Building climate resilience

Here are crucial information resources for building climate resilience in South Africa.

1. South African Weather Service (SAWS) Website

https://www.weathersa.co.za/

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) is a Section 3(a) public entity under the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment. It is an authoritative voice for weather and climate forecasting in South Africa and as a member of the World Meteorological Organization it complies with international meteorological standards.

The home site provides conditions for locations across South Africa, including extreme weather alerts. The weather warning and advisory map shows alerts for veld fires, severe thunderstorms, and high wind events by location along with impact times (start and end of event). Other national mapping tools that are publicly available for response planning:

A colour-coded Fire Danger Map

A real-time Storm Tracker Map

A Marine Portal with forecasts of various deep sea and coastal ocean conditions; this includes daily storm surges (major drivers of coastal flooding) and summary forecasts for coastal areas.

Operator / Owner: South African Weather Service; Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

User Notes

Archived data which can be purchased consists of daily rainfall values, daily surface observations, hourly data for wind factors, marine data, and forecasting data (satellite and radar).
The Climate database includes: historical rain maps, recent climate records, synoptic charts, annual state of the climate, a drought monitoring desk, and the Climate Change Reference Atlas launched in 2017.
See the Seasonal Climate Watch publication.

Training Material (Yes/No):

Yes. Weather Awareness Brochures and Climate Change information is available under Frequently Asked Questions.

https://nccis.environment.gov.za/home

The South African National Climate Change Information System (NCCIS) is a web-based platform for the tracking, analysis and enhancement of South Africa’s progress towards a low carbon and climate resilient economy. The NCCIS offers a range of decision support tools to inform policy and decision-making, including a database of adaptation and mitigation actions undertaken by stakeholders across the country. Available resources on the information system include:

A Climate Information Register containing a GHG emissions database, trends in climate extremes, provincial climate narratives, a disaster atlas, national climate projections, sector vulnerability, and the status of financial support.

A Climate Services Register including a list of publicly available and commercially available climate products.

Tracking and Evaluation Portal (data up to 2017) including emission trends and projections, climate change events, mitigation and adaption Actions, finance support and indicators.

Operator / Owner: Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment

User Notes

Information, data, and analysis are largely drawn from SA’s 3rd Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (March 2018).
Data is also provided by the South African Weather Service, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Green Book – see platforms below.
Resources, tools, and a glossary of terms are also available. This includes reports, climate change checklists, and guidelines; these lists appear to be outdated.

Training Material (Yes/No):

Yes. Training and educational material is available under resources and tools; several links do not function.

https://www.ndmc.gov.za/Pages/Home-Page.aspx

The National Disaster Management Centre is established in terms of Section 8 of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002. The objective of the National Centre is to promote a co-ordinated system of disaster management based on prevention and mitigation across government and affected communities. The National Centre is also responsible for issuing emergency relief grants and post disaster rehabilitation grants to provincial and municipal governments.

The home site includes links to relevant reports, legislation, strategies, guidelines, and explanatory notes. Awareness campaign material is also provided for disasters and multihazards, earthquakes, fires, droughts, and floods. See the National Disaster Management Information System below.

Operator / Owner: Department of Cooperative Governance

User Notes

See projects and activities including the DRR school toolkit, and the framework on capacity building of local government

Training Material (Yes/No):

Yes. Documents available under the Awareness tab, including a package of learning materials for participatory risk assessments in informal settlements.

http://gismap.ndmc.gov.za/index.aspx

This online portal is part of government’s effort to track, monitor and disseminate information on hazardous events that cause damage to society and activities related to responding to such events. This is a geographical information system that presents spatial and non-spatial visual tools for planning and emergency response. The system provides risk assessments, hazard analysis, vulnerability assessments, early warning systems, situational awareness and contingency planning. Tools include:

The Weather Early Warning System based on alerts from the South African Weather Service above;

Seasonal Risk and Vulnerability Analysis including fires, floods, and droughts across South Africa.

Operator / Owner: National Disaster Risk Management Centre; Department of Cooperative Governance

User Notes

A Disaster Management Compliance Tool, Decision-Support Tool, Self Service Mapping, and Vulnerability Dashboard are listed in the portal; however login details are required.
Use together with the South African Weather Service Website and the National Climate Change Information System above.

Training Material (Yes/No): No

https://letsrespondtoolkit.org/

This is a local government climate change support program website. The purpose of this website is to provide stakeholders with information and tools to integrate climate change into municipal planning processes in South Africa. Information provided on the website includes a video clip that explains what climate change is and its causes, a climate change overview for each province, and description of the impact of climate change on different sectors. Available tools include (data up to 2019):

A training programme on conducting a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

A guideline on how to ensure effective stakeholder input in the development of climate change response plans.

Response plan templates for district municipalities

Operator / Owner: Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

User Notes

Follow the municipal interactive map to get district information including climate change strategies, and key climate hazards and vulnerabilities.
Other resources include a Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool and Climate Finance Manual.
Use together with the GreenBook below.

Training Material (Yes/No):

Yes. Training material and video clips are available for each of the online tools. See the “LearningLab” appendix to the Climate Finance Manual

https://www.csir.co.za/

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established by the Scientific Research Council Act 46 of 1988. It is South Africa’s leading scientific and technology research organisation that researches, develops, and enables technologies in various sectors. This research development contributes to industrial development and supports a capable State.

This home website provides relevant information and updates on its research clusters, which include health, advanced agriculture and food, future production in chemicals, manufacturing, and mining, and smart mobility. Among its specialised services, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research conducts, including for renewable energy projects and associated infrastructure. Under its Research Space Repository, a body of climate change related publications are available for download.

Operator / Owner: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

User Notes

Strategic Environmental Impact Assessments are available for the roll out of wind and solar PV energy in South Africa, shale gas development, and electricity grid expansion.
Use together with the IPP Project Map and Database, the South African Renewable Energy Database, and the Oil and Gas Application Portal.

Training Material (Yes/No):

No. See the multimedia gallery for informative video clips.

https://greenbook.co.za/index.html

The GreenBook is an online planning support tool that provides scientific evidence on the likely impacts that climate change and urbanisation will have on South Africa’s cities and towns. This planning tool is based on projections through to 2050. It also presents different types of adaptation actions that can be implemented by local government to support climate resilient development.

Users are able to access the following information and knowledge:

Interactive story maps on climate change and its impacts on the economy, urban settlements, surface water, ground water, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

Municipal Risk Profiles for each municipality across South Africa including climate change assessments through to 2030 and 2050, and adaptation actions that municipalities can implement in response.

An Adaptation Tool with 81 actions categorised according to climate risk (coastal and inland flooding, heat stress, wildfire, increased wind speed, drought, biodiversity loss, groundwater and surface water depletion) and municipal planning functions. A description of each action is provided along with goals, benefits, costs, and examples.

Operator / Owner: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; International Development Research Centre; National Disaster Management Centre

User Notes

A guideline document for adaptation actions is available.
The GreenBook supports the Climate Change Bill,2018, National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, 2019, Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013, and Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002.
Use together with the Let’s Response Toolkit and the National Climate Change Information System.

Training Material (Yes/No):

Yes. Training course material is available (2021).

https://www.afis.co.za/

This is a satellite-based fire information tool that provides near real time fire information to users across the globe. The original aim was to reduce the impact of wildfires on electricity supply infrastructure. The tool is based on two MODIS satellite systems which are polar orbiting every 98 minutes.

Users are able to move around an interactive map which identifies active fires across the country. A free of charge AFIS phone app can be downloaded. Users are also able to view a wind viewer map which shows the prevailing wind direction in the area where an active fire is present.

Operator / Owner: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

User Notes

Use together with the South African Weather Service tools above.

Training Material (Yes/No): No

https://arc.agric.za/Pages/Home.aspx

The Agricultural Research Council is a scientific institution that conducts research with partners, develops human capital, and uses innovation to support and develop the agricultural sector.

One of the monthly newsletters generated by the Agricultural Research Council is the UMLINDI Newsletter, which focuses on soil health, climate change, and water resource management. This publication provides total and average rainfall data for preceding months and forecasts from the South African Weather service, vegetation condition, and the detection of fires over a monthly period.

Operator / Owner: Agricultural Research Council

User Notes

Use together with the South African Weather Service tools above.
Additional material related to soil, climate, and water management is provided

Training Material (Yes/No): No

https://sarva.saeon.ac.za/

The South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas (SARVA) is an open access platform that unites data to solve complex interconnected problems. SARVA is a living collection of global change resources – including scientific data and long-term observations, static content, references to documentation and reports, and other digital objects.

SARVA is an initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation and forms a 10-year Global Change Grand Challenge. It is currently in its third phase of implementation.

Operator / Owner: The South African Environmental Observation Network is the lead agency for SARVA, an initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation.

User Notes

Training Material (Yes/No):

This online resource guide is part of exploratory research by ALT Advisory on the intersection of access to information and South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. It has been developed in partnership with the African Climate Foundation’s New Economy Hub. Learn more here.