Get Local Governments Involved!

Esther Babson ’13

Throughout history, the key to making an issue a priority of the people and government, is by mainstreaming the issue. This can be incredibly difficult, especially when the issue is considered a “threat” to growth and economic development in a country. Unfortunately many people still see climate change in this way. Due to this perception, of efforts to deal with climate change as economically damaging, trying to bring change in government policies for climate change is even more of a struggle. Durban, South Africa has actually made some impressive progress in mainstreaming climate change which will hopefully lead to decision makers realizing the importance of this issue.

The article “Thinking globally, action locally-institutionalizing climate change at the local government level in Durban, South Africa” by Debra Roberts hones in on how Durban was able to develop a locally rooted climate change adaptation strategy. Debra focuses on the importance of educating and involving the local leadership about climate change. Specifically she points out the importance of having climate change explained in terms of how it will impact the actual municipality, at the local level(528). Being able to see the connection between climate change and the direct impact it will have on their homes and towns, brings the importance of dealing with climate change to an entirely new level. How Durban successfully dealt with this was through an education program at Brown University in the US. Heads of the Environmental Management Department participated in a “environmental management programme” and on returning home spread what they had learned through seminars and presentations (527). This combined with a partnership between municipalities and the Council for Scientific/Industrial Research facilitated further education of local decision makers and allowed them to hopefully factor climate change concerns into long-term planning(533).

Encouraging towns to incorporate climate change into long term plans is absolutely vital for countries, especially those such as South Africa where adaptation has to begin today. As Debra says this approach should help reduce “tensions that exists between development and environmental priorities”(536). I believe that removing that barrier, in order to show the long term benefits of dealing with climate change now, is the key to mainstreaming climate change so we can stop or at least slow the impacts this issue will have on our world.

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Roberts, D., 2008. “Thinking globally and acting locally – institutionalizing climate change at the local government level in Durban, South Africa,” Environment & Urbanization 20(2):521-537.