Eco-DRR Project

The Eco-DRR Project: A Story of People, Nature and Resilience in South Africa

Across South Africa, climate change is bringing stronger storms, longer and more intense droughts, and more frequent wildfires. Many communities—especially in rural and peri-urban areas—are already facing water shortages, damaged homes, failing crops and rising living costs. Climate change is already and will continue make these challenges harder to cope with.

But there is hope. For generations, South Africans have depended on healthy wetlands, rivers, grasslands and mountains. These ecosystems naturally protect people by slowing floods, storing water and reducing wildfire risks. When they are damaged—by invasive plants, poor land management and degradation—communities become more vulnerable to climate change.

A New Way to Reduce Climate Risks

The Eco-DRR (Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction) project is built on a simple idea: By restoring nature and managing the land wisely, people can be better protected from climate related disasters. The project will work in four climate vulnerable districts: Alfred Nzo in the Eastern Cape, Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga, Ngaka Modiri Molema in North West and Sekhukhune in Limpopo, over a period of 8 years.

What the Eco-DRR project will do

The Eco-DRR project will work through three interconnected programmes of work.

  1. Restore landscapes: The project will clear invasive plants, restore wetlands and riverbanks, improve rangeland management and restore degraded catchments.

These actions reduce flood damage, improve water quality, increase natural water storage and slow the spread of wildfires. Over 68,000 hectares will be restored or better managed.

  1. Help communities prepare for disasters: The project will strengthen early warning systems for floods, droughts and wildfires. It will support municipalities, train local leaders and work with communities, so people know how to respond when disasters strike—helping protect more than 5.4 million people.
  2. Support livelihoods—especially for women and youth

The project will create opportunities for youth employment and skills development and help women and young people build climate resilient livelihoods. Many already have deep ecological knowledge; the project will provide the training and partnerships needed to turn this into sustainable income. It will also help to unlock the financial flows required to sustain these livelihoods, ensuring that the benefits continue well beyond the life of the project.

Why It Matters

Local governments, particularly in rural districts, often face mounting climate risks with limited staff, budgets and technical capacity. When disasters hit, the costs—both financial and human—are far higher than what early action would have required. By restoring ecosystems and improving land management now, the Eco-DRR project will help reduce these long-term costs, strengthen public services, and build resilience where it is most urgently needed.

A Story of Resilience

The Eco-DRR project is ultimately about people—families facing drought, farmers fearing the next storm, and women walking long distances for water—and the landscapes that sustain them. By restoring ecosystems and empowering communities, the project helps build a safer, more resilient future for millions of South Africans

The project is made possible with funding of USD 40.1 from the Green Climate Fund.

Further Information

The above is captured in the Eco-DRR Project Story  and further elaborated on in a Project Summary. A press release on the approval of the project can be accessed here. The full Funding Proposal for the Eco-DRR project that was approved by the Green Climate Fund Board in July 2025 can be accessed here. The GCF’s project webpage includes further information, including the project’s Gender Action Plan and the report on Environmental and Social Safeguards.

Furthermore, SANBI’s Climate Funds page has further information on:

  • Public Disclosure of the Eco-DRR’s Environmental and Social Management Framework
  • SANBI’s Green Climate Fund project development processes
  • SANBI’s GCF Accreditation Profile
  • Green Climate Fund project proposal development

For additional information or any matters related to the project, please contact: ecodrr.info@sanbi.org.za

Grievance Redress Mechanism

The Eco-DRR project has a Grievance Redress Mechanism in place to serve as a platform for targeted communities, affected stakeholders, project workers, and other involved parties at the local level to address any grievances related to the project. Three key mechanisms are available: 1) Project-Level Grievance Redress Mechanism; 2) SANBI’s Environmental and/or Social Harms and Gender Discrimination complaints process and Whistleblowing Hotline; and 3) the GCF’s Independent Redress Mechanism.

Project-Level Grievance Redress Mechanism

Project-level Grievance Redress Mechanism will be developed for each of the District Municipalities (Alfred Nzo in the Eastern Cape, Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga, Ngaka Modiri Molema in North West and Sekhukhune in Limpopo) and refined after thorough consultations with the community throughout the Operationalisation Phase of the Eco-DRR project (April 2026 – June 2027). Procedures, roles and responsibilities, and training methods will be developed in response to the needs of the communities.

In the interim, project-level grievances can be brought to the attention of the Project Management Unit within SANBI’s Biodiversity Research Assessment & Monitoring Division (i.e. the Executing Entity of the project). All grievances will be logged and appropriately dealt with.

Grievances can be raised by contacting: ecodrr.grievances@sanbi.org.za

SANBI’s Environmental and/or Social Harms and Gender Discrimination complaints process and Whistleblowing Hotline

SANBI’s has zero tolerance for environmental and/or social harms and gender discrimination arising from SANBI’s activities. This commitment appears on SANBI webpage. Any complaints related environmental and/or social harms and gender discrimination arising from SANBI’s activities can be raised by emailing: safeguards@sanbi.org.za. A flowchart outlining how complaints are dealt with is available on the webpage, and can also be accessed here.

SANBI has a Whistleblowing Hotline that is administered and managed by Advance Call: Ethics and Fraud Hotline. Advance Call reports any cases of fraud or misconduct to SANBI Management for investigation if warranted. The Whistleblowing Hotline can also be used to receive complaints regarding Environmental and/or Social Harms and Gender Discrimination. The Advance Call system allows for anonymous whistleblowing. SANBI also receives and administers formal, informal and anonymous matters from various communication mediums. This includes a dedicated internal SANBI fraud email address, administered by SANBI’s Director: Governance, Risk and Compliance. The protection of Whistleblowers is included in SANBI’s Fraud Prevention Policy.

SANBI’s Whistleblowing Hotline is accessed through SANBI’s webpage, where the high-level statement communicating its zero tolerance for fraud and corruption appears. The main landing page includes the following text: “To report suspected fraud at SANBI, Email: sanbi@behonest.co.za or Call: 0800 160 999”. This is linked to further details on the Contact webpage where it states:

Ethics and fraud hotline reporting channels

SANBI has zero tolerance of fraud, corruption, financial mismanagement and other forms of malpractice by its staff or by third parties associated directly or indirectly with its operations or projects. To report suspected fraud at SANBI:

GCF’s Independent Redress Mechanism

The GCF has established an Independent Redress Mechanism that is responsible for, inter alia, “Addressing grievances or complaints by a person, group of persons or community who/which have been or may be adversely impacted by a GCF funded project or programme through problem solving and/or compliance review, as appropriate”.

Further information on the GCF’s Independent Redress Mechanism can be accessed here.

Complaints can be filed at: File a complaint | Independent Redress Mechanism | Green Climate Fund

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