Department of Cooperative Governance

1. Department of Cooperative Governance PUBLIC HEARINGS: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON CLIMATE CHANGE : PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

2. Department of Cooperative Governance PUBLIC HEARINGS: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON CLIMATE CHANGE : PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

3. OUTLINE • PURPOSE • DCOG MANDATE ON CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE • DCOG INTERVENTION INITIATIVES 4. FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES 5. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS • HIGH LEVEL CHALLENGES 7. CONCLUSION

4. PURPOSE To present a Plan of Action of the Department of Cooperative Governance on the implementation and operationalising of the relevant provisions of Climate Change Response White Paper

5. DCOG MANDATE The mandate of the department is to improve coordination across the spheres of government and to ensure that provinces and municipalities carry out their service delivery and development functions effectively in support of the developmental state and in the context of the National Climate Change Response White Paper, the department will: Facilitate mainstreaming of climate change into municipal development planning processes and programmes.

6. DCOG INTERVENTION INITIATIVES ON CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE “Local government plays a crucial role in building climate resilience through local disaster response but also by planning human settlements and urban development; provision of municipal infrastructure and services; water and energy demand management; amongst others”

7. DCOG INTERVENTION INITIATIVES • Development of the Climate Change Response Toolkit • The Department together with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) are partners in the development of the Toolkit. • The Toolkit is aimed at supporting municipalities to integrating climate change response in development planning and performance management processes.

8. DCOG INTERVENTION INITIATIVES • Objectives of the Toolkit • To assist integration of climate change risks and opportunities into municipal planning • To guide municipalities through a process to integrate climate responses in all phases of planning, problem analysis to operations and review. • To assist municipalities to identify sectors most at risk from the impacts of climate variability and changing climate and explore opportunities for adaptation and mitigation • To provide information to assist municipalities to prioritise local based response actions.

9. DCOG INTERVENTION INITIATIVES The Department will coordinate other sectors with regard to the strategies and programmes to support municipal functions such as: Building codes – Tosupport energy efficiency of buildings. Land use planning – To encourage development not take place in flood or storm vulnerable areas.: Electricity Usage - Greater efficiency and increased use of renewable energy. Infrastructure Development - Infrastructure to accommodate extreme weather events. Waste management - Better management and to encourage recycling of materials

10. DCOG INTERVENTION INITIATIVES • Review of policy and Legislation for local government • The review of policy and legislation on local government powers and functions with respect to climate change as required in terms of the White Paper will commence in the current financial year through the assessment of current policy and legislative framework for local government. • The review will be undertaken in consultation with the relevant stakeholders such as Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) , South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and South African Cities Network (SACN).

11. FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES Community Works Programme Itis a non-state sector component of the Expanded Public Works Programme under the Department of Cooperative Governance The Programme offer opportunities for job creation, poverty alleviation and other positive socio-economic which also have co-benefits of climate change response. Plansis to explore further opportunities of climate change response co-benefits while fulfilling the primary objectives of job creation, poverty alleviation, etc

12. FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES Projects with climate change co-benefits implemented by communities Clearing of wattle ( alien plants) along the Cata River - Kieskammahoek – Amahlathi Rehabilitation of the Mthatha River – Mthata - KSD Rehabilitation of Dongas - Mbizana – OR Tambo Repairing of water pipes and storm water drains – Pefferville – Buffalo City

13. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGMENTS Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change (IGCCC) - DCoG is actively participating in the committee to ensure the fulfilment of objectives of the White Paper in terms of relevant manadate An internal Climate Change Response Coordinating Committee has also been established to coordinate climate change response actions and programmes within the department

14. HIGH LEVEL CHALLENGES • Current local government policy and legislative framework not explicit on climate change response . • There is a gap and inconsistency on matters of planning at provincial level. • Lack of mainstreaming and integration of climate change into municipal planning process - especially category B and C municipalities. • Limited resources to respond to climate change.

15. CONCLUSION • Climate change impacts and responses are cross cutting in • nature and the department will work cooperatively with other • relevant stakeholders to mainstream climate change in municipal • planning and programmes as guided by the: • National Climate Change Response White Paper • Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change (IGCCC) -Programme of Action • Declaration at the South African Mayoral Conference on Climate Change held in September 2011 • Durban Climate Change Adaptation Charter for Local Governments as adopted at COP17 in Durban