Changing weather patterns can present new challenges for cities – from managing heavy rainfall to dealing with periods of extreme heat. As these pressures grow, the need to find new ways to adapt becomes increasingly important. In Johannesburg, South Africa, new approaches are already taking shape that offers a glimpse of what the future of urban infrastructure could look like.
This article features Johannesburg’s SUNCASA project and looks at how the city is turning climate challenges into opportunities to adapt. As a multimillion-dollar climate resilience initiative, it is bringing new ideas into the city’s response to a changing climate. Through three key approaches, the project offers a glimpse of what a more resilient urban future could look like, and why that matters for communities facing the same climate pressures today.
Weathering the Future
Climate-related risks are increasingly shaping how countries plan, design, and invest in infrastructure. In 2015, two major international agreements put greater emphasis on preparing for these challenges. The United Nations Paris Agreement highlighted the need to strengthen countries’ ability to adapt to climate impacts, while the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction called for stronger action to reduce disaster risks. Together, these agreements helped place resilience and adaptation at the center of long-term development and infrastructure planning.
Since then, countries have continued to strengthen their approaches.
The picture is similar in South Africa, where adaptation has increasingly become part of national investment and planning. According to the South African Government’s 2015 Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), investment in adaptation increased from approximately US$1.64 billion in 2010 to US$2.31 billion in 2015.
One example of this growing focus can be seen in Johannesburg, where a major climate resilience initiative is taking a closer look at how cities can adapt to a changing climate – the SUNCASA project.
A Natural Climate Shift
Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) is a multimillion-dollar initiative with a focus on strengthening climate resilience through nature-based solutions. In Johannesburg, the project aims to demonstrate how urban nature can be integrated into climate adaptation efforts while delivering wider benefits for the city and its communities. Its vision is to show how working with natural systems can become part of a more resilient approach to urban development.
Reflecting on this milestone was the Johannesburg Director of Water Management and Biodiversity Daniel Masemola, where he highlighted: “The project demonstrates the value of bringing international expertise together with local knowledge. Let us see it as a transition from a funded program to a sustained institutional action.”
Why SUNCASA Matters
For engineering students, SUNCASA offers a glimpse into how the profession is evolving. It shows that future solutions may need to bring together engineering expertise, natural systems, and local knowledge. For engineering students, SUNCASA’s work across three African cities (Dire Dawa, Kigali and Johannesburg) points to three lessons that could shape how future professionals approach climate resilience:
- Look beyond the built environment – SUNCASA shows how restoring watersheds, riverbanks and urban green spaces can help address flooding, erosion, heat and water stress. The lesson is clear: resilience is not always about building more infrastructure, but about understanding how natural systems can work alongside it to create solutions that are more responsive to the places they serve.
- Design for the place, not just the problem – SUNCASA takes a different approach in each city because climate challenges do not look the same everywhere. Dire Dawa needs an agroforestry and tree planting solution, Kigali a micro-catchment restoration, Johannesburg a vegetation restoration along the Jukskei River. For engineering professionals, it highlights the importance of adaptability in design, with solutions tailored to the specific climate rather than assuming one approach will work everywhere.
- Think beyond a single outcome – SUNCASA’s nature-based solutions are designed to address more than immediate climate risks. Across the three cities, the projects also support water security, biodiversity, urban cooling, and livelihoods. For engineering professionals, this highlights the value of designing solutions that can deliver multiple benefits at once, rather than solving one problem in isolation.
An Industrial Learning Practice
SUNCASA also shows why engineering education must prepare students for problems that do not come with ready-made answers. Real projects can require engineers to connect technical knowledge with environmental conditions, community needs, and wider project objectives. Learning to make those connections while still in training can give future professionals a stronger foundation for turning engineering principles into solutions that work beyond the classroom.
References
Johannesburg Concludes Multimillion-Dollar SUNCASA Climate Resilience Project | Infrastructure news
United Nations Paris Agreement
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy
Third National Adaptation Programme
2025 National Adaptation Plan
SUNCASA
This article was published September 15th, 2026 and the content is current as at the date of publication.
