Cities and Climate in Action Transformative Riverine Management Programme.

GroundTruth were consulted to lead the design and implementation of a Cities and Climate in Action Transformative Riverine Management Programme for the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, funded by The Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The overall objective of the project was to build climate resilience in Durban by managing the rivers in the region. The project aimed to achieve this by engaging in a transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder, phased process for guiding the co-design of a system of waterways that will function optimally in the event of extreme rain events, which are predicted to occur with increased intensity and frequency because of climate change.

GroundTruth worked with partners across the Ohlanga, uMhlangane, Palmiet, and uMhlatuzana catchments within the eThekwini Municipality (the governing body for the Durban city area) to conduct five technical baseline assessments, create four catchment partnership development frameworks, develop eight precinct plans, and, finally, detail two operational prototypes.

A key feature of the project was recurring Learning Lab events which were integral to the development of partnerships within the catchments. The project was structured in six phases.

Phase 1: Inception
The inception phase of the Transformative Riverine Management Programme project involved meetings with eThekwini Municipality and AFD, linking the project with other partners and stakeholders, notably including Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). A steering committee was formed, project timeframes and risks were outlined.

Phase 2: Baseline reports
A series of baseline reports were developed to provide detailed technical assessments for guiding the project:

1. A river vulnerability assessment, aiming to model and assess the three components of climate change vulnerability (i.e., exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) for key receptors affected by river systems in the area. The receptors modelled were city infrastructure (e.g., culverts, roads, stormwater drains, sewage manholes, pipelines), private infrastructure (e.g., settlements and industrial developments), and human health, aesthetics, and recreation related to water.
2. A Business Case for the Transformative Riverine Management Programme, aiming to present an evidence-based rationale for investment in transformative riverine management. This required estimating the benefits of catchment-generated ecosystem services and how those services would change in the future, with and without Transformative Riverine Management Programme.
3. A stakeholder engagement and institutional assessment, comprising a preliminary report based on reviews of existing available material, initial consultation with key informants, and the project team’s experience and knowledge.
4. A hydrology and climate change assessment, aiming to understand the flow-related implications of climate change scenarios by assessing hydrological responses to present versus future climate scenarios.
5. A catchment and open space management assessment, which aimed to identify opportunities to improve catchment and riverine management through partnerships.

Following completion of the baseline assessments, Phase 1 carried out the first of four Learning Labs. Learning Labs were the core methodology used to engage, inform, and learn from stakeholders in the region. This methodology created a platform to promote inclusivity, interaction, social learning, and innovation, with participation from government (municipal and provincial), non-government organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations, academics, business, and community-based organisations.

Phase 3: Development of Catchment Management Frameworks
Phase 3 saw the development of distinct Catchment Management Frameworks, which blended the actions and interventions recommended for the catchments with key local partnerships, aiming to help achieve the Transformative Riverine Management Programme objectives.

Because the project had a core focus on effective science communication to inform actual catchment management, the Catchment Management Frameworks were developed as both detailed reports and then summarised into a series of easily understandable summary posters. A toolbox for interventions was also developed to guide management activities.

Phase 3 saw the second of the Learning Labs, which mapped ecosystem assets and covered, partially through a breakout group structure, and facilitated discussion on solid waste pollution and management issues, as well as on how changes in catchment condition impact supply and demand of ecosystem services.

Phase 4: Precinct Management Plans
After development of the Catchment Management Frameworks, several Precinct Management Business Plans and Operational Prototypes were developed. The Precinct Management Business Plans were designed as roadmaps for assisting various stakeholders with catchment management. The Plans included maps, intervention recommendations, and risks associated with land use and ownership, future developments, open spaces, existing stakeholder capacity, and key issues.

The Operational Prototypes provided more fine-scale detail for two of the Precinct Management Business Plans, including more comprehensive partnership arrangements, funding mechanisms, and recommended next steps.

Phase 4 included the third Learning Lab, which focussed on discussions on the Catchment Management Frameworks and precinct prioritisations.

Phase 5: Integration and Alignment
Phase 5 explored the process of integration and alignment between envisioned next steps and the previous outputs and learnings of the Transformative Riverine Management Programme. This included an Alignment and Integration workshop which resulted in a summary document on key insights for moving forward.

Phase 6: Project Close Out and Final Learning Lab
The final phase of the project was a formal close-out and reflection, including the fourth and final Learning Lab. The final Learning Lab recapped the project purpose, activities, and key findings, and facilitated discussion on how to build and sustain partnerships with the aim of developing climate resilience within the region as part of the Transformative Riverine Management Programme.

A close-out workshop was held for key implementing partners, led by GroundTruth, to present a final summary of the outcomes of the Transformative Riverine Management Programme. The project was ultimately highly successful and well-received, resulting in a range of recommendations for the way forward to build and sustain a ecologically friendly, sustainable, and resilient city-scape in the face of ongoing climate change.