Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance Presentation to the Port-folio Committee on Environment Date 22 September 2015 Cape Town By Alphonsinah Sebolelo Mafisa

CONTANT VEJA Positions Water and Climate Change Emission Mitigation and adaptation

Position VEJA passion of COP 21 Paris conference is that the conference need to address governments failure to sign a meaningful agreement at the UNFCCC South african delegation to the COP21 must not allow for the develop world to push for 2 degree Celsius. We cannot afford any further increases. We cannot afford more than 1.5 degree Celsius We call on the strong and binding mechanisms that will address the current effect of climate change especially on the emerging small scale farmers, women, youth and rural poor COP 21 delegate must represent the interest of the poor and disadvantages

Water and climate change South Africa is a country of water shortages and the climate change is having a negative effect on our water resources NWRS2 The annual rainfall of about 464 mm per annual With the current situation of climate impact –the scenarios shows that the will be a reduction of water availability

The changes of water patterns South Africa will be more affected if the UNFCCC does not develop mechanisms that will address the long term effect of Climate Change It estimated that the costal lines they will be see more rainfalls In the interior and western parts of the country, climate change is likely to lead to more intense and prolong droughts to the future

Emission VEJA believe that South African Contribution to climate change will be increased in the future as Government fails to regulate contributors of big green house gas emissions Our environment and planet cannot sustained the current economic models and the impact of climate change is increasing and the Paris COP must not be other political parade, as our positions is South Africa must be, below 1.5 degree Celsius and binding

Adaptation and mitigation South Africa need ambitions actions for air quality and climate change mitigations There must be allocation of financial resource for mitigation of affected communities VTPA plans to reduce Emission must be rational inters of timing scope and reduction targets to accommodate sustainable development.

THANKS