Pretoria - The Department of Environmental Affairs will be using 25 000 Strelitzia Nicolai leaves - more commonly known as wild banana leaves - as natural shade during COP 17 in Durban.
The Wild Banana Leaf Canopy is expected to be a highlight at the Climate Change Response Expo.
The expo is situated directly between the transport hub and the formal United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiating space. Long marquee exhibition tents create an 80x80m open air space in the centre of the expo, and the canopy will cover half of this area.
"At this time of year in Durban, it is radically hot and humid and shade is the most welcoming asset. We wanted something that would allow the air to pass through," said Andrew Makin, a green architect at the Design Workshop.
The canopy references East African "sala" structures, lending a distinctly African flavour to the Climate Change Response Expo. Most importantly, it is made from completely renewable materials.
The leaves also grow naturally in the area and are emblematic of the KwaZulu-Natal province.
"In hot climates, elders gather under a tree for respite from the environment. It is a natural place to meet," Makin added.
The canopy is not permanent. The leaves will change colour every day. They are part of the ecology and completely biodegradable. "As the air moves through it, the leaves will rustle, blocking out the city noise," he said.
The 9m supports for the canopy are gum tree poles, cut from a paper forest in Eshowe. These particular gum trees were growing on a slope that could not be accessed by machines to be cut down.
"They would have just stood there and eventually fallen down. They will be reused after the Expo," said Makin.
The Climate Change Response Expo will run from 28 November to 9 December in Durban. It is free of charge and open to the public.
