Page 12 - IRMSA Risk Report 2020

F AIL URE T O DE VEL OP, AT TR A C T AND / OR RE TAIN TALENT

T OP CHALLENGES TO P TREAT MENT S

• The South African education system as it currently • The proposed NHI has creative solutions to
stands. addr Ear Development
• Inadequate teacher content knowledge and requirements.
significant reading deficits in primary schools. • Link education opportunities to the country’s
• Rapid technology change in production creates an needs, as identified in SONA and the NDP.
increased bias towards skill-intensive employment • Increase absorption rates through workplace
demand. skills development and work integrated learning
• Highly stressed education infrastructure due to programmes.
increasing urbanisation and immigration. • Stepping up efforts to encourage learners to
• The concentration of unemployed among the pick vocational training over university degrees,
youth and individuals without tertiary education specifically in the agricultural and services
contributes to the persistence of inequality. industries.

EX TREME WEATHER E VENT S , NATUR AL DISASTERS AND CLIM ATE CHANGE

T OP CHALLENGES TO P TREAT MENT S

• Land-use planning falls on local municipalities • Good planning practices for land-use combined
that are under tremendous pressure. with targeted climate adaptation interventions,
• Climate is changing quicker than cities can adapt, aligned to the mandates of local authorities.
and there is a lack of scientific decision-ready data • Adapting cities to the anticipated effects of
to inform and prioritise effective interventions. climate change, including retrofitting high-
• A rapidly urbanising and growing population risk cities to become climate-resilient/hazard-
that must be accommodated in an environment resistant.
of low economic growth. • Public-private partnerships that focus on
• A lack of knowledge about how our daily actions lessening communities’ exposure to climate risks
affect our future exposure to these climate and protecting infrastructure investments.
change and weather-related events. • The adoption of sustainable practices by all:
water sensitive practices, energy efficient design,
passive design principals in buildings, resource
use reduction, etc.

INSUFFICIENT ELEC TRICIT Y AND / OR ENER GY
T OP CHALLENGES TO P TREAT MENT S

• Deteriorating plant performance, due to • Prioritisation of maintenance and the space
inadequate investment in maintenance and mid- needed in a constrained system to increase the
life refurbishment. reliability of plants.
• Poor performance of Medupi and Kusile • Clear direction on industry structure and market
due to design problems as well as delays in rules to encourage investment.
commissioning. • Integrated planning and frequent iterations to
• Funding and capacity constraints impacting the deal with uncertainty and change.
ability to undertake plant maintenance. • Energy efficiency to reduce demand and energy
• Decision-making processes and long lead times diversity to increase supply.
for the development of new infrastructure. • Electricity generation or storage by private
• Lack of effective leadership and long-term individuals, where possible, to reduce pressure
strategic thinking in a highly complex sector. and reliance on the grid.

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