{"id":103166,"date":"2026-01-22T08:08:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T06:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=103166"},"modified":"2026-01-22T08:08:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T06:08:13","slug":"climate-expert-warns-sa-unprepared-as-global-temperatures-near-danger-threshold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/climate-expert-warns-sa-unprepared-as-global-temperatures-near-danger-threshold\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate expert warns SA unprepared as global temperatures near danger threshold"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n3-minute read<\/p>\n

\"\"

\ud83d\udcf8 As floods, fires and drought grip South Africa, climate experts warn the world is edging dangerously close to the 1.5\u00b0C tipping point. (Image: Adobe Stock)<\/p><\/div>\n

South Africa\u2019s unfolding \u201csummer of extremes\u201d 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\u00b0C warming threshold.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

According to new figures released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, global temperatures have already risen by 1.4\u00b0C above pre-industrial levels, a figure climate scientists say carries serious consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople hear 1.4 degrees and think it\u2019s just a small adjustment on an aircon remote,\u201d said James Reeler, Senior Climate Specialist at WWF South Africa. \u201cBut when you\u2019re heating the entire atmosphere and the oceans, that change becomes enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reeler warned that the internationally agreed 1.5\u00b0C limit represents a dangerous tipping point for both natural and human systems. \u201cThat means plants are no longer suited to where they are and can\u2019t simply move. We start seeing major disruptions in agriculture, ecosystems and the way our societies function.\u201d<\/p>\n

While South Africa has always experienced weather variability, Reeler said climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of extreme events. \u201cFloods that might have happened once every 20 years are now expected every 10 years,\u201d he explained. \u201cA warmer atmosphere holds more water, drops it faster, but also holds it longer driving both flooding and drought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite global commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, progress has been slow. Reeler acknowledged that the world has \u201cdone very poorly\u201d in meeting interim climate targets. \u201cRenewable energy is now the cheapest form of energy humanity has ever had, yet we haven\u2019t transitioned fast enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In South Africa, policy frameworks are in place, but implementation remains lagging. \u201cWe\u2019ve done very little planning for adaptation,\u201d Reeler warned. \u201cIf we expect reduced water, we must increase efficiency. If flooding increases, we need more resilient infrastructure and better protection of waterways.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stressed the importance of restoring natural catchments to regulate water flow, describing them as vital \u201csponges\u201d that can reduce downstream flooding.<\/p>\n

On the global stage, political divisions continue to stall progress. However, Reeler pointed to emerging international coalitions pushing ahead regardless. \u201cEvery little bit done now makes a huge difference later,\u201d he said, adding that South Africa should join new transition initiatives. \u201cWe emit more than 25% of Africa\u2019s carbon we need to show leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

As communities brace for more extreme seasons ahead, Reeler concluded with a sobering reminder: \u201cWe may not fix climate change alone, but we can prepare. And that preparation is becoming urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up<\/em><\/a> with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and James Reeler.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read South Africa\u2019s unfolding \u201csummer of extremes\u201d 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\u00b0C warming threshold. With severe flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, raging wildfires in parts of the Western Cape and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":103167,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995,4997],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa","category-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MC-Mark-climatecommission.jpg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-qPY","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-02 08:24:37","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}