Desertification is the ”terrible twin evil” of climate change, Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Rejoice Mabudafhasi said in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday.
”Desertification is a significant problem for South Africa, threatening not only our ecological integrity, but the well-being of our people. It impacts most severely on the poorest of the poor,” she said.
Mabudafhasi was addressing a one-day conference at Machubeni village near Lady Frere to discuss the problems of desertification and climate change.
She said that agricultural production, energy, water supply and human health will be subjected to greater risk if programmes are not introduced to combat the ”scourge of climate change” and desertification.
She said the department has introduced eight pilot projects — estimated to cost R40-million — to rehabilitate the land and fight land degradation under the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) programme.
Some of these projects are based in the Sekhukhune district in Limpopo, the Mkhuze catchment area in KwaZulu-Natal and Machubeni catchment management in the Eastern Cape.
Mabudafhasi said the success of CBNRM requires public participation.
She expected the day’s activities to raise awareness and encourage the public to protect the environment and sustainably use natural resources to ensure the livelihood of future generations.
The event was held under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification theme of ”Desertification and Climate Change — One Global Challenge”. — Sapa