The Climate Reality Project -- Durban

What can change in a day? Everything. On September 14, the world will focus its attention on the truth about the climate crisis. For 24 hours, we will all live in reality. Pick a faraway place or a city near you. Make it yours for one day. We’re hitting every time zone — but only once. 7 p.m. in your time zone. Choose a location and get involved.

Durban --

All eyes turned to South Africa in the summer of 2010, when it became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup.

In addition to being a nation of soccer fans, South Africa also is impacted deeply by climate change. Let’s start with Durban. Also known as eThekwini, Durban is a port city on the eastern coast of South Africa with a population of more than 3 million. Durban sits within the South African province of KwaZulu Natal, the home of the Zulus.

As a coastal city, Durban is vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise, erosion and coastal storms. Some of these impacts are already being felt. In 2007, a major storm caused $310M worth of damage in and around Durban. These extreme rainfall events are expected to become more frequent in South Africa, although the overall amount of rain will likely decrease as the climate warms and becomes more arid.

In November and December, Durban will be host to the 17th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an important juncture in ongoing climate negotiations.