptation from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE).

eThekwini has a proud history of climate leadership, being the first African municipality to adopt an integrated climate change strategy in 2015 and to launch a Climate Action Plan aligned with the global 1.5°C target.

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The current guiding framework is the Durban Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan, approved in June 2022.

The launch included presentations from DFFE and the Provincial Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), outlining national and provincial requirements under the Act and synergies with municipal implementation.

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