Human Rights Day is commemorated to ensure the right to human dignity, equality and freedom of all citizens. Clean air and clean water is the right of all people and action on climate change is necessary if we are to protect these rights.
Climate change affects the air we breathe, where we live and the water we drink. Earth has gone through climate changes before but records show that today’s global warming is happening at a much faster rate, with greenhouse gas emissions the leading cause. In South Africa, more than 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Spekboom is a carbon sponge. Picture: New Plant Nursery
The annual World Water Day, under the auspices of UN Water, takes place tomorrow, March 22. This year’s theme is “Nature and Climate Change” and focuses attention on the importance of water and how water and climate change are linked.
High-rise buildings in cities are absorbing and trapping heat and smog during the day and retaining heat at night. “Heat island” is the name coined to describe the rise in temperature, where crowded cities and lack of green spaces means there are not sufficient plants to absorb carbon dioxide to clean the air. Urban reforestation - planting suitable trees in inner cities and suburbs - will give shade, lower temperatures and improve air quality.
Drought-tolerant pelargoniums. Picture: Lukas Otto
Water has influenced the growth of civilisation; without water, people, animals and plants cannot live. We rely on fresh water for health, for food, irrigation, industry and transport and yet we constantly waste, pollute and abuse this life-giving resource.
Farming is affected by climate change; extreme heat, drought, wildfires, flooding and storms deplete crops and lead to food shortages.
Pests are able to survive because of the warmer milder weather and diseases like malaria will spread.
The world-famous Chelsea Flower Show opens in London on May 19, with many of the gardens focusing on the climate crisis. The designs are set to showcase the need for sustainable green spaces, with planting schemes that benefit wildlife and the environment.
FUTUREPROOF YOUR GARDEN
A layer of organic mulch conserves moisture and will decompose over time to feed the soil. Picture: Lukas Otto
The impact of climate change will mean the traditional garden as we know it will disappear; unpredictable growing seasons will affect pollinators with plants flowering too early or too late. We need to protect and restore ecosystems to combat climate change. As water-conscious gardeners, the focus must be on low-water landscaping and local plants - plants that can take tough conditions and harsh summers.
Plant trees to shade your home in summer and reduce the need for air conditioning. Instead of filling landfills, invest in a shredder to convert garden waste into mulch. A thick layer of organic mulch conserves moisture in the soil and will, in time, break down and return nutrients to the soil.
As homeowners, we can play our part by being more environmentally aware and less wasteful, adapting and changing the ways we use water. Dripping taps can waste 20 litres or more a day. Install low-flow shower heads and store rainwater run-off from roofs in tanks that come in different shapes and sizes for gardens large and small.
Invest in a tank to harvest rainwater. Picture: Lukas Otto
Invest in a grey-water system, where household water is re-used in the garden. Grey water comes from baths, showers and basins, as well as washing machines that use biodegradable soap. Kitchen water is not suitable, as this contains fats.
Remove and replace alien invasive plants that compete for nutrients and water with local plants.
Create different water-use zones and group plants with similar water needs. When buying plants, look for those marked as suitable for different areas in your garden. Group those that need low to no additional water and those with medium water needs.
Keep thirsty plants restricted to a small area of the garden, preferably in containers close to the patio.
RAIN GARDENS
Replace solid, hard landscaping surfaces with a permeable surface to allow water to slowly penetrate the ground below. Picture: Supplied
When water runs off roofs and impermeable surfaces such as parking areas, pavements and roads, it collects chemicals and debris and deposits this into the nearest storm sewer, polluting nearby streams and low-lying areas.
One of the best ways of reducing the amount of run-off in your garden is to create a rain garden.
Beds of low-maintenance, water-wise plants can be made in strips of land on the perimeters of businesses and parking lots. They should be slightly lower than the tarred, concrete or paved surfaces so water run-off is channelled into the soil, which acts as a sponge.
This also applies to driveways and hard surfaces on home properties, where run-off can filter to a low-lying area in the garden.