Browsing by Author "Kilian, Darryll"

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    Change, conflict and sense of place : a case study of the inshore fishing community in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
    (1994) Kilian, Darryll
    The revaluation of place in geographical discourse has bolstered research which highlights both the global and local significance of places. Waterfront places have, as a result of their revitalisation, become the locus where capital and community intersect. The redevelopment of Cape Town's Victoria and Alfred Docks offers unique insights into understanding spatial change, conflict and sense of place. Like its international precedents, the evolution, decline and redundancy of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (V &AW) is a direct outcome of the wider processes of capital accumulation and technological transformation. Conflictual relations between the V &AW developers and planners and the Fishing Industry over the appropriate utilisation of dockland space, together with current spatial and functional restructurings, have negatively impacted upon the inshore fishing community working and living in the dockland. Ongoing commodification of this dockland area has directly contributed to feelings of uprootedness among the inshore fishermen, a community whose sense(s) of place and social and cultural identities are inextricably tied up with their past and present daily existence in the Victoria and Alfred Docks and adjacent, formerly vibrant, inner-city areas. The present uncertainty and feelings of uprootedness evident among the inshore fishing community will almost certainly be compounded as the V &AW developers and planners edge closer to redeveloping the Silo Precinct which includes the area presently occupied by the inshore fishing industry and community. The challenge facing the V &AW Company is to avoid regressive social engineering by adopting progressive strategies which aim to address both the inshore fishing community's emerging insecurities and (pre)existing topophilic attachments to dockland place.
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    Conservancies as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development : with reference to a case study in the Nyae-Nyae area of Eastern Otjozonjupa, Namibia
    (1997) Raphaely, Talia; Kilian, Darryll
    This dissertation is based on the theoretical assumption that in order for conservation to be achievable it must go hand in hand with development, without undermining development of the environment continuing to degrade. At Independence, Namibia inherited a number of environmental and developmental challenges from previous government systems, including slow and even economic growth, a predominantly rural population dependent on the primary production of natural resources for their survival, human-induced loss of rangelands and croplands and a historical alienation from natural resources of residents from communal lands. As a result, Namibia finds herself confronting a number of development imperatives including the need to address and minimise inherited socio-economic and environmental debts as well as ensure that people are able to meet their basic needs. A further key finding of the REIA was that design, planning and implementation of policies, programmes, plans and projects in Namibia should seek to protect and enhance this sensitive environment, and ill-advised development activities may cause or contribute to additional environmental degradation. Recognising this, and in keeping with international trends, the Namibian conservation authorities, following Independence from South Africa began developing a national community-based natural resource management programme (CBNRM) aimed at addressing some of the key constraints of past conservation approaches and promoting development and conservation. One of the principle means of linking CBNRM and development is through the vehicle of conservancies, a defined geographical area which has been established for the management, conservation and utilisation of its wildlife and other natural resources for the benefit of a specific community. Whilst the conservancy approach was originally designed for application on commercial farms, the intention of communal land conservancies is that a community, within a defined geographical area, jointly manage, conserve and utilise the wildlife and other natural resources within the defined area. In so doing, conservancies aim to help promote sustainable environmental management, rural development and improved income and livelihoods for rural families and communities. The conservancy approach therefore is intended to be simultaneously a vehicle for development and for conservation.
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    Local participation in community-based ecotourism development : a case study of Shewula, north-eastern Swaziland
    (1999) Segar, Cathy; Kilian, Darryll
    Ecotourism is often endorsed as an ideal tool sustainable development that can successfully link the dual goals of nature conservation and rural development. However, critics have highlighted that the negative impacts ecotourism on local communities can undermine the value community development. The participation of local communities in planning for, and implementing, ecotourism development has, therefore, been recommended. This paper addresses some of the problems facing a local community that has the opportunity to develop its own ecotourism venture. It focuses on the difficulties that have been encountered in securing the necessary local participation in planning for a proposed tourism development. These problems include a lack of local awareness about the proposed development, lack of support for the development and lack of capacity to plan a marketable, environmentally sustainable tourism product. Some of the actions for eliciting greater local participation and equipping local to plan for and accommodate tourism are presented. The application of these to the case study reveals a need for sensitivity to local conditions on the part of external agents of change.
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    The proposed Gariep Transfrontier Conservation Area : conservation overlay evaluation of the South African section
    (1998) Jardine, Christine Leone; Kilian, Darryll
    The Gariep Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) was identified by the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) as one of seven potential TFCAs in southern Africa. Conservation of the Gariep TFCA would provide protection to the Nama-karoo biome, thereby improving the representativeness of South Africa's reserve network, a national conservation goal. However, the land in the Gariep TFCA is privately owned and land purchases or contractual agreements with landowners will be required before conservation activity can be carried out. With limited resources available for conservation, and competition between conservation and other activities for a limited supply of land, it is necessary to focus conservation efforts on land with the greatest value to conservation. Creation of the Gariep TFCA should therefore be the outcome of a deliberate and rational planning process which is based on all relevant available information. Accordingly, the aim of this dissertation is to produce a decisionsupport instrument which can be used for planning of the Gariep TFCA. The COVER evaluation is a rapid, coarse-filter approach, necessitated by the level of detailed environmental information available. The main source of environmental data for the evaluation was the biophysical and socio-economic information collected for the Feasibility Study (1998). This was supplemented by first-hand knowledge of the Gariep area, a literature review, and interviews with conservationists. The overlay method used for the evaluation is a means of including environmental factors into land use planning. A conservation overlay (COVER) approach was used to evaluate the Gariep area for Because an integrated approach to conservation was adopted, both scientific and socio-political criteria were selected for the evaluation. The scientific criteria evaluate biodiversity, while the socio-political criteria evaluate land availability and tourism potential, and the threat to present conservation value. These criteria were used to evaluate eight environmental factors for conservation. The results of the evaluation are displayed on a series of maps showing the geographic location and extent of the various value zones. The separate maps show the biological conservation value, tourism value, the threat which human activity poses to conservation, and the social cost of conserving the Gariep area.
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    Towards successful policy implementation : a case study of the national resettlement policy of Namibia
    (1998) Nijenhuis, Rene; Kilian, Darryll
    The aim of this dissertation is to identify policy-scientific causes underlying the constraints to successful Implementation, and give recommendations In order to improve the attainment of initial goals specified, in 'the resettlement policy. To identify these policy-scientific causes, criteria were extracted from the theoretical policy making as well as from international experience with regard to policy implementation. Subsequently, the policy process of resettlement was assessed according to these criteria. This report presents the findings of the policy assessment of the National Resettlement Policy of Namibia.
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    Towards sustainability in South Africa : a study of local government sustainability planning in the Cape Metropolitan Area
    (2000) Hassall, Zoë L; Kilian, Darryll
    The popular use of the term sustainability represents a consensus around the fact that society must change its path towards ecological destruction and the consequent decline in human's quality of life. Sustainability facilitates the integration of environmental issues, previously seen as radical and disruptive, into mainstream political, social and economic discourse. The term therefore represents a transitional tool which will lead society from its current non-sustainable phase to greater sustainability. At present the most successful action for change is being initiated from the local level through local sustainability planning. Sustainability planning represents an alternative approach to local government decision-making based on the principles of sustainability. Many countries are experiencing success with local sustainability planning initiatives such as Healthy Cities and Local Agenda 21. These initiatives represent generic approaches to sustainability planning. This thesis contends that a more successful approach could be gained through tailoring strategic planning to local contexts. The challenge is to design a framework that meets the needs of the specific socio-economic, legislative and institutional contexts of a given area. South Africa's discriminatory socio-political history has resulted in major social and environmental legacies, especially amongst the marginalised and poor sectors of society. These legacies must be understood and addressed in order to carry-out successful sustainability planning processes. Since 1994 sustainability in South Africa has received significant attention in the legislation which has emanated from the democratic government. The legal framework for sustainability is provided by a progressive Constitution [Act 108 of 1996]. The Constitution provides clear objectives for environmental management. Furthering the framework for environmental management set out in the Constitution is the National Environmental Management Act [Act 107 of 1998] (NEMA). NEMA is a key piece of legislation which has far-reaching implications for sustainability. It establishes general principles which act as a framework within which environmental management in the country will be carried out. The Constitution [Act 108 of 1996] also sets out clear objectives for local governance. Local government in the CMA, as in the rest of South Africa, is suffering from the effects of the (re)current restructuring period following the country's transition to democracy. This sphere of government is experiencing significant financial and capacity constraints. The situation has been compounded by a lack of civil-sector consultation during this protracted period of change. Mechanisms for addressing sustainability and incorporating environmental issues within local government planning and decision-making are absent from national legislation. Local government sustainability planning represents such a mechanism. This study researches the current status and future prospects for local government sustainability planning using the Cape Metropolitan Area (CMA) in South Africa as a case study. A framework for local government sustainability planning is developed based on the current national and local contexts. The proposed framework places the fundamental principles of sustainability at the highest strategic level in the authority. Alongside these principles are key operational themes of sustainability. Each of these should be used to guide and inform decisions and activities carried out within the local government authority. As we enter the new millennium local government in South Africa has an increasing responsibility to achieve local sustainability and in so doing to elevate its citizens quality of life. A bold response to local sustainability planning is required if this is to be achieved.