The ball has started rolling in Durban’s reforestation efforts to ‘offset’ the carbon emissions likely to be associated with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. eThekwini recently launched the first of their ‘Greening Durban 2010’ reforestation projects at the Buffelsdraai landfill site, near Verulam. A 750ha ‘buffer zone’ is being created around the site where the community reforestation project has started. The project forms part of the eThekwini municipality’s bold commitment to hosting a ‘carbon neutral’ 2010 World Cup.
Along with all the excitement and many benefits of hosting a World Cup, comes a negative side too: its impact on the environment, notably the carbon footprint left behind after all the goal kicking has long since ended. Germany’s 2006 World Cup footprint was estimated at 92 000 tonnes of carbon, Durban’s alone will be an estimated 200 000 tonnes! The reason for this is largely due to the amount of infrastructure (stadiums & roads etc,) we’ve had to build and our countries inferior transport system. The calculations were done using the same method as Germany and take into account the stadium construction materials and its energy consumption; in-county transport to Durban and within Durban; as well as energy consumption in hotels used for the accommodation of guests.
Taking all this into consideration a ‘carbon neutral’ event seems like a bold goal. It is, but “we will reach it within 20 years”, said the confident environmental consultant to municipality, Nicci Diederichs. Diederichs, along with Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of the Wildlands Conservation Trust, who are the implementing partner on the Buffelsdraai project, are not afraid to think big: “We like bold and adventurous”, he said, “because if you’re not, you don’t get anything done”. Venter explained the project: “The Wildlands team work with community members teaching them to grow indigenous trees, which they can barter for food, school uniforms and other necessities. ‘Green Teams’ are then paid to plant the trees out in the landfill buffer zone.”
Although the project will only account for a few thousand tons of the two hundred thousand that need to be offset, “its also restoring important forest habitat and at the same time addressing poverty in the local communities”, said Venter. At least one hundred and fifty of the Buffelsdraai buffer zone will ultimately be restored to indigenous forest, trapping thousands of tonnes of CO2.
Debra Roberts, Deputy Head of eThekwini’s Environmental Management Department, has an even more ambitious goal than a carbon neutral 2010; she would like to one day have the entire Durban City ‘carbon neural’, although admittedly “it won’t be in my life-time” she said. This project may be a drop in the ocean, but with community participation, 2010 hype and big thinkers like Roberts, Venter and Diederichs leading the way, there’s sure to be some giant waves developing on Durban’s coastline (that aren’t of the Climate Change kind).
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)