M van Schalkwyk on Denmark donation to Urban Environmental Management
Programme

23 June 2006

“The launch of this new five-year Urban Environmental Management Programme
(UEMP) marks a milestone in environmental co-operation between Denmark and
South Africa. With their latest donation of R275 million (1) Denmark has passed
the R1 billion mark in donations towards improving environmental quality in
South Africa,” said Minister van Schalkwyk at the launch of the UEMP.

“South Africa is an urbanised economy with 58% of the population living in
cities and towns. By 2015, it is expected that 68% of the population will live
in urban areas due to a continued migration from rural areas mainly to the
larger cities, which will lead to many environmental challenges in our cities.
The new programme therefore marks a shift towards strengthening locally driven
delivery of improved air quality, waste management, energy efficiency and
integrated planning in our cities,” the Minister added.

The Minister announced that “Five key municipalities have been chosen as
pilots for this programme Cape Town, Durban, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and
Sedibeng (Vaal Triangle). R85 million has been earmarked for direct support to
these cities with a reserve for other “hotspots” in future. People living in
air pollution hotspots such as the Vaal Triangle and South Durban can therefore
expect noticeable improvements over the next five years”.

“We expect that the UEMP will lead to an improvement in the quality of life
of nearly two million poor households in these five municipalities whose health
is affected by inadequate waste removal, air quality and planning. It will
contribute to economic growth by assisting cities to develop energy strategies
and integrated development plans. The professional development of Environmental
Health Officers will also receive special attention,” the Minister said.

The Minister further added that “National and provincial departments will be
receiving R68 million to spread the lessons learnt and models developed that
could lead to improvements in all municipalities. Effective environmental
governance depends upon seamless inter-governmental cooperation. This programme
is making a substantial contribution in this regard. For example, the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is using the Sedibeng
District Municipality as a national pilot initiative to develop an
Environmental Management Framework. DEAT will pilot a coordinated approach to
working with provincial (Gauteng) and local government in creating a shared
comprehensive picture of all the environmental challenges and opportunities in
the Vaal Triangle.”

Lessons learnt in improving the air quality in the South Durban basin will
be shared with managers in the Vaal Triangle. Cities will share experiences and
success stories through the South African Cities Network, another beneficiary
of the Danish support.

A further R12 million is allocated to supporting applied research aimed at
developing practical responses to reducing poverty through improved
environmental management. Community groups and non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) will also be receiving support to the value of R30 million over five
years.

“This programme responds directly to South Africa’s priorities and is a
global leader in its design,” said Minister Van Schalkwyk.

Full programme documentation can be seen at: http://uem-southafrica.development-environment.net

(1) 220 million Danish Kroner at current exchange rates

Enquiries:
JP Louw
Cell: 082 569 3340

Riaan Aucamp
Cell: 083 778 9923

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
23 June 2006