Located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, Joe Gqabi District Municipality is one of the participating municipalities in the GEF-8 Sustainable Cities Integrated Program (SCIP). The district faces increasing environmental and climate-related pressures, including biodiversity loss, risks to ecologically sensitive landscapes, and changing rainfall patterns that heighten vulnerability to droughts and flooding.

Through the project, Joe Gqabi aims to strengthen municipal planning and institutional capacity by integrating greenhouse gas emissions modeling, climate and biodiversity risk information, and sustainable infrastructure considerations into local development processes. These efforts will support a transition toward more resilient, inclusive, low-carbon, and nature-positive development.