A new week in Durban

Hi everyone. Hope you all had a great weekend!









Saturday was a working day here, although some people (wisely) chose to go off on a day safari to gain some fresh perspective on things. I, unfortunately, was not one of them! We did manage to get to a soccer (football) game though. More on that later...









I had the opportunity instead to attend Climate Induced Migrants: Human Rights Perspectives, and hear directly from some of the people directly affected climate change.









There has been global discussion on Climate Forced Migrants (CFM) since the 1980's, and now resettlement, rehabilitation and reintegration of these people has added additional stressors in political circles. Although there is some disagreement on the definition of these groups of peoples (as well as the terminology), generally they've had to leave their habitats for one of three climate change events: sea-level rise, extreme weather, and drought and lack of water.









The numbers are staggering: more than 27 million people were defined as CFM (Norwegian Refugee Council) and estimates suggest the number will be more than 250 million by 2050. If one considers additional refugees from political and ethnic cleansing, war and conflicts, more than just environmentalists become increasingly concerned about the situation. Regional and even global security may be threatened by these huge numbers of displaced people. There is also the human aspect to these stories. What about the connection people may feel toward their ancestral homes? Generations of the same family may have lived in a place only to be forced to leave under the most stressful of conditions. Yes, some people in North America have experienced extreme weather events (tornadoes, hurricanes, fires) but hopefully we have a better social safety net than in developing countries like Bangladesh.









Compare this to a scenario in Bangladesh when two cyclones (Sidr) and (Aila) hit within a year and a half of each other. Sidr hit in 2007, killed 3 500 people and displaced 10 million, with 400 thousand displaced by Aila. Hundreds of thousands end up migrating to cities where conditions seem even worse: 97% were forced to live in the slum areas with a 39% unemployment rate. Only 2% of these people have water from a safe water supply, and there is one toilet for every 40 people in the slums. I can't help but think of what that means for the women children and men living in those conditions, and of our North American abundance. (I'm sorry if I'm on my soapbox again. I'm thinking of myself here; not pointing fingers.) (For complete numbers please check out http://www.equitybd.org/ and http://www.humanitybd.org/).









On Saturday we also had the opportunity to stand behind the barrier surrounding the ICC (International Convention Centre) and watch the participants in the Global Climate Day of Action march go by. There were lots of different groups represented there from farmers' unions, Greenpeace, the South African Waste Pickers Association, Landless Peoples' Movement, lots of other NGO's and ordinary people. They were there to express their over-riding desire for real action from their governments on climate change, and did so in an enthusiastic and respectful way. Despite the armoured police vehicles at the head of the march, and plenty of riot police lining the route, other than some drumming, the odd vuvuzela honking in the crowd, and some impassioned speech-making, the march of approximately 6 500 seemed as focussed as the message on their placards demanding Climate Justice.









Sunday was probably the nicest day weather-wise we have enjoyed so far. Hot and sunny with a light breeze, and judging from the red faces I saw later that afternoon, a reminder to wear sunscreen! We had the pleasure of walking down the relatively new Durban Promenade, a beautiful, 15-metre wide surface of clay brick and tinted concrete paving along the beach. On one side, you have a beautiful view of the ocean, and on the other, restaurants, hotels, etc.









Apparently, Durban experienced some recent and extensive flooding which damaged the sand dunes. Now, they have made a concerted effort to repair and re-establish the dunes along the beachfront. Information on the Durban Beachfront upgrade explains the following:




"Repairing and re-establishing the dunes along the beachfront will do two things, then. The dunes will help to keep the beach sand where it belongs – on the beach. In addition, the re-establishment of dunes will restore the biodiversity of plants and the insects and birds that go with it.
In fact, dunes provide a vivid illustration of biodiversity, of the symbiosis between flora and fauna and the environment, and plans are being made to organise school tours so that Durban’s dunes can be used for educational purposes."




It made me think of the sand dunes at Grand Beach, and how we should maybe be doing more to protect them. Here, they have designated walkways, so people aren't trampling the plants (or the dunes.)









The afternoon saw us walking the other way down the promenade, right to the Moses Mabhida Stadium to see a soccer (football) game between Amazulu FC vs Maritzburg United. There were probably less than 3 000 people in a stadium that seats between 56 000 and 85 000 (for Olympic events), but strangely, it did not feel "too big". We made sure to cheer for the home team, but despite our best efforts, the match ended in a 0-0 tie. For a virtual tour of this incredible stadium go to http://www.mosesmabhidastadium.co.za/.





Our last adventure for the day was a lovely reception (Thanks David and Laura!) at a Durban restaurant where I was able to meet some more dedicated people.





One of them is John Kelly, Founder and Executive Producer of the Youth Climate Report (their company, Neko Harbour Entertainment). In this film, John explained how they put youth in touch with interested researchers who they believe are doing important work. The kids then upload their interviews to YouTube for the world to see. Through Neko Harbour Entertainment's partnership with the United Nations Environment Program, they bring the youths' work to the Climate Change Conference and screen it for delegates and negotiators. (It's definitely on my list of "things to do"!)





This Youth Climate Report is a video compilation of these interviews. The kids also get instructions about the basics of planning, shooting and editing and professional video interview, which is invaluable. For previous COP's (Copenhagen and Cancun), Neko Harbour screened two climate change documentaries: The Polar Explorer and The Antarctica: A Global Warning. Check out http://www.youthclimatereport.org/ for a link to a movie trailer.





John noted that, "screening a film with information on the latest science can have positive and profound impacts." As their website says: Your Climate, Your World, Your Story. John doesn't like to think of students as the leaders of tomorrow, but rather the leaders of today! I couldn't agree more! Students???





A large oceanliner is cruising by, not the usual string of oil tankers. Signing off for now. Have a great Monday!