Framework for adaptation to climate change for the City of Cape Town - FAC4T (City of Cape Town)

Mukheibir, Pierre; Ziervogel, Gina

Framework for adaptation to climate change for the City of Cape Town - FAC4T (City of Cape Town)

Working Paper

2006-08

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Energy Research Centre

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Abstract

The 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.