General Representative of Flanders to South Africa, Dr Geraldine Reynemants

“We all must act now,” said Dr Geraldine Reynemants, the General Representative of Flanders to South Africa, noting that now that the world’s leaders have returned home from the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, “we need to leverage everything towards climate mitigation”.

South Africa is – and will be – hard hit by the climate crisis, with the country’s average temperature increase already twice the global increase, she said. Flanders works with a mix of actors on projects for climate change adaptation in South Africa, with a primary focus on empowering local communities that are affected by climate change, including issues like low water availability.

The Flemish development corporation programme is also looking to assist South African industry, which is a large consumer of energy.

She said the availability of fresh water is of large concern for the country, and the agricultural sector is by far the largest water consumer in the country. So, helping to improve water efficiency will assist companies to improve their use of water. Likewise, energy consumers will need help in moving towards renewable energy and avoiding wasteful consumption.

As the country moves towards being an environmentally sustainable society, there is a “clear window of opportunity” for action to improve water use and create sustainable energy.