“The 20th century has seen the greatest warning in the past thousand years due to
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2001b). Climate models now predict that the atmosphere’s temperature will increase by 1.4ºC to 5.8ºC by 2100. Climate change will continue to occur even if the global greenhouse gas emissions are curtailed significantly in the short- to medium term. Therefore, while controlling emissions is vital, this should be combined with efforts to minimise the effects of climate change. This is commonly called adaptation, and is generally defined as an adjustment in bio-physical, social and/or economic systems in response to an actual or expected climatic impact and its effect. The effect of climate change increases the likelihood of extreme weather events such
as droughts, floods and heat waves. The Northern and Western Cape provinces are projected as the two South African provinces most at risk of climate-induced warming and rainfall change. This makes the City of Cape Town’s resource management more challenging.
In response to this challenge, the City of Cape Town’s Environmental Planning Department commissioned the development of an Adaptation Framework in response to the potential short- to medium-term impacts of climate change in the metropolitan area. This document presents a Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change in the City of Cape Town (FAC4T) – an overarching framework for a City-wide consolidated and coordinated approach to reducing vulnerability to climate impacts. By following this framework, a City Adaptation Plan of Action (CAPA) for the City of Cape Town will be developed and the necessary resources mobilised for its implementation.”
