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COP 17 leaves lasting legacy in Durban

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The United Nations Climate Change conference currently underway will leave a lasting environmental legacy for Durban. The Department of Environmental Affairs handed over the living Beehive to the City’s Mayor James Nxumalo on day three of the conference. The Beehive is constructed using the same Zulu methods that villagers use to build their houses known as iQukwane. The villagers huts are built with natural materials to withstand natural weather elements. The huts are highly efficient homes and they are warm in winter and cool in summer with built in ventilations made up of natural and sustainable materials. The one built at the Botanical gardens meet you after passing the reception area. Once inside the roof is kept intact by two steel frames which shows that traditional knowledge and modern technology can help in the fight against climate change. The house is also decorated with flowers and like a typical Zulu home, it is very homely and very quite. The Beehive, however, is not a dwelling as no one will be living there, but it will be for the Durban community to remember, to save the planet like their ancestors. Mayor Nxumalo thanked everybody who was involved in making the project a success.

A number of delegates including Economic Planning Minister Trevor Manuel delivered speeches. Manuel called on delegates attending the Climate conference not to let their egos get in the way of finding an equitable deal. He also announced that the South African National Biodervsity Institute, which was involved in the Beehive project, has been accredited as South Africa’s National Implementing Entity (NIE) for the UNFCCC adaptation fund.
South Africa is the fifth country in the world to achieve the NIE accreditation. Other accredited NIE countries include Jamaica, Uruguay, Senegal and Benin. The adaptation fund is a global fund of the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol, which supports adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are signatories to the Protocol.

COP 17 – Gcina Mhlophe Botanic Gardens from Beyond Measure Productions on Vimeo.

– By Palesa Kobedi

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