EThekwini Rebuilds Flood-Damaged Infrastructure To Be More Resilient
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Date: 2025-07-14 12:36:20

EThekwini Rebuilds Flood-Damaged Infrastructure To Be More Resilient

ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
13 JULY 2025
 
Three years on from the severe floods of April 2022, eThekwini Municipality has emerged with a bold vision not just to rebuild, but to transform and build back better to ensure infrastructure is stronger and more sustainable.
 
The Municipality has made significant strides in restoring and upgrading critical infrastructure, focusing on roads, bridges, and stormwater systems that were severely damaged during the floods.
 
The M4 and M19 corridors, once impassable, are being reconstructed as climate-resilient lifelines.
 
The Prospection Road and uMlazi Canals, once overwhelmed, are now being fortified to protect homes, industries, and livelihoods. 
 
Bridges like Shallcross and Coedmore to name a few, are rising again; stronger, smarter, and built to last. 
 
Director of the Disaster Management Directorate Vincent Ngubane said in line with the global Build Back Better framework, eThekwini’s recovery strategy is not just about restoration, but about resilience.
 
“Our mission goes beyond emergency response, it’s about building a City that is prepared, protected, and proactive. These disasters illustrate how various stakeholders can work together to enhance the resilience of eThekwini, ensuring comprehensive support for all,” he said.
 
The Municipality has initiated a number of programmes to equip communities with tools to prepare for disasters and how to build with resilience, before disaster strikes. 
 
Community involvement is not just a desirable aspect, but a core principle of ‘Build Back Better’, in creating more resilient and sustainable outcomes.
 
Ngubane said these infrastructure upgrades are part of a holistic disaster risk reduction strategy that integrates early warning systems, community preparedness, and climate-smart planning.
 
“We are not just reacting to disasters, we are anticipating them, and designing our City to withstand them,” he explained.
 
He said the structures being rebuilt are not just replacements but are engineered to withstand extreme weather events and rising flood risks.
 
Chief Civil Engineer in Roads Provision Linga Govender said the Municipality has adopted cutting-edge engineering standards to ensure that rebuilt infrastructure is more robust and less susceptible to future washaways.
 
“These new bridges are engineered to stand the test of time and the changing climate. They represent a new era of infrastructure that is smarter, stronger, and safer,” he said.
 
ENDS