By Siboniso Ntuli

Bulwer - A freak storm destroyed 178 homes, left 66 people injured and one dead in Nkwzela in the Ingwe Local Municipality near Bulwer.
"The storm hit at about 3.45pm on Friday afternoon. A number of people were injured by flying debris and were taken to local hospitals," said Mthokozisi Duze, head of Kwa-Zulu Natal's Provincial Disaster Management.

MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs Nomsa Dube said the situation was very bad in the area. "Communities were destitute, and they don't have homes, food and clothing."

Dube said the provincial government would do everything in its power to help these people rebuild their lives after the storm. "But we as the government we need all the help we can get from other stakeholders and from the business people, to help those families that were left with nothing."

He appealed to the Non Government Organisations (NGOs), businesses to help with food and clothing for the storm victims.

"We are asking the businesses to adopt a family, with the aim of helping the particular family to rebuild their lives after the storm," said Dube.

South Africa: Heavy Rains Force Closure of Cape Streets - The incoming lanes of De Waal Drive and the upper portion of Roeland Street in Cape Town were closed due to heavy rains that hit the city today. [AA Urbanisation]

Article by : Z.N. Ahmed, Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology-BUET

Published on: http://nation.ittefaq.com

"The architecture of the built environment needs to be climate-responsive in order to cope with these changing variables. At the same time, one needs to examine the present characteristics of the built-environment and seeks means of adaptation so that the existing stock can serve parameter that are being modified due to climate change. Due to the importance of the built-environment in influencing climate change, the role of architects is considered vital in the immediate future, towards designing buildings which are not too demanding on environmental conditions.

A detailed study of the effects of climate change on Mozambique has confirmed what many experts feared: unless immediate action is taken, the country will be overwhelmed by the impacts of cyclones, floods, droughts and disease outbreaks.

"I am alarmed by many of the findings presented in this study," said Ndolam Ngokwe, the UN resident coordinator in Mozambique, at the launch of the INGC Climate Change Report by Mozambique's National Disaster Management Institute (INGC) in the capital, Maputo, on 25 June.

"Climate Change is a massive threat to human development and in some places it is already undermining the international community's efforts to reduce extreme poverty," he said.

Mozambique, already more frequently and severely affected by natural disasters than virtually any other country in Africa, would have to adapt to a changing reality, Ngokwe warned.

Zooming in for a better picture

CLINTON CLIMATE INITIATIVE TO DEMONSTRATE MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN GROWTH WITH PROJECTS IN 10 COUNTRIES ON SIX CONTINENTS

May 19, 2009 - SEOUL - The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, today announced a global program developed in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), called the Climate Positive Development Program.

The program will support the development of large-scale urban projects that demonstrate cities can grow in ways that are "climate positive." Climate Positive real estate developments will strive to reduce the amount of on-site CO2 emissions to below zero.

Sixteen founding projects on six continents, supported by local governments and property developers, will demonstrate Climate Positive strategies, setting a compelling environmental and economic example for cities to follow.

Zambia: Houses Collapse in Kitwe's Ipusukilo - MORE than 35 houses built on the banks of the Kafue River have collapsed in Kitwe's Ipusukilo Township after the river burst its banks following incessant rains on Monday night. [AA Urbanisation]

By Ndaba Dlamini

Johannesburg - City-owned buildings will go dark for one hour on Friday, 27 March in support of Earth Hour, the climate change initiative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

To support the global Earth Hour campaign and show that the city is serious about tackling climate change, the city will have a "Big Switch Off" from 10am to 11am on the day, according to Lisa McNamara, a climate change specialist in the city's environmental management department.

"The lights will be turned off in the city's 17 corporate buildings, including the Metro Centre, [and] as many of its other public buildings as possible," she said.

The buildings include Jorissen Place in Braamfontein, ACA Building, Sandton Civic Centre, Teljoy House, CJ Cronje Building, Jabulani Civic Centre, Dobsonville Civic Centre, Newtown Building, Ennerdale Civic Centre, Proton House and Roodepoort Civic Centre, reports Joburg.org.

All lights will be switched off for the hour, except emergency lights. However, the electricity will not be turned off so that people can still use lifts, computers and other essential appliances to minimise the impact on daily operations.

Durban - Durban's Mayor Obed Mlaba has pledged his support for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Earth Hour 2009 campaign, a global initiative to raise awareness around energy and the effects of climate change.

The WWF campaign aims to have more than one billion people in 1000 cities turn off their lights for one hour on 28 March 2009 at 20:30 in a demonstration of support for determined international action on climate change.

The eThekwini Municipality, as well as the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), have now joined the campaign and will switch off their lights for an hour on 28 March.

The municipality is also planning to hold a parade through the city centre on the day to raise awareness around the event and its energy saving campaign.

The likes of Ryk Neethling, Bryan Habana, Marc Lottering, Freshlyground, Jo-Ann Strauss, Soli Philander, Leon Schuster, the Moroka Swallows and the Parlotones are among the local celebrities who have pledged to do the same.

IFRC Concerned Over Angola, Namibia Floods - IFRC Concerned Over Angola, Namibia Floods - At least 400,000 people in Angola and Namibia have been affected by floods as a result of heavy rains over the past three weeks, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in a statement on 16 March. [AA Network News] [AA Angola]