Drakenstein Municipality shares progress on hybrid flood alleviation programme
Drakenstein Municipality’s officials welcome an international delegation from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to Paarl.
Image: Supplied
Drakenstein Municipality hosted delegates from the United Kingdom Government’s Foreign,Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF), and the DeutscheGesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Paarl on Thursday, July 24, to share progress on the Municipality’s hybrid flood alleviation programme with them.
The Paarl Arboretum Environmental Classroom was the selected venue for the municipality to demonstrate its leadership in climate change mitigation within the local government space.
Cindy Winter, manager of environmental management at Drakenstein Municipality, outlined to the international delegation how the municipality is actively safeguarding vulnerable communities across three sub-catchments - Palmiet, Groenheuwel, and Mbekweni - from the growing threat of flooding linked to climate change.
Driven by the municipality’s vision of “a city of excellence”, the innovative hybrid flood alleviation programme integrates nature-based and traditional engineering solutions to deliver cost-effective, sustainable flood resilience while unlocking co-benefits such as improved water quality, biodiversity protection, and recreational spaces.
Delegates were offered a firsthand look at one of the proposed priority intervention areas along Drommedaris Street in Paarl.
In a statement the municipality's spokesperson Riana Geldenhuys said: “Thanks to the municipality’s proactive engagement and project leadership,specialist technical studies, funded by the FCDO and CFF, and delivered by GIZ, have already been completed with concept design notes developed for six priority sites.”
“With concept design work now underway for one of the sites and momentum building for further development as funding expands, the hybrid flood alleviation programme marks a major leap toward a just transition and a climate-smart city.
Drakenstein Municipality’s commitment is clear: to shape a greener, safer and more inclusive future forits people.”