The impact of the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods on mangrove communities, and how they responded to the extreme event

Abstract

Mangroves provide a wealth of irreplaceable ecosystem services, are crucial to the livelihoods of coastal communities and the sustainable functioning of our planet. They are considered rare in South Africa as they cover less than 1 % of the total land area. These ecosystems are situated at the confluence of the land and the sea, and are thus predisposed to the harshest impacts of climate change. South Africa has one of the highest vulnerabilities to extreme events, and these are increasing in frequency and strength due to climate change. The extreme flooding event which took place between 8 to 12 April 2022 in the greater Durban and South coast region in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) was no exception to this, with 300 mm of rain recorded in 24 hours, claiming the lives of 459 people, this was the most catastrophic event to have occurred in the history of the province. We are likely to see another event such as this, yet it is currently unknown how mangroves in South Africa would cope with this. Therefore this study aimed to determine the impact of the 2022 extreme flooding event on mangroves and its associated fauna at three estuaries (Beachwood, Durban Bay and Isipingo) in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.