Reports vary, but it is estimated that there are between 6-10 million trees in the city and over 2 000 parks.  Jo’burg’s City Parks (JCP) is responsible for keeping these green lungs breathing. Last month saw (JCP) win not only the Green Collar Training Award but the Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority (AgriSETA) National Excellence Award.

Urban forests play a pivotal role in ecology of human settlements, provide shelter to birds and recreational areas for people, filtering air, water and providing protection from sunlight. Of course green is also good for the soul. Johannesburg’s forest in the city is moderating the local climate, slowing wind and storm-water, and shading homes and businesses to conserve energy. Large shade trees can reduce local ambient temperatures by 3 to 5 °C. Cars parked in parking lots with 50% canopy cover emit 8% less through evaporative emissions than cars parked in parking lots with only 8% canopy cover.

A study done in Chicago; USA, determined that trees removed approximately 17 tonnes of carbon monoxide (CO), 93 tonnes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), 98 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 210 tonnes of ozone (O3) in 1991.

JCP has an enormous responsibility. Consider this, JCP manages 1,6 million trees on its streets; 6 603 hectares of developed parks and arterials; 7 500 hectares of pavements; 2 343 parks; 174 hectares of water surfaces; 1 587 hectares of trails; 35 cemeteries consisting of 1 088 hectares of land; 22 nature reserves consisting of 1203 hectares; 15 bird sanctuaries consisting of 366 hectares; 7 hiking trails; 4 environmental and education centres.

The Green Collar Training Award was presented to City Parks at the BHP Billiton Achiever Awards. Falling under the Environmental Education category, JCP was acknowledged for its programme that successfully provided 105 unemployed youth with skills development and employment.

Geoffrey Cooke, acting managing director of City Parks, said: “The project is aimed at creating decent, permanent employment in a sector that is labour intensive, and we are hopeful that this is the beginning of a programme that will be rolled out on a larger scale with support from business.” Young unemployed people were picked from the City’s Job Pathways database.

The second award picked up last month was the AgriSETA Award, recognising JCP for providing employment, putting people to work on maintaining the city’s green lungs.  It took the gold in the “project employed 50 percent and more learners” category. This specifically acknowledged the training of unemployed youth in ornamental horticulture as part of level one of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). These same employees were assimilated into Johannesburg City Parks, giving them permanent employment.

This isn’t just a flash in the pan either. Earlier this year the institute of Landscape Architecture in South Africa (ILASA) honoured JCP with a special award for excellence for its outstanding contribution to landscape architecture through open space development at community level. The award was presented in Durban in May at the prestigious Corobrik-ILASA Awards for Excellence. 

JCP won the award for its contribution to ongoing development of green open spaces and parks in greater Soweto. The award was specifically based on the development of the Vlakfontein Medicinal Park, Dhlamini Eco-Park and the Orlando West Park.  Further acknowledgement for the JCP was for their Alberts Farm Eco Park project, which won in the Planning and Design Project Proposals category. The adjudicators said City Parks’ achievement was all the more remarkable because Johannesburg does not have any striking natural features.  “Johannesburg City Parks does not have the luxury of a coastline, a river or any other breathtaking natural feature in which play and city life easily blend,” they said.

Other notable projects completed so far this year have been in areas such as Zakariyya Park, Vlakfontein, Orange Farm and Lenasia. (Parks were also opened in Njongo and Nxumalo in May.)

These areas were earmarked as the focus of the City’s capital projects in the south. Work on a park opened in Clove Park for example, created 40 jobs and also ensured that there was a transfer of skills to the community during the construction phase. These rejuvenated areas form part of the City’s strategy to address the greening imbalances between north and south. Over 200 000 trees have been planted and over 23 new parks have been developed in the south of Joburg as a step in addressing these imbalances.

This positive trend began in January when JCP extended its environmental credentials by gaining its ISO 14001 certification, only the second municipality to do so. The ISO 14001 is an international standard that provides a framework for developing, implementing and continually improving environmental programmes. City Parks received its certification on 20 January, following a series of comprehensive audits by NQA  (an assessment, verification and certification body.) “It was important for us to gain ISO 14001 certification in order to demonstrate that we are fully aware of our environmental responsibilities and that we are trying our best to incorporate our environmental duties into our day-to-day business operations,” said Alter Mavunda, City Parks environmental specialist.

Johannesburg’s City Parks has proven that it is part of the solution. Revealing intent with regard to city renewal and reducing the city’s carbon foot print. Other cities must be green with envy. But please, no resting on your laurels, there is much work still to be done.