Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Climate Inequities in the African Context: The Case of Durban
Poor and vulnerable individuals and communities in cities will predomi-
nantly depend on local-level action in their quest for justice and survival
in a climatically changed future. South Africa is one of Africa's most
developed countries, and, yet, the end of apartheid in South Africa “left
in its wake a population with great poverty and income inequities, largely
defi ned by racial groups” (Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism 2006, 31). Apartheid also created substantial environmental
problems and inequities (International Mission on Environmental Policy
1995), which still pose signifi cant developmental and political challenges
to the country sixteen years after the fi rst national democratic elections
in 1994. The net result is that, even before the impacts of climate change
are considered, South Africa enters the developmental race with a sig-
nifi cant environmental handicap. Climate change merely ups the ante on
who will cross the fi nish line and who will not.
The scale of the climate-related problems faced by a country such as
South Africa is best exemplifi ed by examining climate impacts at the local
level. Durban is an illuminating case for understanding how a South
Africa city is coping with climate change. The city of Durban, located in
the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, is the largest port on the east coast of
Africa with a municipal area of 2,297 km
2
. While only 35 percent of the
municipal area is considered urban, over 80 percent of the city's residents
live in these more developed areas. The city has a total population of
3.7 million people, and is composed of a mix of races, cultures, and
classes, with strong African, Indian, and European infl uences (Corporate
Policy Unit,
Quality of Life
, n.d.). From an economic perspective, manu-
facturing, fi nance and business services, transport and communication,
and tourism are the motors of local economic development (Economic
Development Unit 2008).
The local government body responsible for planning and managing
the city is eThekwini Municipality. The vision for Durban is that, “by
2020, eThekwini Municipality will be Africa's most caring and livable
city” (Corporate Policy Unit,
Integrated Development Plan,
n.d., 10).
However, Durban faces a complex mix of social, economic, environmen-
tal and governance challenges. Such challenges include low economic
growth, high unemployment (34.4 percent), and an increase in extreme
poverty (28 percent between 2001 and 2006), especially among women
and racial minorities. In addition, the municipality is working to address
the presence of limited access to basic household and community services,
