SA moves to strengthen climate response across municipalities

As South Africa experiences more frequent extreme weather events, government has launched a national initiative to strengthen climate-responsive development across municipalities.

Municipalities play a critical role in addressing climate change through service delivery, infrastructure development and community engagement. 

However, many local authorities continue to face capacity, coordination and resource constraints that limit their ability to effectively plan and implement climate responses.

“South Africa has made significant progress in developing robust climate policy frameworks. However, the true test of our success lies not in the policies we adopt, but in the impact we deliver on the ground – particularly within municipalities, where citizens experience the realities of climate change most directly,” Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh said on Tuesday in Pretoria.

He was speaking at the launch of the Climate Action Planning (CAP) Support Project, an initiative of the South African Local Government Association in partnership