Interdisciplinary and multi-institutional higher learning : reflecting on a South African case study investigating complex and dynamic environmental challenges

Complex social-ecological problems need sustained interdisciplinary engagements across multiple disciplines, yet academic offerings continue to reflect disciplinary silos. To address this, a five-year program, within a developing country context, was conceived to follow an interdisciplinary research mode using a team of students and supervisors from various institutions across the disciplines of ecology, hydrology and economics. By using a flexible student training model, regional/ site specific knowledge was developed while simultaneously developing a shared vision and a model to combine information from each student project. Graduates felt enabled by the program that actively encouraged interdisciplinary interactions and engagements while simultaneously furthering disciplinary development. Cross disciplinary communication, was achieved through multiple engagement opportunities and common research outputs, all facilitated by an external boundary organization. While lengthy time frames are required for such collaborative interdisciplinary programs, researchers, higher learning institutions and funding agencies should not avoid this type of program and investment.The Water Research Commission of South Africahttp://www.journals.elsevier.com/current-opinion-in-environmental-sustainability2017-04-30hb2016Economic

System dynamic modelling to assess economic viability and risk trade-offs for ecological restoration in South Africa

Can markets assist by providing support for ecological restoration, and if so, under what conditions? The first step in addressing this question is to develop a consistent methodology for economic evaluation of ecological restoration projects. A risk analysis process was followed in which a system dynamics model was constructed for eight diverse case study sites where ecological restoration is currently being pursued. Restoration costs vary across each of these sites, as do the benefits associated with restored ecosystem functioning. The system dynamics model simulates the ecological, hydrological and economic benefits of ecological restoration and informs a portfolio mapping exercise where payoffs are matched against the likelihood of success of a project, as well as a number of other factors (such as project costs and risk measures). This is the first known application that couples ecological restoration with system dynamics and portfolio mapping. The results suggest an approach that is able to move beyond traditional indicators of project success, since the effect of discounting is virtually eliminated. We conclude that systems dynamic modelling with portfolio mapping can guide decisions on when markets for restoration activities may be feasible.The Water Research Commission (WRC) and Africa's Search for Sound Economic Trajectories (ASSET Research)http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvmanhb201

Economic policy making for complex and dynamic environmental problems : a conceptual framework

Please read the abstract in the 00front part of this documentThesis (DCom (Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Economicsunrestricte

A critical evaluation of the capital theory approach to sustainable development

It is argued that the capital-theory approach (CTA) does not adequately account for all the different elements of sustainable development. To overcome this problem, this paper attempts to point out what a more integrated and dynamic approach to sustainable development entails and what the consequences regarding policy-making of such an approach are. Neither the CTA nor an integrative, dynamic approach to sustainable development in itself provides an exclusive framework for approaching policy for sustainable development. The CTA provides useful, but static information for macroeconomic policy-makers on an aggregate scale of analysis. Integrative and dynamic approaches recognise the complexities of sustainable development at more disaggregated scales and take account of the importance of historical information. This approach is useful for prioritising political actions on more complex sources of unsustainability at lower scales of analysis.Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR

Triple dividends of water consumption charges in South Africa

The South African government is exploring ways to address water scarcity problems by introducing a water resource management charge on the quantity of water used in sectors such as irrigated agriculture, mining and forestry. It is expected that a more efficient water allocation, lower use and a positive impact on poverty can be achieved. This paper reports on the validity of these claims by applying a computable general equilibrium model to analyse the triple dividend of water consumption charges in South Africa: reduced water use, more rapid economic growth, and a more equal income distribution. It is shown that the appropriate, budget-neutral combination of water charges, particularly on irrigated agriculture and coal mining, and reduced indirect taxes, particularly on food, would yield triple dividends

Redistributing environmental tax revenue to reduce poverty in South Africa : the cases of energy and water

South Africa, as an upper middle-income, resource-intensive developing country with an open economy, has to find innovative ways to combat poverty, promote economic growth and reduce the intensity of resource use, simultaneously. One option is to explore the plausibility of achieving a double dividend by levying a tax on water and energy and recycling the revenue back to the economy by allowing for a reduction in other forms of taxation. According to the double dividend theory it is possible, under some conditions, to achieve both environmental and economic objectives. We investigated such a possibility in the South African economy using an integrated economy/environment CGE model and found that it is indeed possible to achieve such double dividend benefits. Given the prevailing economic and environmental contexts, government should actively search for ways to achieve such dividends