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Vulnerability Assessment

• Determine level of threat and prioritise sites and actions for most effective response

• Look at:- EXPOSURE- SENSITIVITY- ADAPTIVE CAPACITY

Vulnerability = E + S - AC

• Aim: use available research and resources to produce a useful summary document and set of communications materials that we and our partners can use as a planning tool

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VA Approach

• Make use of existing information• Scientifically sound assessment of

climate change impacts as context• Vulnerability as a starting point• Vulnerability already exists and will

be exacerbated by climate change• Focus on known current socio-

economic and ecosystem vulnerability

• Integrate these with climate vulnerability so that the climate science is useful for policy makers

• Recommendations will focus on increasing systemic resilience

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Key Sources• Anton Du Plessis (Watees) Disaster Risk

Reduction and Hazard Mapping for the Namakwa District Municipality

• Namakwa District Biodiversity Sector Plan; Namakwa Bioregional Plan

• Critical Biodiversity Areas maps• One World Sustainability Investments

Risk and Vulnerability Mapping for Southern Africa

• SKEP technical reports• Local, provincial, and national government

policy documents and studies (e.g. IDPs, NPAES, NCCRS, DSD report, EMF)

• SARVA and Stats SA• Original research by CI, CSA and

Partners (e.g. climate science, climate policy, rangeland management)

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Key Outcomes

- Data collected on current state- Contextualise with climate data- Rank key indicators according to

exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity- Identify sites and activities for effective

EbA- Only preliminary findings now (profiles)

• INSTITUTIONAL VULNERABILITY

• SOCIO-ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY

• ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY

Institutional Profile• SA = world leader in environmental policy• Environmental management frameworks, plans, and

legislation is strong at all levels• Namakwa District Municipality is particularly strong on this:- Only District with a Biodiversity Sector Plan and

Bioregional plan defining CBAs (not yet gazetted – implications?)- Recently launched EMF and SEMP- Well researched, scientifically sound, quality documents

with a balance between conservation and livelihoods targets

- SANParks has 4 large reserves, 1 focused particularly on a CC corridor; several DENC reserves; focus area for NPAES.

- Active WfW and AIS

Institutional Profile continued…

• Are challenges - Designation of political boundaries in SA- Budget allocations - High costs of service delivery due to size and low PD - Focus on traditional service delivery- Competing development priorities - Capacity and human resources limitations

• And opportunities- experience responding to weather related extreme events such as droughts and floods- working towards a comprehensive DRR plan

- Land management and governance- encouraging enabling environment