City of Mbombela launches flood and storm water project

The City of Mbombela (CoM) has launched a successful collaboration with the City Climate Finance Gap Fund on the Mbombela Transformative Riverine and Stormwater Management Programme (MTRSMP) at The Capital Hotel on October 19.

The CoM has partnered with the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF) to increase its resilience against the challenges posed by the climate crisis. The CFF provides support to take the city’s Stormwater and Flood Alleviation Infrastructure Project forward, marking a crucial step towards a more climate-resilient future for CoM.

The project is supported by environmental stakeholders such as the Ehlanzeni District Municipality and the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs.

The project manager under the CFF, Rahel Hermann, said to expand on the groundwork laid by the gap fund with the MTRSMP, the focus is on riverine and storm water management programme planning, and the collaboration between the CoM and CFF aims to establish climate-resilient storm water and flood alleviation infrastructure in up to three subcatchments: KaNyamazane, Tekwane and Msogwaba.

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“The launch marks a significant step towards a more sustainable, climate-resilient and flood-secure future for the municipality. It will reduce flood risks for 60 000 residents, positively affecting their quality of life, public health, water quality and waste management, while fostering job opportunities at the same time.”

He said the project’s approach can serve as a model to be replicated by other regions and provides a framework for developing a climate-resilient strategy for storm water management strategies.

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In the past, the municipality had faced many challenges posed by the climate crisis, including an increase in heatwaves, temperature extremes, more frequent droughts, heightened humidity, unpredictable rainfall patterns, intensified rainfall events and a growing frequency of flooding incidents.

“The expansion of informal settlements in the region adds complexity to the existing storm water related challenges, particularly flooding. This expansion hampers the City’s ability to proactively address these issues, and impedes infrastructure development, including urban formalisation. In addition to this, the growth of informal settlements, often occupying open spaces, constrains the City’s options for flood alleviation beyond conventional grey infrastructure. It emphasises the urgency of the challenge and the need for a swift response,” said Hermann.