ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS - Planting trees now could help Garden Route communities cope with rising temperatures and potentially challenging weather conditions in 2027, says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).
With an approaching El Niño weather cycle and predictions of soaring summer temperatures, communities with little shade could face increasingly difficult conditions, particularly in areas where temperatures remain high long after sunset.
Meiring says tree planting offers a practical, long-term way to help communities adapt to rising temperatures.
The Presidential One Billion Trees Campaign, launched in May this year, presents an opportunity to make a difference. The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) recently distributed hundreds of trees to selected schools and clinics across the region to help create greener, cooler and more resilient spaces.
However, Meiring stresses that planting trees is only the first step. Young trees must be planted in suitable locations and receive sufficient water and care to survive and mature.
Planting trees in clusters can create cooler microclimates, provide shade and support biodiversity. Fruit-bearing trees could also contribute to local food security, offering additional benefits to communities with limited natural protection from the heat.
Meiring adds that tree planting, combined with responsible water use, can strengthen local resilience to climate change.
Meanwhile, the removal of dense stands of invasive alien plants in parts of the Garden Route is helping improve water security and reduce fire risk. These efforts highlight the importance of responsible landscape management in protecting scarce resources and maintaining ecological health.
Meiring says the challenge is to ensure that environmental initiatives deliver lasting results. Although the full benefits of planting trees may take years to materialise, investment in trees, their ongoing care and responsible environmental management must begin now.
The Garden Route Environmental Forum provides a platform for environmental managers and serves as a climate change think tank.
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