The Olifants River Catchment is home to a range of people, industries and biodiversity that will all be affected by Climate Change. Image: http://award.org.zaTwo weeks ago, Khulumani’s Limpopo Coordinator, Ms Caroline Rathokolo accompanied by a Khulumani youth activist from Steelpoort participated in the first module of a programme being offered through AWARD (Association for Water and Rural Development) with funding support from USAID to build capacity amongst organisations with a community-based membership in the Olifants River catchment of Limpopo Province.
The purpose of the programme called CHANGING PRACTICE is to equip local community members along the Olifants River Catchment with skills for monitoring the impacts of climate change on the environment with a special focus on the impacts of the extensive coal mining across the province.
The details of the Olifants River project can be found on the website, OUR OLIFANTS (https://www.ourolifants.org). The Olifants River catchment is severely threatened by mining activities taking place across Limpopo Province, resulting in serious environmental impacts especially the pollution of the Olifants River. The Olifants River catchment has three sections in South Africa before crossing into Mozambique where the river enters the Indian Ocean near Xai-Xai. Pollution of the river has serious consequences for our neighbour, Mozambique.
The candidates selected for the programme are required to design and implement a project. Khulumani’s Caroline and Nelson (Lebitsi) have proposed a food security project to be implemented with a primary school near Groblersdal.
The details of the course and the Khulumani climate change activist’s project are attached.
