Research Output Repository (HSRC)
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Theatre of climate action: amplifying youth voices for climate justice in Guadeloupe and South Africa
No full textPaper presented at the Climate Change and Futures in Africa Conference Series 2025, 30 OctoberN/
Comparative assessment of standardized indices for monitoring drought in north-eastern South Africa
No full textDrought assessment provides critical data for mitigating drought risk and reducing community vulnerability, particularly in semi-arid regions like north-eastern South Africa. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) primarily uses the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to monitor drought impacts on agriculture and water
resources. However, SPI relies solely on rainfall data, neglecting key variables such as evapotranspiration, which plays a significant role in drought development. This study evaluates and compares the effectiveness of SPI, the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI), and the Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI) in assessing drought conditions in the Luvuvhu River Catchment (LRC). Rainfall and temperature data were obtained from SAWS, while streamflow records were sourced from the Department of Water and Sanitation. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test was applied for drought trends analyses across 1-, 6-, and 12-month timescales. Results indicate that mild droughts were prevalent in the study area shown by all indices at all timescales, while extreme drought events were less frequent but more pronounced events at longer timescales. The evaluation criteria further revealed SPEI as the most suitable index for drought monitoring in the LRC due to its ability to account for both rainfall and evapotranspiration, providing a more comprehensive assessment of drought conditions. These findings showcased the increasing frequency and severity of droughts in the region, emphasizing the need for improved drought monitoring, early warning systems, and adaptive water resource management strategies to mitigate future drought impacts.
Exploring levels of mental health: a focus on financially disadvantaged students in the South African higher education system
No full textIn the South African higher education context, students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme might be predisposed to greater challenges to their well-being, as they are recognised as an especially vulnerable social group. However, quantitative reporting of the levels of well-being experienced by this group of students is limited. In acknowledgement of this gap in understanding well-being in this group and towards the growing emergent literature on the well-being of higher education students more broadly, a study to explore the well-being of students from low-income households is warranted. Consequently, this article focuses on identifying the proportions of National Student Financial Aid Scheme-funded students who fall into three distinct well-being categories (flourishing, moderate mental health, and languishing) using data from a cross-sectional survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis also considers differences in well-being across gender, race, field of study, and institutional type. Participants included 6562 National Student Financial Aid Scheme students (males = 44.9%, mean age = 22.83, SD = 4.88). Findings indicated that 34.2% of students were flourishing, while the majority reported moderate mental health. Males, Black Africans, Education students and technical and vocational education and training college students had better overall mental health. The differences across demographic variables can be instructive to guide interventions tailored to support the groups that have lower proportions of flourishers. Future research could also build on such results using longitudinal or panel studies to determine whether the trends and levels of well-being will remain the same over time and the covariates of well-being in different subsamples of students within the South African higher education context.
Health inequalities in primary care: a comparative analysis of climate change-induced expansion of waterborne and vector-borne diseases in the SADC region
No full textClimate change has magnified health disparities across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region by destabilizing the critical natural systems, which include water security, food production, and disease ecology. The IPCC (2007) underscores the disproportionate impact on low-income populations characterized by limited adaptive capacity, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. Rising temperatures, erratic precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events ranging from prolonged droughts to catastrophic floods have created favorable conditions for the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid, as well as the expansion of vector-borne diseases zone also characterized by warmer and wetter conditions where diseases like malaria thrives. This study employed a comparative analysis of climate and health data across Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa examining the interplay between climatic shifts and disease patterns. Through reviews of national surveillance reports, adaptation policies, and outbreak records, the analysis reveals the existence of critical gaps in preparedness and response. Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland region experienced a doubling of diarrheal diseases in 2019 due to drought-driven water shortages, forcing communities to rely on unsafe alternatives. Mozambique faced a similar crisis following Cyclone Idai in 2019, where floodwaters precipitated a threefold surge in cholera cases, predominantly affecting children under five. In Malawi, Cyclone Ana’s catastrophic flooding in 2022 contaminated water sources, leading to a devastating cholera outbreak that claimed over 1200 lives. meanwhile, in South Africa, inadequate sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal’s informal settlements amplified cholera transmission during the 2023 rainy season. Malaria incidence has also risen in these regions, with warmer temperatures extending the geographic range of Anopheles mosquitoes and lengthening the transmission
seasons. The findings underscore an urgent need for integrated, multisectoral interventions. Strengthening disease surveillance systems to incorporate climate data could enhance early warning capabilities, while national adaptation plans must prioritize health resilience by bridging gaps between water, agriculture, and infrastructure policies. Community-level interventions, such as water purification programs and targeted vector control, are essential to reduce outbreaks in high-risk areas. Beyond these findings, there is a critical need to invest in longitudinal research so as to elucidate the causal pathways between climate change and disease burden, particularly for understudied linkages like malaria expansion and urbanization. Without coordinated action, climate-related health inequalities will continue to widen, leaving marginalized populations increasingly vulnerable to preventable diseases. The SADC region must adopt evidence-based, equity-centered strategies to mitigate these growing threats and safeguard public health in a warming world.
Stories carry power: uplifting caregivers’ voices in addressing adolescent substance use
No full textPaper presented at the HSRC/NRF Engaged Research Conference, Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre, Gauteng, 22-24 OctoberN/
Empowering women in small-scale aquaculture and fisheries for resilient food systems
No full textHSRC Policy Brief, OctoberAquaculture and fisheries have long supported food security, livelihoods, and economic growth worldwide, from subsistence to commercial activities. However, the growth of the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture
sector has been limited, largely constrained by gaps in data to guide policy and decision-making. Participation has also fallen short of its potential, as available information is often inaccessible, leaving key stakeholders, who could strengthen and expand the sector, unaware of the opportunities and benefits for themselves and their communities. Over the past few decades, progress has been made in community awareness, research, training, and capacity building. Governance structures have also improved and advancements have been made in policy and legislative frameworks. However, this progress remains gradual and requires substantial support, as well as robust, intentional, and dedicated interventions. Challenges related to climate change and other anthropogenic
pressures also need to be considered in decision-making. Evidence-based approaches are fundamental to advancing equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture.N/
Funding R&D in a deindustrialising South Africa
No full textThis chapter explores the current state of research and development (R&D) funding in South Africa and the need for increased investment to achieve the country’s targets for R&D expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP). It aims to show how South Africa can return to a pathway of high R&D intensity and suggests a
benchmark value and approach to government funding of R&D to facilitate this.