An investigation of perceptions, participation, and socio-economic impacts of community-based conservation programmes : the case of Buffelsdraai, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Master of Science in Geography. University of KwaZulu-Natal. Westville 2017.There has been growing concern regarding the impacts of climate change-related concerns, coupled with the realisation that these concerns will be experienced differently across countries. At the local level, these climate change-related risks are expected to be more severely felt in disadvantaged and marginalised communities, especially those with a strong reliance on their ecological resource base. Consequently, responses such as reforestation have been identified as appropriate interventions for climate change mitigation. Historically, reforestation projects have predominantly showed a strong ecological focus, however, there has been a transition to include social aspects to provide more holistic approaches. The eThekwini Municipality in partnership with Wildlands Conservation Trust and Durban Solid Waste have embarked on reforestation initiatives such as the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project (BLSCRP) for carbon sequestration, enhancement of ecological resilience, and increase in local community adaptive capacity. In this regard, the present study examined community perceptions, participation and impacts of a community-based reforestation project. Additionally, the study used the Political Ecology, Socio-Ecological Systems, and Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as conceptual frameworks. This study adopted a mixed methodological approach with the Buffelsdraai community in KwaZulu-Natal chosen as the case study where 270 households were interviewed using a quantitative survey. This study adopted a multistage, spatially-based sampling framework, for randomisation and geographic representation. Key findings include low levels of awareness of ecological terms however, respondents’ conceptualisation of these terms was closely aligned to the scientific definitions. This indicates that it is not sufficient to exclusively focus on awareness of terminologies, but it is also important to unpack how individuals conceptualise these terms. It was further found that respondents derived multiple goods and services which contributed to household natural capital. The strong reliance on these ecosystem goods and services requires conservation authorities to ensure that projects implemented within the community do not disrupt access to and utilisation of natural resources. Even though there were high level of awareness of the BLSCRP, a minority of respondents were active members. It was revealed that community members involved in the project did obtain multiple benefits. However, this was limited to a small proportion of the community. More concerning were community perceptions regarding the recruitment of individuals into the project, which caused conflict within the community. These findings highlight the importance of continuous monitoring and evaluation to determine the impacts on local communities, and overall applicability of these interventions

Economic Impacts of the Touring Ventures Sub-category of the Mzanzi Golden Economy Programme in South Africa

The Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) began in 2011 in response to the Department of Arts and Culture’s assertion that the biggest challenge facing South Africa is unemployment and the arts, culture and heritage sector is well positioned to contribute to addressing this challenge as the ‘new gold’ has the potential to increase economic growth and create jobs in South Africa. However, limited research empirically examines the economic impacts of this sector. The aim of this study is to investigate the economic impacts of Touring Ventures supported by the MGE programme during the past three years. Challenges in undertaking economic assessments are also noted. The methodological approach was interviews with 38 purposively chosen Touring Ventures. Data was analysed in relation to employment and job creation, amongst other economic aspects. The results indicate that there is a high reliance on public funding. There are a number of new entrants to the sector which suggests that the MGE is creating opportunities for more cultural events/ activities to be held in South Africa, contributing to the objective of supporting the arts. There is also job creation linked to Touring Ventures, albeit mostly temporary. However, historically disadvantaged groups and locals are benefitting which provides opportunities for livelihoods and skills development.  The implication of the study is that the economic potential of Touring Ventures is evident, however, there are sustainability concerns. This type of study is important given that public funds are used to support the arts and cultural sector in South Africa

Economic impacts of the touring ventures sub-category of the Mzanzi Golden Economy Programme in South Africa

Abstract: Abstract: The Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) began in 2011 in response to the Department of Arts and Culture’s assertion that the biggest challenge facing South Africa is unemployment and the arts, culture and heritage sector is well positioned to contribute to addressing this challenge as the “new gold” has the potential to increase economic growth and create jobs in South Africa. However, limited research empirically examines the economic impacts of this sector. The aim of this study is to investigate the economic impacts of Touring Ventures supported by the MGE programme during the past three years. Challenges in undertaking economic assessments are also noted. The methodological approach was interviews with 38 purposively chosen Touring Ventures. Data was analysed in relation to employment and job creation, amongst other economic aspects. The results indicate that there is a high reliance on public funding. There are a number of new entrants to the sector which suggests that the MGE is creating opportunities for more cultural events/ activities to be held in South Africa, contributing to the objective of supporting the arts. There is also job creation linked to Touring Ventures, albeit mostly temporary. However, historically disadvantaged groups and locals are benefitting which provides opportunities for livelihoods and skills development. The implication of the study is that the economic potential of Touring Ventures is evident, however, there are sustainability concerns. This type of study is important given that public funds are used to support the arts and cultural sector in South Africa

Opportunities and constraints for community-based conservation: The case of the KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld grassland, South Africa

Background: South Africa is characterised by high levels of biodiversity and species endemism alongside critical levels of socio-economic vulnerability, demonstrating potential for conservation practices that provide both environmental and social benefits. It is argued that communitybased conservation (CBC) practices can be strategically positioned to achieve environmental conservation objectives as well as promote local-level socio-economic development. The KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld (KZNSS) vegetation type is classified as endemic (to KZN, South Africa), and is at present listed as endangered. Additionally, one of the KZNSS grassland patches occurs adjacent to the low-income peri-urban community of iNanda. The study examined local community uses and perceptions of the vegetation type. Objectives: To examine the uses, perceptions and attitudes displayed by the iNanda community towards the KZNSS grassland patch. Furthermore, it is hoped that the results of this study can be utilised to inform the potential use of CBC strategies within socio-economic contexts such as iNanda. Method: A mixed methodological approach was adopted, focusing on iNanda as the case study. One hundred households were purposively interviewed. Descriptive and chi-square statistical tests were carried out to examine main data trends. Results: Respondents displayed alarming levels of unemployment (61%) and 34% relied on state grants as a source of household income. Households used the grassland for subsistence (51%), grazing (14%), recreational (13%) and cultural purposes (12%). Respondents displayed limited awareness of conservation and the ecological importance of the grassland. However, respondents recognised the need to conserve the grassland based on their perception of changes to the adjacent patch. Conclusion: Potential grassland conservation plans should consider the current use displayed by respondents. Participatory approaches to conservation such as CBC initiatives could provide much-needed socio-economic and conservation benefits

Using Wastewater Surveillance to Compare COVID-19 Outbreaks during the Easter Holidays over a 2-Year Period in Cape Town, South Africa

Wastewater surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown to be an important approach to determine early outbreaks of infections. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is regarded as a complementary tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 trends in communities. In this study, the changes in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater during Easter holidays in 2021 and 2022 in the City of Cape Town were monitored over nine weeks. Our findings showed a statistically significant difference in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral load between the study weeks over the Easter period in 2021 and 2022, except for study week 1 and 4. During the Easter week, 52% of the wastewater treatment plants moved from the lower (low viral RNA) category in 2021 to the higher (medium to very high viral RNA) categories in 2022. As a result, the median SARS-CoV-2 viral loads where higher during the Easter week in 2022 than Easter week in 2021 (p = 0.0052). Mixed-effects model showed an association between the SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral loads and Easter week over the Easter period in 2021 only (p < 0.01). The study highlights the potential of WBE to track outbreaks during the holiday period

Spatial and temporal trends of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater treatment plants over 6 weeks in Cape Town, South Africa

CITATION: Street, R. et al. 2021. Spatial and temporal trends of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater treatment plants over 6 weeks in Cape Town, South Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22):12085, doi:10.3390/ijerph182212085.The original publication is available at www.mdpi.comRecent scientific trends have revealed that the collection and analysis of data on the occurrence and fate of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater may serve as an early warning system for COVID-19. In South Africa, the first COVID-19 epicenter emerged in the Western Cape Province. The City of Cape Town, located in the Western Cape Province, has approximately 4 million inhabitants. This study reports on the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater of the City of Cape Town’s wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) during the peak of the epidemic. During this period, the highest overall median viral RNA signal was observed in week 1 (9200 RNA copies/mL) and declined to 127 copies/mL in week 6. The overall decrease in the amount of detected viral SARS-CoV-2 RNA over the 6-week study period was associated with a declining number of newly identified COVID-19 cases in the city. The SARS-CoV-2 early warning system has now been established to detect future waves of COVID-19.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/22/12085Publisher's versio