Speaker, the ANC welcomes the launch of the South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, and the Department of Science and Technology.
The primary objective of the atlas initiative is to provide decision-makers in South Africa with information to timeously inform planning decisions that will minimise sensitivity to global changes and improve adaptive capacity.
The application will be endowed with features similar to Google Earth. It will further enable users to zoom in on specific locations in South Africa and get information about the projected effects of climate change.
South Africa is a relatively water-scarce country that experiences periodical droughts and floods. It is therefore vulnerable to climate change. The ANC welcomes the fact that Risk and Vulnerability Atlas Centres will be established at the historically disadvantaged rural universities, namely the Fort Hare, Limpopo, Zululand, Walter Sisulu and Venda campuses, which will provide advice to rural municipalities.
The initiative will strengthen the research capacity of these universities and at the same time enhance the planning capacity of rural municipalities that will be the most affected by climate change. I thank you. [Applause.]