KLIMAATSAKSIE HANDBOEK

The 'Klimaatsaksie Handboek' is a practical guide designed to empower South African communities to combat climate change using legal tools. It explains the science of climate change, identifies specific vulnerabilities and potential impacts—such as water scarcity and food insecurity—and outlines a framework for 'climate action.' The document details South Africa's constitutional rights, relevant environmental legislation, and international commitments. It provides a step-by-step toolkit for community organizing, including methods for gathering evidence, accessing government information via PAIA, participating in Environmental Impact Assessments, lobbying, and taking legal action as a last resort.

• Climate change is defined as the significant long-term change of normal weather patterns caused by atmospheric changes, specifically human-induced greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and methane from fossil fuel use.
• Global greenhouse gas emissions are dominated by energy production, which is responsible for 72% of all emissions, with electricity and heat accounting for 31%.
• Community vulnerability is determined by a combination of exposure to climate variations, sensitivity to those stimuli, and the capacity to adapt to moderate damage or coexist with consequences.
• South Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with the South African Weather Service predicting in 2017 that the country will warm twice as fast as the global average.
• Despite international commitments under the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, South Africa's progress has been rated as 'Highly insufficient' by Climate Action Tracker.
• The South African Constitution provides several fundamental rights that are threatened by climate change, including the right to an environment not harmful to health (Article 24), the right to life (Article 11), and the right to food and water (Article 27).
• Legal empowerment for communities involves building knowledge of the law, using the law to enforce rights, and influencing the law to ensure rights are respected.
• The Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) allows individuals to request information from public and private bodies to protect their rights, though exceptions exist for privacy, commercial confidentiality, and national security.
• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are critical legal processes where the public has the right to be informed of proposed projects, access documents, provide comments, and appeal decisions.
• Traditional and indigenous knowledge, such as the fire management practices of the Khwe people in Namibia, are essential tools for climate adaptation and biodiversity protection.

APA

Natural Justice (2021). KLIMAATSAKSIE HANDBOEK. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NJ_Climate-Change-Handbook_AFRIKAANS_DRAFT2.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. KLIMAATSAKSIE HANDBOEK. 2021. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NJ_Climate-Change-Handbook_AFRIKAANS_DRAFT2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=KLIMAATSAKSIE HANDBOEK |date=December 2021 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NJ_Climate-Change-Handbook_AFRIKAANS_DRAFT2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2021klimaatsaksie, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{KLIMAATSAKSIE HANDBOEK}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NJ_Climate-Change-Handbook_AFRIKAANS_DRAFT2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }