A net-zero carbon and climate-resilient City by 2050 -

Dr Vathiswa Papu-Zamxka, the DVC for Research, Innovation and Engagement at TUT.

To address the impact of climate change, the COT has launched its Climate Action Plan under the theme “A net-zero carbon and climate-resilient city by 2050.”

Dr Vathi Papu-Zamaka, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Engagement, the vision bearer who initiated and proposed this historic research conference to the City of Tshwane a year ago, said as she delivered the opening address, “As we kick-off this Research Conference on Climate change it is important to note that no country, rich or poor is immune to Climate Change and South Africa is no exception. Our efforts to curb climate change have become more urgent as we continue to experience extreme weather conditions here at home as well; the City of Tshwane reporting low dam levels earlier in January 2023, the envisaged “day zero” in Cape Town and floods report in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Limpopo and the Gauteng Province over the past two years are just but few examples of detrimental effects of climate change.  She further said “we are living on borrowed time and we cannot afford to wait until the next disaster strikes due to climate change. We need to act today”. 

The continuous proceedings led to various representatives from the local and international academic and research community presenting their research with resolutions on how the City of Tshwane can mitigate and adapt to climate change and to further stimulate new areas of research to enhance the implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

Albertus Van Zyl, Acting Group Head: City Strategies and Organisational Performance from the City of Tshwane.

Albertus Van Zyl, Acting Group Head: City Strategies and Organisational Perfomance from the City of Tshwane indicated that information presented at the conference will be made available and published widely to allow for engagements through knowledge sharing. He furthered thanked the University for the partnership and the many future collaborations that follow. 

Some of the topics discussed on day 1 of the conference included: 

• The role of cities in transitioning the economy through South Africa’s JETP deal.
• Model development to improve high-impact weather prediction in the light of Climate Change
• Impacts of Land use/ Land Cover and Climate Change on Flood Occurrence in Ladysmith, Klip River Catchment, South Africa
• Towards Climate Change Financing Framework in the City of Tshwane Using Analytical Hierarchy Process
• TUT-SARAO GeoStation monitoring network in Southern Africa

Some of the topics discussed on day 2 of the conference included: 

• City of Tshwane Climate Action Plan 2050: A blueprint for building climate resilient communities
• Community-led and gender just climate actions
• Research and development status of climate adaptive and resilient innovative sanitation technologies in the sanitation value chain in South Africa
• Utilising existing municipal water infrastructure as an adaptation mechanism to Climate Change
• Heading to net-zero emissions in protected areas, using South African National Parks Head office (Groenkloof) as a case study.

A number of organisations and universities locally and internationally also made presentation, such as the South African Weather Services, South Africa Medical Research Council, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Johannesburg, University of South Africa, Novus, University of Pretoria, Council to Scientific and Industrial Research, University of Witwatersrand, Free State University, Gauteng City Region Observatory, Vaal University of Technology, Dinokeng Game Reserve, City of Tshwane, Stellenbosch University, GenderCCSA  - Women for change Justice, University of the North West – Mafikeng Campus, Water Research Commission, South African National Parks and the Kyambogo University, Uganda.