Towards effective planning and management of urbanisation to mitigate climate change : a case of the city of Polokwane, South Africa

Abstract

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness in planning for and management of urbanisation towards climate change mitigation at the City of Polokwane, Polokwane Local Municipality in the Limpopo Province. In Africa, various studies have demonstrated that unplanned urbanisation has resulted in increasing Greenhouse Gas emissions, which has contributed to the intensification of climate change. Although every country has contributed to climate change, African countries have blamed the current climatic conditions (floods, drought, changing precipitation patterns, sea-level rise, heatwaves and high temperature) on the excessive development alternatives that are highly polluting from the developed countries. In South Africa, the Spatial Planning Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) is an important planning instrument to plan and manage urbanisation. Although there has been a transformation of legislative framework in South Africa, its implementation remains unreformed. The study adopted a mixed method approach to integrate the strengths of both the qualitative and quantitative methods. The study was undertaken at four areas around the City of Polokwane, namely Legae le Batho, Serala View, Emdo Park and Flora Park by engaging with the local communities on their perceptions regarding the planning and management practices within the municipality. The findings of the study indicate that there is a gap between the municipality and the local communities in the planning and management of urbanisation. The collaboration between the communities and Polokwane Local Municipality in planning serves as a strategy for efficient climate change mitigation. The use of solar systems for street lights, solar geysers, hybrid system (solar and batteries) and gas application can significantly reduce electricity consumption, which is currently generated from the combustion of fossil fuels. Therefore, the study recommends implementation of bio-digesters and solar plants to mitigate climate change. The study recommends proper alignment between the Polokwane Local Municipality and Capricorn District Municipality in terms of climate change mitigation to ensure effective implementation of project initiatives such as bio digesters (for gas generation) and solar plants for electricity generation.