The City of Johannesburg says it has completed a project to clean up its act, which included restoring the Jukskei river catchment, urban cleanup, planting trees and installing a continuous hydrological monitoring network.
The aim was to integrate nature-based solutions to mitigate urban heat, reduce flood risks, support local livelihoods and protect biodiversity. The project focused on the inner city, Alexandra, Soweto and the Jukskei river catchment.
The project is part of the Scaling Urban Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) initiative.
SUNCASA aims to address climate-related flood risks and environmental degradation to enhance the climate resilience of three sub-Saharan African cities, namely Johannesburg; Dire Dawa, in Ethiopia; and Kigali, in Rwanda.
As part of the ecosystem restoration efforts in Johannesburg, 489 ha along the Jukskei river catchment were restored through the clearing of invasive alien plant species and reintroduction of indigenous vegetation.
