Africa in a Changing Global Environment: Perspectives of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in Africa

CHAPTER 10

163 INTRODUCTION U rbanisation is a rapidly growing phenomenon worldwide and since 2008 urban populations have exceed rural populations.1 At present, there are more than 378 cities with over a million residents and it is expected that by 2025 this number will escalate to 599.2 Africa as a whole faces an even greater challenge of rapid urbanisation with an annual four per cent population growth rate, which means that by 2017 the continent will host 17 percent of the world’s population.3 The reality of growth in urbanisation needs to be juxtaposed with the crucial reality that cities only occupy two per cent of the Earth’s surface, and yet the urban-dwelling population consumes more than seventy-five per cent of the Earth’s natural resources.4 Such reality is critical in the light of global discussions around climate change and how ‘business-as-usual’ models of exploiting the environment and the earth’s finite natural resources are beginning not only to be questioned but how significant measures of mitigation and adaptation are currently being addressed in urban and rural areas globally. For policy makers, the urban landscape is no longer viewed as just a site of pollution and environmental degradation, but also as a site where urban growth that is green can be pursued. It is hardly surprising therefore to note that every urban planner and policy maker envisages green city plans, as reflected in the extract below: ‘Civic leaders have been dreaming green dreams. Countless civic administrators proclaim their desire to be ‘the greenest city’. They see a world of homes with photovoltaic cells, hillsides humming with windmills and rivers gushing through hydroelectric turbines. Moreover, they see green jobs ... Such is the dream. But that dream could turn into a nightmare unless this modernisation agenda is accompanied by actions to make our cities resilient.’5 CHAPTER 10 Cities as green economy drivers MakingacaseforgreencitiesinSouthAfrica Shingirirai Savious Mutanga, Nedson Pophiwa and Thokozani Simelane CHAPTER 10 164 Reading any of the policy and planning documents (particularly, Local Economic Development (LED) plans) by South Africa’s municipalities, it is evident that they have similar dreams of being the greenest in the country, in Africa and in the world. Indeed these dreams can only remain if city planners take into cognisance what works for their city precincts and not just copy so-called ‘best practice’ models from other cities without understanding local conditions and opportunities for resilience. This chapter is therefore an appraisal of selected green city initiatives underway in South Africa. The analysis develops an argument for the intensi fication of greening South African cities. Based on findings and recommendations of various global and national policy studies, it demonstrates that urbanisation brings both challenges and opportunities for green cities. Challenges include the rapid pace of urbanisation and related pressure on the environment and social relations if it continues on a business-as-usual trajectory. Opportunities for green cities can be found in: the possibility to design, plan and manage the physical structure in ways that are environmentally advantageous; advanced technological innovation; as well as profit from synergies that exist between the constituent elements of complex urban systems.6 A green city growth trajectory will ensure that future generations will indeed inhabit and enjoy a green sustainable earth. THE PROBLEM OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN CITY Urbanisation in post-apartheid South Africa has grown rapidly, such that during 2005, about 59 per cent of the country’s population lived in urban areas compared to the global average of 49 per cent. It is expected that 71.3 per cent of the South African population will be urbanised by 2030 (refer to Table 10.1 below).7 This being the case, future planning for urbanisation will have to take into consideration the need to reduce strain on natural resources as the increasing population will demand of it. Table 10.1 : Population Distribution by Settlement Type SA Settlement Types % National Population % Nat Econ Act % of Nat Land Area City Region 33.7 56.5 1.9 Cities 5.8 6.0 0.5 TOT: CITY REGIONS & CITIES 39.5 62.4 2.4 Regional service centres 14.8 13.9 1.7 Service Town 4.2 3.3 0.7 CITIES AS GREEN ECONOMY DRIVERS 165 Local niche towns 9.7 6.2 1.9 TOWNS 28.7 23.4 4.4 TOT: URBAN 68.1 85...