Durban Pre-Cop17 Summit
South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, and Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr. Zweli Mkhize, officially opened the KwaZulu-Natal Pre-COP 17 Summit at Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC in Durban on Monday 26 September 2011.
The summit is aimed at engaging various government partners to deliberate on KwaZulu-Natal's response to climate change issues facing the Province, a process that will lead to the development of a KwaZulu-Natal Climate Change Action Plan.
The summit is being hosted just over two months before South Africa hosts the 17th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place from 28 November to 9 December in Durban.
Over 800 delegates are attending the two-day summit, which ends on Tuesday 27 September 2011.
Delivering a keynote address at the summit, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, said the world was hoping and confident that Durban will deliver a new global deal and multilateral compact to address the impacts and causes of climate change.
“If we do not act against climate change, and also ensure that the parties reach agreements that will take us a step forward in the reduction of global carbon emmisions, our development is at stake, our future is at stake, our pristine beaches are at stake and our future is at stake, “ said Minister Molewa.
She commended the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Government for having repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to host major international events : “... together with the wonderful weather of Durban, this ICC will once again deliver an outcome, to keep both the Kyoto Protocol alive, as well as a renewed commitment and action to operationalise the UNFCCC when we gather in November”.
Highlighting the actions needed to be taken to address climate change issues in KwaZulu-Natal, Premier Dr. Zweli Mkhize said among initiatives driven by the provincial government with its partners is a reforestation Tree-prenuers Programme, run in conjunction with Wildlands Trustm, a job creation initiative through the rehabilitation of the environment.
“We are finalising a proposal for the cleaning of river banks which have been badly polluted, especially through industrial pollution, unplanned informal settlements and uncontrolled waste disposal, causing river contamination.
We shall soon be announcing the first six districts where the programme will be initiated,” said Premier Mkhize.
He further pointed out that government was seeking to upgrade land which is affected by serious erosion in the different parts of the Province, adding that municipalities had started a programme of using solar heaters for geysers and rain water harvesting, especially in rural areas where water is scarce.
Furthermore, government has joined a partnership between the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the George Tech in the United States in the creation of a Solar Energy Institute in the province in order to build intellectual capacity in this area.
He added “The Provincial Planning Commission is analysing the wind channels in the province as well as sunlight intensity and has started a number of pilot programmes to encourage independent power producers using wind and solar energy production. We are inviting investors on the alternative power production to come and partner with our province in this”.
The Province was also working hard in support of the sugar industry in the utilization of biomass thermal production of energy to be integrated in the local electricity supply grid.
The Provincial Planning Commission has been instructed to redesignate the province into three areas to guide the issuing of Environmental Impact Assessment certificates.
(Photo: Reinhardt Hartzenberg)