Floods: South Africa Begins to Feel Climate Change Effects (minister)

Johannesburg – South Africa is beginning to feel the effects of climate change with the devastating floods that hit the country’s eastern shores last week, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, said on Wednesday.

“In 24 hours, the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) received between 300 and 400 millimeters of rain, while the city of Durban receives an average of 102 millimeters of rain over the whole month of February, which is the wettest month in the year,” Ms Dlamini Zuma pointed out, noting that this confirms “climate change is here.”

The minister also pointed out that scientists warn that the eastern part of the country, which stretches along the Indian Ocean, will be wetter and will experience frequent flooding in the coming years.

As for the western part of the country, it is expected to be drier and would face frequent episodes of drought, she continued, noting that the effects of global warming are already being felt in the country.

“If we look at what has happened over the past five years in KwaZulu-Natal, we see that the region has been hit by floods on a recurring basis, including in 2018, 2020 and now 2022. Each flood is more serious than the one that preceded it”, recalled Mrs. Dlamini Zuma.