Chapter 6: Conclusion and recommendations
6. Chapter Six: Conclusion and Recommendations
6.2 Reflections on the research
The research started by defining the key concepts that were crucial in constructing the main focus of the research. The methodology used proved to be applicable in eliciting the required findings. Generally, waterfronts around the world have been doing well in terms of preparation for climate change extreme weather events. The Brooklyn Waterfront in New York is an example of how all the stakeholders, if working together, have the ability to tackle climate change uncertainties effectively. The innovative designs used in Venice, Italyand in Japan also proved that climate change adaptation requires an element of innovation and creativity for the entire process to be effective.
Each waterfront around the world faces its own unique challenges and therefore there is no universal way of adapting to climate change for waterfronts. This research has shown that adaptation measures depend on the magnitude of the likely impacts of
79
climate change. Some waterfronts have proven to require urgent adaptation measures while some do not fall into that category. It is also important to note that adaptation measures in the First World are likely to be better than that of the Third World. The reason for that is because in the First World, there are abundant resources, including skills, while in the Third World there is still a form of dependency to the First World in the above respects.
It has become a challenge to draw up certain conclusions on the Point Waterfront in Durban because the adaptation project is still not complete. One could argue that adaptation measures for the Point Waterfront will only be effective after the project draws to an end. Nonetheless, this dissertation‟s research was able to find important information about climate change adaptation measures in the area. Using a thematic analysis, this research study recognized that adaptation to climate change at the Point Waterfrontarea could beclassified under the following four categories: infrastructure, as well as social, environmental and economic adaptation.
In terms of infrastructure adaptation, one could argue that the Point Waterfront is adapting, considering the efforts invested by the municipality to ensure the city‟s infrastructure is updated according to climate forecasts. What also emerged is that the process of infrastructure upgrade is an ongoing process since climate change projections usually change. Scanning this study‟s research findings it is evident that the eThekwini Municipality has played a major role in maintaining the infrastructure in the Point Waterfront area.
The current storm water drainage system is said to be capable of handling as much as 15% increase of rainfall in the area. Roads have been designed to cater for the climate conditions of the sea side. However, under a 1:100 year‟s storm, the electric infrastructure could face problems because the cabling is underground. It has also been noted that Sea Level Rise (SLR) will not be much of a problem with the exception of extreme events like the one that occurred in 2007. It is anticipatedthe Point Waterfrontis likely to adapt well to the average annual SLR and to normal tides. The piers are designed to protect the small crafts habour from violent storm surge waves of 3-5 meters in height. Meanwhile, properties along the sea shore havebeen
80
deliberatelysituated further inland to leave space for the high watermark line. Designers have planned the small crafts habour and the hotel set to be constructed, below the high watermark line with climate change in mind.
In terms of social adaptation, not much has changed in the everyday lives of the people living or working in the Point Waterfront area. A possible explanation is that extreme events have not occurred to forcethose likely to be affected to make significant changes. The eThekwini Municipality has been reaching out to the community with information on how to minimize the impacts climate changehasin their everyday lives.
The use of the mass media has proved useful in the above outreach area when it comes to reaching out to the community. With dedicated television channels, radio announcements, the Internet, wave height updates and other publications, one could conclude that such efforts are reasonable although they could still be improved upon.
Environmentally, the Point Waterfront designers have plans to make the area green through landscaping. Besides making the area look more visually appealing, this greenery will help in cooling the area, besides stabilizing the soil against erosion. There are also efforts towards working in conjunction with the eThekwini Municipalityon the pilot project of green roofing. These joint efforts will help in making the Point Waterfront area more environmentally adaptable to climate change. The only problem foreseen with such projects is that property owners will be the ones to decide whether or not to embrace the vision. Another major obstacle is that it was difficult to draw conclusions on economic adaptation due to the fact that the project is not yet complete. What is evident is that, to protect their properties, property owners have sought the services of insurance companies. In addition, the DWMA has been collecting funds through levies and other forms of financial penalties towards the payment of individuals and companies involved in providing particular services when required. The services provided focus on maintaining the state of the Point Waterfront Development. If the same strategy could be used to raise funds for climate change adaptation, the Point Waterfront will not need much intervention from outsiders with regards to climate change adaptation measures.
81
The issue of funding also came up repeatedly in the research. The stakeholders expressed concern that the sourcing of funding for climate change remained a disturbing an issue. While there are national institutions responsible for providing funds for climate change adaptation, such bodies alone cannot cover the overall costs of adaptation to climate change. It is for that reason that the eThekwiniMunicipality has committed itself to raising funds both from internal as well as external funders. Since it is evident that sourcing funding is not an easy task, there are still no clear boundaries as to how much each stakeholder performs in terms of joint efforts towards coming up with funds for climate change. This research study has shown that stakeholder participation is a crucial component of climate change adaptation. In terms of participation, eThekwini Municipality isthe main stakeholder going out in full force in this respect.