Browsing by Subject "Environment, Society, and Sustainability"

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    Emergency registrars' and physicians' perceptions and preparedness to respond to the health impacts of climate change: a survey study
    (2024) Theron, Elzarie; Stassen, Willem; Ziervogel, Gina
    Climate change has many significant impacts on health. These impacts occur on top of existing conditions, which places a disproportionate burden on those who are already vulnerable. Emergency healthcare, which is responsible for all acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury, often serves as the first point of contact in the health system for patients who have been affected by climate change. However, it is expected that many emergency medicine specialists are not well versed on the health impacts of climate change, making it essential to assess their current perception of and preparedness to address these impacts in clinical practice. To create an understanding of emergency medicine registrars' and physicians' perceptions about climate change and health, climate-related health education, and self-perceived preparedness to respond to these impacts, this study followed a survey design, using an online questionnaire to collect data. Data were collected from emergency medicine registrars' and physicians' who are currently working in South Africa. The data were first analysed descriptively, and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to explore differences amongst sub-groups. Results indicated that most (80%, n = 16) participants recognised the health impacts of climate change and felt that it would impact their own and their patients' health. None of the participants however received any formal training on the topic and only 3 (15%) participants indicated that they probably have enough information to prepare for the health impacts of climate change. Exploratory analysis indicated that the extent to which participants agreed with the statement that climate change will affect their personal health scores was statistically significantly higher for those who identified as women than for participants who identified as men (p = .024). There is a need for better integration of climate-related health education into medical curricula to prepare emergency medicine specialists in response to the health impacts of climate change. Key Terms: emergency medicine, emergency healthcare professional, climate-related health impacts, climate-related health education, medical curriculum, emergency healthcare preparedness, gender differences.
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    Open Access
    Emergency registrars' and physicians' perceptions and preparedness to respond to the health impacts of climate change: a survey study
    (2024) Theron, Elzarie; Stassen, Willem; Ziervogel, Gina
    Climate change has many significant impacts on health. These impacts occur on top of existing conditions, which places a disproportionate burden on those who are already vulnerable. Emergency healthcare, which is responsible for all acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury, often serves as the first point of contact in the health system for patients who have been affected by climate change. However, it is expected that many emergency medicine specialists are not well versed on the health impacts of climate change, making it essential to assess their current perception of and preparedness to address these impacts in clinical practice. To create an understanding of emergency medicine registrars' and physicians' perceptions about climate change and health, climate-related health education, and self-perceived preparedness to respond to these impacts, this study followed a survey design, using an online questionnaire to collect data. Data were collected from emergency medicine registrars' and physicians' who are currently working in South Africa. The data were first analysed descriptively, and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to explore differences amongst sub-groups. Results indicated that most (80%, n = 16) participants recognised the health impacts of climate change and felt that it would impact their own and their patients' health. None of the participants however received any formal training on the topic and only 3 (15%) participants indicated that they probably have enough information to prepare for the health impacts of climate change. Exploratory analysis indicated that the extent to which participants agreed with the statement that climate change will affect their personal health scores was statistically significantly higher for those who identified as women than for participants who identified as men (p = .024). There is a need for better integration of climate-related health education into medical curricula to prepare emergency medicine specialists in response to the health impacts of climate change. Key Terms: emergency medicine, emergency healthcare professional, climate-related health impacts, climate-related health education, medical curriculum, emergency healthcare preparedness, gender differences.
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    The Elephant in The Room: Human-Elephant Conflict in Central District, Botswana
    (2022) Munamati, Kakale; Mbatha, Philile
    Human-Elephant Conflict is a topic of conservation and socio-economic concern in light of its impacts on elephants and humans alike. The phenomenon has been occurring since the 19th century in Asia and Africa. Land use changes and human expansion into previous wildlife strongholds has exacerbated and increased Human-Elephant Conflict notwithstanding the impacts of an increase in the human population worldwide. Human-Elephant Conflict usually occurs in areas adjacent to protected areas with little know of the nature of Human-Elephant Conflict in areas which are not located near protected areas. Mmashoro Village and surrounding farms are an example of an area that is not located adjacent to a protected area but that is still exposed to Human-Elephant Conflict. The nature of Human-Elephant Conflict in Mmashoro village and surrounding farms consists of damage to fences, JoJo tanks and private gardens. Human-Elephant Conflict in Mmashoro village and surrounding areas has also been increasing over time. Human-Elephant Conflict in Mmashoro village and surrounding farms has varying (in degree and extent) impacts on the financial and emotional livelihoods of farm owners, farm workers, and local residents. This study found that the management strategies employed by the Government of Botswana to mitigate impacts of Human-Elephant Conflict were found to be inhibiting and restricting the livelihoods of all stakeholders. The interventions pursued by the government were, therefore, not enabling the present and future potential livelihoods of all stakeholders while also disadvantaging and prejudicing other stakeholders such as Local Residents and Farm Workers. The results of this study therefore indicate that Mmashoro village and surrounding farms present as an interesting case study as the site is not located next to protected areas as is the case with various conflict regions. As such, this study found that more nuanced and adapted management strategies were needed to ensure that government interventions were effective in areas such as Mmashoro Village and surrounding farms. Further studies are needed in sites which are not located next to protected areas but where Human-Elephant Conflict still occurs albeit haphazardly. Such studies will help to highlight the varied approaches often needed in the different geographical and social regions even though such approaches are often disregarded.
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    Understanding the livelihoods of small-scale fisheries in Lamberts Bay : implications for the new small-scale fisheries policy
    (2015) Nthane, Tsele Tommy; Raemaekers, Serge
    Small-scale fishers (SSFs) are among the most vulnerable socio-economic groups because of their high dependence on marine resource harvesting. While small-scale fisheries employ the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers and contribute substantially to the global catch, they are, on the whole, marginalised and ignored. Despite their importance in providing food security and livelihoods in coastal communities, state management authorities routinely neglect small-scale fisheries in favour of industrial fisheries. In South Africa, the exclusion of small-scale fishers is intricately linked with the oppressive policies of the apartheid government, which limited access to the fisheries for the largely Black and Coloured smallscale fishers. Changes within fisheries management practices led to the development of management tools that moved away from conventional resource-centred strategies, to management approaches that recognised the complexity of natural and ecological processes inherent within small-scale fisheries. Many of these new approaches have been embraced in South Africa's new small-scale fisheries policy. The policy represents a long line of arguably failed attempts at reforming South African fisheries undertaken by the South African government. While the policy is unique in the scale of participation by the small-scale fishers themselves it is still faced with the hurdle of implementation. The adoption of the individual rights approach embodied by the individual quota (IQ) system in the post-apartheid reforms has led to divisions within the community. Fishing rights benefited a small elite and disenfranchised many more fishers for whom fishing was a livelihood, but were excluded from the rights allocations. The new small-scale fisheries policy is widely acknowledged as progressive and carries the hope of inclusion for small-scale fishers along South Africa's coasts. After decades of disenfranchisement and individual rights allocations, the major challenge in the new policy's implementation will be dealing with the range of complex and unique communities in which the policy will be carried out. The purpose of this study was to establish a profile of the Lamberts Bay small-scale fisher groups and their perceptions regarding the new small-scale fisher policy, in order to inform the policy's implementation in Lamberts Bay.