FRIDAY,
23 JUNE 2006 : “The launch of this new five-year
Urban Environmental Management Programme (UEMP)
marks a milestone in environmental cooperation
between Denmark and South Africa. With their latest
donation of R275 million (220 million Danish Kroner),
Denmark has passed the One Billion Rand mark in
donations towards improving environmental quality
in South Africa,” said Minister van Schalkwyk
at the launch of the UEMP.
“South Africa is an urbanised
economy with 58% of the population living in cities
and towns. By 2015, it is expected that 68% of
the population will live in urban areas due to
a continued migration from rural areas mainly
to the larger cities, which will lead to many
environmental challenges in our cities. The new
programme therefore marks a shift towards strengthening
locally driven delivery of improved air quality,
waste management, energy efficiency and integrated
planning in our cities,” the Minister added
The Minister announced that
“Five key municipalities have been chosen as pilots
for this programme - Cape Town, Durban, Ekurhuleni,
Johannesburg and Sedibeng (Vaal Triangle). R85
million rand has been earmarked for direct support
to these cities - with a reserve for other “hotspots”
in future. People living in air pollution hotspots
such as the Vaal Triangle and South Durban can
therefore expect noticeable improvements over
the next five years”.
“We expect that the UEMP will
lead to an improvement in the quality of life
of nearly two million poor households in these
five municipalities whose health is affected by
inadequate waste removal, air quality and planning.
It will contribute to economic growth by assisting
cities to develop energy strategies and integrated
development plans. The professional development
of Environmental Health Officers will also receive
special attention,” the Minister said.
The Minister further added that
“National and provincial departments will be receiving
R68 million to spread the lessons learnt and models
developed that could lead to improvements in all
municipalities. Effective environmental governance
depends upon seamless inter-governmental cooperation.
This programme is making a substantial contribution
in this regard. For example, the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is using
the Sedibeng District Municipality as a national
pilot initiative to develop an Environmental Management
Framework. DEAT will pilot a coordinated approach
to working with provincial (Gauteng) and local
government in creating a shared comprehensive
picture of all the environmental challenges and
opportunities in the Vaal Triangle.”
Lessons learnt in improving
the air quality in the South Durban basin will
be shared with managers in the Vaal Triangle.
Cities will share experiences and success stories
through the South African Cities Network, another
beneficiary of the Danish support.
A further twelve million rand is allocated to
supporting applied research aimed at developing
practical responses to reducing poverty through
improved environmental management. Community groups
and NGOs will also be receiving support to the
value of R30 million over five years.
“This programme responds directly
to South Africa’s priorities and is a global leader
in its design,” said Minister Van Schalkwyk.
Full programme documentation
can be seen at:
http://uem-southafrica.development-environment.net/
