PEARL GOLA: Ecological investments minimise damage from weather extremes

The consequences of the mid-April floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape will be felt for years as communities come to terms with loss of life and property. Both regions are still taking stock of multibillion rand infrastructure damage, especially KwaZulu-Natal.

Their economies will take decades to recover. The  human tragedy will linger for generations, but there are lessons to be learned. Develop without co-investment in ecological infrastructure and you amplify the effects of extreme weather incidents, destruction and tragedy.

“Ecological infrastructure” refers to the naturally functioning, biodiverse ecosystems that deliver valuable services to people: mountain catchments, wetlands, coastal dunes, rivers and riverbanks. The reality of climate change and the inevitability of extreme weather events makes the case for ecological infrastructure investment all the more compelling.

The SA National Biodiversity Institute has been working with a number of organisations (including the eThekwini municipality) and communities to manage and maintain ecological infrastructure for biodiversity gains and water security in the uMngeni River catchment area. It’s a project that’s six years in, and its benefit is clear.

The Palmiet catchment area has been a focus of the work, and was one of the places with limited damage by the floods. Whereas devastation elsewhere was profound, the Palmiet area (which includes sites close to Quarry Road, the industrial New Germany district, informal settlements and parts of Pinetown) experienced limited loss of life.

The uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership has been planning, prioritising and working towards the protection of ecological infrastructure since 2016. The partnership is made up of multiple stakeholders including the community and eThekwini Municipality and is co-ordinated by the SA National Biodiversity Institute.

The Palmiet Rehabilitation Project, one of the demonstration projects of the partnership, has included recruiting young people from the surrounding community (EnviroChamps) to clear alien vegetation along the river. There has been investment in citizen science, river monitoring and engagement with industry.

It is a multipronged project with diverse operations. However, its core objective is to demonstrate the role ecological infrastructure could play to supplement and substitute for built infrastructure and address water security challenges.

The project includes watercourse management by community co-operatives; removing litter and alien vegetation along a 5km stretch of the river; addressing erosion and flooding issues linked to stormwater discharge; monitoring for sewer blockages and other built infrastructure issues; and improving the biodiversity of the river and its banks.

More than 50 hectares have been cleared of alien vegetation; 21 illegal dumping sites along the river have been cleared; 50 sewer leaks were reported by EnviroChamps and repaired; and more than 450 informal settlement households have been visited as part of the project’s community environmental education imperative. This work continues.

Where other areas on the KwaZulu-Natal coast suffered tremendous flood damage in April (and again in May), the Palmiet area coped well with the deluge. The clearing of alien vegetation and removal of dumped waste meant that there was reduced load to block the waterways when the floods hit. Through community engagements, people were better able to respond to the flood.

This is in stark and frightening contrast to what happened elsewhere in the province where there hasn’t been a similar effort to invest in ecological infrastructure in support of built infrastructure.

It is critical, especially in the face of climate change and the inevitability of extreme weather events, to increase investment in ecological infrastructure. Healthy ecological infrastructure acts as an effective buffer against flooding, drought and fire.

It is essential now, and will become even more so, to invest in ecological infrastructure to reduce people’s vulnerability and increase their resilience to climate change. This is especially important as communities and economies rebuild after the April floods.

Investing in and maintaining our ecological infrastructure is not a nice-to-have activity, it is a compelling imperative.

Dr Gola is ecological infrastructure co-ordinator for the Greater uMngeni Catchment at the SA National Biodiversity Institute.