The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica will host the Local Government Indaba on Environment on 22 to 23 July 2009, at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Gauteng.
The convening of the indaba is informed by the important role that municipalities play in the environmental sector. The Local Government Indaba intends to create dialogue between national and local government around the environment.
The indaba intends to identify priorities as well as key challenges that affect municipalities in South Africa with regard to environmental planning and management. The sharing of best practice experiences on various environmental sector priorities and enhancing the environmental focus in integrated development planning among the three spheres of government are other key objectives of the indaba.
This indaba is designed to capacitate municipalities on compliance requirements of existing legislation, policies, strategies and programmes.
Six thematic areas will be addressed during the indaba and they include, local government planning for environmental sustainability, waste services and management, air quality, climate change, coastal management and conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
The thematic areas are pertinent as studies conducted recently have shown that household fuel burning emissions pose a challenge to air quality in South Africa. The indaba will look at practical outreach programmes and involvement of municipalities in ensuring that sound environmental programmes are accessible to communities to reduce emissions.
Waste management is one of the key municipal service delivery mandates and there are a number of challenges with waste management at a municipal level. In addition, the National Environmental Waste Management Act of 2008 was recently promulgated. On climate change, the indaba will explore priority areas that require attention by municipalities based on their differing vulnerability status.
Ministers Sonjica and Sicelo Shiceka of Co-operative Governance will address the indaba on Wednesday, 22 July 2009. It is hosted in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and in close cooperation with the Department of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Media is invited to the Local Government Indaba on Environment
Indaba details are as follows:
Date: 22 to 23 July 2009
Venue: Indaba Hotel, Fourways, Johannesburg
Time: 08h00
RSVPs:
Lizzy Suping
Tel: 012 310 3310
Cell: 083 758 0553
E-mail: Lsuping@deat.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Water and Environmental Affairs
15 July 2009
