City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

CITY-LEVEL DECOUPLING: URBAN RESOURCE FLOWS AND THE GOVERNANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSITIONS

An aerial view of the Mariannhill Landfill Site. (Source:Durant Civils (Pty) Ltd, 2005'0

R3 million (approximately US$338,000) on new plants. 77 The community’s monitoring committee convinced Durban Solid Waste to start a plant rescue process in 1998 78 and worked towards registering the site as a national conservancy, which was achieved in 2002 - a world first for an operational landfill. 79 The Mariannhill Landfill Site is a significant contributor to urban sustainability. Dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by the generation of electricity from landfill gas, the supply of indigenous plants by the on-site nursery, and the re-use of biologically cleaned water on site. Local biodiversity is protected by the restoration of indigenous vegetation, the removal of alien plants, and the creation of wetlands and migration corridors. Economic viability is improved by the sale of electricity and carbon credits as well as the cost savings associated with on-site landfill rehabilitation and reuse of water. The creation of employment, realisation of skills development opportunities, and education programmes each contribute to social sustainability. A community centre and bird hide on the site are used to educate school children about sustainability, landfills, wetlands and the dangers of alien vegetation, 80 helping to spread sustainability messages to the surrounding community. The Mariannhill Landfill Site is regularly evaluated for effectiveness. It is audited twice a year to retain its permit to operate, and the Conservancies Organisation frequently assesses whether the site should retain its status as a conservancy. The gas-to-electricity project at the landfill is also audited annually to produce mandatory clean development mechanism Monitoring Reports. The landmark nature of the Mariannhill Landfill Site brought with it significant obstacles along the way. Municipal bureaucracy and the obligations of the Municipal Finance Management Act impaired

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