MEDIA ADVISORY

Attention: News Editors and Journalists

Date: 10 October 2011

For Immediate Release

DBSA HOSTS A KNOWLEDGE WEEK UNDER A THEME: GREENING INFRASTRUTURE PROGRAMMES IN SA

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs( DEA), South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) will co-host the 2011 Knowledge Week under a theme “ Greening Infrastructure Programmes in South Africa”, from the 12 to 14 October 2011.

The aim of this year’s Knowledge Week is to explore how the state’s main infrastructure programmes could adapt and utilize green planning methodologies, technologies and applications. Whilst significant work has already been undertaken in the energy sector, other infrastructure sectors like human settlements, ecosystem infrastructure, water and sanitation, education and health infrastructure are less advanced. Therefore, the conference will explore ways in which these sectors could be adapted to green planning methodologies, technologies and applications.

Members of the media are invited as follows:

Date: 12 October 2011

Time: 8:30 for 9:00

Venue: DBSA Vulindlela Academy, in Midrand

RSVP: Lucas Makgalo

Email: lucasm@dbsa.org

Tel: (011) 313-3243

Notes for Editors:

Greening Infrastructure Programmes in SA

The DBSA is hosting the DBSA Knowledge Week 2011 from 12-14 October at the DBSA Vulindlela Academy. Knowledge Week is a platform where knowledge workers gather to interact and debate on current topical development issues that have an impact on the aspirations and sustainability of South Africa and the region.

 The aim of the conference is to stimulate discussion, share perspectives and best practice among infrastructure development stakeholder groups, including government, the private sector, built environment practitioners, tertiary and research institutions, donors, finance institutions and civil society organizations.

 The government and state-owned enterprises are to spend more than R800 billion over the next three years on new power stations, road networks, dams and water supply pipelines, rail and ports facilities, schools, hospitals and government buildings, the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan has revealed in his Budget Speech 2011. This builds on the steady progress made over the past decade which saw the contribution of government and public enterprises to gross fixed capital formation rise from 4 percent of GDP in 2000 to 8.6 percent in 2009. This intensified spending will challenge planning and implementation capacity at national and provincial departments and municipalities, but also accelerate the need to follow a sustainable approach aligned to SA’s agenda of greening the economy.

 What do we mean by greening infrastructure? It is the provision of ecologically friendly and sustainable infrastructure utilizing using ecologically friendly and sustainable principles, approaches, methods, materials and technology. Greening infrastructure is developing infrastructure that will facilitate the transition to a green economy.

 Much of the focus in South Africa over the past few years has been on energy infrastructure given the energy supply crisis and carbon emissions associated with our heavily coal dependent energy sector. While significant work has already been undertaken in the energy sector, other built environment sectors are less advanced. An explicit intention for the conference is to explore how the state’s main infrastructure programmes could more extensively adopt and utilize green planning methodologies, and green technologies and applications. The focus will be on the following infrastructure sectors: transport; education, health and human settlements (green buildings); water and sanitation; and ecosystem infrastructure.

 The 2011 Knowledge Week is structured to contribute to the conceptualization of green infrastructure, and to identifying mechanisms to mainstream the greening aspects of infrastructure planning and implementation to decrease environmental impacts and to facilitate adaptation. The Bank is investigating ways to utilize ecological infrastructure, and is developing toolkits which aim to share knowledge on green infrastructure implementation though case studies and best practice learning’s. The toolkits, designed for use by government departments and local authorities, address the gaps in policies, guidelines and approaches to green infrastructure.

It is anticipated that the key outcome of the Conference will be consensus on the necessity for the greening of infrastructure and identifying the next steps to develop green infrastructure programmes in priority sector areas. This may include the development of best practice guidelines or methodologies for key infrastructure sectors.

End