The Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project: Leading the Way in Community Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change
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Publication Details This document was produced and published by the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department of eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa © 2015. Acknowledgements This document was produced by the eThekwini Municipality’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department. Input was received from: Errol Douwes, Kathryn Roy, Nicci Diederichs-Mander, Khulile Mavundla and Debra Roberts. Suggested Citation Douwes, E., Roy, K.E., Diederichs-Mander, N., Mavundla, K., Roberts, D. 2015. The Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project: Leading the way in community ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change. eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa. The following individuals are thanked for proofreading and provision of comments: Nokuphila Buthelezi, Joanne Douwes, Richard Boon, Joanne Lees, Benis Egoh, Nikara Mahadeo. Credits eThekwini Municipality, DANIDA and the National Green Fund are acknowledged for provision of funds. Photography Errol Douwes, Jon Ivins, Richard Boon Our Partners Architecture Department Design & layout Artworks | www.artworks.co.za Contents Foreword by Councillor James Nxumalo 2 Foreword by Ms Christiana Figueres 3 Foreword by Dr Debra Roberts 4 Introduction 5 Project Summary 6 The Climate Change Challenge 8 The Role of Forests 10 History of the Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site 14 The Project Approach 15 How the Project has Changed People’s Lives 19 Advancing the Work of the Reforestation Project 22 Conclusion 26 Frequently Asked Questions 27 Further Reading and Information Resources 28 1 Foreword by Councillor James Nxumalo Mayor of eThekwini Municipality During the course of the past fi ve project, namely the Buff elsdraai years, eThekwini Municipality has Landfi ll Site Community Reforestation become a leader in the fi eld of climate Programme. This innovative project change adaptation. This is an important is building an indigenous forest in achievement for an African city, given the buff er zone of the Municipality’s that cities on this continent will likely Buff elsdraai Regional Landfi ll Site. Initially face some of the most severe impacts conceptualised to off set CO2 emissions associated with climate change. associated with hosting the 2010 FIFA Africa’s people and communities need World Cup matches, the project has also to understand what adaptation is, and delivered several important adaptation how it can be realistically achieved. Pilot benefi ts. Local community members projects that demonstrate meaningful are key partners, who have benefi ted learnings are critical if we are to in a number of ways, and the new successfully plan and set in place the forest is anticipated to provide a range necessary adaptation measures. of important ecosystem services. The project has highlighted the way that Key to Durban’s success in this fi eld is natural ecosystems support and protect the Municipality’s fl agship adaptation human communities. 2 The Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community Reforestation Project Foreword by Ms Christiana Figueres Executive Secretary, United Nations Climate Change Secretariat During the Durban Climate Change When I visited the site, I was struck Conference in 2011, the United Nations by how engaged the local community Climate Change Secretariat launched was in growing and replanting trees. the Momentum for Change initiative to That was more than three years ago. shine a light on climate action underway Since then, the Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site across the globe. The initiative held its Community Reforestation Project has inaugural award ceremony in Durban, grown and matured. I was pleased to recognising 10 outstanding projects on learn that all tree planting is expected the world stage. One of those projects to be completed this year – the same was the Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site year national governments have agreed Community Reforestation Project. to write a new universal climate change agreement in Paris, France. We selected it as a shining example of climate action because it demonstrates As we travel down the road to Paris, the strong and vital link that exists the world can take inspiration from the between natural ecosystems and the Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community human communities they support Reforestation Project. This is the kind and protect, and between the human of project that should be encouraged communities that support, restore and and promoted as part of every city’s protect local ecosystems. response to climate change. Mayor Nxumalo and Ms Figueres at the launch of the eThekwini Municipality’s community ecosystem-based adaptation (CEBA) programme in Paradise Valley Nature Reserve. The Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community Reforestation Project 3 Foreword by Dr Debra Roberts Deputy Head: Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department, eThekwini Municipality It is important to acknowledge that cities have the ability to transform our COP17, held in Durban in 2011, common global climate future. eff ectively changed the world. The outcome of the long and often To make the most of this signifi cant diffi cult negotiations held in Durban’s opportunity, we need brave local leaders International Convention Centre was the to give eff ect to visionary local ideas. agreement by nation states that we need The Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community to fi nd a new and ambitious way to deal Project is just such a beacon of hope, with the global climate change challenge. showing how real people with limited This new international partnership for resources and strong political leadership climate action will be crafted during 2015 can begin to rebuild what has been and agreed to in Paris at COP21. lost and imagine a new future in the most unlikely of spaces! In the words While much of the attention in Paris will or our icon, Nelson Mandela: “It always be on countries like China, India and the seems impossible until it is done”. The USA, we know that regardless of the fi nal Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community outcome, much of the responsibility for Reforestation Project is certainly a long implementation of the fi nal agreement way from being done, but it has shown will lie with local governments and local us how to start the journey towards communities. Nowhere is the potential developing a better adapted and low- power of local action more evident than carbon Durban. At the end of the day, on the African continent and in African the secret lies in harnessing the power cities. As the world’s most rapidly of Africa’s peoples and ecosystems to urbanising continent, Africa’s choices transform the African city. about how it develops its towns and 4 The Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community Reforestation Project Introduction The world is now urbanising at a rate faster than any ecosystem management. This is a key component other time in human history, with the bulk of this growth of the community ecosystem-based adaptation occurring in the developing world. African and Asian (CEBA) approach developed in Durban. cities are currently adding up to a million people a week to the global urban population, thereby cementing our Africa’s development challenges mean that synergies 21st century transition from a rural to an urban species. must be sought, not only between adaptation and development needs, but also wherever possible This era of formal and informal city building off ers between adaptation and mitigation agendas. unique transformation opportunities, among which Experience in Durban has demonstrated that is the potential to signifi cantly increase our adaptive while climate change adaptation remains the most capacity, to deal with climate change-related risk. immediate priority, mitigation interventions are a The key to unlocking this potential lies at the local critical component in enhancing the city’s adaptive level, where rapid action and feedback allow new capacity through the avoidance of climate change. approaches to be tested and mainstreamed well In this sense, mitigation may even be considered ahead of what can be achieved through more the ‘surest form’ of adaptation. A portfolio of co- cumbersome national and international processes. ordinated, synergised and constantly re-evaluated On this ‘planet of cities’, it is the cities themselves adaptation and mitigation responses are a key part of that off er the greatest potential to curb the drivers Durban’s Municipal Climate Protection Programme. of global environmental change and to increase society’s capacity to engage with, and even thrive, The Buff elsdraai Landfi ll Site Community under conditions of increased risk. Enhancing the Reforestation Project (hereafter referred to as the adaptive capacity of urban communities and the ‘Reforestation Project’), implemented by eThekwini ecosystems on which they rely is therefore one of the Municipality (the local government responsible for most signifi cant challenges of the 21st century. managing the Durban Metropolitan Area), is a fl agship project that demonstrates numerous adaptation and The need for African cities such as Durban to mitigation co-benefi ts. It is believed that case studies align the climate change adaptation agenda with such as the Reforestation Project off er interesting, development and poverty-alleviation agendas, is new perspectives on how best to foster systemic a high-level political priority. A cost-eff ective way and transformative change, through improved equity, of achieving this goal is through ecosystem-based social legitimacy and environmental sustainability in adaptation, given that many of the urban poor still the climate-stressed cities of the 21st Century. rely directly on ecosystem services as the basis for their survival and livelihoods. Using natural The purpose of this document is to present a ecosystems to enhance the adaptive capacity current snapshot view of the various components of cities (through fl ood regulation, temperature of work underway within the Reforestation Project, reduction, improved water security etc.) also and to briefl y describe how they contribute to off ers the opportunity to address high levels of objectives of the Durban CEBA and the above unemployment by optimising jobs, which involve vision of transformative change.