The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach

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dc.contributor.advisorPasquini, Lorenaen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorBaudoin, Marie-Angeen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBouwer, Royen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-08-23T12:49:51Z
dc.date.available2017-08-23T12:49:51Z
dc.date.issued2017en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAs greenhouse gas emissions drive anthropogenic climate change, flooding and flood related risk are likely to increase in frequency and intensity. The burden of these risks are expected to be concentrated in urban areas, particularly affecting highly vulnerable informal settlements. Adapting to these risks will largely fall under the responsibility of local governments. However local governments, in particular those in developing countries, often lack the capacity to implement effective adaptation strategies for long-term resilience. Drawing on social network analysis this research examines the role of social ties and social capital in facilitating knowledge sharing to improve the capacities of local governments to deal with flood-related risks. Using the case studies of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and Mossel Bay Local Municipality in South Africa, this research found that patterns of social interactions in the two local governments were largely a result of the size of structures of governance. The larger Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality network consisted of poorly connected sub-groups with poor knowledge dispersal. This led to poor adaptive and inclusive governance because poor levels of collaboration and social learning inhibited effective flood management. The smaller Mossel Bay Local Municipality network consisted of a bonded network with high knowledge transfers. These characteristics contributed to improved adaptive and inclusive governance because strong collaboration enabled informed and flexible flood management. The poor collaboration in NMBMM is likely to negatively affect the municipality's capacity to build resilience for informal settlements by negatively affecting coping, adaptive and transformative capacity. The strong collaboration in MBLM can foster coping and adaptive capacities, but may be hampering the transformative capacity of the municipality. Thus social networks have a considerable role to play in the governance of flooding, thereby influencing the ability of the two local governments to build resilience in informal settlements.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBouwer, R. (2017). <i>The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24927en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBouwer, Roy. <i>"The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24927en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBouwer, R. 2017. The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Bouwer, Roy AB - As greenhouse gas emissions drive anthropogenic climate change, flooding and flood related risk are likely to increase in frequency and intensity. The burden of these risks are expected to be concentrated in urban areas, particularly affecting highly vulnerable informal settlements. Adapting to these risks will largely fall under the responsibility of local governments. However local governments, in particular those in developing countries, often lack the capacity to implement effective adaptation strategies for long-term resilience. Drawing on social network analysis this research examines the role of social ties and social capital in facilitating knowledge sharing to improve the capacities of local governments to deal with flood-related risks. Using the case studies of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and Mossel Bay Local Municipality in South Africa, this research found that patterns of social interactions in the two local governments were largely a result of the size of structures of governance. The larger Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality network consisted of poorly connected sub-groups with poor knowledge dispersal. This led to poor adaptive and inclusive governance because poor levels of collaboration and social learning inhibited effective flood management. The smaller Mossel Bay Local Municipality network consisted of a bonded network with high knowledge transfers. These characteristics contributed to improved adaptive and inclusive governance because strong collaboration enabled informed and flexible flood management. The poor collaboration in NMBMM is likely to negatively affect the municipality's capacity to build resilience for informal settlements by negatively affecting coping, adaptive and transformative capacity. The strong collaboration in MBLM can foster coping and adaptive capacities, but may be hampering the transformative capacity of the municipality. Thus social networks have a considerable role to play in the governance of flooding, thereby influencing the ability of the two local governments to build resilience in informal settlements. DA - 2017 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2017 T1 - The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach TI - The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24927 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/24927
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBouwer R. The capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approach. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 2017 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24927en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Environmental and Geographical Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClimate Change and Sustainable Developmenten_ZA
dc.titleThe capacity of local governments to build flood resilience in informal settlements: a social networks approachen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMPhilen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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