WESSA Eden - Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa

🚧 FROM EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO LONG-TERM RECOVERY

When severe storms struck the Western Cape, our immediate priority was simple: protect lives and restore access.

✅ Emergency response teams were activated across affected districts.
✅ Roads, bridges and critical transport routes were assessed and reopened where it was safe to do so.
✅ Debris, rockfalls and fallen trees were cleared.
✅ Temporary repairs were undertaken to reconnect communities.

Through these interventions, approximately 70% of the more than 230 roads affected by the storms have already been reopened in some form.

But the work is far from over.

Major damage to roads, bridges and transport infrastructure means that at least 19 priority emergency recovery projects have now been identified across the provincial road network, with repair costs running into hundreds of millions of rand.

Some of the largest recovery projects include:
🛣️ Meiringspoort – R421 million (est.)
🛣️ Uitkyk Pass – R75 million (est.)
🛣️ Uniondale (MR401) – R70 million (est.)
🛣️ Bonnievale Steel Bridge – R60 million (est.)
🛣️ Worcester (DR1400) – R60 million (est.)
🛣️ McGregor Bridge – TBC

Recovery will be prioritised based on:
✔️ Critical economic routes
✔️ Roads with limited alternative access
✔️ High-volume transport corridors

The reality is that the scale of the damage exceeds the Department's existing budget and delivery capacity. Additional funding will be required, and full recovery will take time.

But one thing remains certain:
We will continue working every day to restore access, rebuild infrastructure and keep the Western Cape moving.

𝗗𝗙𝗙𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 | 𝗘𝗣𝗪𝗣 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment invites applications from interested and suitably qualified candidates for EPWP Housekeeper positions on a 12-month contract through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

📅𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝟭𝟵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Scan the QR code on the poster or visit https://www.dffe.gov.za/vacancies for application details.

Join the DFFE WhatsApp Channel for the latest vacancies, environmental updates and departmental news ➡️ https://bit.ly/4dapI19

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Join us for this insightful webinar examining how Community-Led Conservation (CLC) can help African countries advance the global goal of protecting 30 percent of land and waters by 2030.
Day: Thursday 11th June
Time: 4:00pm Nairobi Time

Register in the below link:
https://lincolninst.zoom.us/webinar/register/2017805767661/WN_i5bT-_nURTaLV72u3KAHaQ #/registration

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