Public participation as governance the role of catchment forums in water governance Mluleki Matiwane

>Magister Scientiae - MScCatchment forums are concerned groups of people that come together on a voluntary basis in a specific area. They share the same goal and purpose to achieve - sustainable water resources management. These Catchment Forums are suppose to give a voice for those who are marginalised, by creating a safe space in smaller gathering of familiar people on water issues.Higher level organisations such as Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Catchment Management Agencies have a responsibility to look after these forums. The main focus of this research is to develop an in-depth understanding of these catchment forums, elaborate on the role they play in water resources management, what impact or influence they have on governance in the catchment and the difficulties that they experience through the process of acting as custodian of water resources. Another crucial part of this research is to describe public participation approached by Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in the process of writing the proposal to establish a catchment management agency, determine the role of catchment forums in the establishment of catchment management agency in the Olifant-Doorn Water Management Area and the necessity of these forums as an organisational type in the establishment of catchment management agency. Minutes from the meetings of the Reference Group in the Olifants-Doorn Water Management were therefore the primary source of data. Additional data sources were approved proposals and field notes. Consultants who facilitated the public participation process were consulted from time to time to verify information.The National Water Policy hints at an ideal state where all residents of a catchment are in a position to negotiate water allocation and resolve resource-based conflicts in an equitable manner. One of the key themes evident in the Nation Water Policy of South Africa and echoed in the National Water Act and Water Service Act is participatory water management. For the public participation process in the Olifants-Doorn Water Management Area, catchment forums almost seemed unnecessary, since there were 38 other stakeholder groups active. This study has shown that catchment forums in the Olifants-Doorn Water Management Area participated at the level of collaborate. When it is taken into consideration that the higher level includes all the lower levels, catchment forums had sufficient opportunity to influence the decision taken in the process of writing the proposal to establish the Olifants-Doorn Catchment Management Agency, without experiencing the need or having the clout to actually make the decision.Key words: Catchment Forums, Catchment Management Agencies, decision-making,governance, iwrm, public participation

MASI, a Smartphone App to Improve Treatment Adherence Among South African Adolescents and Young Adults With HIV: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundAdolescents and young adults with HIV repeatedly demonstrate low rates of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence as well as low rates of viral suppression. Digital health interventions are a promising way to engage adolescents and young adults with HIV to support ART adherence. However, few digital health interventions have been developed and tested with adolescents and young adults in countries like South Africa, where the HIV burden among adolescents and young adults is greatest. Masakhane Siphucule Impilo Yethu (MASI; Xhosa for “Let's empower each other and improve our health”) is a comprehensive ART adherence-supporting app for South African adolescents and young adults with HIV. It was culturally adapted using the HealthMpowerment platform. ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to describe the protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial examining the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of MASI on self-reported ART adherence and social support. MethodsWe will enroll 50 adolescents and young adults with HIV ages 15-21 years. Participants will be recruited from public ART clinics linked to a large government-funded teaching hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants will be randomized 1:1 into either the intervention arm receiving a full version of MASI or the control arm receiving an information-only version of the app (n=25 per arm). Participants will be asked to engage with MASI daily for 6 months. All participants will complete baseline and follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. ResultsStudy screening began in May 2022 and the first participant was enrolled on June 21, 2022. As of June 12, 2023, 81 participants have completed screeners, and 36 eligible participants have been enrolled in the pilot randomized controlled trial. Recruitment is anticipated to last through August 31, 2023, with study activities anticipated through February 29, 2024. ConclusionsThere is an urgent need for innovative interventions to improve ART adherence among adolescents and young adults in settings like South Africa. If found to be feasible and acceptable, MASI could be implemented with adolescents and young adults with HIV in other parts of the country. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04661878; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04661878 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/4713