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Machine learning and spatio temporal analysis for assessing ecological impacts of the billion tree afforestation project
No full textThis study evaluates the Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTAP) in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province using remote sensing and machine learning. Applying Random Forest (RF) classification to Sentinel-2 imagery, we observed an increase in tree cover from 25.02% in 2015 to 29.99% in 2023 and a decrease in barren land from 20.64% to 16.81%, with an accuracy above 85%. Hotspot and spatial clustering analyses revealed significant vegetation recovery, with high-confidence hotspots rising from 36.76% to 42.56%. A predictive model for the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), supported by SHAP analysis, identified soil moisture and precipitation as primary drivers of vegetation growth, with the ANN model achieving an R2 of 0.8556 and an RMSE of 0.0607 on the testing dataset. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating machine learning with remote sensing as a framework to support data-driven afforestation efforts and inform sustainable environmental management practices
Masculine aesthetics and food ascetics: an autobiographical exploration of fitness religion in Cape Town
No full textThis article explores how South African gym culture crafts racialised, gendered and classed identities through the aesthetics of the body (“bodywork”) and the discipline of diet (“foodwork”). following various scholars who have conceptualised fitness regimes as religion, i conceptualise gym culture as a form of “wild religion”. challenging mainstream literature on fitness and masculinity – which largely overlooks race and class dynamics – i draw on autobiographical embodied experiences within fitness spaces to reveal the power of this culture to function as a quasi-religious domain, with its own symbols, rituals and beliefs. this analysis exposes how ideals of masculinity are forged within these sacred spaces, underscoring the need to interrogate how race and class intricately shape these ideals in ways that are often hidden from view. by reframing fitness as a site where masculinities are not only formed but ritualised, this work calls for a new understanding of gym culture as a potent arena for exploring race, class and masculine identity in South Africa
Integrated flood modelling and risk assessment in urban areas: a review on applications, strengths, limitations and future research directions
No full textStudy region: Global scale.
Study focus: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive global assessment of urban flood modelling by: (i) critically reviewing the most widely used flood models in urban settings; (ii) synthesizing their operational mechanisms, including the integration of diverse data types and validation techniques; and (iii) evaluating each model’s strengths and limitations in simulating flood dynamics and assessing urban flood susceptibility. Furthermore, the paper establishes a framework for selecting acceptable modelling methodologies for successful flood risk management in real-world urban scenarios. New hydrological insights for the region: Hydraulic-hydrological models, and cloud-based geospatial
platforms have been widely applied in flood modelling and risk and vulnerability assessment. Despite these advancements, accurate flood modelling remains a challenge due to limitations in input data quality. Among earth observation tools, radar satellite data was identified as the most effective due to its reliability under cloudy and rainy conditions. Enhancing model accuracy and validation remains possible through the integration of both optical and radar data with hydraulic and hydrological models. For example, radar backscatter intensity can be used to estimate flood depths. However, key research gaps remain, notably, the integration of high-resolution climate projections and socio-economic factors into flood risk models, and the application of modelling tools in poorly planned urban areas to assess real-time changes in land use following flood events
Application of the minalyzer core scanner in sandstone reservoirs of the orange basin, South Africa for reservoir zonation
No full textThis thesis investigates the elemental and petrophysical properties of tight sandstone reservoirs in the Orange Basin, South Africa, focussing on two wells, AC1 and AJ1. The study employs the Minalyzer Core Scanner for high- resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis to characterize reservoir zonation and heterogeneity. The integration of continuous elemental data with petrophysical information from the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) provides a comprehensive approach to understanding reservoir quality and hydrocarbon potential. Key findings indicate that the sandstone reservoirs are predominantly composed of silica, with significant concentrations of potassium, calcium, and aluminium, suggesting a mixed depositional environment. Variations in elemental composition between wells AC1 and AJ1 reflect differences in sedimentary processes and diagenetic history, with well AJ1 exhibiting superior permeability and fluid flow potential. Additionally, Sr/Cu ratios are used to infer depositional environments and climate influences on sedimentation. Five distinct flow zones were identified with porosity ranging from 1.0 to 24.7%, permeability from 0.1 to 7777mD, and pore throat radius from 0.1 to 17.5 μm
Climate Change and Violence Against Women
No full textClimate change is the significant alteration in the weather conditions of a place, which include wetter, drier or warmer conditions over several years or decades. Human activities are the core cause of climate change. Research has stated that the unmitigated release of carbon will cause global warming of several degrees Celsius by 2100, causing high-impact risks to human society. The average global temperature has increased by 0.06° C per decade since 1855. The global warming trend since 1982 is about three times faster than 0.20° C per decade. Since the global temperatures’ increase began, 2023 was discovered to be the warmest year in history. The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that one in three women has experienced violence in their lifetime. Because the very important stakes for human societies of these two phenomena, this study's objective was to comprehensively investigate the multifaceted effects of climate change on violence against women (VAW) in diverse societal contexts. Our findings indicate that climate change significantly exacerbates Gender Based Violence (GBV). Studies in several countries have demonstrated that climate change has led to displacements, economic disruptions, lack of access to water and education, food insecurity, public health issues, which all increase violence against women. It is crucial to develop a strategic plan for protecting girls and women during climatic disasters as part of comprehensive climate action to spur the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that are related to poverty alleviation, quality education and health, building sustainable cities and climate action. Similarly, adhering to climate action as suggested by the Paris Agreement in 2016 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions via better energy, food and transport choices can result in great gains. This will also avert several adverse effects of climate change on humans such as undernutrition, forced migration, forced marriage, forced abortion, xenophobic attacks, economic disruptions, and of course, violence against women
The sociotechnical dynamics of virtual work-integrated learning in journalism education during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThis study explores how sociotechnical factors in a virtual work-integrated learning (WIL) environment influenced the development of practical journalism skills and professional socialisation of journalism students at a selected South African university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a university of technology as a case study, the data for this study were collected using focus group discussions with final-year journalism students and semi-structured in-depth interviews with their employers. The study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic forced WIL into a virtual format, which participants felt impacted their ability to develop essential journalism skills, including production, practical, and technological skills. The virtual nature of WIL also affected their professional socialisation, particularly in terms of interacting with colleagues and news sources and developing career management skills. As the demand for graduates with practical skills and professional socialisation increases, the importance of WIL also rises. The pandemic's impact on journalism provides an opportunity to rethink WIL's role and purpose within the curriculum, using the reflections of students and employers in this study
Sustainability starts with spending: public financial management lessons from Kenya’s universal health care pilot
No full textBackground: Effective public financial management (PFM) is a foundational enabler of sustainable progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Achieving UHC requires not only increased funding for the health sector but also the efficient, equitable, and accountable use of resources. In 2019, Kenya piloted a UHC initiative across four counties to generate evidence to inform national scale-up. This study examines the PFM processes underpinning the pilot implementation, with a focus on how financial planning, budget execution, and accountability mechanisms influenced the delivery of UHC interventions at the county level. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design to explore PFM processes during the implementation of Kenya’s UHC pilot in four counties. Data were collected through 51 in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions with key stakeholders, including healthcare workers, patient representatives, and senior members of the County Health Management Teams (CHMTs). An inductive thematic analysis approach was employed to identify patterns and themes that emerged from the data. The analysis was facilitated using Dedoose software (Version 9.0.17), which enabled systematic coding and organization of the qualitative data
Becoming a public sociolinguist
No full textA major challenge facing South African sociolinguistics today is to find ways to engage with activists and be activists in reconstructing meaningful intervention in public debates about problems of language and multilingualism in a post-apartheid democratic context. To tackle this problem, in this chapter, I propose the idea that sociolinguists doing the work of activism, with language activists, in the public, are (1) invested in the artistic representation of linkages between language reinvention and new relationalities, and (2) highlighting, documenting and framing interventionist debates around language. To illustrate this idea, and the related points, I draw on my activist work with Afrikaaps ‘language’ activists in the advancement of a public sociolinguistics that concern two broad strategies of intervention: one as a form of rear-guard intervention and the other as a vanguard one. I analyze how activists working with the Afrikaaps ‘language’ movement concerns developing a new perspective on language based in actions of reinvention and the goal of establishing common relationality through multilingual communication. Following the analysis, I offer a number of conclusions on how public sociolinguists could continue to cultivate and sustain such activism embedded in the history of language formation, reinvention and futur
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No full textA collection of digitised photographs taken at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville, South Africa, c1989. The print collection is housed at the Special Collections Section of the Main University Library
Using the resilience theory to understand and address migrant pandemic precarity among South African migrant populations
No full textIntroduction: “Migrant pandemic precarity” describes the specific consequences and vulnerabilities experienced by migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite their precarity, migrants adopted some resilient behaviors. Utilizing the resilience theory, our study explored how migrants in South Africa managed to cope with heightened vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these resilient behaviors can provide insights into addressing the health inequities experience by this population. Methods: We conducted an interpretive phenomenological analysis study to understand the key challenges of migrant populations in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2022) and how resourceful they became in overcoming these challenges. Using a purposive sampling approach, we conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with migrants from other African countries, including asylum seekers, refugees, permit holders, and undocumented migrants in two South African provinces. Results: Three interconnected aspects of migrant pandemic precarity were revealed: financial insecurities, food insecurities, and health concerns. Social connectedness and resource provision ensured inclusivity and supported these migrant populations in navigating the difficulties posed by migrant pandemic precarity. Conclusions: The South African government should implement migrant-inclusive approaches and empower structures and programs that enhance migrants’ resilience to future crises. We argued that to reduce health inequities among migrant populations in South Africa, these resilience approaches can be harnessed in three ways. (1) the South African government should create mechanisms and processes to identify and integrate migrants with critical skills into their workforce. (2) enhancing collaborations between civil society organizations, local governments, and international organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration, to address food insecurities among the migrant population. (3) enforcing their constitutional mandate to provide free basic health care services to all migrants in South Africa by removing barriers such as health care provider attitudes toward migrants’ access to health care services