What are local governments going to do now?

At the Durban Local Government Convention, 114 Mayors and other elected local leaders representing over 950 local governments from around the world have adopted the Durban Adaptation Charter, a political commitment to strengthen local resilience to climate change.

The Durban Local Government Convention: adapting to changing climate towards COP17/ CMP7 and beyond, ran in parallel to the UNFCCC COP17/CMP7 and drew over 700 delegates to the eThekwini City Hall. The Convention was organized by ICLEI, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), South African Cities Network (SACN) and eThekwini Municipality.

What does the Durban Adaptation Charter mean?

By signing the Charter, local governments have committed to unprecedented levels of local climate action to:

• Mainstream adaptation as a key informant of all local government development planning,
• Ensure that adaptation strategies are aligned with mitigation strategies,
• Promote the use of adaptation that recognizes the needs of vulnerable communities and ensure sustainable local economic development,
• Prioritize the role of functioning ecosystems as core municipal green infrastructure,
• Seek innovative funding mechanisms, etc.

More information on the Durban Local Government Convention is available here

To see the ICLEI Durban Adaptation Charter click here and for photos visit their Facebook Page

Editor’s note: Now if local governments are prioritizing the role of functioning ecosystems as a core municipal infrastructure, do you think we can finally get the City of Cape Town to look at the cause of the extremely high ecoli concentrations in the local dams in Heldervue, Somerset West the wetland below which, as core essential cleaning mechanism, burnt down again last week due to homeless folk living there and making fires. More raw sewage will now funnel into the Lourensford river and into False Bay and we will merrily eat the fish from this ocean. Residents from this area has been complaining about this for at least five years.