Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 19 July  1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The Citrus Growers’ Association has raised concerns about severe impacts on citrus production in the Western Cape due to recent flooding. This follows after all access roads to Citrusdal were washed out, isolating the town. Damages from the floods are estimated to surpass 430-million-rand. The association’s chairperson, Gerrit van der Merwe, highlights the need for swift and effective support from the provincial government. Emergency measures, including a private bridge, are in place, but road connectivity must be urgently restored to support the crucial citrus export season.

# Veldfires are set to increase in South Africa, as climate change drives temperature increases and lower precipitation. KwaZulu-Natal has been experiencing massive veldfires resulting in the death of at least 12 people and burning of 14-thousand hectares of land. According to research by University of the Witwatersrand professor of Environmental and Sustainability Law, Tracy-Lynn Field, about 84-percent of all human settlements in the country are located in fire-dependent ecosystems. She says the major causes of veldfires include very dry and hot conditions, high winds, and dry vegetation.

# And finally, president Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa must create a green manufacturing sector centred on the export of green hydrogen and associated products, electric vehicles, and renewable energy components. The country undertakes a just transition towards renewable energy. In his opening of Parliament address, Ramaphosa said work is underway to set up a Special Economic Zone in Boegoebaai in the Northern Cape to drive investment in green hydrogen energy projects:

Stay tuned for more news………….