City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

In addition to the health, social and economic benefits, the ecological advantages of ProHuerta’s organic approach to urban food production are numerous. By growing food in close proximity to consumers and using local natural resources, the beneficial ecosystem services provided by plants can be incorporated into city spaces and the ecological footprints of city dwellers can be reduced. 239 By increasing biomass production and re-circulating flows of organic waste, materials, water and energy within the city, 240 more sustainable urban environments can be created. 241 The accumulation of nutrients in city spaces as a result of human activity makes many of the world’s urban and peri-urban areas suitable for food production. Promoting agro-ecological methods of food production and extending assistance to the urban poor can be used to build food security and allow the poor to enter the economy through entrepreneurial micro-enterprises. Local governments have an important role to play in freeing up open land for farming or markets and supporting initiatives like ProHuerta that educate and support the poor in their efforts to improve their lives. As oil prices drive up the cost of food, such initiatives are likely to become more relevant to cities in both the developing and developed world.

25. Energy-Efficient Housing Upgrades for the Poor in Cape Town, South Africa

By Natalie Mayer

Socio-economic upliftment and climate change mitigation come together in Kuyasa, Africa’s first clean development mechanism (CDM) project and the world’s first Gold Standard CDM project. The initiative is heralded for the mass roll-out of sustainable energy installations to low-income households, and the active engagement of the community.

Motivation and goals

Social needs and ecological pressures have converged to spur the development of the Kuyasa CDM project in Cape Town, South Africa. The dwellings at Kuyasa were built by government under the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to house people moved from shacks in the Khayelitsha. 242 Although they provide an improvement in living conditions, RDP houses are energy inefficient. This makes them stiflingly hot in summer while cold and damp in winter, increasing the need for heating and cooling and impacting on residents' health. 243 Poor and unemployed beneficiaries are often unable to afford energy services such as lighting and hot water which contribute to socio-economic development. 245 Meeting these energy needs via conventional methods was problematic for the City of Cape Town due to financial, ecological and energy supply constraints, so an innovative approach to the problem was required. The goal of the Kuyasa project was to provide low-cost, efficient energy services and thermal comfort to individual low-income households 246 as a means of improving quality of life for the poor in a manner compatible with the city’s commitment to reducing reliance on coal-fired electricity. 247

74