KZN community joins fight against global warming

A rural community in KwaZulu-Natal is the first in South Africa to pilot a revolutionary new approach to combating the negative effects of global warming. The Jobe community, with the help of the Wildlands Conservation Trust, has planted the first of hundreds of thousands of trees along the Mkhuze River floodplain to try and mitigate climate change.

Climate change is seen by environmentalists as the single, biggest threat facing the planet. South Africa's dependency on coal to produce energy is adding to the problem. A major by-product of coal usage is carbon dioxide emissions. Trees are seen as a tool in combating these emissions.

Trees that have been grown by the community are being planted into pre-determined sites, which will collectively form a carbon sink. Community members get a nominal fee for every tree planted.

The next big step will be the measuring of the same sites in four years to see how much carbon dioxide has accrued. Once refined, these methods will then be rolled out internationally through Africa and southeast Asia.