Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 14 February 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The University of Cape Town says severe weather events can wreak havoc in urban environments, and the City of Cape Town is no exception. The university’s Tanya Lane-Visser and Marianne Vanderschuren conducted the analysis, which revealed that the city’s transport infrastructure, valued at 20-billion-rand, is at high risk due to coastal flooding and fires. Lane-Visser says some 24 percent of all roads within the city fall in the high exposure areas and are, therefore, deemed at risk of damage or destruction due to adverse climate impacts.

# The DA in the Free State says residents in the Northern Suburbs of Mangaung Metro Municipality have endured dwindling water pressure and discoloured water for several months. Purification processes at Maselspoort Water Treatment Works struggle to effectively remove all impurities. The DA’s Pieter Lotriet says to address these issues promptly, the municipality must commit to implementing regular maintenance, modernisation, and renewals at the waterworks:

# And finally: The European Parliament’s Agriculture committee has approved amendments to the Plant Health Law, reinforcing measures against new plant pests. The revisions, proposed in October last year, focus on early-stage prevention and immediate eradication if found on European Union territory. Members propose an EU plant health emergency team for collaborative pest prevention. The amendments also propose stricter surveillance with a five- to ten-year survey timeframe and enhanced traceability through plant passport regulations. Updates on this crucial development are expected during the plenary session at the end of this month.

Stay tuned for more news………….