THE PROBLEM
South Africans need to assess the environment they want to live in and a large part of the attraction of the Cape is its biodiversity. If this environment is not looked after, it will become a wasteland. The Cape is considered by the United Nations to be a World Heritage Site and this is at risk due to climate changes. Climate changes impacts include raising temperatures, drought, erosion, infertile soil and consequently veld fires. This directly effects not only the production and growth of our plant life but also leads to economic losses, unemployment, poverty, negative tourism and loss of national pride.
While the city of Cape Town braces itself for Day Zero and their lives with limited amounts of water, we also have to consider all the other factors that this will affect as well. Our animals and all parts of agriculture and horticulture will be effected. The need to use water wisely has to become a common place activity and not just when there is a shortage. All water users should be made aware of and be accountable for the amount of water that they consume. Water is not a commodity and can’t be manufactured in a factory. We are reliant on the rain that is captured in our rivers, lakes and dams to survive.
THE CONCEPT
Drought affects us in many ways, but we mostly notice it in our households. Although we are constantly reminded on the importance of saving water; drought and effect thereof are constantly ignored. The reason for this is probably because people do not care enough if they do not feel the immediate effects of a drought when in reality the effects are all around us. A solution would be to make the people in towns and cities more aware of the impact that drought can have on South Africa and the environment. To raise awareness the protea will be used to demonstrate the devastation of drought. A drought can be seen as the cause of a domino effect within our environment. Proteas are grown by the farmer who supplies his product to the wholesaler. The wholesaler supplies the product to the retail shops who sell the product to the consumer. If any one of these components fail, the whole system will fall apart. In South Africa the productivity of the protea is decreasing, which influences the amount that is available to the wholesaler, which means less products are available to the retailer and hence to the consumer. We must focus therefore primarily focus on the farmer and his product necessities. If we don’t come up with a viable solution to the farmer’s problems our national flower may join part of the extinct species. The protea is South Africa’s national flower and is easily recognised worldwide and hence in my opinion this would be an ideal product to utilize to demonstrate the effects of drought and its effect on our environment. This initiative will help raise money towards the WWF agriculture water file which in turn aims to help the farmer for a drier future.
We often hear that farmers are struggling or that their crops have failed, but we continue about our daily lives without a thought to how this will actually affect us as well. The farmers end yield needs to be demonstrated to the consumer. By working with Cape Floral we will create a drought of flowers during the month of January. I choose Cape Mountain Flora because they are one of the biggest flower (specifically proteas) producers in South Africa and have been farming for over 50 years. The wholesaler also has a part to play in this initiative because it will be a success through a combined effort.
THE STRATEGY
To raise awareness of the fact that the drought caused by climate change in South Africa will have an everlasting effect on our national flower if we don’t act now!
AKA: Protea. The problem is caused predominantly by people living in towns and cities who don’t notice the actual effects of climate change and drought and how this has affected our farms and specifically our environment. The only way to raise awareness is to “bring the drought” to the towns and cities and demonstrate the effects thereof. People only understand the severity of drought when water restrictions are placed upon them. People take water for granted and are blissfully ignorant of how many problems are caused due to impact that drought has on our environment. Drought effects our lives in so many ways because water is such an important part of our daily lives and without it a domino effect is felt within our whole country. So, we need to seriously start thinking together of a solutions to this problem and understand more clearly how it will affect our community as well as our environment. Everything on our earth is inter-connected, our community as well as the connection that exists between the impact that we have on our environment.
Dead Proteas: Actual proteas that have been died due to drought will be utilized. Amongst a Bunch of four beautiful proteas will be a dead one. We will be using a type of shock effect. People will be immediately made aware of how drought effects the flora of our country and will bring this fact into their reality. Around the dead protea will be the words “Sorry for the inconvenience, we ran out of water”. This statement will further impart the message of this initiative. The consumer will also be informed on the proceeds of this project and what WWF agriculture will be doing to help our farmers.
Water bottles: These beautiful water bottles will be available in fridges throughout Cape Flora and will be the only source of water available to buy. During the month of January all the fridges inside Cape Flora will be left empty of all drinking options except water. This will demonstrate the difficulties that Cape Flora suffers during the drought season and the importance of water. The water bottles will be eco-friendly and reusable to further demonstrate our concern for the environment. Plastic waste is one of the main causes of global warming, resulting in climate change and drought.
A series of three posters will be created to provide information to the consumers while they are walking around the shop.
This initiative encourages the community to connect and to work together. Everyone can be involved in helping the farmers who are struggling with the effects of drought and in turn will help to preserve our national flower.
Website: The whole initiative should show the importance of donations to WWD agriculture who will in turn give the farmers the help that they need to combat drought and so improve their yield. Information on the website will include: an explanation of the drought situation in South Africa, how the drought effects the environment directly and indirectly, what we are doing to help, information about Cape Mountain Flora and WWF agriculture, the donations and the goals thereof.
Visit the website at: https://meganpopovic.wixsite.com/flowerdrought
Social Media: Social media will be used to show how we have completed the aims and objectives of our campaign and will gives updates on how to help and provide continuation for this initiative.
