Debra roberts durban

Global Utmaning är en fristående tankesmedja. Vi är ett kvalificerat nätverk från samhälle, näringsliv och forskning som verkar för lösningar på de globala utmaningar som rör ekonomi, miljö och demokrati.

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Interview with Dr. Debra Roberts, Head of Environmental Planning and Climate

Protection Department of eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa By: Inger Jägerhorn

Q: Was there a master plan for Durban in order to develop it to a sustainable city? A: It is not very popular to talk about ”Master Plans”, it has bad connotations. I would rather see it as a process than as a plan. Q: Let’s call it process then -‐ how much have you personally participated in launching and realizing it? A: Well, I am responsible, being the founder and the head of the department in Durban. We are trying to create systematic targets on biodiversity etc. Q: Is there a political unity about this? A: By no means, no. I am told that I am one of the most hated persons in Durban. I certainly have no fan club. Q: What was it that caused you to embark on a program for sustainability in the first place? A: I was originally an expert on biodiversity (Roberts have a Ph. D degree), and I started on the climate arena quite recently, in 2004, when I was picked out because the national government needed a delegate. Here the important concept of adaptation is poorly understood. Q: When you started the work, did you focus on a specific sector or did you have a more general approach? A: I think that the key part is to get national regulations in place, in order to get a good development. We need regulations about buildings, about water, about coastal areas etc. So you can say I started there. Q: What role has the civic society played? A: There is hardly a civic society in South Africa. Prior to 1994 there were strong groups. But now there is only a handful. The majority is not interested. There are a few environmental NGO:s but their interests are in very special sectors, where they often are very radical. So there is not a great deal of support from the civic society.



Q: Is the central government helpful? A: The government is the one that has to create the legal framework that is needed for sustainability on a national level. The problem is that there is very little good communication between national and local governments. When the national government recently made a major review of the situation in the country they did not even consult the local government at all. Our City Mayor finally had to force the national government into a dialogue. Q: How would you describe the situation today? A: There is a crises emerging in the country. And it is getting worse. The central government can bypass their own legislation. Recently a couple of American universities made a review about the situation in African countries. We were not much better than Somalia! We are on a highly unsustainable path. My personal opinion is that it is difficult to change that. Q: That is a very dark picture. A: We must be realistic. We should not sugar our remarks. Q: Where do you find the best supporters for your struggle? A: Sustainable development and biodiversity is not an issue in South Africa. Nobody is interested. Q: But does nobody react to the recent reports i.e. by IPCC where a great majority of the world’s experts and political leaders say that the situation is growing more severe and that the prospects are becoming more alarming? A: Nobody reads these reports. They are not even published. The great public is badly informed. Nobody is interested. They have other priorities -‐ for instance the violence that is now emerging in the mining sector. The high unemployment rates. Etcetera. We live in a high-‐risk society. The risks of climate change are seen as minor challenges. Q: Given this difficult situation in South Africa – how would you define good leadership? What is needed in a political environment like that? A: You have to be a very strong person. There are many different kinds of power here, power based on influence, on position, on personality. I think the last-‐mentioned type is the most important. I feel that I myself must develop to a stronger person. Otherwise I will be eaten up and spitted out.



Q: Do you mean that power and leadership are the same thing? A: In my situation, it is probably the same thing. Power is probably the defying factor. But everyone is very scared to talk about power. Q: Why? A: Because it makes people furious. Q: But there is one dominant party in South Africa? That is power, isn’t it? A: Yes, but it is challenged. The Mayor of Durban was attacked some time ago and nearly killed in his own office. Anyway, politicians here have a very different agenda, they talk about job creation, and they cannot see how ”my” questions are linked to city development. Q: Given the special circumstances in South Africa, do you think that you can give any advice to other cities to achieve a sustainable development? A: International politicians are scared. The solutions are not linked to extra institutional power. It is all about courageous politicians. But we don’t have very brave political leaders in the world. We are very short on bold risk-‐taking political leadership. It is like walking against the tide. What we need are not small improvements but some very deep changes

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Debra roberts durban