UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Records and distribution of House Crow Corvus splendens within the eThekwini Municipality from August 2019 to August 2023
Get PDFHouse Crows Corvus splendens are originally from southern Asia and are considered one of the most invasive birds in the world (Meininger et al. 1980, Nyári et al. 2006, Ryall 2010). They are invading parts of South Africa, mostly along the coastal areas in three provinces (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal) (SABAP2). Here we discuss the distribution of House Crows within the eThekwini Municipality, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal from 2019–2023 records collected by the eThekwini Municipality and South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) officials. The record includes the one known roosting site within the Durban Central and most preferred areas within the city
Sighting of Orange-Headed Thrush Geokichla citrina at Shekha Wetland: An Important Bird Area, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Get PDFThis note reports the sighting on the 8 February 2020 of Orange-Headed Thrush Geokichla citrina at Shekha Wetland (27°51'21" N and 78°13'05" E), Aligarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The open-access journal Biodiversity Observations: report for the period 2010-2022
Get PDFBetween 2010 and 2022, the online journal Biodiversity Observations published 389 papers. In January 2023, the total number of downloads of these papers was 462,000. Between 2018 and 2022, 138 of the papers had been cited in Google Scholar, and had generated a total of 421 citations. The journal plans to continue publishing descriptive papers which report observations relating to biodiversity
Birds of SABAP2 pentad 2915_2555 on the Jagersfontein Road, south-west of Bloemfontein, Free State
Get PDFThis paper describes results of a bird survey done at Pentad 2915_2555 on the Jagersfontein road south-west of Bloemfontein between April 2008 and January 2023. A total of 197 species have been recorded from mainly 169 full-protocol SABAP2 cards (162 done by author) and more than 30 ad hoc lists. The seasonality of waterbird species is discussed based on responses and occurrences after the rainfall seasons. Higher reporting rates were obtained for species such as Yellow-billed Ducks (49.7%), Red-billed Teals (37.9%) and White-faced Whistling Ducks (32.0%) during the summer months, which were sometimes still present into the drier winter months. Spur-winged Goose (39.6%) and Egyptian Goose (69.2%) also have high reporting occurrences, although South African Shelducks showed a more seasonal occurrence with lower reporting rates (17.8%). The seasonality of winter visiting species such as Swallow-tailed Bee eater and Sickle-winged Chats is discussed. Sickle-winged Chats were mostly observed in the area between April–August preferring low shrubs in open patches in grassland and on gravel roads. Swallow-tailed Bee eater were observed in the Buddleja sp. bush areas on the slope of the hill at the Praalhoek farm between May and July. The seasonal occurrence of Melodeuis Larks, which starts singing after the first summer rains, is also discussed. The ongoing monitoring of bird populations through the SABAP2 project (and with other platforms such as the Virtual Museum digitization projects) is emphasized and therefore the importance of monitoring bird populations over time
Note on the nest-building behaviour, socio-negative interactions and courtship display of the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch Loxigilla noctis sclateri in a suburban area of St Lucia
Get PDFWe provide details of the nest-building behaviour of the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, including observational notes on nest materials and courtship elements, and also on socio-negative interactions. The information is based on field observations of a breeding pair in a suburban area in St Lucia
Sustainable Construction Transition (SCT) Policy Regime in Kenya: Sustainable Construction Transition (SCT) Policy Regime in Kenya
No full textThe global construction industry is lagging in transitioning to sustainability, and the Kenyan construction industry is not excluded. As a result, and in response, there are Kenyan policies with specific provisions on SCT. Despite this progress, there is limited empirical research on their scope and implementation dynamics. Against this backdrop, this study examined Kenya's SCT policy regime regarding its priorities, instruments, and stakeholder orientation, including any inherent shortcomings. This aimed to make appropriate recommendations for an improved SCT policy regime to enhance and optimise industry SCT performance. Qualitative research design, specifically, qualitative content analysis technique, was used to analyse the 34 policy documents identified. The findings indicate that the regime: priorities – primarily focus on environmental sustainability targeting strategic and tactical implementation levels with minimal focus on SCT socio-economic objectives and operational level of implementation, which reduces its comprehensiveness; instruments – driven by regulations, the constitution, and Acts of Parliament, as well as codes, guidelines, and plans, from multiple sources, primarily aimed at regulation and control and not the other policy instruments functions hence not delivering on their full potential; and, stakeholder orientation – primarily targeting developers/owners/occupiers and government with less focus on the other stakeholders and thus not leveraging their specific roles in SCT supply chain. The resulting recommendations were: priorities – need for improved focus on SCT's socio-economic objectives and operational level of implementation; instruments – need for a central database and leveraging them to support economic incentives, supporting activities, liability compensation, education and information, voluntary programs, and management and planning; and, stakeholder orientation – improved targeting of contractors, suppliers/producers/manufacturers, professional consultants, non-governmental and civil society organisations, and media. Lastly, given that this study focused on SCT policy evaluation, future research can focus on other parts of the policy-making process.
Keywords: Business, Construction, Content analysis, Kenya, Performance, Planning, Policy regime, South Africa, Strategy, Sustainability, Sustainable Construction Transition (SCT)
Sources and Control Measures of Crystalline Silica Dust in a Road and Building Project in Zambia
Get PDFConstruction works bring about silica dust hazards, part of the dust produced by staple materials such as concrete and sand. Silica dust, when inhaled in high quantities or for an extended period, is lethal to workers as it causes silicosis, which has no known cure. Several studies have reported high exposures of silica dust in construction, especially where there are no controls. As Zambia sets to become a middle-income country by 2030, increased projects have increased exposure to silica dust and chemicals that cause diseases. There is a likelihood of an increase in the generation of dust and possible contact with silica dust and chemical irritants. Therefore, the paper examines the controls used in the construction industry in Zambia and recommends improvements for silica dust exposure controls to safeguard workers' health. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a building and a road project as two case studies. Carpenters, butchers, tilers, bricklayers, demolition workers, painters and labourers were purposively sampled. The total sample size was 100 workers, 50 for each case study. The sample size was established at 10% of the estimated population of 1012. Moreover, the sample size was limited to 100 because the number of workers was reduced due to Covid-19 by the Ministry of Health. Data was collected using overt observation using an observation schedule and a camera as data collecting tools. The data were qualitatively analysed using the constant comparative method. The results showed that the combination of water and dust or face masks was the common control used on both sites. Despite the use of water and facemasks, there was still high exposure to dust and chemicals because of inadequate controls. Skilled well-fitted, recommended personal protective equipment was rarely provided. Moreover, the respiratory masks commonly used were Covid-19 facemasks which were inadequate for silica dust reduction. The only controls used were engineering control and the use of PPE. The findings suggest that workers are at risk of health problems in the Zambian construction industry brought about by inhaling dust. The combination of all methods in the hierarchy of controls and the incorporation of all construction stakeholders in ways of silica dust exposure controls are recommended. The study serves as an awareness to construction stakeholders of the health concern of high dust exposure levels and inadequate controls. There is a need for measuring actual concentrations of crystalline silica dust with and without controls.
Keywords: Controls, Construction, Observation, Silica Dust, Zambi
Impact of cold and wet weather on Common Swifts Apus apus (with comments)
Get PDFThis note describes the effects of a cold and wet weather event on the Common Swifts Apus apus
First records of leucism in two species of duiker (Cephalophinae) in Gabon
Get PDFThe present study aimed to describe partial leucism, which is a pigmentation disorder, in two duiker species: Philantomba monticola and Sylvicapra grimmia. Leucism is a condition characterized by partial loss of pigmentation, resulting in white or pale patches on the animal's body. This is the first report of leucism in the subfamily Cephalophinae, which includes duikers, and similar occurrences may exist in other duiker species across their sub-Saharan distribution range. This finding highlights the potential for further research on pigmentation disorders in duikers and their prevalence in different species within the subfamily
Editorial JARER Volume 7 Issue 2
No full textEditorial
Welcome to Volume 7 (2022), Issue 2 of the Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER). JARER has been providing valuable resources and continues to be an exciting outlet for authors across Africa to propagate the results of their research activities. The journal has been strengthened and continues to grow in leaps and bounds. We are happy to inform our stakeholders that, JARER has been approved to be listed in the Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ) as from January, 2023. This is in addition to being recognised as meeting acceptable quality and listed in the 2021 American Real Estate Society’s (ARES) Real Estate Journal List. The list can be found at: https://www.aresnet.org/page/journal-list. We are not unaware that these achievements cannot be made possible without the efforts and support of the journal editorial board members, our anonymous reviewers and other stakeholders. Our gratitude therefore goes to them and all others stakeholders, including the African Real Estate Society’s board members, the team and colleagues at the Library services at the University of Cape Town, and the Journal Manager, Ms Lesedi Kgaka, who has been working diligently in managing the journal’s operations and at ensuring that the journal is moved forward to an enviable height. We will continue to appreciate the support from Prof. Karl-Werner Schulte and his team from the IREBS at Regensburg University, the IRES, and ERES.
The journal’s qualities of review and thoroughness, no doubt, have improved tremendously, even though this has increased the rate of paper rejection, in the recent past. This explains why the current issue contains four papers with focus on private housing development, property rating valuation, price volatility in the stock market and void management strategies in multi-tenanted office property.
This first paper examines the factors that influence access to urban land for private housing development in Minna, Nigeria. A total of 18 variables were distilled from previous empirical studies which were analysed using factor analysis technique. The results indicate that land titling, socio-economic characteristics of the populace and land acquisition issues were the main factors affecting urban land accessibility for private housing development. The study concludes that stakeholders in land administration and management in the city should work on these factors to improve access to land for private housing development.
The second paper examines the volatility of the daily market price of listed property stocks on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for a 10-year period (2008-2017). The study used daily prices from January 2, 2008, to December 29, 2017, of twelve quoted property companies out of the twenty-seven listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (SA REIT Association, 2020). The study modelled SA-REIT market price volatility using generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH 1, 1). The result implies that investment in the property stock market is strongly driven by positive news on daily prices than a negative shock. The study thus concludes that South African property investors are more sensitive and exhibit a sharp response to good news on the daily market price than bad news when thinking of investing in listed property company shares.
The focus of third paper is an investigation of the causes of variance in assessed rateable values among property rating valuers. Qualitative data were obtained from valuers and content analysis was carried out to analyse the data. Findings showed that specialisation, valuers' opinion on the rating valuation input variables, lack of due diligence, corruption, the ambiguity of the rating law, information in the tone–of–the–list, lack of proper sanction and gratification by ratepayers are some of the causes of variance in rateable value. The conclusion drawn centres on the need to correct the identified problems causing variance in rating valuation with a view to ensuring effective rating administration.
The fourth paper assesses void management strategies adopted by Estate Surveying firms in multi-tenanted office properties in Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were analysed using frequency table, mean, mean deviation and mean ranking. The study found that void eradication strategies of adherence to vacation clauses and regular advertisement were the most frequently used strategies. The paper concludes that choice of void management strategies in multi-tenanted office properties depends on the cost involved and effectiveness of the strategies.
Thank you for your continued interest in JARER. I look forward to receiving your feedback on this and previous issues of the journal.
Prof. Abel Olaleye
Editor-in-Chief