The Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD) and the Energy
Office (EO) of eThekwini Municipality have commissioned Urban Earth, in association with
FutureWorks!, to develop a city-wide climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy for
Durban1
through an inclusive and participatory process entitled the Durban Climate Change
Strategy (DCCS).
During the initial consultation phases of the project seven key themes were identified for the
strategy:
1. Biodiversity
2. Health
3. Food Security
4. Water
5. Sustainable Energy
6. Transport
7. Waste and Pollution
Separate public workshops were hosted for each theme to secure stakeholder input on the
aims and strategies for each of the themes which will form the basis for the final content of
the Durban Climate Change Strategy. In addition seven technical experts were procured by
EPCPD and EO to provide expert technical advice on each of themes.
Section one and two of this report provides a summary of the health and climate change
context for Durban based on an introductory technical report from technical expert Mamopeli
Matooane of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The introductory
technical report is available for download on the DCCS website. Sections three and four,
which outline a vision, aim and strategies for the health theme, are based on both the input
provided by stakeholders at the health theme working group meeting held on 12 November
2013 and recommendations by technical expert Mamopeli Matooane. The minutes of the
working group meeting can be found in Appendix One of this document.
Interested stakeholders are invited to submit online comments on the report. Comments will
be presented at a follow up health theme meeting for stakeholders that will be held in 2014.
Following that meeting, amendments will be made to the theme report. The health theme
report will then be combined with the reports from other themes to form a draft climate
change strategy document that will also be distributed for comment