1,721,070 research outputs found
An evaluation of the potential for implementing adaptive co-management in the Waodani social-ecological system in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Full text linkAdaptive co-management (ACM), one of the most prominent management approaches to emerge in the recent years, combines iterative learning, flexibility, and adaptation promoted by adaptive management with the principles of nurturing diversity and fostering collaboration among different partners that underpin co-management philosophy. ACM has been proposed as an approach to address the deficiencies of centralized management in ensuring sustainability of social-ecological systems (SESs) in face of future uncertainties. This thesis aims to evaluate the readiness of resource users (the Waodani) as well as external actors (the Ecuadorian State and NGOs) for future implementation of ACM and thus enhancing the long-term social-ecological sustainability of the Waodani SES located in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Qualitative data obtained by means of focus groups with the Waodani and individual interviews with external actors and Waodani leaders revealed different levels of readiness for ACM. Firstly, in the case of the Waodani, the insufficient fulfillment of some conditions required for successful ACM as well as intercommunity differences in regards to these conditions can complicate the implementation of ACM, unless sufficient external assistance is offered to the SES. The analysis of NGOs demonstrated, on the other hand, a relative readiness for ACM, providing that such aspects as sufficient funding, long-term commitment to collaboration, and inter-institutional linkages are strengthened. The study also found that the Ecuadorian government’s potential to contribute to ACM is hindered by the lack of readiness to work with the indigenous society as well as by funding and communication challenges. Furthermore, the resource based economy supported by the State limits the scope of innovation and adaptation. Still, as in the case of other actors, overcoming the challenges and transitioning towards adaptive governance and thus ACM could be possible in the long-term, if recent legal and political changes are truly implemented
Barriers to and enablers of climate change adaptation in four South African municipalities, and implications for community based adaptation
Full text linkThe focus of this study is on understanding the multiple and interacting factors that hinder or enable
municipal planned climate change adaptation, here called barriers and enablers respectively, and their
implications for community based adaptation. To do this I developed a conceptual framework of
barriers to and enablers of planned climate change adaptation, which informed a systematic literature
review of barriers to planned community based adaptation in developing countries. In this framework
barriers were grouped into resource, social and physical barriers. I then conducted empirical case
study analysis using qualitative research methods in four South African municipalities to understand
what barriers and enablers manifested in these contexts. In light of the reflexive nature of my
methodology, my framework was adjusted based on my empirical findings, where contextual barriers
were found to better represent the empirical results and subsumed physical barriers. I found my
framework useful for analysis, but in the empirical cases, barriers and enablers overlaid and interacted
so significantly that in reality it was often difficult to separate them. A key finding was that enablers
tended to be more about the way things are done, as opposed to direct opposites of barriers.
Comparison of barriers and enablers across the case studies revealed a number of key themes.
Municipalities struggle to implement climate change adaptation and community based adaptation
within contexts of significant social, economic and ecological challenges. These contextual barriers,
when combined with certain cognitive barriers, lead to reactive responses. Existing municipal systems
and structures make it difficult to enable climate change adaptation, which is inherently cross‐sectoral
and messy, and especially community based adaptation that is bottom‐up and participatory. Lack of
locally applicable knowledge, funding and human resources were found to be significant resource
barriers, and were often underlain by social barriers relating to perceptions, norms, discourses and
governance challenges. Enablers of engaged officials, operating within enabling organisational
environments and drawing on partnerships and networks, were able to overcome or circumvent these
barriers. When these enablers coincided with windows of opportunity that increased the prioritisation
of climate change within the municipality, projects with ancillary benefits were often implemented.
Analysis of the barriers and enablers identified in the literature and case studies, informed discussion
on whether municipalities are able to implement community based adaptation as defined in the
literature, as well as the development of recommendations for how municipal planned climate change
adaptation and community based adaptation can be further understood and enabled in the future.
These recommendations for practice and research include: (a) To acknowledge and understand the
conceptual framings of municipal climate change work, as these framings inform the climate change
agenda that is pursued, and hence what municipal climate change adaptation work is done and how
it was done. (b) The need for further research into the social barriers that influence the vital enablers
of engaged officials, enabling organisational environments, and partnerships and networks. (c) To
learn from pilot community‐level interventions that have been implemented by municipalities, as well
as from other disciplines and municipalities. (d) To develop top‐down/bottom‐up approaches to
enable municipal planned climate change adaptation and community based adaptation, that benefits
from high level support and guidance, as well as local level flexibility and learning‐by‐doing. (e) To
develop viable mechanisms for municipalities to better engage with the communities they serve
Livelihood and Landscape Change in Africa: Future Trajectories for Improved Well-Being under a Changing Climate
Full text linkThis Special Issue was invited by LAND as a follow-up on the Special Issue on “Changing Land Uses, Changing Livelihoods,”, published in 2016, but with a specific focus on Africa and on exploring the linkages between various aspects of human—environmental change and climate change. Given that Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions globally to climate change, we felt a focus on this region was timely and critical. Improved knowledge on the complex interactions between the multiple drivers of landscape and livelihood change and the impacts of and responses to these changes is required if we are to consider future pathways that are African-led, equitable, and just and that take account of local contexts, cultures, complexities, and realities. Too often development and landscape management interventions and adaptation options are imported from elsewhere and consequently de-contextualized and de-politicized, ignoring the legacies of colonialism, as well as important local sociocultural contexts. See Editorial for Special Issue: “Livelihood and Landscape Change in Africa: Future Trajectories for Improved Well-Being under a Changing Climate”
Agroforestry tree products (AFTPs): targeting poverty reduction and enhanced livelihoods
Full text linkAgroforestry tree domestication emerged as a farmer-driven, market-led process in the early 1990s and became an international initiative. A participatory approach now supplements the more traditional aspects of tree improvement, and is seen as an important strategy towards the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. Considerable progress has been made towards the domestication of indigenous fruits and nuts in many villages in Cameroon and Nigeria. Vegetatively-propagated cultivars based on a sound knowledge of 'ideotypes' derived from an understanding of the tree-to-tree variation in many commercially important traits are being developed by farmers. These are being integrated into polycultural farming systems, especially the cocoa agroforests. Markets for Agroforestry Tree Products (AFTPs) are crucial for the adoption of agroforestry on a scale to have meaningful economic, social and environmental impacts. Important lessons have been learned in southern Africa from detailed studies of the commercialisation of AFTPs. These provide support for the wider acceptance of the role of domesticating indigenous trees in the promotion of enhanced livelihoods for poor farmers in the tropics. Policy guidelines have been developed in support of this sustainable rural development as an alternative strategy to those proposed in many other major development and conservation fora. <br/
Assessing household assets to understand vulnerability to HIV/Aids and climate change in the Eastern Cape
Full text linkLivelihood stressors in southern Africa, such as HIV/Aids and climate change, do not act in isolation but rather interact concurrently in complex socio-ecological systems with diverse, interrelated and compounded affects. Households experience differential vulnerability to such stressors based on contextual factors such as geographical location, income level and the gender and age of its members.
Households’ differential experiences of vulnerability are further defined by the households’ use of their capital stocks: the human, social, natural, financial and physical capital available to the household to form livelihoods and resist the detrimental effects of a stressor. The capital stocks of 340 households were measured in two sites in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, using a household survey. These data were analysed to determine differences between the sites, households with heads of different gender and households of different income levels. Further data relating to the drivers and interactions of stressors over temporal and spatial scales, as well as the perceived value of various forms of capital by different social groups in the two sites, were collected via Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) methods including timelines, mental modelling and pair-wise ranking. Although the two sites have similar levels of income and fall within the same province, many significant differences emerged. The two sites showed different distributions of household head genders and different stressors and perceptions of vulnerability, perhaps owing to differences in their capital stocks, acting alongside the influence of culture and access on a shifting rural-urban continuum. These discrepancies further transpired to reflect crucial differential experiences along gender lines and
income levels in each site. Vulnerability was often context specific, not only because of unique drivers of stress in different areas, but also because socio-economic groups and localities often had characteristics that could potentially exacerbate vulnerability, as well as characteristics that can potentially facilitate adaptive capacity. Stressors were found to have depleted multiple forms of capital over time, while new stressors were emerging, raising concerns over the most appropriate means of social protection within these contexts
Water security amongst impoverished households in the Sundays River Valley Municipality : community experiences and perspectives
Full text linkWater security is influenced by the complex interplay between ecological, socio-political, governance and water management systems. Achieving water security is essential for ensuring sustainable development, and challenges with water security are closely linked to the overall experience of poverty that many countries throughout the world, including South Africa, confront. These problems can broadly be understood through three main factors: water availability, access and usage; water governance and management underpin these factors. Water insecurity can often be seen in townships within South Africa, where water service delivery and water access is precarious. This study provides a lens into the water security experiences of two poor township communities in the Sundays River Valley Municipality (SRVM) namely Nomathamsanqa in Addo and Aquapark in Kirkwood. The research assessed water security patterns amongst RDP, township and informal settlement households serviced by the SRVM and found that communities face severe water security problems. Specifically, it was found that all township households encounter frequent water shortages, cuts in municipal water supply and water quality concerns. Issues around the payment for water and dissatisfaction with water service delivery also emerged. The purpose of this research was to allow for community experiences and perspectives to be expressed in an academic space that has previously been dominated by water management and policy makers. The study concludes that these communities within the SRVM experience significant challenges in securing safe water and these are largely due to social water scarcity issues and the difficulties the municipality faces concerning water service delivery
‘Grounding' ecosystem-based adaptation in the Western Cape Province
Full text linkEcosystem-based adaptation (EbA) advocates that well-functioning ecosystems are critical for building resilience and supporting society's adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change. The National Department of Environmental Affairs, Fisheries and Forestry in South Africa has decided to mainstream EbA into its climate response actions, developing a strategy and set of guidelines to steer implementation. However, little work has been done to grasp different actors' perspectives and understandings of EbA, its implementation and how to link EbA to existing related projects and programmes that focus on natural resource management and ecological restoration. This research presents findings from a qualitative study in the Western Cape that sought to investigate what EbA means ‘on the ground' and how it can be actioned. The objectives for this research were to 1) unpack how government actors in the Western Cape relate to, understand and give meaning to EbA in their specific and existing work contexts and how they relate EbA to other concepts such as green infrastructure, restoration and various forms of natural resource management (NRM); 2) explore the concerns and challenges encountered and what support is needed to implement EbA within each actor's sector; and 3) interpret what the findings mean for future conceptualization, and promotion of EbA mainstreaming in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews with 19 government officials and participant observation at EbA related events in South Africa were the main methods used in the research. Findings suggest that despite some conceptual confusion related to EbA, EbA can be ‘grounded based on the three spheres EbA explicitly builds on; namely biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, climate change adaptation and socio-economic benefits. That said, the study also found that practitioners might struggle to successfully address climate change as one of the critical areas of EbA, due to the difficulties of integrating climate change science and projections into projects. In addition, three challenges were identified that relate to funding availability, silo mentality and the mismatch between short-term objectives and decision making in government, and the need for long-term thinking and planning. Increased climate change understanding together with effective demonstration and the use of applicable language that relates to what the different actors are already doing can help improve EbA uptake and mainstreaming, as well as address the challenges related to conceptual confusion, funding, silo mentality and short-term thinking
Vulnerability and adaptation of Zanzibar east coast communities to climate variability and change and other interacting stressors
Full text linkClimate variability and change as well as sea level rise poses significant challenges to livelihoods, water and food security in small island developing states (SIDSs) including the Zanzibar Islands. Thus, without planned strategic adaptation, the future projected changes in climate and sea level will intensify the vulnerability of these sensitive areas. This thesis is based on research conducted in two sites located in the north eastern parts of each island, namely Kiuyu Mbuyuni, Pemba Island and Matemwe, Unguja Island. The research focused firstly on assessing the vulnerability of these two coastal communities to climate variability and change and other stressors. This included investigation of (1) the perceptions of fishers, farmers and seaweed farmers regarding climate stressors and shocks and associated risks and impacts, (2) existing and possible future water and food security issues, and (3) household's access to important livelihood assets. This was followed by an exploration of the coping and adaptive responses of farmers, fishers and seaweed farmers to perceived shocks and stresses and some of the barriers to these responses. Lastly, an analysis of the implications of the findings for achieving sustainable coastal livelihoods and a resilient coastal community was undertaken.
The general picture that emerges is that local people along the east coasts of both islands are already vulnerable to a wide range of stressors. Although variability in rainfall is not a new phenomenon in these areas, increasing frequency of dry spells and coastal floods resulting from the influence of El Niño and La Niña events exert enormous pressures on local activities (fishing, farming and seaweed farming) which are the crux of the local economy. The main argument of the study is that the nature and characteristics of these activities are the main source of sensitivity amongst these communities and this creates high levels of vulnerability to climate shocks and trends. This vulnerability is evidenced by the reoccurrence of localised food shortages and the observed food and water insecurity. The study found that food insecurity is a result of unreliable rainfall, drought and seasonality changes. These interacted with other contextual factors such as poor soil, low purchasing power and the lack of livelihood diversification options.
In addition to exposure to these almost unavoidable risks from climate variability, the vulnerability of the local communities along the east coasts is also influenced by the low level of capital stocks and limited access to the assets that are important for coping and adaptation. Despite this, some households managed to overcome barriers and adapt in various ways both within the three main livelihood sectors (fishing, farming and seaweed farming) as well as through adopting options outside these sectors resulting in diversification of the livelihood portfolio. However, the study found that most of the strategies opted for by fishers, farmers and seaweed farmers were mainly spontaneous. Few planned adaptation measures supported by state authorities were observed across the sites, with the exception of the provision of motorised boats which were specifically meant to increase physical assets amongst fishers, reduce pressure in the marine conservation areas and prevent overfishing in-shore. Furthermore, numerous strategies that people adopted were discontinued when further barriers were encountered. Interestingly, some of the barriers that prevented households adapting were the same ones that forced households that had responded to abandon their adaptations. To increase resilience amongst east coast communities to current and future predicted changes in climate and sea level, the study argues that traditional livelihood activities (fishing, farming and seaweed farming) need to be better supported, and access to a range of livelihood assets improved. This may be achieved through increased access to local sources of water and facilitation of rainwater harvesting, expanding the livelihood options available to people and increasing climate change awareness, and access to sources of credit
Responses to the linked stressors of climate change and HIV/AIDS amongst vulnerable rural households in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Full text linkClimate change and the HIV/AIDS epidemic are two of the most critical long-term global challenges, especially for Africa and even more so Southern Africa. There is great concern that the poor will be unable to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change while HIV/AIDS will exacerbate the impacts of such stressors and deepen the insecurities of many communities already affected by this disease. Studies that consider the interlinked effects of climate change and HIV/AIDS along with other multiple stressors are increasingly needed. This study, located in two rural communities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, namely Lesseyton and Willowvale, assessed the responses of vulnerable households to the linked shocks and stressors of climate change and HIV/AIDS. This involved assessing, through household surveys, life history interviews and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA), the way in which multiple stressors interacted and affected vulnerable households, the way in which these households responded to and coped with such shocks and stressors, and the barriers which prevented them from coping and adapting effectively.
Unemployment emerged as the dominant stress amongst households. The lack of development and having too few opportunities for employment has limited vulnerable households from being able to invest in assets, such as education or farming equipment. This, in combination with the impacts of increased food and water insecurity from recent drought, has created an extremely vulnerable environment for these households. They rely largely on two important safety-nets, namely social capital and the use of natural and cultivated resources; however the latter has been limited due to the impacts of water scarcity and an inability to farm. It was evident that there was little planned long-term adaptation amongst households and from government. Maladaptive short-term coping strategies, such numerous household members depending on one social grant and transactional sex, were too often relied upon, and although they may have helped relieve the stress of shocks momentarily, they did not provide for the long-term well-being of individuals and households. Poor communication and capacity between the different levels of government and between the government (especially at the local level) and the two rural communities has created an environment full of uncertainty and lacking in advocacy. Local government needs increased
human, informational, and financial capacity and a clear delegation of responsibilities amongst the different departments in order for the two communities to benefit from the implementation of support strategies. There is also a great need for educational programmes and capacity development within the two rural communities, particularly based on improved coping and longer-term adaptation strategies in response to climate change in order for households to better prepare themselves for the future
Exploring the relationship between the water-energy-food nexus and livelihoods at the local scale: a case study focussed on a low-income residential area in Velddrif, South Africa
Full text linkThe water-energy-food nexus (WEF nexus) has primarily been applied to addressing WEF security at large spatial scales in response to resource scarcity concerns. In contrast, WEF security at local levels, particularly amongst the poor, has received little attention. This thesis addresses this gap by exploring the application of the WEF nexus at the local level through a case study of a low-income residential area in the small urban fishing town of Velddrif on the west coast of South Africa. The primary empirical focus of the study is the household where availability, access, and affordability of WEF resources, as well as the linkages to livelihood options, are explored through a household survey. This is complemented by the gathering of contextual qualitative data on service delivery, livelihood opportunities, and the WEF nexus at the town and municipal scales. The results indicated a low-income settlement with a high degree of water and electricity service delivery, which is rare in the South African context. They also revealed a concentration of employment in the fisheries sector, but very little fishing as a means of household food provision. Households typically relied on supermarkets and corner shops for food provision, indicating a reliance on income or financial capital as opposed to other livelihood capitals. All households reported some form of income, with a low percentage relying solely on social grant income. In line with the provisions of The Constitution, households that register as indigent are supported by the municipality in terms of receiving a minimum allocation of free basic water and electricity. The local municipality ensured their financial viability through imposing mechanisms to collect municipal rates debt before they escalated, thus enabling continued provision of basic services to all residents and free basic services to indigent households. The availability of water has been at risk due to recent drought conditions, and this highlighted the significant consumption of the town's largest employer - the large-scale fish processing factory, which through the industrial production of food is also the town's largest electricity consumer. Urgent scaling back of their water consumption was achieved through the installation of a desalination plant, thus averting employment losses through an alternative solution of reducing or stopping factory production. It did however realise other trade-offs, such as an increase in their electricity consumption. The fish factory therefore emerged as a significant actor in the WEF nexus / livelihoods intersection in this case study. Similarly, the local municipality plays a pivotal role in balancing trade-offs between availability and affordability of water and electricity in seeking to foster employment through economic development, as well as the sustainability of basic service provision. The WEF nexus at this level is therefore very useful in highlighting issues of equity, resource status and governance
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