Browsing by Author "Mukheibir, Pierre"
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- ItemOpen AccessAccess to water - the impact of climate change in small municipalities(University of Cape Town. Energy Research Centre, 2007) Mukheibir, PierreThe key objective of this case study is to demonstrate the affect of projected climate change impacts on the local water supply of a small town and the related financial consequences in terms of water pricing and access. While the delivery of basic water services, free for the first 6kl per household per month, is driven by a national development goal, it is incumbent on local government to ensure this right. For this, the local municipality needs to ensure that water supplies meet the consumption demand, present and future. Technical and financial planning are therefore required to ensure that an undisrupted services is provided. The impact of climate change needs to be included in this planning.
- ItemRestrictedDeveloping a Municipal Adaptation Plan (MAP) for climate change: the city of Cape Town(SAGE Publications, 2007) Mukheibir, Pierre; Ziervogel, GinaClimate change increases the likelihood of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and heat waves, as well as more gradual changes in temperature and precipitation. The city of Cape Town (South Africa) is at risk from projected climate-induced warming and changes in rainfall variability. This makes resource management and infrastructure planning more challenging and increases the urgency of the need to adapt city-level operations to both current climate variability and future climate change. To date, however, the main focus of adaptation planning has been at the national level, and has not adequately addressed municipal-scale adaptation. This paper presents and discusses an overarching framework that would facilitate the development of a Municipal Adaptation Plan (MAP). The example of the city of Cape Town illustrates some of the sector-level assessments and potential climate threats, as well as resource mobilization issues that need to be addressed during the development and implementation of a MAP. In conclusion, a number of barriers to developing a MAP are discussed.
- ItemOpen AccessElectricity supply options, sustainable development and climate change priorities: case studies for South Africa(Magnum Custom Publishing, 2007) Winkler, Harald; Mwakasonda, Stanford; Garg, Amit; Halsnaes, Kirsten; Mukheibir, PierreThis report summarizes the results of the Projecting future energy demand: Balancing development, energy and climate priorities in large developing economies project that has been managed by the UNEP Risø Centre on behalf of UNEP DTIE. The project, sponsored by UNEP, is a partnership between the UNEP Risø Centre and centers of excellence in South Africa, China, India and Brazil. The focus of this report is on the energy sector policies that mainstream climate interests within development choices. The country study results for future energy and environment projections that are included in this report are backed by intensive economy-energy-environment modeling by the Energy Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, wherein general scenario analysis of the energy sector explores some policies in more depth. The report argues that starting from development objectives is critical to mitigation efforts in developing countries. Instead of defining local benefits as ancillary to mitigation, reductions of GHG emissions should be seen as the co-benefits of policies that drive local sustainable development. A development-focused approach seems more likely to be implemented than the imposition of GHG targets by the international community—especially as South Africa has adopted development targets such as the Millennium Development Goals and promoted the Johannesburg Plan of Action.
- ItemRestrictedFramework for adaptation to climate change for the City of Cape Town - FAC4T (City of Cape Town)(2006-08) Mukheibir, Pierre; Ziervogel, GinaThe 20th century has seen the greatest warning in the past thousand years due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2001b). Climate models now predict that the atmosphere's temperature will increase by 1.4ºC to 5.8ºC by 2100. Climate change will continue to occur even if the global greenhouse gas emissions are curtailed significantly in the short- to medium term. Therefore, while controlling emissions is vital, this should be combined with efforts to minimise the effects of climate change. This is commonly called adaptation, and is generally defined as an adjustment in bio-physical, social and/or economic systems in response to an actual or expected climatic impact and its effect. The effect of climate change increases the likelihood of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and heat waves. The Northern and Western Cape provinces are projected as the two South African provinces most at risk of climate-induced warming and rainfall change. This makes the City of Cape Town's resource management more challenging.
- ItemOpen AccessThe impact of climate change on small municipal water resource management: The case of Bredasdorp, South Africa(2007) Mukheibir, PierreIn response to the recent reports on climate change impacts, especially on the water supply sector, a methodology that incorporates climate change impacts in to water resource planning at small municipal level is proposed. The introduction of the term Climate Impact Factor helps to quantify the extent to which future drying will have on local water resources. The illustrative example reveals that a 30% reduction of available water by 2035 will be caused by a projected 8% reduction in precipitation. The reduction in available water resources due to climate change leads to in an increase of future supply cost of 3.5 times that under historical climate conditions. It is illustrated however, that this can to some extend be mitigated through demand side management strategies.
- ItemOpen AccessLocal water resource management strategies for adaptation to climate induced impacts in South Africa(2005) Mukheibir, PierreIn the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the following key issues in relation to climate and water were presented (IPCC 2001): “Climate change will lead to an intensification of the global hydrological cycle and can have major impacts on regional water resources, affecting both ground and surface water supply for domestic and industrial uses, irrigation, hydropower generation, navigation, in-stream ecosystems and water-based recreation. Changes in the total amount of precipitation and in its frequency and intensity directly affect the magnitude and timing of runoff and the intensity of floods and droughts; however, at present, specific regional effects are uncertain”. “The impacts of climate change will depend on the baseline condition of the water supply system and the ability of water resource managers to respond not only to climate change but also to population growth and changes in demands, technology, and economic, social and legislative conditions. In some cases - particularly in wealthier countries with integrated water management systems - improved management may protect water users from climate change at minimal cost; in many others, however, there could be substantial economic, social and environmental costs, particularly in regions that already are water-limited and where there is considerable competition among users". In response to this, this paper focuses on water resource management strategies in South Africa to meet its development goals. These are based mainly on the analysis of potential coping strategies at local municipal level in response to impacts due to climate variability.
- ItemOpen AccessQualitative assessment of municipal water resource management strategies under climate impacts: the case of the Northern Cape(Water Research Commission, 2007) Mukheibir, PierreThis paper considers existing coping strategies in times of climate variability and proposes long term strategies for dealing with future projected climate change and variability. A qualitative strategy assessment methodology is proposed and tested for climate conditions in the Northern Cape. The analysis of the results suggests that dry sanitation, education projects and tariff structures are identified as being the most useful strategies. Key factors which were perceived to inhibit the implementation of appropriate drought adaptation strategies are the lack of local capacity and the low financial resource base to cover the capital and running costs of most of the strategies. With the likelihood of increased future rainfall variability, it is important that planners and decision-makers take into account the effects of climate change and variability on water resources. In so doing, they need to adopt sustainable water supply and demand solutions for the longer term.
- ItemOpen AccessSustainability of electricity supply and climate change in South Africa(UNEP Risø Centre, 2006-11) Winkler, Harald; Mukheibir, Pierre; Mwakasonda, Stanford; Halsnæs, Kirsten; Garg, AmitGlobal responses to climate change are gradually considering the potential synergies between sustainable development and climate change policies. In the coming years developing countries face great challenges in development and its impact on climate. The path of development chosen by the region, upon which lies the future growth of energy and emission trajectories, would be greatly influenced by technological developments, economic cooperation between countries, and global cooperation in mitigation and adaptation of climate change. In many developing countries policies that are sensible from a climate change perspective can emerge as side-benefits of sound development programmes. In the energy sector, for example, price reforms, sector restructuring, and the introduction of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies - all undertaken without any direct reference to climate change - can mitigate climate and other environmental risks while achieving their main goal of enhancing economic and social development. Moreover national development policies in these countries pay considerable attention to extending developmental benefits to the poor people. These include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring primary education for all, women empowerment, enhancing life expectancy, energy access to all, and environmental sustainability. Most of these align with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and also enhance the adaptive capacities of the populations towards adverse impacts of climate change.
- ItemOpen Access
- ItemRestrictedWater resource management strategies for adaptation to climate induced impacts in South Africa(Springer, 2008) Mukheibir, PierreThis paper focuses on the development of a framework for strategy considerations for water resources management in South Africa to meet the development goals in the municipal and agricultural sectors. The north western part of South Africa experiences severe periods of drought and according to the climate change projections, will be most vulnerable to future climate induced water supply stress. A framework for selecting appropriate strategies is presented. A series of potential adaptation strategies most suitable for long term adaptation are discussed. These include both supply and demand side strategies. Barriers and obstacles to implementing these strategies include human and financial resource deficiencies at local municipal and community levels.
- ItemOpen AccessWater, climate change and small towns(2007) Mukheibir, Pierre; Parnell, Sue; Hewitson, BruceThis thesis examines the interrelationship between “water, climate change and small towns”. The research question is framed in three parts: 1) can climate change be integrated into existing planning frameworks? 2) can small towns build resilient strategies against projected climate change impacts? and, 3) is adaptation to climate change an economic issue? It is evident that very little synergy exists between the different sectors dealing with water access. A holistic view of access and the impact of climate change does not exist in the sustainable development, urban planning and water resources management sectors. It is therefore proposed that the successful delivery of accessible water services lies with the integration of the urban planning, water resources management and climate change adaptation responses. In order to achieve this, a planning framework is introduced.