Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 8 August 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The Presidency has revealed that around eleven-billion-rand pledged to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan has now been allocated to projects. The European Union, Germany, France, the UK, and the US have partnered to support the country’s climate action goals. This is by helping finance to move from its heavy reliance on coal to cleaner and renewable energy sources. Funding has been allocated to Eskom, government departments, universities, and science councils. South Africa needs 1.5-trillion-rand in investment to support its just transition over the next five years.

# AfriForum has kickstarted its yearly programme to test South Africa’s water. Branches nationwide are testing the water quality of drinking water and water at wastewater treatment works during August. The results will be published in the civil society organisation’s blue and green drop report. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s blue and green drop report last year showed that 46-percent of drinking water is microbiologically unsafe for human consumption; while 67.6-percent of all sewage treatment works in the country are in a high or critical risk category.

# And, with winter coming to an end, South Africa’s wildflower season has kicked in. Namaqua National Park in the Northern Cape and the West Coast National Park in the Western Cape remain popular spots. In the Northern Cape, Namaqualand daisies and more than three-thousand-500 floral species emerge from early August to the end of September and offer one of the world’s greatest flower shows. Meanwhile, the West Coast National Park’s Postberg section is now open, offering an opportunity for visitors to witness the breathtaking beauty of seasonal blooms.

Stay tuned for more news………….