124
3 eThekwini’s Green and Ecological Infrastructure Policy Landscape
Table 3.3
(continued)
Theory
Assumptions Interview data exemplifying assumptions
Themes or a case of
‘Durban has realised that the uMngeni River is a bit like a sewer, taking all the challenges of [KwaZulu-Natal] KZN
down to Durban. There is the huge pressure of water security, and I would say that all the initiatives are integrally
concerned with water security, both sorting out leaks and wastage and so to trying to protect the catchment supplying
the water…’ During the flood of 2017, ‘It was interesting because the N2 [highway] flooded and lots of people lost their
lives and hundreds of cars got washed away. One of the main reasons that it was so bad was that the culverts and drains
were full of litter. Therefore, human behaviour made the flood so much worse. Just south of Durban there is a citizen
science project at Amanzimtoti, and they’ve been doing community action for five or six years, which has resulted in no
flooding on the N2. So, within a 10-kilometre radius, you have extreme flooding, where there was no community
action, and less flooding, where there was community action…’ (Respondent 8)
‘These are natural systems that almost provide a natural engineering function, whether it is flood attenuation,
purification, and so on. This can mean anything, from our natural ecosystems through to things like our green roofs, but
then moving more towards certain technologies and the design of infrastructure, like sustainable urban drainage
systems’ (Respondent 9)
‘Within that setting there is obviously the securing of our riparian zones and the fact that there should be enough plants
and matter that will clean the water as it goes by. We are always thinking about how to harvest rainwater for use in the
ablutions or minimise the use of municipal water at this site [Buffelsdraai Landfill]’ (Respondent 5)
‘SuDS is looking at the actual engineered infrastructure to manage storm-water flow, whereas water-sensitive urban
design looks at the whole water cycle and it is more inclusive of the water cycle’ (Respondent 6)
‘A green infrastructure, in my understanding, does not incorporate natural systems, but it refers largely to constructed
natural systems, like artificial wetlands’ (Respondent 10)
The Botanical Garden’s ‘high water table’ could be a source of water for the gardens ‘…we have water as a resource,
and we try to look at ways of trying to utilise that water. It is also situated on the slope of the Berea, so we have gravity
feeding the system. We pick up storm water from the storm-water system to use for irrigation. There is a lot of potential
we can still explore. The work has started, and it is being managed by Geoff Tooley’s department. In the first phase,
they installed the take-off pipe from the storm-water system and the next part involves the design of the constructed
wetland, which still needs to happen. Once those tests have been completed, it will determine the design or the extent of
the design of the constructed wetland. Before that, they need to test what comes out of that system. We would like to
build a wetland in the garden that is connected to the storm-water system. The lake in the garden is a source of water,
since it discharges through the nursery. It is a source of irrigation. It gets fed by the ground water, which means that the
aquifer is quite shallow. The water bubbles up through the ground. Geoff was saying that there might be an amount of
storm water that percolates through the system into the ground and then feeds the lake. There would then be some
continual flow. We want to collect the storm water system for use in the Botanical Gardens because we are using a lot of
potable water in the garden for irrigation purposes. Litter in the storm-water drains is a major issue because it clogs the
storm-water system during big rain events and then you get some erosion from the overflow of water…’ (Respondent
13)
(continued)
3 eThekwini’s Green and Ecological Infrastructure Policy Landscape
Table 3.3
(continued)
Theory
Assumptions Interview data exemplifying assumptions
Themes or a case of
‘Durban has realised that the uMngeni River is a bit like a sewer, taking all the challenges of [KwaZulu-Natal] KZN
down to Durban. There is the huge pressure of water security, and I would say that all the initiatives are integrally
concerned with water security, both sorting out leaks and wastage and so to trying to protect the catchment supplying
the water…’ During the flood of 2017, ‘It was interesting because the N2 [highway] flooded and lots of people lost their
lives and hundreds of cars got washed away. One of the main reasons that it was so bad was that the culverts and drains
were full of litter. Therefore, human behaviour made the flood so much worse. Just south of Durban there is a citizen
science project at Amanzimtoti, and they’ve been doing community action for five or six years, which has resulted in no
flooding on the N2. So, within a 10-kilometre radius, you have extreme flooding, where there was no community
action, and less flooding, where there was community action…’ (Respondent 8)
‘These are natural systems that almost provide a natural engineering function, whether it is flood attenuation,
purification, and so on. This can mean anything, from our natural ecosystems through to things like our green roofs, but
then moving more towards certain technologies and the design of infrastructure, like sustainable urban drainage
systems’ (Respondent 9)
‘Within that setting there is obviously the securing of our riparian zones and the fact that there should be enough plants
and matter that will clean the water as it goes by. We are always thinking about how to harvest rainwater for use in the
ablutions or minimise the use of municipal water at this site [Buffelsdraai Landfill]’ (Respondent 5)
‘SuDS is looking at the actual engineered infrastructure to manage storm-water flow, whereas water-sensitive urban
design looks at the whole water cycle and it is more inclusive of the water cycle’ (Respondent 6)
‘A green infrastructure, in my understanding, does not incorporate natural systems, but it refers largely to constructed
natural systems, like artificial wetlands’ (Respondent 10)
The Botanical Garden’s ‘high water table’ could be a source of water for the gardens ‘…we have water as a resource,
and we try to look at ways of trying to utilise that water. It is also situated on the slope of the Berea, so we have gravity
feeding the system. We pick up storm water from the storm-water system to use for irrigation. There is a lot of potential
we can still explore. The work has started, and it is being managed by Geoff Tooley’s department. In the first phase,
they installed the take-off pipe from the storm-water system and the next part involves the design of the constructed
wetland, which still needs to happen. Once those tests have been completed, it will determine the design or the extent of
the design of the constructed wetland. Before that, they need to test what comes out of that system. We would like to
build a wetland in the garden that is connected to the storm-water system. The lake in the garden is a source of water,
since it discharges through the nursery. It is a source of irrigation. It gets fed by the ground water, which means that the
aquifer is quite shallow. The water bubbles up through the ground. Geoff was saying that there might be an amount of
storm water that percolates through the system into the ground and then feeds the lake. There would then be some
continual flow. We want to collect the storm water system for use in the Botanical Gardens because we are using a lot of
potable water in the garden for irrigation purposes. Litter in the storm-water drains is a major issue because it clogs the
storm-water system during big rain events and then you get some erosion from the overflow of water…’ (Respondent
13)
(continued)