SA launches climate change plan
Zibonele Ntuli
8 October 2004
Government has launched its Climate Change Response Strategy after it was adopted by Cabinet on Wednesday.
The strategy is a result of climate challenges commonly referred to as "global warming" which suggest that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has risen by 30 percent since the start of the industrial era.
Research also showed that global surface temperatures had risen by more than half a degree while rainfall was decreasing with sea levels rising and all indications show human activity as the direct cause.
Temperatures in Southern Africa are also expected to rise by up to three degrees with rainfall expected to drop by up to ten percent.
Speaking at the launch of the plan, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Director General Crispian Olver said water resources, agriculture, forestry, human health and biodiversity were vulnerable to climate changes.
He said the changes would impact directly on the
economy as South Africa was a developing country.
"The impact of climate change is physical and economic. Our climate change response programme is based on growing the economy and competitiveness within globally negotiated response, focusing on areas that promote sustainable development," said Olver.
He said his department had optimised waste management to minimise the emissions of gases and developed air quality legislation and put in place a national monitoring network to implement the response strategy.
Environmental Affairs and Tourism Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said the strategy would address government's priorities of poverty eradication, job creation and commitment to sustainable economic, social and environmental development.
"It is clear that the fight against poverty and our mandate to manage the natural resources will be undermined unless climate change response strategies are developed and implemented at local, regional and
continental levels," she said.
Mabudafhasi said that climate changes should be addressed by all departments in their budgets, adding that government is awaiting reports from all departments regarding the implementation of the response strategy in the next six months.
Source: BuaNews
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