Theme 5: Ensuring a more ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE city Print

Where do we want to be?

The environment of Durban protects and promotes the health of its citizens and its biodiversity

Targets


Short Term Target (10 years) Medium Term Target (20 years) Long Term Target (50 years)
Durban has sufficient water for its needs All potable water resources are fit for human use All water usage in Durban contributes to environmental health and biodiversity
Air in Durban is not harmful to human health Air in Durban is not harmful to human health  
Durban’s natural resources are protected and sustainably managed to ensure access for future generations    
Durban has put in place mitigation and adaptation measures for climate change   Durban is carbon neutral
Citizens in Durban no longer litter Durban is a zero waste city that no longer needs landfill sites  
Citizens of Durban use energy efficiently   Energy in Durban is produced from renewable sources

How will we get there?

Strategy A: Incentives and disincentives to ensure sustainable practice

International experience has shown that incentives (or disincentives) are required to bring about critical behaviour change in support of environmental sustainability.

Strategy B: Information and education

Without adequate understanding of the current environmental sustainability challenges, it will be difficult for individuals, civil society, business and government to respond to the challenges appropriately and effectively.  Dissemination, education and awareness raising is required in order to improve the understanding of a broad cross section of society.

Strategy C: Integrated Waste Management Systems

Waste is an environmental hazard that costs cities considerable amounts to collect and landfill. Cities around the world are looking at ways to reduce the amount of waste in order to reduce negative environmental impacts and to reduce waste disposal costs to their citizens. 

Strategy D: Pollution prevention

Pollution causes a number of human health problems such as respiratory diseases that result from air pollution.  Pollution is also an environmental hazard that reduces the functioning of ecosystems. Many types of air pollution also contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is warming the Earth and causing climate change.  Reductions in pollution are required to protect our long term human health, the health of our ecosystems and to mitigate climate change.

Strategy E: Water Conservation

Water is an increasingly scare commodity.  Responsible cities use their water sparingly, in order to prepare for future shortages.  

Strategy F: Energy Efficiency

Most energy in South Africa is produced in the form of electricity.  Electricity in South Africa is generally produced through coal burning which generates large amount of airborne emissions that contribute to air pollution and global warming. 

Strategy G: Alternative energy production

Conventional forms of energy depend on non-renewable and finite resources which emit air pollution and Greenhouse gases, therefore alternative energy sources need to be identified and adopted. Renewable energy that causes less harm to the planet and is sustainable must be encouraged in the future.

Strategy H: Climate change prevention and preparedness

There is now scientific consensus that global climate change as a result of human behaviour is taking place.  Effort needs to be expended on behaviour change, as only then will climate change truly be affected.  Societies must prepare for climate change impacts in order to ensure that they are resilient.  Climate change in Durban is likely to result in higher temperatures, increased extremes in weather (both floods and droughts), sea level rise and increased vector-borne diseases such as malaria.

Strategy I: Productive Ecosystems

Productive ecosystems are required to protect the ecosystem services that Durban receives (such as the supply of clean water to our rivers and flood prevention) and to enhance the supply of these services. 

 

What should be done?

Action List Individuals Civil Society Business Local  government Provincial & National Government
 
Strategy 5.A:  Incentives and disincentives to ensure sustainable practices
5.A.1 Create Incentives Respond positively to incentives. Lobby government to create incentives for businesses, civil society, and individuals to become more sustainable. Accord to principles of sustainable business practice.  Create incentives for staff to engage in sustainable practices. Regularly review environmental by-laws to ensure adequate incentives to change behaviour.  Adjust procurement processes to favour service providers with sustainable practices. Regularly review and update all environmental legislation to ensure incentives are effective in changing behaviour. 
5.A,2 Create Disincentives Comply with new rules and regulations.     Pass by-laws to penalize unsustainable practices.  
5.A,3 Monitoring Report contraventions. Monitor compliance. Monitor internal compliance. Establish monitoring systems. Establish monitoring systems.
 
Strategy 5.B:  Information and Education
5.B.1 Awareness campaigns Participate in environmental awareness campaigns. Organise local level campaigns that are appropriate for your area. Sponsor and participate in environmental education campaigns. Implement local environmental awareness campaigns. Implement provincial and national environmental awareness strategy.
5.B.2 Environmental Reporting   Lobby and report on environmental issues. Establish open and transparent environmental reporting. Establish open and transparent environmental reporting. Regulate environmental reporting.
5.B.3 Environmental Certification systems Support environmentally certified products and services.  Establish environmental certification systems.  Participate in and establish environmental certification systems.  Promote and facilitate environmental certification systems. Promote and facilitate environmental certification systems.
 
Strategy 5.C:  Integrated Waste Management Systems
5.C,1 Reduce amount of waste generated Buy less and choose products with less packaging.  Promote waste reduction and recycling. Cut down on product packaging and produce biodegradable packaging.  Create incentives to reduce product packaging. Create incentives to reduce product packaging.
5.C,2 Reuse waste rather than throwing it away Reuse items if you can before throwing them away.  Promote community development projects that reuse waste.  Develop products that use waste items and waste from business processes. Implement projects that reuse waste once it is received at the landfill site.  
5.C,3 Returnable packaging Buy products that have returnable packaging. Promote package return. Supply products with returnable packaging. Create incentives for businesses to develop returnable packaging. Create incentives for businesses to develop returnable packaging.
5.C.4 Separate and Recycle Waste Separate recyclables and send to recycling centres. Promote separation and recycling. Establish businesses that recycle waste materials. Create incentives to promote recycling. Introduce procedure responsibility for packaging for instance implement minor deposits on all non-biodegradable containers.
5.C,5 Compost Organic Waste Compost organic waste. Compost organic waste, and disseminate information on composting solutions. Compost organic waste. Establish composting facilities and promote their use. Amend legislation to make having composting facilities easier.
5.C,6 Stop littering and dumping of waste Stop littering.  Tell others to stop littering. Monitor illegal dumping and report offenders. Stop illegal dumping and report offenders. Prosecute littering and illegal dumping. Investigate innovation incentives for litter collection. Prosecute littering and illegal dumping.
 
Strategy 5.D: Pollution Prevention
5.D,1 Reduce commercial pollution Purchase goods from environmentally responsible businesses. Tertiary institutions to research technologies that reduce pollution in business processes. Modernise processes to reduce pollution and move to low pollution industries. Establish and implement by-laws that create penalties for pollution.  Promote low emission industries. Establish and implement laws that create penalties for pollution.  Promote low emission industries.
5.D,2 Monitoring   Watch dog organisations to monitor compliance and report contraventions to authorities and media.   Establish good marine, air and water quality monitoring and reporting systems. Establish good marine, air and water quality monitoring and reporting systems.
5.D,3 Reduce pollution from transport Choose forms of transport that result in no or less air pollution.    Vehicles to meet low emissions standards. Establish transport sharing for staff. Vehicles (including public transport) should meet low emissions standards. Vehicles (including public transport) should meet low emissions standards.
5.D,4 Prevent water pollution Don’t thrown litter and dump liquids into storm water drains or rivers.    Don’t dispose of waste in rivers and storm water drains.  Establish and implement by-laws that discourage water pollution. Establish and implement laws that discourage water pollution.
 
Strategy 5.E: Water Conservation
5.E,1 Use less Only use the amount of water that you need and adopt water efficient technologies.  Tertiary institutions to research alternative water conservation technologies. Modernise business processes to use less water and research water conservation technologies. Put in place by-laws and pricing structures that encourage efficient use of water.  
5.E,2 Reuse water Reuse water where possible.  Tertiary institutions to research water reuse technologies. Reuse water where possible and develop partnerships with other industries to reuse water.  Establish health standards for grey water reuse. Help industries identify waste water reuse opportunities.  
5.E,3 Harvest rainwater Harvest rainwater. Harvest rainwater. Harvest rainwater. Establish by-laws that encourage rainwater harvesting.  
 
Strategy 5.F: Energy Efficiency
5.F.1 Use less Use only the electricity and energy that you need and adopt energy efficient appliances.  Lobby and support big users to cut back on energy use.  Stop wasteful use of electricity and adopt technologies that reduce electricity.  Put in place pricing structures that encourage efficient use of electricity. Put in place pricing structures that encourage efficient use of electricity. Ban technologies that aren’t energy efficient if better technologies exist.
5.F,2 Energy efficiency building standards. All new homes should comply with energy efficient standards. All new development should comply with energy efficient standards. All new development should comply with energy efficient standards. Establish energy efficiency standards for houses and other developments. Create incentives for ‘green’ building projects. All new development should comply with energy efficient standards.
 
Strategy 5.G: Alternative Energy
5.G.1 Alternative technologies Adopt alternative energy technology in your home. Tertiary institutions to become centres of research into alternative energy technologies appropriate to Durban. Research alternative energy technologies for your business and consider adopting appropriate technologies. Fund alternative energy research. Show leadership by providing high profile examples of alternative energy technologies. Establish by-laws that encourage use of alternative energy technologies. Establish and implement laws that encourage use of alternative energy technologies.
5.G.2 Bio fuels Consider using bio fuels.   Establish businesses that produce bio fuels from waste materials. Create incentives to produce sustainable bio fuels. Create incentives to produce sustainable bio fuels.
 
Strategy 5.H: Climate Change Preparedness.
5.H.1 Carbon sequestration Plants trees to improve carbon sequestration. Environmental NGOs promote landscaping for carbon sequestration. Adopt landscaping that enhances carbon sequestration.  Create incentives for carbon sequestration projects.  
5.H.2 Research climate change impacts Find out what your carbon footprint is and how you can minimise your impact. Tertiary institutions to understand and model local impacts of climate change. Find out what your business carbon footprint is and how your business can minimise your impact. Commission research into local level climate change impacts. Commission research into climate change impacts.
5.H.3 Set backs Ensure that you don’t live beyond set back lines that mark flood and coastal storm risk areas.   Ensure that your business is not beyond set back lines that mark flood and coastal storm risk areas. Establish set back lines that delineate flood and coastal storm risk areas. Create a regulatory environment that supports set backs.
5.H.4 New crops Adopt new crops that are better suited to new climate conditions. Agricultural NGOs promote information about new crops that are better suited to new climate conditions. Farms to research new crops that are better suited to new climate conditions. Promote research into alternative crops that are better suited to new local climate conditions.  
 
Strategy I: Productive Ecosystems
5.I.1Knowledge and Education Improve knowledge on key species, key habitats and the importance of ecosystem services to society. Educate on key species, key habitats and the importance of ecosystem services to society. Improve knowledge on key species, key habitats and the importance of ecosystem services to society. Research and identify key species, habitats and the importance of ecosystem services to society.  
5.I.2 Protect key species and habitats Prevent damage to key species and habitats. Rally individuals to help manage natural areas. Include natural habitats in new developments. Design an open space plan that includes by-laws and rates rebates to protect critical biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ensure plan responds to the impacts of climate change. Establish laws to protect key species and habitats.
5.I.3 Payment for ecosystem services trading schemes Participate in payment for ecosystem services trading schemes.   Participate in payment for ecosystem services trading schemes. Establish payment for ecosystem services trading schemes where appropriate.  
5.I.4 Sustainable utilization of natural resources Harvest natural resources responsibly. Educate on sustainable utilization techniques. Harvest natural resources responsibly. Regulate utilization of natural resources in order to protect them from over utilization. Regulate utilization of natural resources in order to protect them from over utilization.

 

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Comments (1)Add Comment
John Kidger
July 05, 2010
198.54.202.154
Votes: +0
...

I PRODUCE COMPOST just outside PMB and for 3 years have been trying to get hold of the green waste here to reduce the pressure on the landfill site. I am not having any joy. Any suggestions? Is anyone doing anything with all the green waste in Durban?
Is there any kind of EIA that needs to take place before starting a new compost site that utilises green waste?

Many thanks, I thout the site was very good.

John Kidger
0832579594

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