Perceptions and knowledge of ecosystem services in urban river systems, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Mack, Elizabeth A, Akamagwuna, Frank C, Murata, Chenai, Materechera-Mitochi, Fenji, Nnadozie, Chika F, Odume, Oghenekaro N
- Authors: Mack, Elizabeth A , Akamagwuna, Frank C , Murata, Chenai , Materechera-Mitochi, Fenji , Nnadozie, Chika F , Odume, Oghenekaro N
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/484496 , vital:78918 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-024-01562-w
- Description: The ecosystem services concept has been studied in rural contexts but not as much in urban landscapes, particularly for aquatic ecosystems in Africa. There is little knowledge of how people perceive ecosystem services (ES) supplied by rivers in urban centres and the factors influencing their perceptions. To fill this gap, the research presented here addresses two objectives: 1) to assess local communities’ perception and knowledge of different types of ecosystem services of an urban river in South Africa, 2) to assess the influence of particular demographic characteristics (age and gender), socio-economic characteristics (education, housing type, income, and years of residence), and prior knowledge of the ecosystem services concept on people’s perception of the ecosystem services provided by the Swartkops River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. To address these objectives, a team of ten trained field staff collected 181 surveys between May–June 2021 in communities within the river catchment. We used multinomial logit models to analyse the relationships between demographic and socio-economic variables, and people’s perception of ecosystem services.
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- Authors: Mack, Elizabeth A , Akamagwuna, Frank C , Murata, Chenai , Materechera-Mitochi, Fenji , Nnadozie, Chika F , Odume, Oghenekaro N
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/484496 , vital:78918 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-024-01562-w
- Description: The ecosystem services concept has been studied in rural contexts but not as much in urban landscapes, particularly for aquatic ecosystems in Africa. There is little knowledge of how people perceive ecosystem services (ES) supplied by rivers in urban centres and the factors influencing their perceptions. To fill this gap, the research presented here addresses two objectives: 1) to assess local communities’ perception and knowledge of different types of ecosystem services of an urban river in South Africa, 2) to assess the influence of particular demographic characteristics (age and gender), socio-economic characteristics (education, housing type, income, and years of residence), and prior knowledge of the ecosystem services concept on people’s perception of the ecosystem services provided by the Swartkops River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. To address these objectives, a team of ten trained field staff collected 181 surveys between May–June 2021 in communities within the river catchment. We used multinomial logit models to analyse the relationships between demographic and socio-economic variables, and people’s perception of ecosystem services.
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Spatiotemporal variations in the occurrence of Campylobacter species in the Bloukrans and Swartkops rivers, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Chibwe, Mary, Odume, Oghenekaro N, Nnadozie, Chika F
- Authors: Chibwe, Mary , Odume, Oghenekaro N , Nnadozie, Chika F
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/484507 , vital:78919 , 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28774
- Description: An increase in the incidence of Campylobacter species in rivers raises concerns on the safety of river water for humans who get exposed to river water. This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of Campylobacter species in the Bloukrans and Swartkops rivers, analysing patterns of its occurrence in relation to meteorological conditions, physicochemical parameters, seasons, and sampling sites. Physico-chemical parameters and meteorological conditions were measured during water sampling from various sites along the rivers over a year, while Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was utilised to detect Campylobacter genus-specific genes and selected antibiotic-resistant genes.
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- Authors: Chibwe, Mary , Odume, Oghenekaro N , Nnadozie, Chika F
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/484507 , vital:78919 , 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28774
- Description: An increase in the incidence of Campylobacter species in rivers raises concerns on the safety of river water for humans who get exposed to river water. This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of Campylobacter species in the Bloukrans and Swartkops rivers, analysing patterns of its occurrence in relation to meteorological conditions, physicochemical parameters, seasons, and sampling sites. Physico-chemical parameters and meteorological conditions were measured during water sampling from various sites along the rivers over a year, while Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was utilised to detect Campylobacter genus-specific genes and selected antibiotic-resistant genes.
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Stakeholder contestations of water quality use and management in the Vaal Barrage catchment
- Odume, Oghenekaro N, Chili, Asanda, Nnadozie, Chika F, Slaughter, Andrew R
- Authors: Odume, Oghenekaro N , Chili, Asanda , Nnadozie, Chika F , Slaughter, Andrew R
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480606 , vital:78459 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sajsci-v120-n9-a18
- Description: The water resources within the lower section of the Upper Vaal catchment, where the Vaal Barrage is situated, are highly utilised and developed, and water quality regulation has become a contested space between resource users and the regulators. The credibility and scientific defensibility of discharge standards in water-use licences (WULs), the relationship between upstream and downstream waste loads, the relationship between flows and water quality standards in WUL, and the water quality components of the resource quality objectives (RQOs) are being contested. This study explores the perceptions and motivations underlying these contestations as a contribution to scientific understanding of water quality management in a highly developed system. Perceived unrealistic RQOs, perceived lack of scientific credibility of the methods for deriving water quality standards in WUL, data inadequacy, as well as poor institutional capacity were identified as the top motivations for contesting applicable regulatory instruments in the catchment. Punitive measures, incentives, and education and awareness-raising were identified as key to accelerating compliance. Overall, this paper contributes to our general understanding of the intricacies of water quality management within a contested space.
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- Authors: Odume, Oghenekaro N , Chili, Asanda , Nnadozie, Chika F , Slaughter, Andrew R
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480606 , vital:78459 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sajsci-v120-n9-a18
- Description: The water resources within the lower section of the Upper Vaal catchment, where the Vaal Barrage is situated, are highly utilised and developed, and water quality regulation has become a contested space between resource users and the regulators. The credibility and scientific defensibility of discharge standards in water-use licences (WULs), the relationship between upstream and downstream waste loads, the relationship between flows and water quality standards in WUL, and the water quality components of the resource quality objectives (RQOs) are being contested. This study explores the perceptions and motivations underlying these contestations as a contribution to scientific understanding of water quality management in a highly developed system. Perceived unrealistic RQOs, perceived lack of scientific credibility of the methods for deriving water quality standards in WUL, data inadequacy, as well as poor institutional capacity were identified as the top motivations for contesting applicable regulatory instruments in the catchment. Punitive measures, incentives, and education and awareness-raising were identified as key to accelerating compliance. Overall, this paper contributes to our general understanding of the intricacies of water quality management within a contested space.
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