Launch: Witzenberg Municipality Climate Change and Needs Assessment and Response Plan

Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) is excited to announce the official launch of the Climate Change Needs Assessment and Response Plan. This plan identifies existing municipal-level climate change-related vulnerabilities in Witzenberg, in the Western Cape Province. It maps out recommended local government responses to address these vulnerabilities and to ensure that no one gets left behind in overcoming these.

DWF, through Green Path Connect, developed the plan at the official request of the Witzenberg Municipality. The development of the plan was done in close collaboration with the Municipality and was subject to extensive engagements with stakeholders from public, private and civil society sectors. The team also hosted various focus group discussions with various public interest groups for example those representing agriculture – a key economic driver in the municipality – and formally presented the
draft plan to the Council to facilitate the adoption of the plan.

The plan will be launched on the 30th of July 2024 in Ceres, Witzenberg Municipality. This initiative is part of the Foundation’s commitment to supporting good climate change governance through the Fostering Inclusive Growth through Climate Change Champions project. The project aims to enhance Civil Society participation in municipal and private sector decision-making processes within the climate change and development nexus, in line with the Just Transition framework. The development of multi-stakeholder participation in municipal climate change planning tools is a key outcome of the project.

This launch is hosted in the spirit of bringing the project to a close; handing over the climate change planning tools to the Municipality for approval and implementation; and connecting municipal officials with support networks from government and the private sector to ensure sustainability of municipal climate change planning and response mechanisms.

The Foundation appreciates Witzenberg Municipality as a key strategic partner, and we are grateful for the opportunity to deepen democratic processes in local government climate change planning and responding.

The FIG CCC project is co-funded by the European Union and ran from March 2021 until August 2024 in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa.

Mira Dutschke

Mira has 15 years of research, advocacy, capacity building, media production, and programme management experience and has worked across Southern Africa, in Northern Ireland, and the United States. Her work is focused on good governance and community-driven accountability and has covered areas such as children’s rights, human rights-based budgeting, and government spending, extractive industries and environmental rights as well as fundraising and grant. Her work has been published in books, peer-reviewed journals, and popular media outlets. LinkTV, MNet, the UK Guardian, the Mail&Guardian, and others have published her media work. She has an LL.B (bachelor of law) and an LL.M - Masters in International Human Rights law. Mira is passionate about social justice, human rights, and sustainable development and continues to explore new and innovative approaches to bring about positive change.