Mainstreaming sustainable adaptation to climate change into municipal planning: An analysis from the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Figures & data

Figure 1. Policies and plans reviewed from an international to local level.

Figure 2. Map of the district and metropolitan municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Source: Collins & Main, 2013.

Figure 3. Map of the local municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Source: www.municipalities.co.za.

Table 1. Key for the ranking system of the nine core themes.

Core Themes	Score
	0	1	2	3
1. Climate change linked with social development concerns	No links. Climate change only mentioned in Environmental sections.	Climate change mentioned in one section, either gender, poverty or health sections.	Climate change mentioned in two social development sections.	Well integrated across all sections of the IDP.
2. Adequate and context-specific information on climate change	No information on climate change. Climate change only mentioned as an area of concern.	Little information. Sources of greenhouse gases and impacts of climate change provided, but not expanded upon.	Adequate information. The risk, impacts and future consequences are mentioned, but not expanded upon.	Comprehensive. information regarding why climate change is a crucial issue that needs urgent attention; context specific impacts of climate change; future climatic projections for the district; and possible recommendations or opportunities in response to changing climatic conditions.
3. Mainstreaming of climate change in coordination with UNFCCC and the Climate Change Response White Paper	No coordination. Mainstreaming and an adaptation strategy are not mentioned.	Little coordination. Mainstreaming not mentioned, but an adaptation strategy is mentioned.	Adequate coordination. Both mainstreaming and an adaptation strategy to climate change is mentioned, but no further detail is provided.	Good coordination. Incorporates both objectives of mainstreaming and a detailed climate change strategy.
4. Type of intervention to climate change impacts	None mentioned.	Only mitigation mentioned.	Mitigation and adaptation mentioned.	Mitigation and adaptation mentioned and well explained.
5. Main developmental concerns	Not mentioned in IDP.	Only poverty and health concerns.	Poverty, health and environmental concerns.	Poverty, health and climate change.
6. Integration of climate change into the Disaster Risk Management Plan	No mention of climate change.	No mention of climate change, but indirectly manages impacts.	Mentions climate change, but indirectly manages impacts.	Mentions climate change as a threat and directly manages impacts.
7. Priority afforded to climate change	No mention of climate change.	Low. Very little attention paid to the climate change section.	Medium. Adequate attention paid to the climate change section.	High. Comprehensive detail on climate change, and mainstreaming of climate change is prioritised.
8. Vulnerability/poverty mentioned in relation to climate change	Neither mentioned.	Vulnerability mentioned.	Vulnerability and poverty mentioned.	Links vulnerability and poverty with climate change. Well explained.
9. Improvement from earlier IDP in terms of the climate change section	Less information in current IDP. Earlier IDP was more comprehensive and well researched.	No change. The climate change section remains unedited.	Minimal improvement in current IDP. No major changes, but there is evidence of incorporating more research on climate change in the current IDP.	Great improvement, current IDP is more comprehensive and well researched.

Table 2. Comparison of the six district municipal IDPs in relation to the nine core themes.

Core Themes	Alfred Nzo District Municipality (2014/2015 IDP review)	Amathole District Municipality (2014/2015 IDP review)	Sarah Baartman District Municipality (previously Cacadu) (2014/2015 IDP review)	Chris Hani District Municipality (2012–2017 IDP)	Joe Gqabi District Municipality (2014/2015 IDP review)	OR Tambo District Municipality (2013/2014 IDP review)
1. Climate change mentioned in sections dealing with social development concerns	No. Climate change only mentioned in environmental management section.	No. Climate change mentioned in water services, transport, disaster risk management, spatial planning, agriculture and environmental management sections.	No. Climate change only mentioned in the environmental management section.	No. Climate change dealt with in the water services, environmental management and disaster management sections.	No. Climate change dealt with in the spatial development framework section.	No. Climate change dealt with in the Environment section.
2. Adequate and context-specific information on climate change	No. Climate change only mentioned as an issue that needs to be addressed.	Yes. Context-specific impacts, future projections and opportunities are provided for.	No. Little attention paid to the context-specific effects of climate change in the District.	Yes. Comprehensive background, impacts, future projections, and recommendations provided for.	No. only anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases, and two likely impacts of climate change are mentioned.	Yes. Comprehensive definitions of climate change and global warming, impacts, and consequences of impacts are provided for.
3. Mainstreaming of climate change in coordination with UNFCCC and the Climate Change Response White Paper	No. Objective of mainstreaming has not been met, but a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is mentioned.	No. Objective of mainstreaming has not been met, but a Climate Change Strategy is mentioned in the IDP.	No. Objectives of mainstreaming and detailed Climate Change Response Strategies have not been met.	Yes. The IDP mentions mainstreaming climate change and a Climate Change Response Strategy for the District.	No. Objectives of mainstreaming and detailed Climate Change Response Strategies have not been met.	No. Objectives of mainstreaming and detailed Climate Change Response strategies have not been met.
4. Type of intervention to climate change impacts	Interventions not mentioned.	Mitigation.	Mitigation and adaptation.	Mitigation and adaptation.	Mitigation.	Mitigation and adaptation.
5. Main developmental concerns	Poverty and HIV/AIDS.	Poverty and HIV/AIDS.	Poverty and HIV/AIDS.	Poverty and HIV/AIDS.	Poverty and HIV/AIDS.	Poverty and HIV/AIDS.
6. Integration of climate change into the Disaster Risk Management Plan	Does not mention CC.	Mentions climate change as a challenge, but only indirectly manages climate change impacts.	Does not mention climate change, but indirectly manages climate change impacts.	Mentions climate change and directly manages the impacts of climate change.	Does not mention climate change, but indirectly manages climate change impacts through mitigation.	Does not mention climate change, but indirectly manages climate change impacts through mitigation.
7. Priority afforded to climate change	Low priority afforded to Climate Change.	Medium priority afforded to climate change.	Medium priority afforded to climate change.	High priority afforded to climate change.	Low priority afforded to climate change.	Medium priority afforded to climate change.
8. Vulnerability/poverty mentioned in relation to climate change	Yes. Mentions vulnerability mapping in the Environmental Management section.	Yes. The IDP states that climate change impacts need to be considered in light of vulnerability and risk.	Yes. The IDP states that successful development planning will increase the resilience of vulnerable communities to climate change.	Yes. The IDP states that impacts of climate change may be magnified or moderated by many factors including underlying conditions of poverty.	No.	Yes. The IDP states that climate change is already having and will continue to have far reaching impacts on human livelihoods.
9. Improvement from earlier IDP in terms of the climate change section	2011/2012 IDP climate change section: unclear; impacts and causes were mixed; impacts repeated; mainstreaming mentioned but contradictory in nature; importance of reducing vulnerability mentioned but stated as unnecessary to be explicitly addressed.	2011/2012 IDP climate change section: clear focus on multiple stressors and vulnerability; recognises climate change poses a serious risk to poverty reduction and development efforts; states aims of key climate change summits and provides opportunities.	No changes were made to the 2012/2017 IDP.	2011/2012 IDP climate change section: recognises greatest challenge facing local government is how to minimise harmful environmental practises that contribute to climate change; no impacts, future projections and opportunities provided for.	2011/2012 IDP environmental management section: states climate change is dealt with in the District’s Environmental Management Plan.	2012/2017 IDP only mentions climate change as cause of water scarcity issues.

Table 3. Incorporation of climate change in Eastern Cape local municipal IDPs.

District	Local Municipality	Does the IDP mention climate change?
		yes	no
Alfred Nzo	Matatiele (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Mbizana (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Ntabankulu (2012–2017 IDP)		X
	Umzimvubu (2013/2014 IDP)	X
Amathole	Amahlathi (2014/2015 IDP)		X
	Great Kei (2012–2017 IDP)	X
	Mbhashe (2012–2017 IDP)		X
	Mnquma (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Ngqushwa (2014/2015 IDP)		X
	Nkonkobe (2014/2015 IDP)		X
	Nxuba (2013/2014 IDP)		X
Sarah Baartman (previously Cacadu)	Baviaans (2012–2017 IDP)		X
	Blue Crane Route (2014/2015 IDP)		X
	Camdeboo (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Ikwezi (2012–2017 IDP)	X
	Kou-Kamma (2013/2014 IDP)	X
	Kouga (2013/2014 IDP)	X
	Makana (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Ndlambe (2013/2014 IDP)	X
	Sundays River Valley (2013/2014 IDP)	X
Chris Hani	Emalahleni (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Engcobo (2013/2014 IDP)		X
	Inkwanca (2013/2014 IDP)		X
	Intsika Yethu (2010/2011 IDP)		X
	Inxuba Yethemba (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Lukhanji (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Sakhisizwe (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Tsolwana (2014/2015 IDP)		X
Joe Gqabi	Elundini (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	Gariep (2011/2012 IDP)	X
	Maletswai (2013/2014 IDP)		X
	Senqu (2011–2016 IDP)	X
OR Tambo	Ingquza Hill (2014/2015 IDP)	X
	King Sabata Dalindyebo (2013/2014 IDP)	X
	Mhlontlo (2010/2011 IDP)		X
	Nyandeni (2014/2015 IDP)		X
	Port St Johns (2010/2011 IDP)		X

Figure 4. Ranking of district municipalities in terms of enabling sustainable adaptation of vulnerable communities to climate change.