G REEN E N V I R O N MEN T
G R EE N E N V IR O NMENT
Nurturing a GREEN environment A
bandoned mines, mine dumps and dams dot the landscape from west to east, providing mere reflections of their former heydays. In its commitment to delivering services to the community, the city is committed to maintaining and promoting sustainable environmental management by carefully blending ecological, social and economic solutions into its future planning and decision-making processes. It balances the interests of the present with those of future generations and, ultimately, strives to reduce the environmental impacts of current operations, activities, products and services. The City of Ekurhuleni believes that it is not enough to build awareness about 144
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Environmental degradation, due to mining, urbanisation and industrialisation, is a major challenge. However, it also presents a wonderful opportunity to rehabilitate the damaged areas and turn the city into a greenbelt of note.
climate change; taking action to slow down its effects is vital. This is evident through a number of award-winning projects undertaken, including the Ekurhuleni Landfill Gas Recovery Project, which was the overall winner of the prestigious Best Waste Management Project (Africa) 2013 award in the New Economy Sustainable Energy Awards 2013. Environmental upgrading is a major focus of the city. In the years to come, it will include the following initiatives and projects: • an environmental policy for the City of Ekurhuleni area • a State of the Environment reporting system that will report on the progress made or not made in terms of
environmental indicators • the Hloekisa mine dump and environmental rehabilitation programme in the mining belt • the establishment of partnerships with major private sector land-owners and mining title-holders in the mining belt – working towards a joint vision in terms of the future development of the area • upgrading accessibility to the existing CBDs and old industrial areas in order to promote urban renewal and new development • instituting a range of other complementary urban renewal initiatives. Ekurhuleni has a few unique environmental and heritage assets worthy of protection. Strategies to