A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

dc.contributor.advisorGreen, Lesley
dc.contributor.advisorPetrik, Leslie
dc.contributor.authorBeukes, Amy
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-29T08:37:34Z
dc.date.available2022-06-29T08:37:34Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.date.updated2022-06-23T07:24:05Z
dc.description.abstractThe City of Cape Town's (CoCT) wastewater management system discharges effluent from households, industries and other sources into the Atlantic Ocean through deep-water marine outfalls in Green Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay. At total capacity, these three outfalls discharge 55.3 megalitres (Ml) into marine receiving environments daily. With minimal pre-treatment that amounts to screening and sieving, this results in microbial and chemical pollution of the sea (including chemicals of emerging concern), marine organisms, recreational beaches, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This research focuses on contestations over evidence of that pollution in Hout Bay. The study documents the work of independent scientists seeking to provide evidence of coastal pollution obtained via microbial and chemical analyses of water (coastal and inland) and marine organisms (Mytilus galloprovincialis) samples. It also presents accounts of pollution obtained via ethnographic research with local residents, fishers, frequent water users and river activists who have observed and experienced poor coastal water quality. However, the form of evidence that is considered and informs decision-making processes by the CoCT has consistently sought to invalidate these forms of evidence, from both independent scientists and the public. Debates around knowledge of water and contests over evidence that highlight the entanglements of science, politics, and ways of knowing make visible a consistent pattern in coastal water-quality governance by the City, which results in inaction regarding the ever-growing issue of coastal pollution in Cape Town.
dc.identifier.apacitationBeukes, A. (2022). <i>A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa</i>. (). ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of African and GenderStuds, Anth and Ling. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36558en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBeukes, Amy. <i>"A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa."</i> ., ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of African and GenderStuds, Anth and Ling, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36558en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBeukes, A. 2022. A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. . ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of African and GenderStuds, Anth and Ling. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36558en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Master Thesis AU - Beukes, Amy AB - The City of Cape Town's (CoCT) wastewater management system discharges effluent from households, industries and other sources into the Atlantic Ocean through deep-water marine outfalls in Green Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay. At total capacity, these three outfalls discharge 55.3 megalitres (Ml) into marine receiving environments daily. With minimal pre-treatment that amounts to screening and sieving, this results in microbial and chemical pollution of the sea (including chemicals of emerging concern), marine organisms, recreational beaches, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This research focuses on contestations over evidence of that pollution in Hout Bay. The study documents the work of independent scientists seeking to provide evidence of coastal pollution obtained via microbial and chemical analyses of water (coastal and inland) and marine organisms (Mytilus galloprovincialis) samples. It also presents accounts of pollution obtained via ethnographic research with local residents, fishers, frequent water users and river activists who have observed and experienced poor coastal water quality. However, the form of evidence that is considered and informs decision-making processes by the CoCT has consistently sought to invalidate these forms of evidence, from both independent scientists and the public. Debates around knowledge of water and contests over evidence that highlight the entanglements of science, politics, and ways of knowing make visible a consistent pattern in coastal water-quality governance by the City, which results in inaction regarding the ever-growing issue of coastal pollution in Cape Town. DA - 2022_ DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Coastal management KW - wastewater treatment KW - marine outfall KW - pollution KW - pharmaceuticals KW - personal care products KW - perfluorinated compounds KW - household cleaners KW - marine organisms KW - persistent organic pollutants KW - chemicals of emerging concern KW - multispecies ethnography KW - chemical ethnography KW - participant observation KW - forms of evidence KW - ways of knowing LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2022 T1 - A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa TI - A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36558 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/36558
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBeukes A. A sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. []. ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of African and GenderStuds, Anth and Ling, 2022 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36558en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of African and GenderStuds, Anth and Ling
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanities
dc.subjectCoastal management
dc.subjectwastewater treatment
dc.subjectmarine outfall
dc.subjectpollution
dc.subjectpharmaceuticals
dc.subjectpersonal care products
dc.subjectperfluorinated compounds
dc.subjecthousehold cleaners
dc.subjectmarine organisms
dc.subjectpersistent organic pollutants
dc.subjectchemicals of emerging concern
dc.subjectmultispecies ethnography
dc.subjectchemical ethnography
dc.subjectparticipant observation
dc.subjectforms of evidence
dc.subjectways of knowing
dc.titleA sea of contested evidence: Disputes over coastal pollution in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPhil
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