Canada’s foreign affairs minister visits Jukskei River in Alex

Co-founder of the Alexandra Water Warriors Paul Maluleke said the organisation plans to plant about 3 000 trees along the banks of the Jukskei River during Arbor Month in September

Canadian minister of foreign affairs Melanie Joly (floral dress) visits the Jukskei River in Alexandra whose climate resilient work is being funded by her government.

Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, Mélanie Joly, visited the Jukskei River on August 22 to view the progress of its government-funded work being done by the Alexandra Water Warriors.
The Canadian minister was accompanied to Alexandra by Cllr Jack Sekwaila, MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, and the city manager Floyd Brink.
The Alexandra Water Warriors is a group dedicated to rehabilitating the river and planting trees under the Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) project, which aims to reduce flood risks, enhance climate adaptation, promote gender equality, and protect biodiversity in urban settings.

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The project is significant as it aligns with the city’s water security strategy, which aims to create resilient, liveable, and sustainable urban water environments, and foster a water-conscious society.
Sekwaila’s department played a key role in developing the proposal to secure funding for implementing nature-based solutions, focusing on strengthening climate resilience and protecting biodiversity by conserving and restoring watersheds in urban communities.
After meeting the strict criteria set by funders, the city embarked on defining specific activities and work packages, consolidating project sites, identifying local partners, and creating implementation plans. The city remains committed to submitting proposals to various funding platforms to secure climate and green finance for different sectors highlighted in its water security strategy.
“We are grateful to minister Mélanie Joly for visiting today and seeing how we’re working with nature to empower women, fight climate change, and reduce flood risk in Johannesburg,” said Janina Schnick, International Institute for Sustainable Development project lead for SUNCASA.

Also read: Jukskei River in Alexandra is a shadow of its former self
Amanda Gcanga, country lead at the World Resources Institute, said, “minister Joly’s visit highlighted the importance of protecting natural infrastructure and building climate resilience in Johannesburg. We’re grateful she could engage with local organisations we’re partnering with to scale up nature-based solutions in the Jukskei River catchment.”
Paul Maluleke, co-founder of the Alexandra Water Warriors, shared how the community has united to address climate change along the Jukskei River. “Through the city and the SUNCASA project, we’re now getting the attention and support needed to implement nature-based solutions. Unemployment is high, and the environment has become a significant source of employment in our community, with about 2 500 volunteers currently involved.”
Maluleke praised the benefits of the SUNCASA project, which enabled him to travel to Rwanda to learn from their environmental initiatives and river cleanup projects. “During Arbor Month in September, we plan to plant about 3 000 trees,” Maluleke added.
Brink assured the city would continue to support the project and seek additional funding during budget adjustments to ensure the continuation of this impactful work. “We are grateful to the Canadian government for funding this budget and this will go a long way to address some of the socio-economic challenges being faced by this community as there are opportunities that have been created.”