Climate change risks devastating South Africa's wine and fruit industries, the country's Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka warned at the opening of an international environment conference.

She said the fight against climate change should be as intense as the struggle against apartheid. "Because it's a survival issue," she told 1 200 delegates at the Global Environment Facility conference.

The facility, a partnership with the UN Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme and the World Bank, helps fund projects aimed at combating pollution and promoting sustainable development.

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