South Africa will be severely hit by climate change. Projections show that temperatures will rise by 3° to 6°C in some parts of the country. Already water-scarce, South Africa will see a drastic change in its rainfall patterns, with most of the country becoming drier. The rise in sea-level will at the same time threaten the development of coastal cities.
Adapting to climate change is thus a necessity. It is also an opportunity to engage a truly sustainable development model – one robust enough to work in a changing environment and inclusive enough to accommodate the poorest and most vulnerable. It is particularly true of cities – some of whom have already developed ambitious strategies
As France is gearing up to host the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in December 2015, AFD invites you to a conference on « Adapting to climate change – Lessons from South African cities ».
The event will be opened by Her Excellency, Mrs Elisabeth Barbier, Ambassador of France to South Africa. Mrs Kobie Brand, Regional Director for Africa at ICLEI, Mrs Helen Davies, Head of Environmental Policy and Planning at City of Cape Town, and Mrs Anna Taylor, Researcher at UCT, will take part in the debate, which will be moderated by Mrs Martha Stein-Sochas, AFD Regional Director for Southern Africa.