Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read

📸 As floods, fires and drought grip South Africa, climate experts warn the world is edging dangerously close to the 1.5°C tipping point. (Image: Adobe Stock)

South Africa’s unfolding “summer of extremes” has placed climate change firmly back in the spotlight, with fresh global data confirming that the world is edging dangerously close to the critical 1.5°C warming threshold.

With severe flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, raging wildfires in parts of the Western Cape and persistent water shortages along the Garden Route, communities across the country are grappling with increasingly volatile weather conditions.

According to new figures released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, global temperatures have already risen by 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, a figure climate scientists say carries serious consequences.

“People hear 1.4 degrees and think it’s just a small adjustment on an aircon remote,” said James Reeler, Senior Climate Specialist at WWF South Africa. “But when you’re heating the entire atmosphere and the oceans, that change becomes enormous.”

Reeler warned that the internationally agreed 1.5°C limit represents a dangerous tipping point for both natural and human systems. “That means plants are no longer suited to where they are and can’t simply move. We start seeing major disruptions in agriculture, ecosystems and the way our societies function.”

While South Africa has always experienced weather variability, Reeler said climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of extreme events. “Floods that might have happened once every 20 years are now expected every 10 years,” he explained. “A warmer atmosphere holds more water, drops it faster, but also holds it longer driving both flooding and drought.”

Despite global commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, progress has been slow. Reeler acknowledged that the world has “done very poorly” in meeting interim climate targets. “Renewable energy is now the cheapest form of energy humanity has ever had, yet we haven’t transitioned fast enough,” he said.

In South Africa, policy frameworks are in place, but implementation remains lagging. “We’ve done very little planning for adaptation,” Reeler warned. “If we expect reduced water, we must increase efficiency. If flooding increases, we need more resilient infrastructure and better protection of waterways.”

He stressed the importance of restoring natural catchments to regulate water flow, describing them as vital “sponges” that can reduce downstream flooding.

On the global stage, political divisions continue to stall progress. However, Reeler pointed to emerging international coalitions pushing ahead regardless. “Every little bit done now makes a huge difference later,” he said, adding that South Africa should join new transition initiatives. “We emit more than 25% of Africa’s carbon we need to show leadership.”

As communities brace for more extreme seasons ahead, Reeler concluded with a sobering reminder: “We may not fix climate change alone, but we can prepare. And that preparation is becoming urgent.”

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and James Reeler.