NOMHLE NGWENYA: We must prioritise climate-resilient infrastructure to mitigate catastrophic floods

The past two years have been characterised by some of the worst floods ever recorded. On a global level, the world witnessed the highly developed countries in Europe swamped by flood waters, leading to hundreds losing their lives, thousands of livelihoods being lost and widespread damage across all facets of society and the economy. SA has not been immune — the catastrophic floods in KwaZulu-Natal in 2022 were a stark reminder of how destructive climate change-induced weather events can be.

Scientists have confirmed that the intensity of extreme weather events such as floods are being worsened by climate change. The strong link between these climate extremes and rising average global temperatures means continued global warming will result in more severe droughts than in the past, and rainstorms that are more frequent and more severe. This does not bode well for countries in developing regions, which are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

One issue that looms large after flood-related events is their effect on infrastructure. This affects both developed and developing countries, specifically with regard to ports, roads and bridges. These are key points of economic activity, and floods therefore severely disrupt the movement of goods and services.

An example was the August 2023 floods that affected Slovenia, where two thirds of the country was flooded. The EU estimated the damage to infrastructure would cost as much as €5bn to repair. Slovenia’s GDP decreased by 0.5% between the second and third quarters of 2023 as a result of the disruption caused to infrastructure and general economic activity.

By comparison, the cost of the KwaZulu-Natal floods when it comes to infrastructure has been estimated at more than R25bn. In addition, for extended periods during 2022 and 2023 the country’s key export and import infrastructure in the province, especially Transnet ports and freight rail lines, were either out of action or operating sub-optimally due to flood damage.

This not only put the brakes on both the regional and national economy, but had a ripple effect because it took longer to repair the infrastructure, worsening losses in revenues and affecting other businesses nationwide due to restricted movement of goods and services.

Nationally, flash floods have been occurring right into the new year, with schools, bridges, roads and buildings continuing to collapse. Water and sewerage infrastructure being compromised leads to water supply cuts as well as sewerage bursts, which can result in waterborne diseases.

The stark reality is that we need to reflect on the hard truths regarding the state of the country’s infrastructure. Extreme weather events have placed a spotlight on the situation and revealed that we are ill-prepared. If no action is taken we are headed towards an infrastructure disaster. With ageing infrastructure, a lack of maintenance and underinvestment SA has reached a critical juncture. Alternative and greener modes of building and maintaining infrastructure need to be investigated.

One of these alternative modes that has been growing in popularity worldwide is known as climate-resilient infrastructure. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) defines climate-resilient infrastructure as infrastructure that is planned, designed, built and operated in a way that anticipates, prepares for and adapts to changing climate conditions.

It can also withstand, respond to and recover more rapidly from disruptions caused by adverse climatic conditions. Examples of climate-resilient infrastructure include improved stormwater management with the goal of reducing runoff of rain water and thereby reducing pressure on the drainage infrastructure. In coastal areas this can include restoring natural coastal ecosystems and protecting the country’s wetlands.

For developing countries one of the foremost challenges is putting in place policy frameworks that address climate change and both plan and finance green infrastructure. In SA, climate-resilient infrastructure aligns with the aims and objectives of the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of 2019, which prioritises the need to build infrastructure resilience against climate change risk.

This policy can be considered a blueprint for carving a new approach to climate-resilient infrastructure development. One of the key points highlighted in the policy document that should be borne in mind in the coming year is that all sectors must factor climate change into infrastructure planning and development.

This will require capacity building and training of staff to ensure sufficient technical expertise. There is also a need to develop guidelines and incentives for building infrastructure in low-risk areas and using climate resilient materials. Most importantly, an economic environment must be created that is conducive to infrastructure development, so the country invests in eco-sustainable materials and stormwater and wastewater systems.

As much as SA faces a myriad challenges, there are also glimpses of opportunity. Neither the public sector nor the private sector can address all of the challenges caused by extreme weather events alone. Public-private partnerships offer an opportunity to develop and maintain infrastructure that is climate-resilient. The country has an excellent policy foundation and an active business community, which is an advantage many other countries in the region do not have.

Flooding will be our lived reality for some time to come, and other extreme weather events will inevitably strike. It is therefore vital that we put political differences aside and work sustainably towards building a climate resilient economy, including infrastructure that benefits society as a whole.

We do not have the luxury of time — 2024 must be a year of execution, or we will continue to be spectators, mere victims of the disastrous effects of floods.

• Dr Ngwenya is an independent climate change researcher based in Johannesburg.