Partnerships Key to Building Climate Resilience in the Garden Route

30 June 2026

The severe weather that affected the Southern Cape during May and June once again exposed the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather and the urgent need to strengthen climate resilience. Following widespread flooding, storm damage, power outages, infrastructure failures and environmental impacts, stakeholders called for a coordinated reflection on the events, their consequences and the practical steps needed to improve future preparedness.

Responding to this need, the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF), together with Nelson Mandela University (NMU), the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), George Municipality, Envirodev, Stihl South Africa, Husqvarna South Africa, Suzuki George, George Herald, Beachouse Accommodation and Cape Saint Blaize, have partnered to host the Garden Route Extreme Weather Reflection Summit on 2 July 2026 at the NMU George Campus.

As the region shifts from emergency response to recovery, the full extent of the damage is becoming clearer. Some communities have been without electricity for almost two months, while clearing fallen trees, repairing damaged roads, public infrastructure and environmental assets will require significant time and investment.

A practical outcome of this partnership is capacity building.

Nearly 50 disaster management and emergency response personnel from George Municipality, GRDM, Working on Fire (WoF) and contractors will receive chainsaw operation and maintenance training to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve emergency response and support ongoing recovery efforts.

The Summit will bring together leading environmental, disaster management and climate specialists to examine the causes and impacts of recent events and explore how the region can better prepare for an increasingly uncertain climate.

Public-private partnerships are becoming indispensable for effective environmental management and disaster preparedness.

By pooling expertise, skills and resources, organisations can build stronger, more resilient communities. The lesson from recent events is clear: investing in collaboration and preparedness today is essential to reducing the social, environmental and economic costs of tomorrow’s disasters.

The Garden Route Environmnetal Forum is a public platform for environmental management entities in the Southern Cape and a climate change think- tank. (www.grefecsf.co.za)

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