City of Cape Town
Disaster Risk Management
Sector-Based Climate Adaptation Plan of Action (CAPA)
Background and Introduction
Disaster risk reduction describes measures to limit disaster-related losses, through minimising the hazard, reducing exposure and susceptibility, and enhancing
coping and adaptive capacity. Good disaster risk reduction also continues after a disaster has occurred through building resilience to future hazards by learning from
previous events.
Disaster risk reduction refers to policies and practices to minimise (with a view to longer-term prevention) disaster losses. These involve
interventions in three broad areas:

Hazard minimisation (where possible);

Reducing exposure and susceptibility; and

Enhancing coping and adaptive capacity.
These elements point to the qualities that adaptation measures should adopt in avoiding the preconditions for future disaster. In terms of vulnerability to climate
change, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events will result in a higher risk of flooding, as well as drought induced water shortages and
increased fire risk in the CoCT. To this end, the DRMC will play a pivotal role in responding to increased risk associated with high intensity weather events (relating
to heat waves, flooding or drought).
It is imperative that climate change impacts be addressed in CoCT’s emergency response plans.
In the event of catastrophic problems, centralized disaster
response is likely to be impossible, therefore, local communities should have the training, tools, and expertise to respond to challenges. These aspects should be
incorporated into the update of the Disaster Management Plan. The plan should at a minumum:

Review and update the municipality’s emergency/contingency plans specifically atl vulnerable locations;

Investigate options of reducing community vulnerability to changing natural hazards;

Establish effective strategies for post-disaster recovery and support; and

Enhance internal and community capacity to deal with future climate change risk.
Considering the integrated nature of Disaster Risk Management, this sector plan needs to be read in conjunction with the other sector plans as infrastructure
planning (for risk reduction) are dealt with elsewhere. This plan, therefore, focuses on how Disaster Risk Management can most effectively consider adaptation
issues. .
City of Cape Town Responsibility
The Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) aims to identify, prevent or reduce the occurrence of disasters, and to soften the impact of those that cannot be
prevented. During major incidents and disasters DRMC performs a co-ordination role, ensuring that multiple emergency and essential services work in an integrated
and efficient manner. After major incidents it is DRMC’s role to ensure that communities and victims are assisted in recovering from the impact of disasters.
Risk and Vulnerability
Some examples of how developments can lead to disaster are detailed below to provide insight into the need for adequate developmental planning in the midst of
the existing socio-economic and environmental challenges posed by climate change:

By increasing exposure to hazard - At the local level development initiatives can also increase exposure to risks if climate-related risks are not clearly
understood and accommodated in the planning process.

By increasing susceptibility: Disaster risk can also increase when people’s capacity to cope with hazards or recover from disaster is undermined by
development policy.

Poorly planned attempts to reduce risk can make matters worse: One approach to managing disaster risk is for people to move or be moved out of hazardprone areas. Where movement is spontaneous, a planning response is needed in terms of vital public services such as transportation and water and
sanitation. Displaced populations are among the most vulnerable anywhere, both because they have usually already lost most of their assets prior to
moving, and because they have little choice but to congregate in urban informal settlements . For instance, disaster risk reduction efforts in Vietnam’s
Mekong Delta have many positive aspects, but government efforts. Infrastructural developments may create a false security. People are attracted to sites
where hazard mitigation is in place but may be at extreme risk if these infrastructures fail – this is most commonly the case with river and coastal flood
defences. High losses to flooding are frequently a result of informal and planned settlement adjacent to ‘safe’ flood defences.
Hazards and Associated Impacts
Hazards are generic, but impacts are specific to sector. Climate-related hazards affect all sectors. However, the impacts that will be experienced and the associated
responses are specific to each sector. In this section, potential impacts specific to each identified disaster risk management-related hazard are listed under each
hazard, followed by a list of combined effects. A table of actions targeting these impacts is then provided. As some actions target more than one impact, these are
listed separately.
1
Predicted Hazard: Increased Temperatures
Predicted Impacts
1.1 Human health risks associated with heat stress and associated respiratory illnesses
1.2 Increased frequency of fires in informal communities and along the urban fringe
1.3 Increase spread of fires
2
Predicted Hazard: Increase in frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall events
Predicted Impacts:
2.1 Increased load on stormwater system - inadequate capacity of conduits may result in flooding in new areas with the resultant loss of homes and displacement
of people in impoverished communities
2.2 Inundation may prevent service vehicles from accessing disaster affected areas resulting in areas being cut-off from critical services
3
Predicted Hazard: Extended Periods With Reduced Rainfall
Predicted Impacts:
3.1 Reduced availability of water resulting in extended periods of drought
4
Hazard: Increased intensity of wind
Predicted Impacts:
4.1 Increase in informal settlement fires with an associated increase in rate of fires spreading
4.2 Increased storm damage to buildings
5
Hazard: Sea level rise
Predicted Impacts:
5.1 Areas potentially cut-off causing the reduced mobility of people and emergency services
Adaptation Interventions
Immediate, first-line interventions
Adaptation Measures
Undertake study to identify those areas in the city that are at greatest risk to heat stress (taking account of infrastructure,
demographic distribution etc.) and relocating existing key infrastructure and people away from flood prone/land slide areas where
necessary and plan for new developments in less vulnerable areas.
Identify the most suitable location of temporary accommodation facilities and investigate whether the facilities are adequate in light
of future climate.
Link Action Plan with Stormwater and Flooding plan to ensure that people are not located in high risk areas
interventions
planning
Disaster mitigation
Intervention
Area
Undertake a mobility assessment of emergency vehicles under conditions of storm surge and prepare alternative movement plan
for these periods
Systems
Warning
Management
Early
Risk
Integrated
Enhance
Implement an early warning system that identifies heat waves and/or high wind conditions at least 24 hours before they occur.
Prepare an advance response strategy to early warnings
Early response system to ensure that fire services are alerted to the potential of increased fire risk 24 hours in advance of the event
Update comprehensive disaster risk assessment for the city risk register to include climate change and implement communication
strategy of the plans and strategy throughout the line departments affected
Formation of internal working group on climate change issues to ensure integration
Roll-out of DRMC cc training programme
Addresses
Impact
2.1, 4.1, 5.1
2.1
2.1, 2.2
2.2, 5.1
1.1
1.1, 2.1
1.2, 1.3, 4.1
All
All
All