KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Profile SOUTH AFRICA

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1 KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Profile SOUTH AFRICA October 2012 This KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Profile was compiled as a desk study in October 2012 (all references are at the bottom of this document). The document summarizes key issues pertaining to environment and climate change facing South Africa, and follows the structure of the KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Toolkit ( For more information, please contact KLIMOS staff: Jean.Huge@ua.ac.be, Tom.Waas@ua.ac.be or Bruno.Verbist@ees.kuleuven.be. 1. South Africa s environment at a glance (UNEP, GRID-Arendal) 1

2 2. Climate & Air quality South Africa holds a special position in the African climate change reality. South Africa is both a large contributor to climate change as well as potentially very vulnerable to its effects. 2.1 Current climate The climate of South Africa is largely influenced by variations in elevations and by the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest, as well as the different rainfall regimes occurring over the country. There is a striking contrast between temperatures on the country's east and west coasts, largely in response to the warm Agulhas current that sweeps southward along the Indian Ocean coastline in the east, and the cold Benguela current that sweeps northward along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in the west. As a result, temperatures along the east coast of the country are about 5 C warmer than temperatures at same latitudes along the west coast. There is also very little difference in average temperatures from south to north, in part because the inland plateau rises slightly in the northeast. South Africa experiences a rainy season from convective type rainfall mainly in the summer months from November through March. The southwest region, however, receives mostly mid-latitude frontal rainfall in winter months (May through August). El Niño Southern Oscillation events and sea-surface temperature anomalies in the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans significantly influence rainfall variability in South Africa. 2.2 Future climate The mean annual temperature is projected to increase by 1.1 to 2.4 C by the 2060s, and 1.6 to 4.3 C by the 2090s. Warming is expected to be greater inland than in coastal regions. All projections indicate substantial increases in the frequency of days and nights that are considered hot in the current climate. Projections of mean annual rainfall from different models in the ensemble are broadly consistent in indicating a small decrease in rainfall for South Africa. The proportion of total rainfall that falls in heavy rainfall events and maximum 5-day rainfall amounts show very small changes in most model projections. The projected increase in temperature is expected to exacerbate the possibility of drying, or even counteract any possible increases in rainfall, through increased evapo-transpiration, which would detrimentally affect the agriculture and water 2

3 resources of the country. 2.3 Climate change and natural disaster risks Climate change will add to South Africa s existing environment-related stresses, in particular water scarcitry, land degradation and biodiversity loss. The areas of highest vulnerability to climate change in South Africa are: o The health sector o Maize production o Biodiversity o Water resources o Rangelands 2.4 Climate Change Adaptation Good public health access to technology and societal organisation are important determinants of adaptive capacity. For the immediate future, sectors that need particular attention are water, agriculture and forestry, health, biodiversity and human settlements. Resilience to climate variability and climate change-related extreme weather events will be the basis for South Africa s future approach to disaster management and we will use region-wide approaches where appropriate. Key cross-sectoral adaptation options include: Improved national disaster co-ordination and management Education and raising awareness on potential climate change effects Sustain conservation strategies Develop predictive and early warning systems 2.5 Climate Change Mitigation South Africa has relatively high emissions for a developing country, measured either per capita or by greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity (emissions per unit of GDP). By any measure, South Africa is a significant emitter of GHGs. 3

The energy intensity of the South African economy, largely due to the significance of mining and minerals processing in the economy and our coal-intensive energy system, has resulted in an emissions

4 The energy intensity of the South African economy, largely due to the significance of mining and minerals processing in the economy and our coal-intensive energy system, has resulted in an emissions profile that differs substantially from that of other developing countries at a similar stage of development. Since coal is the most emissions-intensive energy carrier, South Africa s economy is very emissions-intensive. Emissions from land-use change (primarily deforestation) contribute a significantly smaller share to the emission profile than for many other developing countries. Figure 2: Position of South Africa as the biggest African GHG emitter (source: UNEP) The main opportunities for mitigation consist of: energy efficiency; demand management; moving to a less emissions-intensive energy mix, with consequent economic benefits of improved efficiency and competitiveness as well as incentivising economic growth in sectors with lower energy intensities. 4

5 Policy decisions on new infrastructure investments must consider climate change impacts to avoid the lock-in of emissions-intensive technologies into the future. However, in the short-term, due to the stock and stage in the economic lifecycle of existing infrastructure and plant, the most promising mitigation options are primarily energy efficiency and demand side management, coupled with increasing investment in a renewable energy programme in the electricity sector. In addition, in the short term, the emergence of bio-fuels and a suite of nonenergy mitigation options, such as afforestation, are also important. 2.6 Air pollution Air quality is generally worsening with high sulphur dioxide and particulate matter concentrations due to coal fuel burning within households and within the industrial and power generation sectors. Air pollution from domestic fuel burning in urban areas have been estimated to account for about 70% of all respiratory hospital admissions. 3. Forest & Land Use Deforestation Large areas have been deforested primarily in Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape as a result of clearing trees fir cultuvation, settlement and use of forest and non forest products. Land degradation More than 90% of the land surface is within desertification risk area highly vulnerable to droughts. Soil degradation is severe in most communal croplands, grazing lands and settlements. Mining and coal burning industries (primarily for electricity production) cause acidification of soils. Overcrowding of land and unsustainable land use put increasing pressure on South Africa s terrestrial resources. 4. Water Water availability is one of the key limits for development. Rainfall is unevenly distributed with the lowest levels in the northern and western regions. 5

6 Agicultural irrigation accounts for about 62% of the country s total water requirement. To meet increasing demand, water is trasnferred from the Lesotho highlands. Water demand is expected to increase by 50% by Groundwater supports over 9 million people with water, especially in rural and arid areas. Water pollution: water is polluted by industrial effluents, domestic and commercial sewages, acid mine drainage, agricultural runoff and litter. 5. Biodiversity South Africa is home to some of the world s richest terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems. Yet 34% of the terrestrial ecosystems, 82% of the main river ecosystems and 65% of the country s marine zones are threatened. Climate change may increase the existing threats to South African biodiversity such as spreading invasive alien species, wetland degradation and land degradation which will negatively impact biodiversity. 6. Management South Africa s Environmental Performance Index is 34.5, the country ranks 128 th (2012) The 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 163 countries on 25 performance indicators tracked across ten policy categories covering both environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. These indicators provide a gauge at a national government scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy goals ( Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has, despite many deficiencies in the process and in administrative capacity, made positive contributions to environmental management in South Africa. EIA should focus on, and include, the core sustainable development issues in Africa, e.g. HIV/AIDS, unemployment and poverty eradication. In fact, EIA should be seen as a tool for promoting sustainable development. EIA should be strongly linked with, and integrated into environmental management systems. Post-implementation monitoring and auditing should be enforced. For EIA to be credible and play a meaningful role, the capacity of the implementing authorities in terms of both numbers and skills needs to be improved. 6

7 References Nota Bene: All documents used to compile this Environmental Sustainability Profile can be accessed through the KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Toolkit Database ( Adaptationlearning.net. South Africa Country Profile. Accessed October 20, Dahlberg & Ekbom South Africa Environment and Climate Change Policy Brief. Sida s Helpdesk for Environment and Climate Change. Göteborg University & SLU. Government of the Republic of South Africa. National Climate Change Response White Paper. October SAIEA Environmental impact assessment in southern Africa. Chapter South Africa. UNEP Selected environmental threats in South Africa. GRID-Arendal. Accessed October 17, Yale University. Environmental Performance Index Country Profile. South Africa. Accessed October 20,

KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Profile MOZAMBIQUE

KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Profile MOZAMBIQUE October 2012 This KLIMOS Environmental Sustainability Profile was compiled as a desk study in October 2012 (all references are at the bottom of this