What will the conditions be on a site you know in 2050 under climate change? What are the projected temperatures, number of very hot days, rainfall, and extreme weather events for this location? What activities happen on this site? Who lives and works on this site? How will changes affect activities and people on the site? What adaptations can be planned for projected change?

In a workshop for the University of Witwatersrand, we explored these questions for sites identified by participants. The workshop generated lively interaction and outline climate change adaptation strategies were developed for housing near Springbok, a hotel in Upington, a gym in Johannesburg, corporate head offices in Johannesburg and a clinic in Umlazi.

The workshop generated valuable outcomes. It increased awareness about projected climate change impacts and how these could be addressed through structured processes. An evaluation of adaptation strategies showed that some initiatives, such as organisational and scheduling changes, can happen easily, while others, such as physical modifications to buildings, take longer and require funding. There was an acknowledgement that current and projected climate change should be considered now and are best planned for and implemented through locally developed strategies.