Communities with low socio- economic status based on income, education and housing will be the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a new Water Research Commission (WRC) study shows.

It also indicates that there is a need to identify vulnerable South African communities so that development planners can begin working on viable site- specific adaptation strategies.

The research, conducted by the Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), reveals that communities least able to adapt are also those most exposed to the downside risks associated with climate change, partly owing to patterns of urban migration and the geographic legacies of apartheid legislation.

The CWRR research project was conducted in the Mgeni catchment, in KwaZulu-Natal, and the Berg catchment, in the Western Cape, both of which host urban settlements and rural areas as well as subsistence and commercial farming.

The catchments have high-density urban settlements, implying that a large number of people, living in a relatively small area, are vulnerable to climate change impacts.

The study indicates that these communities do not have the capacity or resources to protect themselves or their properties from possible climate change impacts.

CWRR environmental hydrologist Sabine Stuart-Hill says those directly dependent on natural resources are most likely to be affected by changes in the availability and distribution of these resources.

She added that, by identifying the forms of climate change the various communities are vulnerable to, researchers can advise development planners on the most viable adaptation strategies for each location.

“Urban migration may have a negative effect on people’s ability to adapt to climate change as they experience disruptions in social structure and lose tradi- tional practices,” explains Stuart-Hill.

Traditional or informal households are also at greater risk owing to flooding, as building materials and structures lack the structural integrity to withstand the pressures of floodwater.

In addition, the use of open water also has various social and health issues, such as the risk of waterborne diseases.

“The need to reduce the number of people relying on open water sources is imperative in both catchments as these communities are using unsafe water sources and are at risk to changes in water quality and quantity,” says Stuart-Hill.

Research indicates that while rainwater tanks and groundwater extraction can be viable alternative water sources in certain catchments, such as the Mgeni, they may not be a viable option for those already making use of boreholes in catchments such as the Berg, owing to a predicted decrease in the recharge of groundwater as a result of climate change.