November 14, 2025, Johannesburg—South Africa’s plans for a just energy transition risk leaving communities behind unless they are grounded in local realities and built on long-term, trust-based engagement, according to new research.

The study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) reveals a deep disconnect between national policy and community experience in Mpumalanga’s coal towns, where residents perceive the transition as an external, top-down process. Researchers warn that procedural justice—genuine participation and shared decision making—remains the missing link in the country’s transition.

Over the course of a year, researchers conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Phola, Komati, Hendrina, Kriel, and eMalahleni, engaging with 43 community members, business owners, and local officials through participant observation, interviews, and focus groups.

The study mapped both formal and informal roles in the coal value chain, showing how mine closures are reshaping livelihoods, services, and local economies—especially for women and other marginalized groups.

A pilot project in Phola, eMalahleni went a step further, mapping 275 local businesses, public assets, and informal networks to understand how communities envision a post-coal economy. It found that informal livelihoods, the care economy, and local food systems are critical entry points for sustainable local development.

The pilot showed that working with communities and building local strengths can increase ownership and make transition planning fairer and more inclusive.

“Just transition cannot be just in name only; it must be just on the ground,” says Bathandwa Vazi, policy advisor at IISD and the lead author of the report. “Our work in Mpumalanga shows that effective transition projects must be built with communities, not simply for them. Ethnographic research has taught us how trust building should be done to draw communities into policy-making, making them part of the process.”

The findings highlight that just energy transition planning processes are often unclear, top-down, and insufficiently transparent, with women and informal workers excluded from decision making. The researchers argue that without deeper local engagement, the transition risks further entrenching inequalities.

“A truly just transition depends on relationships,” said Mahlatse Rampedi, researcher at PARI. “Procedural justice should mean more than a consultation checklist—it’s about ensuring communities see their realities reflected in the policies shaping their futures.”

To ensure a fair and inclusive transition, the study recommends to-

• Adopt co-production as core planning principal: Involve communities, especially women, youth and marginalized groups from the earliest stage of decision making.
• Build government capacity for community engagement: Develop training programs to help officials in building their skills in community research—such as in mapping the resources, strengths, and networks that exist within local communities, trust building, and inclusive engagement that goes beyond standard public consultations.
• Align Local Development Plans with Just Transition: Municipalities should align their development plans to reflect community priorities by integrating co-production results. These plans should address the risks and opportunities of energy transition and support fair and equitable local development.
• Use Local Data to Guide Transition Planning: Before closing any coal facility, build relationships in affected communities and gather insights into local economies, care systems, and social networks. This information should shape job transition plans, retraining programs, and community support services.

Media Contact

Bathandwa Vazi, Policy Advisor, IISD: [email protected]
Madhulika Verma, Senior Communications Officer, IISD: [email protected]
 

About PARI

PARI is an African research institute affiliated to the University of Johannesburg and Wits University, providing new and original social science research, advocacy and implementation support for South Africa, the global South and beyond.

As the global clean energy transition gains momentum, one principle becomes increasingly clear: we cannot talk about equity without addressing gender. Yet, for many women in South Africa—especially those in coal-affected regions like Komati in Emalahleni—the energy transition feels divorced from their everyday realities.

Women and underrepresented groups are among the most vulnerable to climate change and tend to face higher rates of energy poverty. As economies and communities transition away from fossil fuels, marginalized groups could be disproportionately impacted if governments depend on top down policy-making and overlook lived realities.

Yet, the energy transition is also an opportunity to help level the playing field. With a fair share of government resources and a voice in decision making, communities can shape their own futures—and evidence shows that this has shared benefits for the whole economy.

During a Think 20 convening hosted by Oxfam South Africa and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)—held in recognition of South Africa’s G20 presidency and putting the spotlight on the role of women in the energy transition during women’s month—the message was clear: climate justice is gender justice. If the energy transition is to be truly just, it must centre the voices, needs, and leadership of women and underrepresented communities.

A System That Excludes Women by Design

Too often, the models used to finance and implement energy transition projects are designed around a formal economy—one that assumes business registration, credit history, and institutional connections. This leaves many women, especially informal workers and entrepreneurs, locked out.

As Linet Miriti, Chief Gender Officer at the African Development Bank noted in remarks on gender and just transition, even with progressive initiatives like Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa, systemic barriers persist—from gender data gaps to rigid eligibility requirements and male-dominated value chains. Still, progress is possible. In Mpumalanga, 25 women farmers are leading the way in climate-smart agriculture, supported by AfDB-backed initiatives that combine financing with skills development.

Women are not just energy consumers. They are innovators, producers, and community leaders—and yet they’re structurally locked out of the very solutions meant to empower them.

Linet Miriti, African Development Bank

Decision-making power also demands much-needed attention. Women, youth, and persons with disabilities must have the power to inform and decide on the solutions that will actually work for them. Placing those affected in charge of decision making can have a multitude of benefits for governments and communities supporting inclusive solutions and community buy-in of energy transitions.

If there’s no childcare, no transport, no stipends, women won’t access skilling programs. It’s not about availability. It’s about accessibility.

Lebogang Mulaisi, Presidential Climate Commission

Participation That Is Not Just Performative

Recent research on community participation in Mpumalanga’s energy transition demonstrates that while institutions insist that consultation has occurred, community members often feel otherwise. The issue is not whether draft policies have been shared with communities—it is about the relevance of those policies and the respect shown for community input in their formulation.

Often when communities say, “We haven’t been consulted,” it does not mean they are not aware of the consultations, but rather that they “weren’t heard.” Presentations offered at town halls are often pre-packaged, focused on what has already been decided. When community members ask about schools, water, safety, or children's well-being—questions central to their lives—there are no answers.

This disconnect is rooted in how problems are defined. Policy-making still operates from the top down, with experts diagnosing problems and designing solutions before communities are brought in—if at all.

Researchers from the Public Affairs Research Institute, in partnership with IISD, adopted a different approach: ethnographic research. Listening to stories, rather than distributing questionnaires, uncovered critical, overlooked issues, such as

• vanishing community infrastructure (e.g., water, roads, sports fields) previously provided by coal companies,
• a lack of child care and support for children with learning difficulties,
• a lack of qualified psychologists in regions dealing with intergenerational disadvantage, and
• the essential role of informal care and local networks in community survival.

These findings underline the urgent need to move beyond performative participation in the just transition process toward the genuine co-production of solutions and policies. When women are included from the outset, they are not just beneficiaries of new programs but active creators, leaders, and decision-makers. This leads to more equitable participation in training, access to resources, entrepreneurship, and leadership in the green economy for sustained, long-term social transformation.

Rethinking the Role of the G20 and the Energy Transition

South Africa’s G20 presidency offers a unique platform to push an equitable energy transition forward. Yet for many citizens, the G20 still feels like a distant diplomatic process. As Bertha Chikoro from GenderCC-Southern Africa noted, “It’s happening here—but to most South Africans, it’s happening out there.”

It’s very important that government support for clean energy and just transition doesn’t exacerbate or perpetuate disadvantage as we move through the energy transition.

Tara Laan, IISD

The just energy transition is not just about megawatts and solar panels. It is about transforming entire economic systems, reshaping value chains, and redefining who drives development. As Mmathebe Zvobwo from True Caller South Africa put it, we should view this transition like the steam engine in the first industrial revolution or AI in the current digital era—it’s a moment to rebuild the economy from the ground up. That means

• integrating energy transition jobs and skills into local economies;
• rethinking value chains so that women and marginalized groups are not merely included, but centred; and
• creating local economic ecosystems where renewable energy becomes a driver of both public and economic good.

A Call to Action

Lebogang Mulaisi of the Presidential Climate Commission warned: If we don’t act now—with urgency and accountability—we risk repeating the failures of the past.

This transition is not just about technology or emissions—it is about who holds the power to shape the future.

Without a mindset shift that sees underrepresented people as solution-holders, not just “vulnerable groups,“ we’re not transitioning—we’re reinforcing old systems.

Nkateko Chauke, Oxfam South Africa

If we get it right, this moment could be a turning point—not just for clean energy, but for equity and justice. If we get it wrong, we risk deepening the very inequalities the transition promises to address.

To make the energy transition truly just, governments in South Africa and across the G20 have a powerful opportunity: to design policies and investments that put women and marginalized communities at the heart of the new energy economy—not on the sidelines.

This article is based on expertise and insights shared at the T20 side event, Powering Equality. 

When it comes to tackling climate change, state-owned power companies (SPCs) aren’t usually the first institutions that come to mind, yet they are some of the most powerful actors in the global energy landscape. Controlling about half of the world’s power production capacity—and an equally significant share of the sector’s carbon emissions—SPCs hold the keys to ensuring energy security and a successful energy transition in many countries.

So far, however, the spotlight has rarely landed on them, especially in the emerging economies. Yet, as our recent State of Transition report reveals, several major SPCs in these regions are beginning to take meaningful steps toward a cleaner, low-carbon energy future. How?

SPCs Showing Leadership

In South Africa, Eskom has had no shortage of issues: financial constraints, operational challenges, and an overwhelming dependence on coal that still generates over 90% of its electricity. But the company has recognized the importance of implementing just energy transition (JET) initiatives.

In 2020, Eskom opened a Just Energy Transition Office, reporting directly to the CEO to ensure it received the necessary resources to fulfil its mandate. This office was deliberately established as a separate entity from the generation division to avoid potential conflicts of interest regarding coal phase-down. The JET Office has established good working relationships with international financial institutions, increasing collaboration and trust in Eskom’s JET activities.

In India, the country’s largest power producer, NTPC, has shown that even a fossil fuel-dominant SPC can still effectively drive renewable energy investments, including in partnership with the private sector. From 2010, NTPC played an important role in promoting the growth of solar power in India, partly by acting as a reliable off-taker of electricity to reduce risks for private developers. In 2013, the company started investing directly in renewable energy, and in 2022, it created a renewable energy subsidiary. 

By 2024, NTPC had become the top winner of utility-scale renewable energy auctions in the country, and it has used joint ventures and acquisitions to scale up its reach in the renewable energy sector even further.

 

In Viet Nam, rapid growth in renewables created an unexpected problem: grid congestion. State-owned utility EVN, responsible for the county’s transmission and distribution grids, responded by accelerating grid upgrades, rolling out technical solutions, such as improved forecasting of renewable energy supply and smart metering, and working closely with government to improve regulatory frameworks. The National Power Transmission Corporation, a subsidiary of EVN, has been able to secure official development assistance and loans to help finance these actions.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, PLN has begun laying the groundwork for the early retirement of coal power stations, an initiative that remains politically sensitive and financially complex. In 2022, it developed a roadmap for phasing out coal plants, including some ahead of schedule. It even investigated financial options for these early closures and designated a pilot plant to test this approach and shorten operational lifespan by 9 years. But without—primarily international—financial backing and the full regulatory mechanisms in place, the pilot is stalled. Still, PLN’s effort marks a bold step in a country where coal remains politically entrenched.

Emerging Patterns

These stories may seem like isolated actions, but together they tell a bigger story about the evolving role of SPCs in the energy transition. Across countries, similar themes emerge.

First, financing is a critical bottleneck. Many SPCs in emerging economies, including Eskom, PLN, and EVN, are burdened with significant debt and struggle to mobilize capital. This is limiting their ability to invest in new technologies and infrastructure, such as grid upgrades to support renewable energy, or face potential loss of earnings, like in the early retirement of coal plants. Even the financially strongest among them, like NTPC, have had to implement measures to improve their financial resilience.

Second, political dynamics matter deeply. SPC’s energy transition ambitions may hit the hurdle of outsized support for fossil fuels in national power systems. Governments may voice support for climate action at the international level, but vested interests—especially in coal-heavy sectors—can stall or even reverse progress. For example, in South Africa and Indonesia, there is pushback on coal plant closures, and even NTPC, for all its renewables achievements, continues to expand coal capacity.

Third, SPCs may soon be better placed than ever to lead on energy transition. The declining costs of clean energy and storage are making it increasingly feasible for SPCs to invest in low-carbon technologies while continuing to deliver secure, reliable, and affordable electricity.

What Comes Next?

Unlocking the full potential of SPCs in emerging economies to drive energy transition will require coordinated support.

Governments need to support SPCs’ ambitious energy transition plans by enabling visionary leadership and developing the required legal frameworks. This includes shifting public financial support away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy.

 

What’s more, SPCs need to collaboratively develop energy transition plans that include just transition principles from the outset, are context specific, align with national objectives, and address international and domestic financing solutions. A JET office is a model that could be replicated.

Finally, the international finance institutions should partner with SPCs to design new, innovative funding models that reward SPCs for measurable progress on decarbonization.  

And the international research community has a role to play, too. There is still a lack of reliable, comparable data on how SPCs are advancing (or not) on decarbonization. Filling that gap will help build accountability and showcase what works.

On the 10th of June 2025, I presented before an audience full of environmental leaders, gender advocates, and climate thinkers at the Nature, Climate, and Gender Symposium. I was there to represent the SUNCASA (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa) Project, but I was also there to tell a story. Not just about climate adaptation or sustainability, but about a township called Alexandra, nestled on the banks of the Jukskei River in Johannesburg, where 1.2 million people live at the frontline of the climate crisis. A story about art, about women, about reclaiming dignity—and about the river that holds it all together.

A River in Crisis, a Community at Risk

In Alexandra, the Jukskei River is both a lifeline and a threat. Floods arrive each season like clockwork—ripping through informal settlements, displacing families, and wrecking infrastructure. But while climate change might be the big-picture cause, the immediate trigger is often far more tangible: solid waste. Plastic debris, discarded appliances, and rotting refuse clog stormwater drains and choke the river.

And yet we’ve long known that solving this isn’t just about cleaning up. You can’t engineer your way out of neglect. What Alexandra needs—and what we dared to attempt—is a different relationship with the river. One that merges science with story, infrastructure with imagination.

Where Science Meets Storytelling: The river creatures are born

In 2022, a team led by Namina Foundation, Armour, and Willem Synman developed a simple litter trap—an elegant engineering fix to a persistent problem. Alexandra Water Warriors (AWW), the organization I proudly serve, installed the trap along the Jukskei. When David van Niekerk from the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership saw it, he didn’t just see a tool. He saw potential.

This vision sparked something bigger: a reimagined river corridor—a “Green Corridor” that’s alive with culture, nature, and public space. With the artistic vision of Hannelie Coetzee and support from the City of Johannesburg and the SUNCASA Project, the idea blossomed into the River Creature Series.

We took what was functional and made it magical. Litter traps became interactive public sculptures—part infrastructure, part storytelling. A bathtub turned into a fish. A metal frame into a crab. The river became a gallery.

Co-Creation and Community Wisdom

But this was never just about aesthetics. It was about ownership. Before a single sculpture was built, we held community workshops—deep, messy, joyful sessions where science met tradition, and art met oral history. The participants shared stories of the river and drew their versions of river creatures. These weren’t focus groups. They were ceremonies of reconnection.

As AWW, our role was to ensure Alexandra’s voice rang loud and clear. The sculptures—Goat, Bird, Rat/Mongoose, Crab, Water Spirit—are more than creative installations. They are reflections of our lived experience and our hope.

Inclusion Is a Climate Solution

Of all the partners that have made this work possible, one stands out for me personally: the KULA Marolen Foundation, based in Alexandra, which trains local women to weave recyclable materials into the litter traps. They are the only organization in South Africa doing this.

For too long, women—especially in places like Alexandra—have been left out of the picture when it comes to innovation. KULA flips the script. They’ve turned waste into wages. They’ve made green jobs a reality. They’ve woven dignity into every fibre of those traps.

When I watch the KULA women work, I see more than skill: I see agency. I see mothers building futures. I see women no longer pleading to be included in the climate conversation but leading it.

A New Relationship With the River

Today, the Jukskei River feels different. Yes, the litter traps are helping. Yes, the art draws crowds. But more importantly, there’s a shift in mindset.

Children play near the sculptures and ask questions. Locals stop to take photos. Our Community Volunteers help clean and maintain the spaces. This river, once a no-go zone, has become a source of pride.

What’s unfolding here is not just adaptation. It’s restoration of land, but also of identity.

What Does It Really Take?

People often ask: How did SUNCASA gain traction in a place as complex as Alexandra, where government often fails, where trust is fragile, where the daily struggles are so urgent that climate change can feel like a luxury concern?

The answer is simple, but not easy. Show up. Listen. Stay. Co-create.

SUNCASA didn’t come in with a “solution.” It came with humility. It didn’t ask us to adapt to it—it adapted to us. From the first workshop to the final installation, it honoured Alexandra’s knowledge, pain, and power.

It also gave us something rare in climate work: beauty. Not the polished, distant kind—but raw, rooted, joyful beauty born of collaboration.

Why Art Matters in the Fight for Climate Justice

In places like Alexandra, technical language doesn’t always land. But a sculpture? A mural? A song? Those speak in tongues we understand.

Art bypasses shame and builds connection. It doesn’t lecture. It invites. That’s why the River Creature Series worked. It gave us symbols we could love—and therefore protect.

In Alexandra, where inequality is etched into the landscape, art has become a form of resistance. It claims space. It tells us we belong. It says: We are not invisible.

 

A Different Kind of Future

I don’t know what the next flood will bring. I don’t know whether funding for climate projects like SUNCASA will continue. But I do know this: when people see themselves in the solution, they protect it.

When women are empowered, families are transformed. When rivers become stories, they become sacred. And when art meets activism, transformation is not only possible—it’s irresistible.

In Alexandra, we’re not just adapting. We’re rewriting the script.
One river creature at a time.
One woman at a time.
One story at a time.

And that, I believe, is how change really flows.

 Watch this video to learn more about the Arts and Litter Traps Initiative in Johannesburg.

Adapted from the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership’s (JICP) original publication.

Alexandra, Johannesburg — Along the once-neglected banks of the Jukskei River, a powerful new collaboration is finding innovative nature-based solutions. Through the SUNCASA  (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa) Litter Traps and Art Project, the Alexandra community in Johannesburg is transforming solid waste into river cleaning installations and public art to reduce flooding, improve biodiversity, and ignite climate action from the ground up.

This initiative is being implemented under the SUNCASA project. The 3-year initiative is aimed at revitalizing the Upper Jukskei River catchment through nature-based solutions that address flooding and erosion, manage urban heat, improve water security, and enhance biodiversity protection—ultimately increasing climate resilience for over 1.045 million people.

“It struck me that we could turn the rather unsightly litter traps into vibrant community spaces by activating them through public art installations,” says David van Niekerk, CEO of the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership (JICP). “They could then be used not only for river cleaning, but also to involve the local community in the activation process, as well as places where locals and tourists could learn about the river and nature-based approaches.”

The Jukskei River Community Litter Trap and Art Launch took place on April 16, 2025, in Alexandra Township. The program included a visit to the Kula Marolen Foundation for an introduction to Alexandra’s weaving community, followed by guided site visits along the Jukskei River led by artist and scientist Hannelie Coetzee, working with The Art Collective and Alexandra Water Warriors. The event concluded with reflections from key partners, including the City of Johannesburg and Global Affairs Canada, and a networking lunch, showcasing collaborative efforts to revitalize the river.

“We’ve turned the detritus of urban life into guardians of the river,” says lead artist and environmental scientist Hannelie Coetzee. “Each trap speaks to what has been discarded — physically and socially — and transforms it into a symbol of care. Art is not an add-on here; it is central to ecological restoration.”

Each trap speaks to what has been discarded — physically and socially — and transforms it into a symbol of care. Art is not an add-on here; it is central to ecological restoration.

Hannelie Coetzee, artist and scientist leading the "Art and Litter Traps" initiative.

Attending the launch ceremony, Janina Schinck, SUNCASA's Project Lead, underscored that community engagement is a key component of SUNCASA's implementation. "It has been inspiring to see the engagement of the Alex community in our project activities. With the River Creature Series, they have created something really special to showcase the importance of community-led watershed management for years to come."

See below the other artworks comprising the Alexandra River Creature Series along the Jukskei River:

The SUNCASA initiative is funded by Global Affairs Canada and delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute. Implemented across three sub-Saharan cities: Johannesburg, Kigali (Rwanda), and Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), the project aims to enhance climate resilience, gender equality, social inclusion and biodiversity protection through community-driven nature-based solutions. In Johannesburg, SUNCASA’s NbS will benefit over 1 million people.

In Johannesburg, the program’s alignment with the City’s Integrated Development Plan strengthens efforts to combat key environmental challenges in vulnerable areas like Alexandra— where informal settlements face regular flooding, rising heat, and pollution.
Key interventions include:

• removal of alien invasive species and replanting of indigenous vegetation
• solid waste removal and recycling
• urban greening and tree planting to reduce urban heat
• community education and local capacity building
• public art using creative reuse of waste for environmental awareness

The engagement of local partners like Water for the Future, Alexandra Water Warriors and Gender CC exemplifies the value of locally rooted partnerships in climate resilience work. Their involvement and leadership ensure that gender-responsive and socially inclusive nature-based solutions are not only implemented but also embraced and maintained by the community in the long run.

The educational component of the project translates the science and creativity into accessible resources for learners. Community-focused lesson plans cover topics such as biodiversity, including the mongoose’s role in managing rat populations, and goats being a more sustainable livestock choice, offering an integrated understanding of ecosystem health.

Hundreds of community members have already engaged with the dynamic litter harvesting devices and the process of waste transformation. The next phase involves a co-designed plan for the riparian zone of the Jukskei River Park, activating participation from thousands more who live along the riverbanks.

As we celebrate the achievements of SUNCASA’s first year, IISD also extends its heartfelt support to our colleagues in Johannesburg who have been facing severe storms and flash floods in the past few days. Moments like these reinforce the importance of our shared work in building more resilient cities that are better protected from the impacts of climate change. This sentiment came through loud and clear most recently when SUNCASA partners from 14 organizations reviewed progress made in the first year of the project at SUNCASA’s inaugural peer learning event (PLE) in Kigali.

More trees, fewer invasives, cleaner rivers

In Kigali, Rwanda, 60% of the agroforestry target for the project was achieved in 2024, with 820 hectares out of the 1,262-hectare goal planted with fruit trees. This addresses flood and landslide risks and will help with the future food security and enhanced livelihoods of local communities. Regarding urban tree planting, 94% of the goal was reached with 56,000 trees planted along roadways to increase canopy coverage and green corridors within the city, tackling urban heat and contributing to increased biodiversity. 

"In just 1 year, we have been able to achieve remarkable milestones," said Kigali’s Mayor Samuel Dusengiyumva during the opening of the PLE. "We have made tremendous strides in urban greening. More importantly, we have ensured that these efforts directly benefit our communities by distributing 32,000 fruit trees to households, reinforcing the idea that sustainability and well-being go hand in hand."

In Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, 313,330 seedlings were planted during SUNCASA’s first year. Over 128,000 of those were planted as part of the afforestation efforts, recovering 60 hectares of bare land—more than half of the 105-hectare target. When it comes to agroforestry, the goal of 115.5 hectares was overachieved in just one year, with the planting of 142,600 trees on 131 hectares. Additionally, 14 hectares of buffer zones—56% of the project’s target—were created with over 42,000 trees and shrubs planted to protect the banks of the Dechatu River.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, where activities are much more concentrated in densely populated urban areas, 80% of the urban greening and buffer zones target was attained in 2024 with the planting of 6,324 trees. "SUNCASA partners have made incredible progress on our NbS targets during the first year of project implementation," said Janina Schnick, International Institute for Sustainable Development Project Lead. "Bringing everyone together in Kigali to exchange achievements, challenges, and learnings allowed them to optimize their approaches and interventions and maximize the project's impact. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in year two of SUNCASA."

For Marc Manyifika, the World Resources Institute’s Lead for Urban Water Resilience, the first year of SUNCASA has showcased the transformative potential of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI)-responsive nature-based solutions—not only in strengthening climate resilience but also in promoting social inclusion and economic opportunity.

"Across Kigali, Dire Dawa, and Johannesburg, we’ve made remarkable progress—restoring landscapes, enhancing urban green spaces, and improving community well-being," said Manyifika. "What excites me most is that this is just the beginning. With the momentum we’ve built and the enthusiasm from communities and city leadership, SUNCASA is set to scale its impact even further in the years ahead, demonstrating that climate adaptation, biodiversity, and local livelihoods can go hand in hand."

"What excites me most is that this is just the beginning. With the momentum we’ve built and the enthusiasm from communities and city leadership, SUNCASA is set to scale its impact even further in the years ahead."

Marc Manyifika, WRI’s Lead for Urban Water Resilience

In its first year, SUNCASA both advanced NbS and strengthened local capacity through 11 training sessions for local partners. These sessions covered key topics such as urban NbS implementation, procurement, vulnerability and risk assessments, biophysical water monitoring, economic valuation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, strategic communications, and GESI.

For GESI targets, SUNCASA collaborated with AVEGA Agahozo in Kigali, Hararghe Catholic Secretariat in Dire Dawa, and Gender CC in Johannesburg to deliver workshops for 694 community members, including women, men, youth, elders, local leaders, and people with disabilities. These workshops focused on addressing social and gender biases, promoting equitable participation in NbS planning and implementation, and encouraging shared decision-making within households.

These training sessions sparked discussions on marginalization, exclusion, and gender-based violence in the context of NbS and climate adaptation, fostering shifts in gender and social norms at the personal and family levels. SUNCASA is committed to protecting the rights of women and other underrepresented groups, ensuring that at least 50% of participants came from marginalized communities.

SUNCASA Year One in Numbers
 

Dire Dawa

• 313,330 seedlings planted.
• Afforestation: 128,550 trees planted, recovering 60 hectares of bare land—more than half of the 105-hectare target.
• Agroforestry: 142,600 fruit trees planted in 131 hectares, overachieving the project’s initial goal of 115.5 hectares.
• Buffer Zones: 56% of the target achieved with 42,000 trees and shrubs planted in 14 hectares.

Kigali

• Agroforestry: 60% of the project target achieved with 820 hectares out of the 1,262-hectare goal planted with fruit trees
• Urban Greening: 94% of the goal reached, with 56,000 trees planted along roadways to increase canopy coverage and green corridors.
• Gullies: Planting of 31,900 trees out of 46,000 in ravines.

Johannesburg

• Urban greening and buffer zones: 80% of the project’s target achieved with the planting of 6,324 tress in highly populated urban areas.
• Remove an alien species, Kikuyu grass, from two hectares.
• Development and installation of litter traps along the Jukskei River in Alexandra Township.

 Training sessions

• 11 training sessions for local partners, including urban NbS implementation, procurement, vulnerability and risk assessments, biophysical water monitoring, economic valuation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, strategic communications, and GESI.
• Gender equality and social inclusion workshops for 694 community members, including women, men, youth, elders, local leaders, and people with disabilities.

From February 10 to 12, experts in NbS, climate change adaptation, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), water systems, and data management drawn from governments and civil society organizations in Kigali, Johannesburg, and Dire Dawa will come together for the SUNCASA project’s peer learning event. The event will take place at the Mille Collines Hotel and will be opened by the Mayor of Kigali, Samuel Dusengiyumva, on February 10 at 9 am.

Experts will review the first year of the SUNCASA’s project’s activities, which included tree planting, invasive species removal, watershed restoration, and community workshops to set out strategies grounded on the lessons learned across the three cities.

"At the heart of this event is the opportunity to come together and learn from one another what works, what doesn't, for whom, and why. It's a chance to exchange, engage and reflect on the SUNCASA story so far across three very unique, dynamic African cityscapes,” explains Samantha Boardley, IISD’s climate adaptation specialist and one of the event’s lead facilitators. “It is an occasion so few projects or stakeholders make the time for, but one that offers so much not only to the project but to our broader understanding of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation."

The first year of SUNCASA in Kigali achieved significant results. Fruit trees and shrubs were planted in 820 hectares and urban green areas were expanded with 56,000 new trees. Other NbS actions, such as reforestation and afforestation, will kick off in March 2025.

In Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, implementing partners planted more than 313,000 seedlings in 2024, established new forests on 60 hectares, revitalized 131 hectares with 142,600 fruit trees, and created 14 hectares of buffer zones along the Dechatu River.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, the tree-planting activities started in December 2024, with more than 6,300 seedlings planted to expand urban areas and create buffer zones to protect the Jukskei River. Additionally, alien invasive species were removed from 2 hectares, and another hectare was strategically rehabilitated by planting indigenous species. In one of the crucial project sites, Alexandra Township, local communities are manufacturing litter traps from waste collected in the river, which will contribute to reducing watercourse pollution.

Launched in 2024, SUNCASA is a 3-year project developed and implemented in close collaboration with local organizations. Delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), with funds from the Government of Canada, SUNCASA seeks to enhance resilience, gender equality, social inclusion, and biodiversity protection in urban communities in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Africa. The project aims to benefit 2.2 million people living in climate-vulnerable areas.

SUNCASA PEER LEARNING EVENT

Where: Mille Collines Hotel, 2 KN 6 Ave, Kigali

Available Interviews: 

• Lord Samuel Dusengiyumva, Mayor of Kigali
• Janina Schnick, Lead, SUNCASA Project
• Marc Manyifika, Country Lead for Urban Water Resilience, WRI Africa
• Project scientists and community leads are available for interview. (Please request in advance to confirm availability.)

QUOTES

“Climate change is a reality. As a matter of fact, this year alone (2024), in the month of September, Kigali recorded its highest urban heat in history. And if you look at the amount of rain we are having, we have to do something. And I have to say that it can only be done in a coordinated manner. SUNCASA project is an initiative that symbolizes not only progress but a shared vision for our city and our continent. Kigali has long been a city that embraces bold ideas and transforms them into tangible results.”

Lord Samuel Dusengiyumva, Mayor of Kigali

“SUNCASA partners have made incredible progress on our NbS targets during the first year of project implementation, and we are excited to bring them together in Kigali to exchange achievements, challenges, and learnings. This will allow them to optimize their approaches and interventions in the three SUNCASA cities and maximize the project's impact. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in Year 2 of SUNCASA!”

Janina Schnick, Lead, SUNCASA, IISD

“The peer learning event is SUNCASA’s first milestone—after a year of implementation, it’s bringing together partners from all three cities to exchange lessons, share valuable tools, and inspire new approaches for advancing nature-based solutions and gender equality and social inclusion. From the ARCOS Network showcasing their approach to community engagement, Haramaya University spotlighting their research on soil moisture and GenderCC sharing their expertise in integrating gender & social inclusion, participants will have the chance to learn, collaborate, and spark new and innovative pathways for building more inclusive and resilient cities.”

Marc Manyifika, Urban Resilience Lead, World Resources Institute - Africa

SUNCASA IN NUMBERS

• 2.2 million people benefited from the NbS actions.
• CAD 29 million will be invested in NbS actions in the three cities.
• reforestation: 640 ha will be recovered with the planting of 1.4 million trees.
• afforestation: More than 1.5 million trees will be planted in 867 ha of degraded land.
• agroforestry: Over 500,000 fruit trees will be planted in an 885-ha area.
• 1,143 ha of buffer zones will be established to protect the riverbanks.
• 469 ha will be revitalized by removing alien invasive species and debris.
• Public green spaces will be expanded with the planting of 150,000 trees.
• Around 22,000 people from vulnerable communities will directly benefit from capacity-building and implementation activities.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Cesar Henrique Arrais

Senior Communications Officer, IISD

[email protected]

Eden Takele

Engagement & Communications Specialist, WRI Africa

[email protected]