Browsing by Subject "environmental science"

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    The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia
    (1998) Hansen, Gregory Craig; Burger, Lynton
    In order to address the inequitable distribution of land and to initiate socio-economic development amongst marginalised people in Namibia, the Namibian Resettlement Programme was introduced as a means of implementing land reform. There is a political, economic and social necessity for empowerment amongst many communities, however, land redistribution will not necessarily achieve this in the Namibian environment. The cost of implementing this Resettlement Programme has been very high and the benefits accruing to the settlers have been limited. It is argued that a primary reason for the lack of success of the Programme is that its agricultural focus requires all settlers to become successful farmers in an exceedingly harsh natural and economic environment. The sustainability of using agriculture is as a development tool in Namibia is assessed using certain environmental sustainability criteria. These were biophysical, economic, social, and political sustainability. Based on these criteria it is evident that Namibia does not have a comparative advantage in agricultural production and therefore should not promote agriculture as a means to achieve development. While the agricultural sector is already a significant employer in Namibia, there is limited scope for expansion of the industry and intensification of production is not sustainable because of the dry climate and associated low carrying capacity of the land. There is a need for research into other sectors of the Namibian economy in which Namibia may have a greater comparative advantage and hence would be better placed to act as a basis for development programmes. The Namibian Government should be encouraging other forms of job creation, such as tourism, and providing support to entrepreneurs undertaking new enterprises in sectors of the economy where the people of Namibia can sustainably exploit a comparative advantage.
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    Views and behaviours of municipal actors relating to climate change and water management: the case of local municipal water management and social networks
    (2019) Gerstner, Kristian; Pasquini, Lorena
    Climate change is projected to impact the hydrological cycle and have a negative effect on water supply. In South Africa, water to the end user is supplied by local municipalities, and thus municipalities are likely to benefit from adapting to these climate impacts. This research aims to understand the views and behaviours of local municipal actors towards water management and climate change, and how these views and behaviours influence the resilience of their water supply system in the face of climate change. A secondary aim of the thesis was to determine if the advice networks, where the actors receive the bulk of their information from, influenced the actor’s views and behaviours around water management, climate change, and adaptation, using a social network approach. The study area focused on five local municipalities in the West Coast District of South Africa. This research made use of a mixed methods approach, utilising both qualitative and quantitative data, obtained using semi-structured interviews with a structured component. Qualitative data were used to collect water management-related views and behaviours of municipal actors, whilst quantitative data were collected to determine social network characteristics. The views and behaviours on water demand and supply management of the actors interviewed tended to differ. Actors’ views on ideal water management approaches were more concerned with the long-term sustainability of water resources through raising awareness and managing existing infrastructure better. Actor’s preferred behaviours however focused on immediate relief to water shortages, by augmenting existing supply and enforcing restrictions. These findings imply that actors respond reactively to drought, and not proactively. In terms of climate change, actors showed a clear understanding of climate change and its risks to water management. Actors understood how climate change adaptation could be used to make their municipalities’ water supply more resilient, by utilising sustainable sources of water or through ecosystem-based adaptation, however it was found that municipal plans and behaviours did not generally reflect these views. Social network characteristics such as strengths of ties, and the existence of multiplex ties, did not appear to influence the sharing of behaviours or views between the actor and their given advice network. It was thus theorised that institutional lock-in and hierarchical governance might play a larger role in influencing views and behaviours than the actors’ social networks. The reactive responses by actors to issues of water demand or supply can lead to poor resilience in the face of climate change, where cases of drought and water shortages may become more frequent. Whilst municipal actors are aware of these changing conditions and risks, the limitations placed on them by governance structures and lock-in impact their ability to be proactive. More work needs to be done to ensure sustainable and resilient water management interventions are implemented at the local municipal level. Additionally, lockin, both institutional and technological, could usefully be challenged to allow for innovative ideas to enter the realm of water management at the local municipal level.