Abstract
Spatial planning and land use management are crucial in creating resilient and liveable sustainable communities. However, the impacts of climate change pose a severe challenge to planners all over the world. Therefore, spatial planning can be used to mitigate the effects of climate change and adaptation methods. Most rural areas in South Africa are under the control of traditional authorities, and the Spatial Planning and Land Use Act of 2013 noted that traditional land use development processes are poorly integrated into the formal systems of spatial planning and land use management. This is why municipal planners and traditional authorities must work hand in hand to tackle spatial and climate challenges. The main objective of this study was to raise awareness of the importance of spatial planning in rural areas and to foster a good working relationship between municipal planners and traditional authorities. It does this by placing climate change at the centre of this research by studying the impacts of the floods that hit the Deelpan community in April 2022. A qualitative research method was adopted for this study and data was collected and analyzed using the explanatory method. The major findings were that there were no plans (formal/informal) in place to deal with the impacts of the floods that took place in Deelpan community, and further concluded of the importance of the inclusion of rural areas in municipal spatial plans to tackle climate related disasters. The research further recommended for intersectoral collaboration between municipal departments for better improved synergy of policies and the importance of benchmarking with other municipalities to learn and exchange knowledge as this will encourage a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach in dealing with challenges. Lastly the research recommended for a good working relationship between municipal planners and the traditional authorities as this will encourage positive exchange of knowledge (indigenous and formal).