Image Credits: Business Insider - Johannesburg inner cityscape

City of Johannesburg Boosts Green Infrastructure to Combat Climate Change

Dada Morero, the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, proposed a ground-breaking plan to plant 200 000 trees at the 2nd African Forum on Urban Forests, held in Johannesburg from March 18–21, 2025; with the goal of improving urban greening and fostering healthier communities.

The Mayor claims that by planting trees throughout the city, the municipality has already begun the process of creating a comprehensive climate action strategy. According to the Mayor, ‘’the goals of these programs are to improve climate resilience by restoring important ecosystems, eliminating invasive species, and growing green infrastructure’’.

To examine sustainable urban green solutions, the summit gathered experts, scholars, and stakeholders from the Departments of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment. The success of the meet-up hinged on discussions around the resilience of climate change to combat threats to human beings and infrastructure.

The discussions also outlined the city's initiatives to improve urban forestry and green areas, which are essential components of the climate change action. The emphases are being the fight against flooding, heat waves, and other climate-related issues that disproportionately impact areas that are already at risk. For example, the urban heat island effect is especially noticeable in places like Soweto, Alexandra, Ivory Park, and Diepsloot.

Introducing the City of Gold - Johannesburg

With more than 5.5 million residents, Johannesburg—also known as the metropolis of Gold, eGoli, or "KwaNdonga Ziyaduma"—is the biggest metropolis in South Africa. Following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in the late 1800s, the city was established on mining as the economic base. Since then, the city has developed into the financial hub of the nation, a place where chances abound, and nothing is impossible. Who is Johannesburg's Executive Mayor? Sello Enoch Dada Morero was named Johannesburg's mayor on August 16, 2024.

Cities like Johannesburg, which are marked by high levels of urbanization and resource insecurity, are particularly affected. Long-term observations of climate change include variations in a region's average rainfall, wind patterns, and seasonal temperatures. It has an impact on weather patterns, making them less predictable.

March 2021 Climate Action Plan within the City of Johannesburg

Johannesburg made a commitment in 2021 to modify its climate change strategy in accordance with the objectives and goals of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement, which aimed to keep the average global temperature increase to 1.5°C, and the accompanying report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The 2040 Growth and Development Strategy (GDS), the city's long-term plan, called for a resilient, lovable, sustainable urban environment that is supported by infrastructure that promotes a low-carbon economy and compatible with a healthy natural environment.

Critical evidence from the Climate Action Plan (CAP) shows that as climate change intensifies, Johannesburg will continue to face climate change disruptive effects, including heatwaves flooding, droughts, and threats to water security. Internal rainfall variability in Johannesburg will significantly rise followed by unusually dry years. Analysis of the effects of climate change on extreme rainfall events predicts that by 2030, summer rainfall would rise and become more intense, increasing the likelihood of flooding incidents.

The city will concentrate on improving water security, building resilient human settlements, putting flood and drought management plans into action, building resilient infrastructure, and improving community health and well-being to become more climate resilient and adapt to the effects of climate change. Up to 2050, the CAP projects that prioritise adaption efforts will require R1.3 billion in capital investment, in addition to an annual operating budget of roughly R650 million during that same time frame.

The 200 000-Tree Planting Process Thus Far!

In order to delay climate change, large-scale tree plantings remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lower world temperatures. Communities and ecosystems benefit from the trees' ability to adapt to harsh weather conditions and a warming globe. They improve people's health and welfare, lower urban temperatures, and slow flood flows. However, they must be planted properly.

The Global Environment Facility (GEP) provides funding for the project, which is carried out by UNEP and the South African Development Bank. It is a component of GEF's integrated program for sustainable cities, which aims to assist nations in the global south in meeting their environmental and climate goals. UNEP is leading the charge to support the Paris Agreement's objective of limiting the increase in global temperatures to less than 2°C and aiming for 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels.

What Role Can Trees Play in Combating Climate Change?

The ability to adapt climate decrease the effects of climate change depends on both native trees and forests. Because they are carbon sinks, trees and the earth's forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, stems, and leaves, which help cool the planet.

By assisting in the regulation of the water cycle, lowering soil erosion and the likelihood of landslides, floods, and drought, as well as offering habitats that support biodiversity and preserve genetic variation among species, they also contribute to the development of long-term climate resilience. By offering fresh fruit and a cash crop, fruit trees in urban locations also improve the resilience of communities, particularly their food security and means of subsistence.

Where the Trees Should be Planted?

The tress should be planted in areas that have degraded, such as mangroves, dry-land and tropical forests, and other important biomes. For example, planting trees will assist repair the environment of the Alexandra, which has been degraded and deforested in some areas. However, it should be noted that trees must be planted in proximity to and in accordance with the biome you wish to recreate while reforesting these places.

Did You Know?

Did you know that 15 April is the Indigenous Trees Day? The Indigenous Trees Day (ITD) will serve as a build-up to the One Million Tree planting campaign that will take place on the 24 September 2025. This nationwide initiative seeks to mobilise the public to collectively plant one million trees in a single day. This is the exact initiative that is needed to help plant a target of 200 000 trees to fight a pandemic that devastates a humankind and its environment. This is a campaign that needs a lot of hands to make this a success.

Monitoring the Implementation of the City of Johannesburg's Climate Action Plan

Through data system setup, stakeholder engagement, and action-catalysing in high-impact areas like building energy efficiency, grid decarbonisation, and climate resilience, SEA's role in this project is to assist the city of Johannesburg in monitoring and facilitating climate action by citizens and local business organizations.

Goals of the Paris Agreement as well as the City's Growth & Development Plan

The plan includes immediate, short-, and medium-term planning and execution timeframes to guarantee implementation. The Plan shows that the problems of ending poverty, improving service delivery, and promoting inclusivity are all closely related to climate change, which is not only an environmental problem.

By taking a low-carbon and resilient development route, climate change initiatives give the City of Johannesburg the opportunity to improve living standards for everyone more quickly. Additionally, there is proof that lowering inequality contributes to improved environmental results. The Plan lays out a vision for a just transition.

Why Concentrate on Climate Change?

Significant amount of South Africa's economic activity, including mining, heavy industry, commercial enterprise, and the consequent growth in the urban population, are concentrated in the CoJ. Consequently, the receiving environment is under tremendous strain. As we all know, it takes a village to raise a child. In this instance, I contend that a city’s cohesive community is necessary to stand together and be climate change resilient. Together, let’s plant and care for those two hundred thousand trees.