In Johannesburg, South Africa, invasive alien species in river systems threaten the city’s water security, increasing flood risk and affecting local biodiversity.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, invasive alien species in river systems threaten the city’s water security, increasing flood risk and affecting local biodiversity. Communities along the Jukskei River catchment also grapple with rising temperatures and heat island effects, particularly in poorer parts with limited capacity to adapt to a changing climate.
The Jukskei catchment encompasses densely developed formal and informal residential areas, agriculture zones, and retail centres. Informal settlements within these regions are especially vulnerable to flooding impacts—damaged infrastructure, loss of goods, and health-related threats are commonplace during flood events.
The Scaling Urban Nature-based Solution for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) project will support the revitalization of the Upper Jukskei River catchment, decreasing flooding, improving urban heat management, enhancing water security, supporting livelihoods, expanding green areas, and protecting biodiversity. Gender-responsive nature-based solutions (NbS) will benefit 1.045 million people and generate capacity-building and green job opportunities, primarily among disadvantaged groups.
In collaboration with local partners, SUNCASA will deploy targeted NBS to manage urban heat and boost water security through riverbank rehabilitation and the removal of invasive species clogging the city’s waterways. The project will also expand resilient green spaces in the city by planting indigenous trees and supporting horticulture.
Local partners include Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership, Zutari, Gender CC, Water for the Future, and the Alexandra Water Warriors.
Photo: Jenna Echakowitz
By 2050, more than 65% of Africa’s 2.5 billion population will live in cities. However, incipient climate governance systems, rapid urbanization, and deforestation have degraded landscapes and ecosystems, affecting urban communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts temperatures in Africa will rise faster than the global land average, and many cities will face water scarcity, droughts, increased urban heat, and greater flood risk from intensifying storm events. As environmental threats multiply, underserved and marginalized communities are likely to experience increasingly adverse impacts.
Jointly managed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), with USD 22 million in funding from Global Affairs Canada through the Partnering for the Climate Program, SUNCASA will benefit 2.2 million people by increasing their resilience to climate risk, directly train and support over 22,000 individuals involved in implementation, and improve water security for millions more.
The project will work with local partners in Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa) to improve vulnerable urban communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change. By adopting and implementing gender-responsive NBS to restore watersheds, riparian corridors, and urban green spaces, the SUNCASA project directly responds to risks like climate change-induced flooding, landslides, extreme heat, and biodiversity loss. SUNCASA also aims to address gender gaps in climate adaptation: at least 50% of the project’s beneficiaries will be women, representing a shift in existing social norms.
The NBI Global Resource Centre aims to bring together key partners to establish a business case for Nature-Based Infrastructure (NBI).
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