South Africa unveiled its inaugural national Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Response Plan (CARP) [pdf] at a ministerial launch led by the Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, on 5 June 2025. The plan seeks to encourage greater worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the environment, aiming to enhance resilience in coastal areas facing climate threats. It is a strategic initiative between the department, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

In its collaborative contributions towards the plan, the CSIR has built upon its extensive climate modelling, risk and adaptation experience from the GreenBook and CSIR-hosted platform, the Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science. Delivering the CSIR’s message of support on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Thulani Dlamini, was Dr Douglas Trotter, who shared, “Developing effective climate response actions is becoming increasingly urgent for South Africa’s coastal sector. The CSIR is proud that partners at the department and the GIZ allowed us to co-develop the inaugural Climate Change Adaptation Response Plan for the coastal sector together with the South African coastal stakeholder community and government partners.”

South Africa’s coastal ecosystems are at the frontline of climate change, facing severe and multifaceted complexities that threaten livelihoods, communities, economies and infrastructure. CARP equips coastal municipalities with the knowledge, resources and institutional support necessary to respond to growing risks with a range of interventions outlined and provides adaptation measures in coastal areas affected by the impacts of climate change that require integrated, inclusive and well-funded strategies that prioritise nature-based solutions, community resilience and sustainable urban planning to safeguard coastal assets.

As climatic forecasts continue projecting increased rising sea levels, coastal erosion and more frequent and intense storms that lead to devastating flooding and displacement, affecting vulnerable populations, adapting to climate change in this context is challenging due to several factors, coupled with limited financial and technical capacity in many of South Africa’s coastal municipalities, making it difficult to implement long-term, resilient solutions.

In response to this, the plan is advancing ecosystem-based management, resilient infrastructure, strong governance and climate-smart livelihoods to secure a sustainable coastal future, while technical teams and scientists from the partnership have collaborated on the national CARP by devising technologies and solutions for its implementation.

The launch coincided with World Environment Day 2025, which was being held under the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution.” Once the formalities of the launch were completed, to illustrate that real steps are being taken to fight plastic pollution, delegates joined Dr George as he led a site visit to Extrupet in Wadeville, Germiston - South Africa’s first modern recycling operation centre dedicated to the recycling of post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.

Various sectors, such as government, business, civil society and individuals in attendance were encouraged to join hands in implementing CARP to ensure a thriving, inclusive and climate-resilient blue economy that benefits both people and the planet.