Livelihood and coping strategy changes along rural-urban continua with an emphasis on natural resources
- Authors: Evans, Michelle Leigh
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa -- Queenstown Natural resources -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Rural-urban divide -- South Africa -- Queenstown Rural-urban divide -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Income -- South Africa -- Queenstown Income -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Women heads of households -- South Africa -- Queenstown Women heads of households -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Adjustment (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4731 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001958
- Description: Rapid urbanisation is one of the greatest challenges facing both developed and developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has historically been one of the least developed and least urbanised areas of the world. However, urbanisation is now occurring much more rapidly in countries that have lower levels of per capita income. Therefore, in the coming decades, urban population growth is expected to be more widespread in the developing countries of the world. Most research on the role of natural resources focuses on rural communities and little is known about the contribution these resources make along the rural-urban continuum in small and medium sized towns as well as the contribution to total livelihoods. This is because researchers and policy makers have often treated rural and urban areas and their residents as distinct entities that should be studied in isolation. This, however, is not a true reflection of household livelihoods which often include both rural and urban elements. This study therefore analysed the impact of urbanisation on livelihoods along a rural-urban continuum with an emphasis on natural resources in South Africa. The main characteristics as well as the livelihood portfolios of respondent households were investigated. Secondly, the coping strategies used by households along the rural-urban continuum were explored, and disaggregated according to the gender of the household head. Data were collected along the rural-urban continuum of two small towns, namely Queenstown, located in the Eastern Cape province and Phalaborwa, located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Sampling covered the town, peri-urban areas, townships and adjacent rural households. A standardised survey instrument was used to capture household details and livelihood activities and a total of 272 interviews were conducted. The rural areas near both towns were poorer than the township and urban areas with regards to assets, access to employment and annual household income across all cash and non-cash income streams. The engagement in land-based activities increased towards the rural areas. The use of natural resources, as well as the number of resources collected, increased along the continuum towards the rural areas, with 12.0% to 49.0% of urban households, 30.0% to 88.0% of township households and between 80.0% and 100.0% of rural households engaging in the use and collection of natural resources. While natural resource use and collection was lowest in the urban areas, a significant amount of resources were still collected by urban households. Income portfolios for all households were calculated to determine the direct-use value of wild natural capital to livelihoods as well as the contribution made from land (arable and livestock farming), welfare grants and employment. Employment, barring one exception in the rural areas of Phalaborwa, was the largest contributor in terms of mean annual income along the continuum in both towns, followed by grants and pensions in the township and rural areas. In Phalaborwa, however, wild natural capital was found to be the largest contributor to local livelihoods, contributing 48.0% of the mean annual income. Household portfolios become more diversified in the poorer, rural areas as well as in households headed by females. The main shocks reported along the continuum in both Queenstown and Phalaborwa were death in the family, followed by a loss of employment, which was concentrated in male-headed households. Coping strategies resulting in the attainment of cash income fast, such as borrowing money from friends/relatives and cashing in retirements savings were favoured over longer term strategies such as finding local wage employment. Female-headed households were found to rely significantly on social groups or clubs as a coping strategy, highlighting the importance of social capital and social relations in female-headed households
- Full Text:
- Authors: Evans, Michelle Leigh
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa -- Queenstown Natural resources -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Rural-urban divide -- South Africa -- Queenstown Rural-urban divide -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Income -- South Africa -- Queenstown Income -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Women heads of households -- South Africa -- Queenstown Women heads of households -- South Africa -- Phalaborwa Adjustment (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4731 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001958
- Description: Rapid urbanisation is one of the greatest challenges facing both developed and developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has historically been one of the least developed and least urbanised areas of the world. However, urbanisation is now occurring much more rapidly in countries that have lower levels of per capita income. Therefore, in the coming decades, urban population growth is expected to be more widespread in the developing countries of the world. Most research on the role of natural resources focuses on rural communities and little is known about the contribution these resources make along the rural-urban continuum in small and medium sized towns as well as the contribution to total livelihoods. This is because researchers and policy makers have often treated rural and urban areas and their residents as distinct entities that should be studied in isolation. This, however, is not a true reflection of household livelihoods which often include both rural and urban elements. This study therefore analysed the impact of urbanisation on livelihoods along a rural-urban continuum with an emphasis on natural resources in South Africa. The main characteristics as well as the livelihood portfolios of respondent households were investigated. Secondly, the coping strategies used by households along the rural-urban continuum were explored, and disaggregated according to the gender of the household head. Data were collected along the rural-urban continuum of two small towns, namely Queenstown, located in the Eastern Cape province and Phalaborwa, located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Sampling covered the town, peri-urban areas, townships and adjacent rural households. A standardised survey instrument was used to capture household details and livelihood activities and a total of 272 interviews were conducted. The rural areas near both towns were poorer than the township and urban areas with regards to assets, access to employment and annual household income across all cash and non-cash income streams. The engagement in land-based activities increased towards the rural areas. The use of natural resources, as well as the number of resources collected, increased along the continuum towards the rural areas, with 12.0% to 49.0% of urban households, 30.0% to 88.0% of township households and between 80.0% and 100.0% of rural households engaging in the use and collection of natural resources. While natural resource use and collection was lowest in the urban areas, a significant amount of resources were still collected by urban households. Income portfolios for all households were calculated to determine the direct-use value of wild natural capital to livelihoods as well as the contribution made from land (arable and livestock farming), welfare grants and employment. Employment, barring one exception in the rural areas of Phalaborwa, was the largest contributor in terms of mean annual income along the continuum in both towns, followed by grants and pensions in the township and rural areas. In Phalaborwa, however, wild natural capital was found to be the largest contributor to local livelihoods, contributing 48.0% of the mean annual income. Household portfolios become more diversified in the poorer, rural areas as well as in households headed by females. The main shocks reported along the continuum in both Queenstown and Phalaborwa were death in the family, followed by a loss of employment, which was concentrated in male-headed households. Coping strategies resulting in the attainment of cash income fast, such as borrowing money from friends/relatives and cashing in retirements savings were favoured over longer term strategies such as finding local wage employment. Female-headed households were found to rely significantly on social groups or clubs as a coping strategy, highlighting the importance of social capital and social relations in female-headed households
- Full Text:
Livelihoods and natural resource use along the rural-urban continuum
- Authors: Ward, Catherine Dale
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa , Human ecology -- South Africa , Cities and towns -- Growth -- South Africa , Natural resources -- Management -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4727 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001669 , Natural resources -- South Africa , Human ecology -- South Africa , Cities and towns -- Growth -- South Africa , Natural resources -- Management -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Description: Over the last century, developing countries have undergone rapid urbanisation resulting in marked social, economic and environmental changes. Africa is the least urbanised continent in the world but trends indicate that it is also the most rapidly urbanising region, accompanied by rising urban poverty. Urbanisation processes are often most pronounced in smaller urban centres since they experience the most severe pressures of population growth. Little is known about the role natural resources play along the rural-urban continuum and even less is known about the contribution of these resources within an urban context, particularly in small urban centres. In many sub-Saharan African cities, urban agriculture (the informal production of food in urban areas) has been used as a strategy to cope with increasing poverty levels but its role remains widely debated and uncertain. This thesis seeks to analyse the impacts of urbanisation on livelihoods and natural resource use, including home gardening and the collection of wild resources, in two South African towns and data was collected along the rural-urban continuum in Queenstown (Eastern Cape province) and Phalaborwa (Limpopo Province). Practices and contributions associated with agriculture and wild resource use were found to be significantly higher in Phalaborwa and this could be attributed to favourable environmental conditions and accessibility to wild resources due to the surrounding Mopani Bushveld. Rural households in Queenstown and Phalaborwa were more reliant on natural resources than their urban counterparts, but still diverse and incorporated a number of land-based and cash income generating strategies. Urban households tended to rely on one primary cash income strategy such as wage employment or state grants. However, natural resources did appear to play a subtle role in urban settings and particularly in the townships, where exclusion of natural resource contributions saw poverty levels increase up to 5%. Home gardening was practised by a wide range of people and not restricted to any one income group and, not surprisingly, wealthy cultivators who had access to resources such as land, water and fertilizer enjoyed increased benefits such as high produce yields. The results obtained suggest that rural-urban dynamics are complex and natural resource use in local livelihoods is contextualised within environmental settings, social preferences and historical contexts. Increasing pressures from the influx of people into small urban centres calls for a better understanding to how these processes are affecting livelihoods and natural resources to ensure sustainable management in the future.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ward, Catherine Dale
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa , Human ecology -- South Africa , Cities and towns -- Growth -- South Africa , Natural resources -- Management -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4727 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001669 , Natural resources -- South Africa , Human ecology -- South Africa , Cities and towns -- Growth -- South Africa , Natural resources -- Management -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Description: Over the last century, developing countries have undergone rapid urbanisation resulting in marked social, economic and environmental changes. Africa is the least urbanised continent in the world but trends indicate that it is also the most rapidly urbanising region, accompanied by rising urban poverty. Urbanisation processes are often most pronounced in smaller urban centres since they experience the most severe pressures of population growth. Little is known about the role natural resources play along the rural-urban continuum and even less is known about the contribution of these resources within an urban context, particularly in small urban centres. In many sub-Saharan African cities, urban agriculture (the informal production of food in urban areas) has been used as a strategy to cope with increasing poverty levels but its role remains widely debated and uncertain. This thesis seeks to analyse the impacts of urbanisation on livelihoods and natural resource use, including home gardening and the collection of wild resources, in two South African towns and data was collected along the rural-urban continuum in Queenstown (Eastern Cape province) and Phalaborwa (Limpopo Province). Practices and contributions associated with agriculture and wild resource use were found to be significantly higher in Phalaborwa and this could be attributed to favourable environmental conditions and accessibility to wild resources due to the surrounding Mopani Bushveld. Rural households in Queenstown and Phalaborwa were more reliant on natural resources than their urban counterparts, but still diverse and incorporated a number of land-based and cash income generating strategies. Urban households tended to rely on one primary cash income strategy such as wage employment or state grants. However, natural resources did appear to play a subtle role in urban settings and particularly in the townships, where exclusion of natural resource contributions saw poverty levels increase up to 5%. Home gardening was practised by a wide range of people and not restricted to any one income group and, not surprisingly, wealthy cultivators who had access to resources such as land, water and fertilizer enjoyed increased benefits such as high produce yields. The results obtained suggest that rural-urban dynamics are complex and natural resource use in local livelihoods is contextualised within environmental settings, social preferences and historical contexts. Increasing pressures from the influx of people into small urban centres calls for a better understanding to how these processes are affecting livelihoods and natural resources to ensure sustainable management in the future.
- Full Text:
The contribution of trees to local livelihoods in urban areas
- Authors: Kaoma, Humphrey
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Trees in cities - -South Africa , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa , Poverty -- South Africa , Urban forestry -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4734 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003911 , Trees in cities - -South Africa , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa , Poverty -- South Africa , Urban forestry -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa
- Description: Trees in natural forests are widely known for their essential contribution to rural livelihoods in developing countries, providing both consumptive and non-consumptive products to rural inhabitants. These benefits are also obtained from trees in urban forests and used by urban households. In the past decades, the role of urban trees to urban livelihoods, municipalities, local and global environment has often been overlooked by researchers and development agencies, and hence are poorly documented, especially in Africa. In South Africa, the increase in urbanisation and urban poverty means many urban residents are expected to be dependent on trees and tree products from homesteads, neighbourhoods and edges of towns. There is however a paucity of literature on the potential of trees in sustaining livelihoods and poverty alleviation in urban areas. This study determined the magnitude and nature of the direct contribution of trees and tree products to local livelihoods in different urban residential areas (informal, Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), and township) in three South African towns (Tzaneen, Bela Bela and Zeerust) which cover a rainfall gradient from relatively higher (775 mm p.a.) to low (575 mm p.a.). The results showed that most (90%) households had an interest in planting and managing trees on homesteads, given the high proportion (71%) of residents who had planted trees on their homesteads. The abundance of trees followed the moisture gradient, with Tzaneen having a larger share (46.4%) of trees, followed by Bela Bela (27.5%) and Zeerust (26.1%). Larger plots in the informal residential area accounted for the larger proportion (42.8%) of trees on homesteads, followed by the township (32.9%) and RDP households being the least because they were recently established. Tree density was also higher in the high rainfall town but the pattern did not follow the moisture gradient between Bela Bela and Zeerust due to little rainfall difference. However, tree density across residential areas was similar to the proportion of trees on homesteads in residential areas. The most common tree species were alien, and mainly exotic fruit trees made up two-thirds of the trees encountered. Most households collected various products from urban trees, particularly fuelwood, from edges of towns. This was especially by households with lower cash income. However, fruits were collected from homesteads regardless of the wealth status. Tree products had a significant contribution to the total annual household income, with fuelwood alone contributing up to R5 663 per household per annum, equivalent to two-three month household cash income. Tree products added 20% to total household income, which represents the amount of money households save by collecting tree products for free. Therefore, trees within and around urban areas contribute significantly to livelihoods and reduce poverty in urban areas. There is need therefore to encourage urban residents to plant trees on homesteads and policy makers to come up with policies that promote sustainable harvesting of tree products from areas surrounding urban areas.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kaoma, Humphrey
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Trees in cities - -South Africa , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa , Poverty -- South Africa , Urban forestry -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4734 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003911 , Trees in cities - -South Africa , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa , Poverty -- South Africa , Urban forestry -- South Africa , Urban poor -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa
- Description: Trees in natural forests are widely known for their essential contribution to rural livelihoods in developing countries, providing both consumptive and non-consumptive products to rural inhabitants. These benefits are also obtained from trees in urban forests and used by urban households. In the past decades, the role of urban trees to urban livelihoods, municipalities, local and global environment has often been overlooked by researchers and development agencies, and hence are poorly documented, especially in Africa. In South Africa, the increase in urbanisation and urban poverty means many urban residents are expected to be dependent on trees and tree products from homesteads, neighbourhoods and edges of towns. There is however a paucity of literature on the potential of trees in sustaining livelihoods and poverty alleviation in urban areas. This study determined the magnitude and nature of the direct contribution of trees and tree products to local livelihoods in different urban residential areas (informal, Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), and township) in three South African towns (Tzaneen, Bela Bela and Zeerust) which cover a rainfall gradient from relatively higher (775 mm p.a.) to low (575 mm p.a.). The results showed that most (90%) households had an interest in planting and managing trees on homesteads, given the high proportion (71%) of residents who had planted trees on their homesteads. The abundance of trees followed the moisture gradient, with Tzaneen having a larger share (46.4%) of trees, followed by Bela Bela (27.5%) and Zeerust (26.1%). Larger plots in the informal residential area accounted for the larger proportion (42.8%) of trees on homesteads, followed by the township (32.9%) and RDP households being the least because they were recently established. Tree density was also higher in the high rainfall town but the pattern did not follow the moisture gradient between Bela Bela and Zeerust due to little rainfall difference. However, tree density across residential areas was similar to the proportion of trees on homesteads in residential areas. The most common tree species were alien, and mainly exotic fruit trees made up two-thirds of the trees encountered. Most households collected various products from urban trees, particularly fuelwood, from edges of towns. This was especially by households with lower cash income. However, fruits were collected from homesteads regardless of the wealth status. Tree products had a significant contribution to the total annual household income, with fuelwood alone contributing up to R5 663 per household per annum, equivalent to two-three month household cash income. Tree products added 20% to total household income, which represents the amount of money households save by collecting tree products for free. Therefore, trees within and around urban areas contribute significantly to livelihoods and reduce poverty in urban areas. There is need therefore to encourage urban residents to plant trees on homesteads and policy makers to come up with policies that promote sustainable harvesting of tree products from areas surrounding urban areas.
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A case study of Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary as a community driven Community-Based Natural Resource Management initiative : maintaining livelihoods and wetland health
- Authors: Gosling, Amanda Karen
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Wetland conservation -- Uganda , Wetland ecology -- Uganda , Natural resources management areas -- Uganda , Rural development -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4752 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007065 , Wetland conservation -- Uganda , Wetland ecology -- Uganda , Natural resources management areas -- Uganda , Rural development -- Uganda
- Description: Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) is considered a win-win approach to reconcile conservation with natural resource use. CBNRM aims to accomplish conservation whilst prioritising development and contributing to poverty alleviation. This study analysed the different components of a CBNRM initiative, Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary (BWS), located in western Uganda. The study was carried out by interviewing the managing committee members (n= 8) as well as local households (n= 68) regarding the manner in which the project works, and the associated benefits and constraints. The main management issues recognised were a lack of monitoring and committee cohesiveness. The information gathered through the household survey enabled the calculation of the value of local livelihood options. This was done on the premise that conservation is better accepted when land users realise the economic value of natural resources. The average annual value of household livelihoods was represented by 30% crop production, 57% natural resource use, and 13% livestock. Lastly, wetland assessments were performed using the WET-Health and WET-EcoServices methodologies from the Wetland Management Series. These assessments indicated that the impacts of local livelihoods on the wetland were currently low but potential issues could arise with the increasing human population density. Ultimately, BWS presents both environmental and social costs and benefits. With a detailed and interdisciplinary method specific recommendations of improvement can be made to reduce such costs and further reconcile the conservation of Bigodi Wetland with local natural resource use..
- Full Text:
- Authors: Gosling, Amanda Karen
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Wetland conservation -- Uganda , Wetland ecology -- Uganda , Natural resources management areas -- Uganda , Rural development -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4752 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007065 , Wetland conservation -- Uganda , Wetland ecology -- Uganda , Natural resources management areas -- Uganda , Rural development -- Uganda
- Description: Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) is considered a win-win approach to reconcile conservation with natural resource use. CBNRM aims to accomplish conservation whilst prioritising development and contributing to poverty alleviation. This study analysed the different components of a CBNRM initiative, Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary (BWS), located in western Uganda. The study was carried out by interviewing the managing committee members (n= 8) as well as local households (n= 68) regarding the manner in which the project works, and the associated benefits and constraints. The main management issues recognised were a lack of monitoring and committee cohesiveness. The information gathered through the household survey enabled the calculation of the value of local livelihood options. This was done on the premise that conservation is better accepted when land users realise the economic value of natural resources. The average annual value of household livelihoods was represented by 30% crop production, 57% natural resource use, and 13% livestock. Lastly, wetland assessments were performed using the WET-Health and WET-EcoServices methodologies from the Wetland Management Series. These assessments indicated that the impacts of local livelihoods on the wetland were currently low but potential issues could arise with the increasing human population density. Ultimately, BWS presents both environmental and social costs and benefits. With a detailed and interdisciplinary method specific recommendations of improvement can be made to reduce such costs and further reconcile the conservation of Bigodi Wetland with local natural resource use..
- Full Text:
Assessing linkages between local ecological knowledge, HIV/AIDS and the commercialisation of natural resources across Southern Africa
- Authors: Weyer, Dylan James
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Africa, Southern , HIV infections -- Africa, Southern , Natural resources -- Management -- Africa, Southern , Traditional ecological knowledge -- Africa, Southern , Households -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern , Poverty -- Environmental aspects -- Africa, Southern , Ecology -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4769 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007180 , AIDS (Disease) -- Africa, Southern , HIV infections -- Africa, Southern , Natural resources -- Management -- Africa, Southern , Traditional ecological knowledge -- Africa, Southern , Households -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern , Poverty -- Environmental aspects -- Africa, Southern , Ecology -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern
- Description: That natural resources (NRs) are important to those experiencing adversity, and, especially, vulnerability associated with HIV/AIDS, is well documented, particularly with respect to food and energy security. What is unclear is where HIV/AIDS ranks in terms of its significance in comparison to other household shocks, the role local ecological knowledge may (LEK) play in households' response to shock, a propos the types of coping strategies that are employed. Consequently, this research aims to bridge the knowledge gap between HIV/AIDS and the degree to which it is contributing to the expansion of NR commercialisation and to explore the unknowns surrounding the influence of LEK on people's choice of coping strategy. A two phase study was designed to provide quantitative rigour with qualitative depth. Phase one was an extensive, rapid survey of NR traders within urban and rural settings in five southern Africa countries. The principle objective was to profile the trade, the livelihoods of those involved and their reasons for entering the trade, to ultimately establish to what degree HIV/AIDS may have been a catalyst for this. Almost one third of the sample entered the trade in response to illness and/or death in their households, with 80% of deaths being of breadwinners. The findings illustrated considerable dependence on the sale of NRs; for almost 60% of the sample it was their household's only source of income. There was evidently increased blurring of the lines between rural and urban NR use with a greater diversity of products being traded in urban areas. Phase two involved in-depth interviews and work with a smaller sample at two sites selected based on the findings from the first phase. It incorporated three groups of households; non-trading, inexperienced trading and experienced trading households. Key areas of focus were household shocks, coping strategies employed in response to these and the role LEK may be playing in the choice of coping strategies. Within a two year period, 95% of households registered at least one shock, of which 80% recorded AIDS-related proxy shocks. Non-trading households were significantly worse-off in this regard, while in the case of non-AIDS proxy shocks, there was no such difference between groups. The most frequently employed coping strategy was the consumption and sale of NRs and was of particular importance when households were faced with AIDS proxy shocks. Trading households emerged as having superior levels of LEK in comparison to non-trading households, even for non-traded NRs, suggesting that prior LEK of NRs opened up opportunities to trade in NR as a coping strategy. Further inspection of the latter group however revealed that the portion of non-trading households who traded on a very ad hoc basis actually had comparable levels of LEK to the trading households. Despite the ad hoc trading households' vulnerable state and their disproportionately high level of AIDS proxy measures, they had at their disposal, sufficient LEK to unlock certain key coping strategies, namely the NR trade. In this sense there are apparent linkages between LEK, HIV/AIDS and the expansion of the commercialisation of NRs.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Weyer, Dylan James
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Africa, Southern , HIV infections -- Africa, Southern , Natural resources -- Management -- Africa, Southern , Traditional ecological knowledge -- Africa, Southern , Households -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern , Poverty -- Environmental aspects -- Africa, Southern , Ecology -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4769 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007180 , AIDS (Disease) -- Africa, Southern , HIV infections -- Africa, Southern , Natural resources -- Management -- Africa, Southern , Traditional ecological knowledge -- Africa, Southern , Households -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern , Poverty -- Environmental aspects -- Africa, Southern , Ecology -- Economic aspects -- Africa, Southern
- Description: That natural resources (NRs) are important to those experiencing adversity, and, especially, vulnerability associated with HIV/AIDS, is well documented, particularly with respect to food and energy security. What is unclear is where HIV/AIDS ranks in terms of its significance in comparison to other household shocks, the role local ecological knowledge may (LEK) play in households' response to shock, a propos the types of coping strategies that are employed. Consequently, this research aims to bridge the knowledge gap between HIV/AIDS and the degree to which it is contributing to the expansion of NR commercialisation and to explore the unknowns surrounding the influence of LEK on people's choice of coping strategy. A two phase study was designed to provide quantitative rigour with qualitative depth. Phase one was an extensive, rapid survey of NR traders within urban and rural settings in five southern Africa countries. The principle objective was to profile the trade, the livelihoods of those involved and their reasons for entering the trade, to ultimately establish to what degree HIV/AIDS may have been a catalyst for this. Almost one third of the sample entered the trade in response to illness and/or death in their households, with 80% of deaths being of breadwinners. The findings illustrated considerable dependence on the sale of NRs; for almost 60% of the sample it was their household's only source of income. There was evidently increased blurring of the lines between rural and urban NR use with a greater diversity of products being traded in urban areas. Phase two involved in-depth interviews and work with a smaller sample at two sites selected based on the findings from the first phase. It incorporated three groups of households; non-trading, inexperienced trading and experienced trading households. Key areas of focus were household shocks, coping strategies employed in response to these and the role LEK may be playing in the choice of coping strategies. Within a two year period, 95% of households registered at least one shock, of which 80% recorded AIDS-related proxy shocks. Non-trading households were significantly worse-off in this regard, while in the case of non-AIDS proxy shocks, there was no such difference between groups. The most frequently employed coping strategy was the consumption and sale of NRs and was of particular importance when households were faced with AIDS proxy shocks. Trading households emerged as having superior levels of LEK in comparison to non-trading households, even for non-traded NRs, suggesting that prior LEK of NRs opened up opportunities to trade in NR as a coping strategy. Further inspection of the latter group however revealed that the portion of non-trading households who traded on a very ad hoc basis actually had comparable levels of LEK to the trading households. Despite the ad hoc trading households' vulnerable state and their disproportionately high level of AIDS proxy measures, they had at their disposal, sufficient LEK to unlock certain key coping strategies, namely the NR trade. In this sense there are apparent linkages between LEK, HIV/AIDS and the expansion of the commercialisation of NRs.
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Population assessments of priority plant species used by local communities in and around three Wild Coast reserves, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Fearon, Joclyn Joe
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Plant diversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rare plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Population viability analysis , Biodiversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4751 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007059 , Plant diversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rare plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Population viability analysis , Biodiversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The project was initiated by Eastern Cape Parks (ECP) as a request for the construction of inventories of priority species and their population levels inside three nature reserves on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast, South Africa, and to develop a strategic management plan to manage these natural resources in each reserve. Thirty key species were identified by local communities in and around Dwesa-Cwebe, Silaka and Mkambati Nature Reserves through community workshops. For forested areas belt transects of 100 m x 6 m where used. The basal circumference of key tree species within the belt transect was measured as well as the height of saplings (height < 150 m). Tree species were categorized based on densities, size class distribution (SCD) curves and values, and spatial grain. For grassland areas straight transects of 200 m long were used, along which ten 3 m x 3 m quadrates were placed at 20 m intervals. Within each grassland transect the height of herbs or tuft diameter of grasses was recorded and percentage cover estimated. Grassland species were categorized based on density, SCD curves and percentage cover. All species were placed into harvesting categories based on analysed ecological data that was collected in the field. Category 1 species were very rare or not found in the reserve and it was recommended that species be conserved and monitored. Category 2 species had low densities in the reserve indicating declining populations and was suggested that these be monitored and not harvested. Category 3 species had high densities and have potential for harvesting with strict limitations. Category 4 species were most abundant with very high densities and can be harvested within management guidelines. These categories were grouped further using social and ecological data such as harvesting risk, frequency of collection, use value and number of uses. This highlighted which species have conservation priority within each category and a decision can be made as to how intense or limited extraction should be. By incorporating GIS the distribution of each species was looked at and harvesting and non-harvesting zones established to determine where species can be extracted. Monitoring plans must consider the quantity of plant material collected, fire regimes, optimal harvesting rates and harvesting zones, and be able to pick up changes in populations. Also, it is important that the community be involved in conserving and monitoring these species. Adaptive monitoring and management must be used to steer harvesting practices in the Wild Coast reserves. This allows for the development of harvesting practices through ‘learning by doing’, and the evolution of good questions to guide monitoring decisions
- Full Text:
- Authors: Fearon, Joclyn Joe
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Plant diversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rare plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Population viability analysis , Biodiversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4751 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007059 , Plant diversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rare plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Population viability analysis , Biodiversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The project was initiated by Eastern Cape Parks (ECP) as a request for the construction of inventories of priority species and their population levels inside three nature reserves on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast, South Africa, and to develop a strategic management plan to manage these natural resources in each reserve. Thirty key species were identified by local communities in and around Dwesa-Cwebe, Silaka and Mkambati Nature Reserves through community workshops. For forested areas belt transects of 100 m x 6 m where used. The basal circumference of key tree species within the belt transect was measured as well as the height of saplings (height < 150 m). Tree species were categorized based on densities, size class distribution (SCD) curves and values, and spatial grain. For grassland areas straight transects of 200 m long were used, along which ten 3 m x 3 m quadrates were placed at 20 m intervals. Within each grassland transect the height of herbs or tuft diameter of grasses was recorded and percentage cover estimated. Grassland species were categorized based on density, SCD curves and percentage cover. All species were placed into harvesting categories based on analysed ecological data that was collected in the field. Category 1 species were very rare or not found in the reserve and it was recommended that species be conserved and monitored. Category 2 species had low densities in the reserve indicating declining populations and was suggested that these be monitored and not harvested. Category 3 species had high densities and have potential for harvesting with strict limitations. Category 4 species were most abundant with very high densities and can be harvested within management guidelines. These categories were grouped further using social and ecological data such as harvesting risk, frequency of collection, use value and number of uses. This highlighted which species have conservation priority within each category and a decision can be made as to how intense or limited extraction should be. By incorporating GIS the distribution of each species was looked at and harvesting and non-harvesting zones established to determine where species can be extracted. Monitoring plans must consider the quantity of plant material collected, fire regimes, optimal harvesting rates and harvesting zones, and be able to pick up changes in populations. Also, it is important that the community be involved in conserving and monitoring these species. Adaptive monitoring and management must be used to steer harvesting practices in the Wild Coast reserves. This allows for the development of harvesting practices through ‘learning by doing’, and the evolution of good questions to guide monitoring decisions
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Stories from forest, river and mountain : exploring children's cultural environmental narratives and their role in the transmission of cultural connection to and protection of biodiversity
- Authors: Alexander, Jamie Kim
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Children and the environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Environmental education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Oral tradition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Social learning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Traditional ecological knowledge -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:6061 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015267
- Description: Preservationist conservation created a legacy of national parks and protected areas that were surrounded by local people dispossessed of their land and denied the rights to use the resources they had previously relied upon. Although conservation is now shifting towards a more participatory approach, research gaps still exist in determining the meaning of 'the environment' and the role of local means of conservation in rural communities in South Africa. This study focused on children's cultural environmental narratives from two rural villages in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Children from grades 4, 7 and 10 were involved in the study, and adult family members, local experts and village elders were included in the study to allow for comparison between children's and adult's narratives and to realise what Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) was being passed on. This thesis considers children's use of the environment for play and their sense of place as key methods in ascertaining children's environmental narratives and perceptions. At both field sites, local experts and community elders possessed a wealth of cultural environmental narratives, but these narratives were not necessarily being passed on. Changing household structures and other socio-economic factors influence cultural environmental practices, which in turn have an impact on the cultural environmental narratives being passed down. In many cases, parents' safety fears strongly impacted upon children's access to the environment, resulting in gendered environmental knowledge. The study compared differing vegetation types and degrees of environmental access. The differing environments produced similar cultural environmental narratives, leading to new understandings in community environment relationships. Children living near the state administered forest had significantly less environmental knowledge, bringing about questions of sustainable bio-cultural diversity in the future. The recognition of cultural environmental values is especially important in the rural areas of South Africa, where unemployment and increased poverty levels have led to greater dependence on natural resources for social, economic and cultural purposes. It is proposed that local cultural environmental narratives and landscape perceptions be included into community conservation and environmental education policies and programmes to provide local solutions to the problem of biodiversity conservation in local contexts.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Alexander, Jamie Kim
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Children and the environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Conservation of natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Environmental education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Oral tradition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Social learning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Traditional ecological knowledge -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:6061 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015267
- Description: Preservationist conservation created a legacy of national parks and protected areas that were surrounded by local people dispossessed of their land and denied the rights to use the resources they had previously relied upon. Although conservation is now shifting towards a more participatory approach, research gaps still exist in determining the meaning of 'the environment' and the role of local means of conservation in rural communities in South Africa. This study focused on children's cultural environmental narratives from two rural villages in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Children from grades 4, 7 and 10 were involved in the study, and adult family members, local experts and village elders were included in the study to allow for comparison between children's and adult's narratives and to realise what Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) was being passed on. This thesis considers children's use of the environment for play and their sense of place as key methods in ascertaining children's environmental narratives and perceptions. At both field sites, local experts and community elders possessed a wealth of cultural environmental narratives, but these narratives were not necessarily being passed on. Changing household structures and other socio-economic factors influence cultural environmental practices, which in turn have an impact on the cultural environmental narratives being passed down. In many cases, parents' safety fears strongly impacted upon children's access to the environment, resulting in gendered environmental knowledge. The study compared differing vegetation types and degrees of environmental access. The differing environments produced similar cultural environmental narratives, leading to new understandings in community environment relationships. Children living near the state administered forest had significantly less environmental knowledge, bringing about questions of sustainable bio-cultural diversity in the future. The recognition of cultural environmental values is especially important in the rural areas of South Africa, where unemployment and increased poverty levels have led to greater dependence on natural resources for social, economic and cultural purposes. It is proposed that local cultural environmental narratives and landscape perceptions be included into community conservation and environmental education policies and programmes to provide local solutions to the problem of biodiversity conservation in local contexts.
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The impact of forest degradation on carbon stocks of forests in the Matiwane area of the Transkei, South Africa
- Authors: Mangwale, Kagiso
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Forest degradation -- Control -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest ecology -- South Africa -- Transkei , Carbon sequestration -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest conservation -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4781 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012799 , Forest degradation -- Control -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest ecology -- South Africa -- Transkei , Carbon sequestration -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest conservation -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Description: This study focused on assessing the condition and creating a carbon inventory of forests in the Matiwane area of the Transkei. This entailed the use of aerial photography in tracing forest cover change from 1942 to 2007 coupled with ground-truthing to assess whether the forests have in any way endured degradation over the years with a potential reduction in carbon stocks as a result. This study revealed both the loss and gain of biomass in the area with a general trend of forests being continuously converted to agricultural fields resulting in reduced forest area, stem density, tree density and carbon loss in different pools of the forests, reflecting that these forests are degraded. The conversion has resulted in the reduction in the number of species from a mean of 11±0.57 species/200m² in intact forests to 1±0.23species/200m² plot in degraded forests. It was also revealed that approximately 5.2 % (791 hectares) of 15 352 hectares of forest area was lost as a result of the conversion of forest land to agricultural fields from 1942 to 2007 with 99 % of the clearing occurring in the last 33 years (1974-2007) and of which 60 % ( 4 77 hectares) occurred from 1995 to 2007, indicating that forest degradation in these forests is on the increase. The assessment also revealed some areas that were nonforest in 1942 that have accumulated woody biomass (BAA), composed mainly of Acacia sp accounting for 51.18 MgC.ha⁻¹ (Megagrams of carbon per hectare) and total carbon stocks of 0.02 TgC (Teragrams of carbon). The degradation of these forests induced a reduction in carbon stocks from 311.68±23.69 MgC.ha⁻¹ (to a soil depth 0-50 cm) in intact forest to 73.46±12.34 MgC.ha⁻¹ in degraded forests. The total carbon stocks in the degraded forests were approximated at 0.06 TgC and the BAA areas 0.02 TgC with 4.7 TgC in intact forests. The degradation of these forests has resulted in the net carbon loss of 0.19 TgC between 1942 and 2007 but 4.76 TgC is still locked in these forests. The large difference in carbon stocks between intact and degraded forests indicated the need to reduce the degradation of these forests to prevent further carbon loss and reduction of the carbon sequestration potential of these forests.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mangwale, Kagiso
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Forest degradation -- Control -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest ecology -- South Africa -- Transkei , Carbon sequestration -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest conservation -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4781 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012799 , Forest degradation -- Control -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest ecology -- South Africa -- Transkei , Carbon sequestration -- South Africa -- Transkei , Forest conservation -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Description: This study focused on assessing the condition and creating a carbon inventory of forests in the Matiwane area of the Transkei. This entailed the use of aerial photography in tracing forest cover change from 1942 to 2007 coupled with ground-truthing to assess whether the forests have in any way endured degradation over the years with a potential reduction in carbon stocks as a result. This study revealed both the loss and gain of biomass in the area with a general trend of forests being continuously converted to agricultural fields resulting in reduced forest area, stem density, tree density and carbon loss in different pools of the forests, reflecting that these forests are degraded. The conversion has resulted in the reduction in the number of species from a mean of 11±0.57 species/200m² in intact forests to 1±0.23species/200m² plot in degraded forests. It was also revealed that approximately 5.2 % (791 hectares) of 15 352 hectares of forest area was lost as a result of the conversion of forest land to agricultural fields from 1942 to 2007 with 99 % of the clearing occurring in the last 33 years (1974-2007) and of which 60 % ( 4 77 hectares) occurred from 1995 to 2007, indicating that forest degradation in these forests is on the increase. The assessment also revealed some areas that were nonforest in 1942 that have accumulated woody biomass (BAA), composed mainly of Acacia sp accounting for 51.18 MgC.ha⁻¹ (Megagrams of carbon per hectare) and total carbon stocks of 0.02 TgC (Teragrams of carbon). The degradation of these forests induced a reduction in carbon stocks from 311.68±23.69 MgC.ha⁻¹ (to a soil depth 0-50 cm) in intact forest to 73.46±12.34 MgC.ha⁻¹ in degraded forests. The total carbon stocks in the degraded forests were approximated at 0.06 TgC and the BAA areas 0.02 TgC with 4.7 TgC in intact forests. The degradation of these forests has resulted in the net carbon loss of 0.19 TgC between 1942 and 2007 but 4.76 TgC is still locked in these forests. The large difference in carbon stocks between intact and degraded forests indicated the need to reduce the degradation of these forests to prevent further carbon loss and reduction of the carbon sequestration potential of these forests.
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A comparison of ecosystem health and services provided by subtropical thicket in and around the Bathurst commonage
- Authors: Stickler, Meredith Mercedes
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Ecosystem services -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Ecosystem management , Commons -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Land use, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ecosystem health -- South Africa -- Bathurst
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4766 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007169 , Ecosystem services -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Ecosystem management , Commons -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Land use, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ecosystem health -- South Africa -- Bathurst
- Description: Municipal commonage in South Africa offers previously disadvantaged, landless residents access to both direct ecosystem goods and services (EGS) that provide additional income options and indirect social and cultural services. Given that EGS production is a function of ecosystem health, it is imperative that commonage land be managed to maximize current local benefit streams while ensuring future options through the maintenance of natural ecosystem functions. The payments for ecosystem services (PES) model potentially offers an opportunity for contributing to local economic development while providing fiscal incentives for environmentally sustainable natural resource management. PES depends on the demonstration of quantifiable changes in EGS delivery due to improvement in or maintenance of high ecosystem health that are a verifiable result of modifications in management behavior. This thesis therefore compared spatial variations in (i) ecosystem health and (ii) nine direct and indirect EGS values derived from natural resources on the Bathurst municipal commonage and neighboring Waters Meeting Nature Reserve (NR) to explore how different land use intensities affect ecosystem health and the resulting provision of EGS. The results indicate that the total economic value of annually produced EGS on the study site is nearly R 9.8 million (US$ 1.2 million), with a standing stock of natural capital worth some R 28 million (US$ 3.4 million). Nearly 45% of the total annual production is attributed to Waters Meeting NR, with roughly 34% from the low use zone of the commonage and the remaining 22% from the high use zone. Of the total annual production value on the study site, roughly 59% is derived from indirect (non-consumptive) uses of wildlife for the study site as a whole, though this proportion varies from 25% in the high use zone of the commonage to 94% on Waters Meeting NR. The two largest annual production values on the study site derive from ecotourism (R 3.5 million, US$ 0.4 million) and livestock production (R 2.6 million, US$ 0.3 million), suggesting that while increased production of indirect EGS could generate significant additional revenues, especially on Waters Meeting NR and in the low use zone of the commonage, direct (consumptive) EGS will likely remain an important component of land use on the commonage. A PES project to support the adoption of silvo-pastoral practices could provide positive incentives for improved land use practices on the commonage and potentially be financed by conservation-friendly residents of the Kowie River catchment and/or increased ecotourism revenues from Waters Meeting NR. Allowing carefully designed and monitored local access to natural resources within Waters Meeting NR could also reduce pressure on commonage resources. Together, these approaches could lead to a more sustainable subtropical thicket landscape and ensure that critical natural resources remain available to support local livelihoods in the long-term.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Stickler, Meredith Mercedes
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Ecosystem services -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Ecosystem management , Commons -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Land use, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ecosystem health -- South Africa -- Bathurst
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4766 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007169 , Ecosystem services -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Ecosystem management , Commons -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa -- Bathurst , Land use, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ecosystem health -- South Africa -- Bathurst
- Description: Municipal commonage in South Africa offers previously disadvantaged, landless residents access to both direct ecosystem goods and services (EGS) that provide additional income options and indirect social and cultural services. Given that EGS production is a function of ecosystem health, it is imperative that commonage land be managed to maximize current local benefit streams while ensuring future options through the maintenance of natural ecosystem functions. The payments for ecosystem services (PES) model potentially offers an opportunity for contributing to local economic development while providing fiscal incentives for environmentally sustainable natural resource management. PES depends on the demonstration of quantifiable changes in EGS delivery due to improvement in or maintenance of high ecosystem health that are a verifiable result of modifications in management behavior. This thesis therefore compared spatial variations in (i) ecosystem health and (ii) nine direct and indirect EGS values derived from natural resources on the Bathurst municipal commonage and neighboring Waters Meeting Nature Reserve (NR) to explore how different land use intensities affect ecosystem health and the resulting provision of EGS. The results indicate that the total economic value of annually produced EGS on the study site is nearly R 9.8 million (US$ 1.2 million), with a standing stock of natural capital worth some R 28 million (US$ 3.4 million). Nearly 45% of the total annual production is attributed to Waters Meeting NR, with roughly 34% from the low use zone of the commonage and the remaining 22% from the high use zone. Of the total annual production value on the study site, roughly 59% is derived from indirect (non-consumptive) uses of wildlife for the study site as a whole, though this proportion varies from 25% in the high use zone of the commonage to 94% on Waters Meeting NR. The two largest annual production values on the study site derive from ecotourism (R 3.5 million, US$ 0.4 million) and livestock production (R 2.6 million, US$ 0.3 million), suggesting that while increased production of indirect EGS could generate significant additional revenues, especially on Waters Meeting NR and in the low use zone of the commonage, direct (consumptive) EGS will likely remain an important component of land use on the commonage. A PES project to support the adoption of silvo-pastoral practices could provide positive incentives for improved land use practices on the commonage and potentially be financed by conservation-friendly residents of the Kowie River catchment and/or increased ecotourism revenues from Waters Meeting NR. Allowing carefully designed and monitored local access to natural resources within Waters Meeting NR could also reduce pressure on commonage resources. Together, these approaches could lead to a more sustainable subtropical thicket landscape and ensure that critical natural resources remain available to support local livelihoods in the long-term.
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The contribution of municipal commonage to local people's livelihoods in small South African towns
- Authors: Davenport, Nicholas Ashbury
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Land tenure -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa , Property -- South Africa , Property rights -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Natural resources, Communal -- Management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4749 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006976 , Land tenure -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa , Property -- South Africa , Property rights -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Natural resources, Communal -- Management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: To redress past discrepancies in land tenure, the ANC government acknowledged that land needs to be made accessible to the previously disadvantaged, announcing that commonage would be a pillar of their land reform programme. Municipal commonage is land granted by the state to municipalities for urban households to use. Presently many urbanites in South Africa seek a livelihood from commonage. However, there has been no livelihood valuation of the contribution commonage makes to previously disadvantaged households. Thus there is a need to calculate the benefits of the commonage programme. Through a two phase approach, this thesis investigated firstly, the proportion of township households which use commonage; and the main characteristics of those households. Secondly, the thesis looks at the extent to which commonage contributes to users' livelihoods and the dominant livelihood strategies pursued by user households. Data was collected for three towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa; Bathurst, Fort Beaufort, and Grahamstown. Firstly it was found that between 27-70% of households used commonage, with the largest town having the lowest proportion of users, and vice versa for the smallest town. In terms of household characteristics, each study town was unique. Both Bathurst and Grahamstown user households were poorer than non-using households, however all Fort Beaufort households were considered poor. To assess the benefits of the commonage programme, the marketed and non-marketed consumptive direct-use values of land-based livelihoods on commonage were calculated via the 'own reported values' method. Commonage contributions to total livelihoods ranged between 14-20%. If the contributors from commonage were excluded, over 10% of households in each study town would drop to living below the poverty line. Additionally, commonage was being used productively, with the productivity at each study town being worth over R1 000 per hectare and over R4.7 million per commonage. Finally, a typology of subsistence/survivalist commonage users is presented, with four types being identified. Overall, results suggest that commonage use has increased over the last decade. Moreover, due to food inflation and urbanisation the use of commonage is expected to increase further, highlighting the need for holistic commonage management plans to be created, which should include strategies such as sustainable grazing regimes and natural resource management.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Davenport, Nicholas Ashbury
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Land tenure -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa , Property -- South Africa , Property rights -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Natural resources, Communal -- Management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4749 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006976 , Land tenure -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa , Property -- South Africa , Property rights -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Natural resources, Communal -- Management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: To redress past discrepancies in land tenure, the ANC government acknowledged that land needs to be made accessible to the previously disadvantaged, announcing that commonage would be a pillar of their land reform programme. Municipal commonage is land granted by the state to municipalities for urban households to use. Presently many urbanites in South Africa seek a livelihood from commonage. However, there has been no livelihood valuation of the contribution commonage makes to previously disadvantaged households. Thus there is a need to calculate the benefits of the commonage programme. Through a two phase approach, this thesis investigated firstly, the proportion of township households which use commonage; and the main characteristics of those households. Secondly, the thesis looks at the extent to which commonage contributes to users' livelihoods and the dominant livelihood strategies pursued by user households. Data was collected for three towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa; Bathurst, Fort Beaufort, and Grahamstown. Firstly it was found that between 27-70% of households used commonage, with the largest town having the lowest proportion of users, and vice versa for the smallest town. In terms of household characteristics, each study town was unique. Both Bathurst and Grahamstown user households were poorer than non-using households, however all Fort Beaufort households were considered poor. To assess the benefits of the commonage programme, the marketed and non-marketed consumptive direct-use values of land-based livelihoods on commonage were calculated via the 'own reported values' method. Commonage contributions to total livelihoods ranged between 14-20%. If the contributors from commonage were excluded, over 10% of households in each study town would drop to living below the poverty line. Additionally, commonage was being used productively, with the productivity at each study town being worth over R1 000 per hectare and over R4.7 million per commonage. Finally, a typology of subsistence/survivalist commonage users is presented, with four types being identified. Overall, results suggest that commonage use has increased over the last decade. Moreover, due to food inflation and urbanisation the use of commonage is expected to increase further, highlighting the need for holistic commonage management plans to be created, which should include strategies such as sustainable grazing regimes and natural resource management.
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Natural resource harvesting and disturbance in communal lands: assessing the roles of local ecological knowledge, dependency and market access
- Authors: Steele, Melita Zoë
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4736 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004604 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Description: A great deal of research has demonstrated that Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) play a crucial role in the livelihoods of the rural poor, and are particularly important to the most marginalised people throughout the developing world. However, these livelihood benefits are not without cost to the natural resource base that rural communities depend so heavily upon. The continued dependence on NTFPs as a major livelihood source must be contingent upon the minimisation of the level of disturbance created through this dependency. This study assesses the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting in eight study sites around South Africa, and applies a predictive conceptual model created by Shankaar et al. (2004b) to try and ascertain under what conditions the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting will be high. It assesses the three key factors that Shankaar et al. (2004b) identified (level of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), level of dependency and access to markets) in relation to the level of disturbance found at each of the study sites. It was found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of dependency and the level of disturbance, but there was no statistically significant relationship between either access to markets or the level of LEK and disturbance. Regulation of land use is a key issue, with weak local institutions in communal areas making effective resource management difficult. The significance of these findings is discussed, and priorities for future research are identified. This study adds to the body of knowledge related to NTFP harvesting and critically analyses the conflicts between the livelihood gains and the level of disturbance created through NTFP harvesting in an attempt to ascertain how livelihoods can be safeguarded. And in the longer-term, so that management strategies can be identified where resource extraction is not at the cost of undermining the very livelihoods that depend upon the natural resource base.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Steele, Melita Zoë
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4736 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004604 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Natural resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Forests and forestry -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Natural resources, Communal -- South Africa , Commons -- South Africa , Forest ecology -- South Africa , Harvesting
- Description: A great deal of research has demonstrated that Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) play a crucial role in the livelihoods of the rural poor, and are particularly important to the most marginalised people throughout the developing world. However, these livelihood benefits are not without cost to the natural resource base that rural communities depend so heavily upon. The continued dependence on NTFPs as a major livelihood source must be contingent upon the minimisation of the level of disturbance created through this dependency. This study assesses the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting in eight study sites around South Africa, and applies a predictive conceptual model created by Shankaar et al. (2004b) to try and ascertain under what conditions the level of disturbance created through natural resource harvesting will be high. It assesses the three key factors that Shankaar et al. (2004b) identified (level of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), level of dependency and access to markets) in relation to the level of disturbance found at each of the study sites. It was found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of dependency and the level of disturbance, but there was no statistically significant relationship between either access to markets or the level of LEK and disturbance. Regulation of land use is a key issue, with weak local institutions in communal areas making effective resource management difficult. The significance of these findings is discussed, and priorities for future research are identified. This study adds to the body of knowledge related to NTFP harvesting and critically analyses the conflicts between the livelihood gains and the level of disturbance created through NTFP harvesting in an attempt to ascertain how livelihoods can be safeguarded. And in the longer-term, so that management strategies can be identified where resource extraction is not at the cost of undermining the very livelihoods that depend upon the natural resource base.
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The impact of HIV/AIDS on rural children's reliance on natural resources within the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: McGarry, Dylan Kenneth
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4759 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007149 , Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The role of natural resources in the lives of rural children impacted by HIV/AIDS remains unexplored. This study highlights wild food use by rural children vulnerable to the impacts of HIV/AIDS as an important and regular activity that supplements their domestic diets. This work found that with an increase in vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, children rely more on wild foods. Through an 18 month project in the Eastern Cape, using a broad quantitative and qualitative school and non-school survey, individual interviews, food diaries, participant observation, interactive photography, and other participatory techniques, a total of 850 children's coping strategies and livelihoods were examined. The quality of children’s domestic diets was, on average, 60% lower than the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) guidelines. However, 62% of the children interviewed were supplementing their diets with wild foods, 30% having over half their diet supplemented with wild foods. Dietary diversity showed a 13% increase when wild food supplementation occurred. While traditionally rural children rely on reciprocal networks during times of crisis, we found that these networks were eroding from the pressures of HIV/AIDS. Begging, for some children, was replaced by wild food collection and a significantly larger proportion of children more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS relied on wild foods more than did less vulnerable children. Considering the heightened nutritional and energy needs of children, combined with the impact of HIV/AIDS on household food access, wild foods represent the last freely attainable food sources available to them. Hunting and collection of wild food is a group activity, which was found to have valuable psychosocial benefits. Commercialisation of wild foods was observed among 38% of the children, with significantly more vulnerable children selling wild foods. The use of wild foods by rural children also had positive influences on the preservation of indigenous ecological knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Authors: McGarry, Dylan Kenneth
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4759 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007149 , Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The role of natural resources in the lives of rural children impacted by HIV/AIDS remains unexplored. This study highlights wild food use by rural children vulnerable to the impacts of HIV/AIDS as an important and regular activity that supplements their domestic diets. This work found that with an increase in vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, children rely more on wild foods. Through an 18 month project in the Eastern Cape, using a broad quantitative and qualitative school and non-school survey, individual interviews, food diaries, participant observation, interactive photography, and other participatory techniques, a total of 850 children's coping strategies and livelihoods were examined. The quality of children’s domestic diets was, on average, 60% lower than the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) guidelines. However, 62% of the children interviewed were supplementing their diets with wild foods, 30% having over half their diet supplemented with wild foods. Dietary diversity showed a 13% increase when wild food supplementation occurred. While traditionally rural children rely on reciprocal networks during times of crisis, we found that these networks were eroding from the pressures of HIV/AIDS. Begging, for some children, was replaced by wild food collection and a significantly larger proportion of children more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS relied on wild foods more than did less vulnerable children. Considering the heightened nutritional and energy needs of children, combined with the impact of HIV/AIDS on household food access, wild foods represent the last freely attainable food sources available to them. Hunting and collection of wild food is a group activity, which was found to have valuable psychosocial benefits. Commercialisation of wild foods was observed among 38% of the children, with significantly more vulnerable children selling wild foods. The use of wild foods by rural children also had positive influences on the preservation of indigenous ecological knowledge.
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The significance of the safety-net role of NTFPs in rural livelihoods, South Africa
- Authors: Paumgarten, Fiona
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007161 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Description: This study was conducted in two rural villages in South Africa with the purpose of investigating the safety-net role of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The use of NTFPs as a safety-net is reported as a common feature of rural livelihoods however empirical data supporting this function is limited. Therefore, policy makers and land-use planners underappreciate the probable role and consequent value of the safety-net function. The findings show that poor, rural households are vulnerable to a range of risks. Over a two year period 100% of households reported experiencing crises including unexpected idiosyncratic risks (e.g. illness, retrenchment, crop failure and death) as well as expected expenses and periods of vulnerability (e.g. the payment of school fees and seasonal crop shortfalls). Households are prone to these risks irrespective of wealth or gender of the de jure household head. To secure their livelihoods households in both villages rely on a variety of livelihood strategies including waged labour (53%), self-employment (30%), government grants (60%), arable agriculture (56%), animal husbandry (64%) and the use (100%) and sale (22%) of NTFPs. In terms of the proportion of households involved, the findings suggest land-based strategies make an important contribution. Formal employment and old-age pensions distinguish wealthy households from poor and allow for investments in assets and saving schemes (62%). In response to the risks experienced households employed a variety of coping strategies. Generally the most commonly used strategies were kinship (85%), reduced household spending (72%), changes to food consumption and saving (72%) and relying on NTFPs (70%). Kinship and NTFPs show no differences for wealth or gender of the de jure household head. The remaining strategies are influenced by wealth. The use of NTFPs as a safety-net manifested predominantly through the increased use of products, then the substitution of commercial goods by NTFPs and lastly through the sale. Of those using NTFPs as a rural safety-net 41.4% used of wild foods, 40% used medicinal plants, 25.7% substituted paraffin with fuelwood, 10% sold fuelwood and 8.6% sold other products.
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- Authors: Paumgarten, Fiona
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007161 , Non-timber forest products -- South Africa , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Description: This study was conducted in two rural villages in South Africa with the purpose of investigating the safety-net role of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The use of NTFPs as a safety-net is reported as a common feature of rural livelihoods however empirical data supporting this function is limited. Therefore, policy makers and land-use planners underappreciate the probable role and consequent value of the safety-net function. The findings show that poor, rural households are vulnerable to a range of risks. Over a two year period 100% of households reported experiencing crises including unexpected idiosyncratic risks (e.g. illness, retrenchment, crop failure and death) as well as expected expenses and periods of vulnerability (e.g. the payment of school fees and seasonal crop shortfalls). Households are prone to these risks irrespective of wealth or gender of the de jure household head. To secure their livelihoods households in both villages rely on a variety of livelihood strategies including waged labour (53%), self-employment (30%), government grants (60%), arable agriculture (56%), animal husbandry (64%) and the use (100%) and sale (22%) of NTFPs. In terms of the proportion of households involved, the findings suggest land-based strategies make an important contribution. Formal employment and old-age pensions distinguish wealthy households from poor and allow for investments in assets and saving schemes (62%). In response to the risks experienced households employed a variety of coping strategies. Generally the most commonly used strategies were kinship (85%), reduced household spending (72%), changes to food consumption and saving (72%) and relying on NTFPs (70%). Kinship and NTFPs show no differences for wealth or gender of the de jure household head. The remaining strategies are influenced by wealth. The use of NTFPs as a safety-net manifested predominantly through the increased use of products, then the substitution of commercial goods by NTFPs and lastly through the sale. Of those using NTFPs as a rural safety-net 41.4% used of wild foods, 40% used medicinal plants, 25.7% substituted paraffin with fuelwood, 10% sold fuelwood and 8.6% sold other products.
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A comparative analysis of environmental policies of South African universities
- Authors: Gyan, Cecilia Adwoa
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- Environmental aspects , Environmental policy -- South Africa , Campus planning -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4773 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008067 , Environmental education -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- Environmental aspects , Environmental policy -- South Africa , Campus planning -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa
- Description: There has been ongoing global concern on environmental issues and which is supposed to have moved down into smaller institutions and areas through local agenda 2l. Environmental issues are associated not only with care for the environment but also sustainable development. Various universities are beginning to strive for sustainable development and care for the environment. Some universities are therefore integrating care for the environment in their curricula and in their daily operations on campus. The greening of higher educational institutions as models is important as they are the seat for research and training of undergraduates who will become future leaders and policymakers and caretakers of the environment. It is therefore important for undergraduates to be exposed to greening processes in operations, research and curricula whilst still on campus. This study examines the process of formulating a policy and applies that to forming an environmental policy. The study involved a comparative analysis of environmental policies of various tertiary educational institutions from different countries. The study focused on how many universities in South Africa have environmental policies and how the universities which have environmental policies went about their formulation process. The study further examines the duration of the formulation process and the constraints encountered by universities. The study then reviews strategies on how the environmental policy is being implemented and how effective the implementation process is practically and the constraints these institutions face. The findings of the study reveal that few universities ill South Africa have an environmental policy. The universities are making efforts in their implementation process however, not all the principles found in the policies are being implemented effectively as there are no environmental management systems in place and there are no measurable objectives and targets set for proper evaluation of the success or failure of the policy.
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- Authors: Gyan, Cecilia Adwoa
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- Environmental aspects , Environmental policy -- South Africa , Campus planning -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4773 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008067 , Environmental education -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- Environmental aspects , Environmental policy -- South Africa , Campus planning -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa
- Description: There has been ongoing global concern on environmental issues and which is supposed to have moved down into smaller institutions and areas through local agenda 2l. Environmental issues are associated not only with care for the environment but also sustainable development. Various universities are beginning to strive for sustainable development and care for the environment. Some universities are therefore integrating care for the environment in their curricula and in their daily operations on campus. The greening of higher educational institutions as models is important as they are the seat for research and training of undergraduates who will become future leaders and policymakers and caretakers of the environment. It is therefore important for undergraduates to be exposed to greening processes in operations, research and curricula whilst still on campus. This study examines the process of formulating a policy and applies that to forming an environmental policy. The study involved a comparative analysis of environmental policies of various tertiary educational institutions from different countries. The study focused on how many universities in South Africa have environmental policies and how the universities which have environmental policies went about their formulation process. The study further examines the duration of the formulation process and the constraints encountered by universities. The study then reviews strategies on how the environmental policy is being implemented and how effective the implementation process is practically and the constraints these institutions face. The findings of the study reveal that few universities ill South Africa have an environmental policy. The universities are making efforts in their implementation process however, not all the principles found in the policies are being implemented effectively as there are no environmental management systems in place and there are no measurable objectives and targets set for proper evaluation of the success or failure of the policy.
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Contrasting livelihoods in the upper and lower Gariep River basin: a study of livelihood change and household development
- Authors: McDermott, Lindsay
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Rural development -- Lesotho , Rural development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Sustainable development -- Lesotho , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Rural poor -- Lesotho , Rural poor -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Agriculture -- Lesotho , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Northern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4758 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007147 , Rural development -- Lesotho , Rural development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Sustainable development -- Lesotho , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Rural poor -- Lesotho , Rural poor -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Agriculture -- Lesotho , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Northern Cape
- Description: This study investigated rural livelihoods in two contrasting environments in the upper and lower reaches of the Gariep River: Sehlabathebe in the Lesotho highlands, and the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, and how these have changed over time. Livelihoods were examined using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework in conjunction with the household development cycle. This study therefore adopted a multi-scale approach, where a micro-level household analysis was framed within the macro level social, political, environmental, economic and institutional context, while taking into account the role of temporal scale of livelihood change. A multi-scale approach facilitated the identification of the major drivers of change, both exogenous and endogenous. The combination of livelihood strategies pursued differed between the two sites. Households in Sehlabathebe are reliant mainly on arable and garden cultivation, livestock in some households, occasional remittances, use of wild resources, petty trading and reliance on donations. Households in the Richtersveld relied primarily on livestock, wage labour, use of wild resources and State grants or pensions. The livelihood strategies pursued in each site have not changed markedly over time, but rather the relative importance of those strategies was found to have changed. The assets available to households, the livelihood strategies adopted and the changes in these livelihood strategies are influenced by a households stage in the development cycle and differing macro-level factors. Drivers of change operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and are often complex and interrelated. The major drivers of livelihood change were identified as macro-economic, demographic, institutional and social and climatic. This study highlights the importance of using historical analysis in the study of livelihoods, as well as the complexity and diversity of rural livelihoods. Ecosystem goods and services were found to play a fundamental role in rural livelihoods and are influenced by institutional factors. Rural households are heavily reliant on the formal economy, and macro-economic changes have had a significant impact on livelihoods. This is highlighted by how the drastic decline in migrant labour opportunities for households in Sehlabathebe has negatively affected them. Vulnerability was shown to be a result of external shocks and trends, such as institutional transformation, a decline in employment opportunities, theft and climatic variation; and differed between the two sites. The role of institutional breakdown was shown to be a major factor influencing rural livelihoods, and this is related to broader economic and political changes. This study contributes to the growing literature on rural livelihoods by allowing for an appreciation of how differing environments and contextual factors influence livelihood strategies adopted, and which different factors are driving change.
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- Authors: McDermott, Lindsay
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Rural development -- Lesotho , Rural development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Sustainable development -- Lesotho , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Rural poor -- Lesotho , Rural poor -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Agriculture -- Lesotho , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Northern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4758 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007147 , Rural development -- Lesotho , Rural development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Sustainable development -- Lesotho , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Households -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Households -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Rural poor -- Lesotho , Rural poor -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Agriculture -- Lesotho , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Northern Cape
- Description: This study investigated rural livelihoods in two contrasting environments in the upper and lower reaches of the Gariep River: Sehlabathebe in the Lesotho highlands, and the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, and how these have changed over time. Livelihoods were examined using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework in conjunction with the household development cycle. This study therefore adopted a multi-scale approach, where a micro-level household analysis was framed within the macro level social, political, environmental, economic and institutional context, while taking into account the role of temporal scale of livelihood change. A multi-scale approach facilitated the identification of the major drivers of change, both exogenous and endogenous. The combination of livelihood strategies pursued differed between the two sites. Households in Sehlabathebe are reliant mainly on arable and garden cultivation, livestock in some households, occasional remittances, use of wild resources, petty trading and reliance on donations. Households in the Richtersveld relied primarily on livestock, wage labour, use of wild resources and State grants or pensions. The livelihood strategies pursued in each site have not changed markedly over time, but rather the relative importance of those strategies was found to have changed. The assets available to households, the livelihood strategies adopted and the changes in these livelihood strategies are influenced by a households stage in the development cycle and differing macro-level factors. Drivers of change operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and are often complex and interrelated. The major drivers of livelihood change were identified as macro-economic, demographic, institutional and social and climatic. This study highlights the importance of using historical analysis in the study of livelihoods, as well as the complexity and diversity of rural livelihoods. Ecosystem goods and services were found to play a fundamental role in rural livelihoods and are influenced by institutional factors. Rural households are heavily reliant on the formal economy, and macro-economic changes have had a significant impact on livelihoods. This is highlighted by how the drastic decline in migrant labour opportunities for households in Sehlabathebe has negatively affected them. Vulnerability was shown to be a result of external shocks and trends, such as institutional transformation, a decline in employment opportunities, theft and climatic variation; and differed between the two sites. The role of institutional breakdown was shown to be a major factor influencing rural livelihoods, and this is related to broader economic and political changes. This study contributes to the growing literature on rural livelihoods by allowing for an appreciation of how differing environments and contextual factors influence livelihood strategies adopted, and which different factors are driving change.
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Changes in energy use patterns in the Bushbuckridge Lowveld of the Limpopo Province, South Africa: eleven years on
- Authors: Madubansi, Mainza
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Energy consumption -- South Africa -- Limpopo
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4756 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007139 , Energy consumption -- South Africa -- Limpopo
- Description: This research reports on the energy transition that has taken place in the Bushbuckridge district between 1991 and 2002. It is a follow up to a similar study that was done in 1991 investigating a number of aspects of energy use. It uses the 1991 study as a baseline and aims to explore how the passage of time, growth of the local population and changes in incomes and the availability of fuels have affected the patterns of fuel use in the region in the past eleven years. A structured interview approach was used for most aspects of the study. The interview schedule included sections on types, amounts and reasons for use and non-use of 13 different energy sources as well as data on income levels, household size and other economic parameters. Analysis of the consumption patterns of the different fuel types revealed that between the two survey periods, households in the sample settlements went through some pronounced changes in patterns of fuel use, particularly those that had acquired electricity. The introduction of electricity in the region had certainly played a major role in spurring the energy transition. Fuels that were previously used for lighting, powering entertainment appliances and refrigeration had been displaced by electricity. In terms of cooking and other thermal application, however, the vast majority of households in all the sample settlements continued using fuelwood and complemented it to a lesser extent with paraffin and electricity. In both surveys, the use or non-use of available fuels in the region was influenced by several factors. Common reasons for non-use of certain fuel types included expense, lack of appliances, the risk involved in using such fuels and the preference for other fuels. Reasons for use were mainly related to the low cost of the fuel and the fuel’s ability to meet particular end uses. Although incomes in the region had increased between 1991 and 2002, they were still below the poverty line. Activities from which households obtained their income remained the same. Old age pension, migrant wages and the informal sector remained the largest contributors of income to most households. Other indicators of relative wealth and poverty, like ownership of vehicles, bicycles and beds remained the same.
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- Authors: Madubansi, Mainza
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Energy consumption -- South Africa -- Limpopo
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4756 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007139 , Energy consumption -- South Africa -- Limpopo
- Description: This research reports on the energy transition that has taken place in the Bushbuckridge district between 1991 and 2002. It is a follow up to a similar study that was done in 1991 investigating a number of aspects of energy use. It uses the 1991 study as a baseline and aims to explore how the passage of time, growth of the local population and changes in incomes and the availability of fuels have affected the patterns of fuel use in the region in the past eleven years. A structured interview approach was used for most aspects of the study. The interview schedule included sections on types, amounts and reasons for use and non-use of 13 different energy sources as well as data on income levels, household size and other economic parameters. Analysis of the consumption patterns of the different fuel types revealed that between the two survey periods, households in the sample settlements went through some pronounced changes in patterns of fuel use, particularly those that had acquired electricity. The introduction of electricity in the region had certainly played a major role in spurring the energy transition. Fuels that were previously used for lighting, powering entertainment appliances and refrigeration had been displaced by electricity. In terms of cooking and other thermal application, however, the vast majority of households in all the sample settlements continued using fuelwood and complemented it to a lesser extent with paraffin and electricity. In both surveys, the use or non-use of available fuels in the region was influenced by several factors. Common reasons for non-use of certain fuel types included expense, lack of appliances, the risk involved in using such fuels and the preference for other fuels. Reasons for use were mainly related to the low cost of the fuel and the fuel’s ability to meet particular end uses. Although incomes in the region had increased between 1991 and 2002, they were still below the poverty line. Activities from which households obtained their income remained the same. Old age pension, migrant wages and the informal sector remained the largest contributors of income to most households. Other indicators of relative wealth and poverty, like ownership of vehicles, bicycles and beds remained the same.
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