Adaptation responses Drawing on the risk and vulnerability assessment, the table below provides a list of potential adaptation responses that should be considered during local adaptation planning processes based on relevance as determined by local assessments of risks, vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Table 4: Adaptation Responses Climate change environmental risks Drivers of Rural Social Vulnerability Potential Climate Change Adaptation Responses Decreased availability of surface water: Increased temperatures leading to higher evaporation rates Reduction in annual precipitation and seasonal droughts Alien infestation Impacts on runoff from human settlements and agriculture Lack of access to reticulated water supply and dependence on open water sources such as rivers, ponds, and dams for drinking and sanitation. Dependence on open water sources for irrigation agriculture. Conflicts between agriculture and rural settlements for access to water Strengthen water resource planning and infrastructure Rainwater harvesting Alien-clearing programmes Sustainable use of groundwater resources Environmentally-friendly and socially acceptable sanitation solutions Catchment management informed by modelling of climate vulnerability Water-wise crop cultivation and irrigation practices e.g. drip irrigation
Environmental Health Risks Water quality and availability Heat waves Extreme weather events Food security Vector borne diseases, malaria, cholera Lack of access to appropriate health services, waste management services and infrastructure, electricity, transport and communications infrastructure Lack of access to reticulated water services and hot water, poorly maintained or inadequately specified bulk water infrastructure and treatment facilities Inadequate housing and sanitation infrastructure Prevalence of HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition Poverty and unemployment Age – infants and the elderly vulnerable to heat stress Improved delivery of services to rural human settlements: Improved and more accessible primary health care facilities HIV treatment and prevention programmes Job creation through upgrades and maintenance of rural roads Renewable energy electrification and Internet access in remote rural clinics Environmentally-friendly and socially acceptable sanitation solutions Climate resilient rural housing programme including solar water heaters and off-grid/mini grid electrification School feeding programmes and sanitation infrastructure, planting of trees for shelter Rural waste management strategies focusing on challenges facing rural communities Technological innovation and research in service delivery to rural communities, focusing on appropriate green technologies
Table 5: Logical Framework for Adaptation Plan ADAPTATION PLAN FOR RURAL HUMAN SETTLEMENTS - LOGFRAME DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES INDICATORS MEANS OF VERIFICATION ASSUMPTIONS GOAL Sustainable rural livelihoods that are resilient to climate shocks and stresses Access to water and sanitation, energy, and waste collection. Household Income Unemployment No. of new cases of children who weigh below 60% of their expected weight-for-age per 1000 children under the age of five. Primary health care utilisation rate StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 The District Health Barometer of the Health Systems Trust of South Africa. The District Health Barometer of the Health Systems Trust of South Africa. A coordinated country wide response built on local adaptation plans will result in sustainable livelihoods that are climate resilient PURPOSE A co-ordinated people-centred response to the risks and vulnerabilities posed by climate change The percentage and number of rural districts and local authorities with effective adaptation plans in place The extent to which rural communities are informed and mobilised around climate adaptation Mid-term (2.5 yrs) and end of programme (5yrs) evaluative survey and assessment of the implementation of the adaptation strategy for rural human settlements Responding to the risks posed by climate change requires a coordinated country wide response, with decentralised processes of adaptation planning Involving communities in the process of adaptation planning is the most effective way of unlocking local knowledge and resources and ensuring buy in to the plan
OBJECTIVE 1 Support the development of community and local climate adaptation plans Develop guidelines and tools for risk and vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans Establish on-line database of latest climate science and social vulnerability data Provide financial and technical support for participatory rural appraisal as cornerstone of adaptation planning Incorporate adaptation plans into Integrated Development Plans and Spatial Development frameworks Incorporate traditional knowledge and existing coping strategies into adaptation plans. Train community workers, traditional leaders, local government officials and councillors from rural wards in Number of community level adaptation plans prepared per annum Number of local level adaptation plans prepared per annum Number of participatory rural appraisals completed per annum Number of IDPs which have incorporated adaptation plans Number of community workers, traditional leaders, local government officials and councillors from rural wards trained in adaptation planning DRDLR annual reports DRDLR annual reports DRDLR annual reports COGTA assessment of IDP effectiveness DRDLR annual reports Participatory rural appraisal is an effective way of mobilising community resources to cope with climate change Local adaptation plans will assist communities to develop long term risk management strategies to cope with climate change Incorporating adaptation plans into IDPs will mainstream adaptation issues into municipal planning and decision making
OBJECTIVE 2 Build local adaptive capacity through supporting sustainable livelihoods Regular climate communications and early warning systems for food producers (commercial and subsistence) Technical and financial support to small-scale and subsistence farmers, agricultural co-operatives and improved access to markets Agricultural extension programmes to promote agriculture (water and soil conservation, crop selection) Rural household support initiatives to support income diversification Job creation through upgrades and maintenance of rural roads Development of the “wild-life economy” – tourism, sustainable hunting, game farming, payment for eco-system services, carbon sequestration Support to small-scale fisheries HIV treatment and prevention programmes Effectiveness of climate communications to rural households Number of small scale and subsistence farmers supported and quantum of financial support provided per annum Household Income Unemployment Primary health care utilisation rate Gender of head of household. Annual assessment of climate communications strategy DRDLR Annual Reports StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 Sustainable livelihoods and diversified household income provides the most effective climate risk mitigation Technical and financial support to and subsistence farmers, improved access to markets and agricultural extension programmes will promote income diversification and sustainable livelihoods
OBJECTIVE 3 Support sustainable land management that promotes climate resilience Promote sustainable land use management, water-wise crop cultivation and irrigation practices e.g. drip irrigation Accelerate land reform programme Reform legislative framework for communal lands Promote spatial planning and enforce 1:50 year flood lines Catchment management informed by modelling of climate vulnerability % of Degraded Land Mean Annual Gross Irrigation demand Land ownership (% of land owned privately) Soil susceptibility to water erosion % households living in flood plains SARVA (DAFF) SARVA (Schulze, 2008) Surveyor General reports DAFF Surveyor General reports Sustainable land use will improve land productivity and build resilience of rural communities to climate change Land ownership provides rural households with an important asset that can be used to raise finance and diversify household income Effective spatial planning and enforcement of floodlines will protect communities from devastating impact of floods and other disasters Sustainable land use practices in catchments will protect water resources for rural communities
OBJECTIVE 4 Protect ecosystem services to rural communities Strengthen water resource planning and infrastructure Ensure sustainable use of groundwater resources Scale up land rehabilitation programmes – working for wetlands, grasslands, etc Estuarine, marine and coastal management programmes Expansion of protected areas and community based natural resources management programmes Rehabilitation of ecosystems such as wetlands that provide protection against extreme weather events, working for fire programme Financing of biodiversity through environmental offset requirements for development Ecosystem Protection Level Availability of Ground Water Invasive Plant Survey (average density all species) % of land under protected areas Hectares of wetlands /other ecosystems rehabilitated Quantum of investment into biodiversity offsets per annum SANBI BGIS SARVA ARC reports SANBI BGIS and DEA Annual Reports SANBI BGIS and DEA Annual Reports Ecosystems provide critical services to rural communities such as clean water, air, biodiversity and soils, and protecting ecosystems will build resilience of rural communities to climate change Expanding protected areas to include critical ecosystems in ways that do not compete with other land uses will contribute to ecosystem resilience Biodiversity offsets are a cost effective way of promoting ecosystem protection and ensuring no net loss of biodiversity assets
OBJECTIVE 5 Promote access to climate resilient services and infrastructure Improved delivery of services to rural human settlements Improved and more accessible primary health care facilities Renewable energy electrification and Internet access in remote rural clinics Environmentally-friendly and socially acceptable sanitation solutions Climate resilient rural housing programme including solar water heaters and off-grid/mini grid electrification Rural waste management strategies focusing on challenges facing rural communities Composting of organic waste linked to community food gardens and commercial food production Rainwater harvesting Access to water and sanitation, energy, and waste collection. Primary health care utilisation rate Dwelling type (% of informal dwellings) % of rural households with rain water harvesting tanks StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 The District Health Barometer 2010/11 by the Health Systems Trust of South Africa. Data obtained from DHIS (2011 & 2016) StatsSA – Census 2011 & 2016 Stats SA: Census 2011 & 2016 Greater access to infrastructure services, health facilities and formal housing is a critical indicator of household adaptive capacity in rural areas Infrastructure can be effectively designed and delivered in ways that lessen its impact on the environment and which increase its effectiveness in withstanding climate shocks and disasters
Objective 6 Strengthen disaster preparedness and response Expand rural fire-risk management programmes Capitalise Rural Disaster Relief Fund Establish Rural Disaster Management Strategies for climate-related disasters Conduct local risk and vulnerability assessments to inform disaster risk management plans and spatial development plans in terms of zoning % of rural districts covered by rural fire-risk management programmes Annual capitalisation of Rural Disaster Relief Fund % of rural districts with Disaster Management Strategies for climate-related disasters No. of local risk and vulnerability assessments conducted DRDLR Annual Reports National Treasury Annual Reports National Disaster Management Centre Annual Reports DRDLR Annual Reports Strengthening disaster management response capability will lessen the impact of extreme weather evens and fires, and is a crucial adjunct to building climate resilience in rural communities Disaster risk management is location specific, and local risk and vulnerability assessments are essential to inform disaster risk management plans
Objective 7 Invest in long term research on more effective ways to supports rural household climate resilience Research and innovation in climate resilient crops and livestock farming Audit of indigenous agricultural knowledge and traditional agricultural practices, to build on existing climate resilient capabilities National standards for organic produce to promote organic farming Technological innovation and research in service delivery to rural communities, focusing on appropriate green technologies Improved delivery of service to rural communities (see adaptation responses for environmental health risks) Number of research papers published on climate resilient crops and livestock farming Report on audit of indigenous agricultural knowledge and traditional agricultural practices National standards for organic produce to promote organic farming ARC Annual Reports Report on audit of indigenous agricultural knowledge and traditional agricultural practices DAFF Annual Reports Investment in long term climate related research will mitigate the risks associated with the high degree of uncertainty related to climate change Indigenous agricultural knowledge and traditional agricultural practices are important assets that local communities have at their disposal in dealing with the risks of climate change There are important gaps in our knowledge regarding climate resilient crops and livestock farming, appropriate green technologies and climate resilient services to rural communities that merit greater research investment.