A critical analysis of law and policy on the education of disabled children in South Africa

From the literature we learn that existing educational frameworks that inform law and policy- making on the education of disabled children deal extensively with the curricular and educational concerns of disabled children. Yet, these frameworks leave out the pivotal issue of children‟s human right to education. The rights-based frameworks address human rights issues in a grand fashion, but give scanty educational guidelines on the actual education of disabled children, rendering hollow the human rights credo they espouse. South Africa has been one of a few countries which made attempts at addressing both the human rights concerns facing learners with disabilities and their curricular and pedagogic needs. The country embarked upon extensive efforts of legislative and policy formulation that are, in some respects, unparalleled in the world. Hence, this country is a potential storehouse of good practices on the education of children with disabilities with the potential to inform the re-formulation of existing African and global frameworks on the right to education of disabled children. Furthermore, the impressive novelty contained in South African education laws and policies notwithstanding, there are a number of issues which should be addressed in the country‟s education environment, including how the laws and policies are implemented. It is to be acknowledged that laws and policies are only as good as their implementation. Mindful of the above situation prevailing at the global level and the national (South African) level, this study offers a framework that marries the right to education of children with disabilities with educational theory on and practice in regard to the education of disabled children. The framework is constructed on the basis of current international literature on both disability and education and related South African law and policy instruments. In terms of its methodology, the study employed a generic or non-categorical qualitative design, also called methodological bricolage. Under this overall design, two principal modes of inquiry were applied, namely the enlightenment mode to policy analysis and critical law and policy discourse analysis. Theoretically, the study is anchored in the human rights variant of the Social Model of Disability, Critical Theory and Post-structural paradigms.Educational Leadership and ManagementD. Ed. (Education Management

Analysis of Yield and Related Traits in a Diallel Cross of Winter Wheat with Reference to Long and Short Photoperiod Treatments

Crop Scienc

The indigenous agroforestry systems of the south-eastern Rift Valley escarpment, Ethiopia : Their biodiversity, carbon stocks, and litterfall

Agroforestry systems integrate trees into agricultural landscapes and provide a number of ecosystem services. Studies on agroforestry systems have so far mainly focused on their spatial design, food production, soil fertility management and system interactions, and little attention has been given to their ecosystem services, such as biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. The objectives of the study were to determine and evaluate the floristic diversity, the above- and below-ground biomass carbon (C) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and the litterfall production and associated C and nitrogen (N) fluxes of three indigenous agroforestry systems in south-eastern Rift valley escarpments, in Gedeo, Ethiopia. Three indigenous agroforestry systems studied were Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman), Enset-coffee, and Fruit-coffee. C stocks in biomass and soil (0 60 cm layer) (Mg C ha-1) were determined for each agroforestry system, and litterfall collected for seven woody species for a period of 12 months. Allometric equations were derived to estimate the biomass of enset and coffee while published allometric equations were used to determine the biomass of other tree and shrub species. The biomass values were then converted into C stocks. A total of 58 woody species, belonging to 49 genera and 30 families were recorded. Of all woody species identified, 86% were native. The Enset and Enset-coffee systems contained the highest proportion native woody species (92% and 89%, respectively). In all, 22 native woody species were recorded as of interesLyhennelmät for conservation using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red lists and local criteria. The square power equation using stump diameter at 40 cm (d40), Y = b1d402 (R2 > 0.80) and the power equation using d10 (diameter at 10 cm height) and height, Y=b1d10b2hb3 (R2 > 0.90) were found to be the best for predicting aboveground biomass of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and total biomass of enset, respectively. The agroforestry C stock (biomass C plus SOC) was the highest for the Enset-coffee system (293 Mg C ha-1) and the lowest for the Enset (235 Mg C ha-1) system. Biomass (above- and belowground) C stocks were the highest for the Enset-coffee system (116 ±65 Mg C ha-1), followed by Fruit-coffee (79 ±24) and Enset (49 ±44) systems. Trees (fruit and non-fruit) formed 81, 89 and 80% of total biomass C stocks for Enset, Enset-coffee and Fruit-coffee agroforestry systems, respectively; the remainder being coffee, enset, litter, herbaceous plants, and fine root biomass. SOC to biomass C ratios were 4:1 for the Enset system, 2:1 for Fruit-coffee system, and 1.5:1 for the Enset-coffee system. Monthly litterfall production per unit crown area decreased in the order: Croton macrostachyus Del. > Erythrina brucei Schweinf. > Cordia africana Lam. > Persea americana Mill. > Mangifera indica L. > Coffea arabica L. > Millettia ferruginea (Hochst.) Bak. The annual litterfall production (sum of seven species) averaged 7430 kg ha-1(land area) for the Enset system, 10187 for the Enset-coffee system and 12938 for the Fruit-coffee system. The associated annual C fluxes (kg ha-1) were 2803 (Enset system), 3928 (Enset-coffee system) and 5145 (Fruit-coffee system) and the corresponding N fluxes were 190 (kg ha-1), 257 and 278. This research shows that the native woody species and C stocks observed in the three indigenous agroforestry systems were among the highest reported for tropical agroforestry systems. Thus, it should be given more attention, to counteract the local threat of these species from the wild and offset greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission. The indigenous agroforestry systems of the south-eastern Rift Valley escarpment in Ethiopia form a win-win opportunity by supporting livelihoods and providing food for a dense human population while also maintaining native floristic diversity and mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. Key words Biomass, Carbon sequestration, Coffee, Enset, Floristic diversity, Gedeo, Indigenous agroforestry system, Litterfall fluxes, South-eastern EthiopiaPeltometsäjärjestelmät turvaavat puiden säilymisen maatalousalueilla ja tarjoavat monia ekosysteemipalveluja. Näiden järjestelmien tutkimus on tähän saakka painottunut eri osakomponenttien yhdistelyvaihtoehtoihin ja keskinäiseen vuorovaikutukseen, ruoantuotannon lisäämisen mahdollisuuksiin sekä maaperän ravinnetalouteen. Sen sijaan vain vähän huomiota on kiinnitetty peltometsäviljelyn tuottamiin ekosysteemipalveluihin. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli mitata perinteisissä peltometsäjärjestelmissä kasvilajiston monimuotoisuutta, maanpäällisen ja maanalaisen biomassan hiilen määrää, maaperän orgaanisen hiilen määrää sekä karikkeen muodostumista ja siihen liittyvää hiilen ja typen kiertoa. Tutkimuspaikkana oli Suuren hautavajoamalaakson reunajyrkänne Gedeon lähellä Etiopiassa. Tulokset osoittavat, että puulajistoltaan rikkaimpia olivat paikallisen kotoperäisen, banaanikasvien heimoon kuuluvan enset-ravintokasvin vallitsemat peltometsäjärjestelmät. Enemmän kaupalliseen tuotantoon keskittyvät järjestelmät olivat puulajistoltaan köyhempiä, ja niissä esiintyi yleisesti vieraita viljelypuulajeja. Kolmessa erilaisessa perinteisessä peltometsäjärjestelmässä nyt mitattu hiilen määrä oli korkeimpia mitä yleensä on tavattu trooppisessa peltometsäviljelyssä. Johtopäätöksenä oli että nämä Hautavajoamalaakson rinteiden perinteiset peltometsäjärjestelmät Etiopiassa tuottavat moninkertaisen hyödyn. Ne turvaavat viljelijöiden ruoantuotannon ja toimeentulon alueella, jolla väestön tiheys on suuri, samalla kun ne toimivat paikallisen kasvilajiston monimuotoisuuden turvaajina ja hillitsevät, suuren hiilensidontakykynsä vuoksi, myös ilmastonmuutosta. Avainsanat: Biomassa, Hiilen sidonta, Kahvi, Enset, Gedeo, Perinteinen peltometsäviljely, Karikkeen ravinnekierto, Alkuperäislajit, Kaakkois-Etiopi

Conflicting discourses on conceptualising children with disabilities in Africa

Despite the wide ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children with disabilities are still marginalised and their status as rights holders not fully acknowledged in many parts of Africa. In response to the call for research to focus on a distinct African conceptualisation of disability, an exploratory desk study was conducted on the disability discourse on children with disabilities in Africa. Though the authors uncovered positive African cultural and legislative narratives of disability, the dehumanising discourse identified, was more pronounced. The authors suggest that any strategy to improve the plight of children with disabilities in Africa will have to take into account and not underestimate the dehumanising discourse. The power of discourse should be used to emphasise the positive African cultural and legislative narratives of disability to counter the dehumanising discourse.Educational Management and Leadershi

Final Report developed under Contract #3000704047 for Natural Resources Canada

Natural Resources CanadaNon-Peer ReviewedIn the recent decades, precipitation patterns and corresponding streamflow responses in many cold regions catchments have changed considerably due to warming. Understanding historical changes and predicting future responses are of great importance for planning and management of water resources systems. Regional climate simulations using convention- permitting models are helpful in representing the fine-scale cloud and mesoscale processes, which are critical for understanding the physical mechanisms that cause in convective precipitation. From a hydrological perspective, these fine resolution simulations are helpful in understanding the runoff generation mechanisms, particularly for mountainous watersheds, which have high spatial variation in precipitation due to large differences in elevation over small distances. The sister-study of this report, the Bow River Basin Study (BRBS), used a physically based hydrological land surface scheme along with a water management model, coupled with a high resolution convention- permitting atmospheric regional model (Weather Research and Forecasting, WRF) to understand the streamflow generating mechanisms and identify the changes in streamflow responses of the Bow and Elbow River Basins. The coupled model appears to provide a large improvement in predictability, with minimal calibration of parameters and without bias correction of forcing from the atmospheric model. The model4 was able to provide reliable estimates of streamflows, despite the complex topography in the catchment. Using the WRF Pseudo Global Warming (PGW) scenario, estimated future streamflows simulated were then used to develop projected flow exceedance curves. The uncertainty in the simulations is extremely helpful in the risk assessment for downstream flood inundations. However, the uncertainty in streamflows cannot be assessed as the WRF- PGW dataset was only available for a single realization, because of the high computational cost. The research presented in this report focusses instead on using the highly efficient hydrological model developed and verified in BRBS whilst assessing uncertainty using another regional climate model, the CanRCM4, where many realizations are available for different boundary conditions. Since the CanRCM4 simulations have a relatively low resolution, a novel methodology was developed to adjust regional climate model outputs using the WRF-PGW data. An ensemble of 15 CanRCM4 simulations was used to force the Bow River basin model to determine a measure of the uncertainty in the simulated streamflows, and the projected streamflow exceedance probability curves. These curves are extremely useful for risk assessment for downstream flood inundations. Given the importance of understanding how much extreme precipitation will change in urban areas of the basin, where short duration high intensity events cause flash flooding, frequency analysis of these events was carried out for Calgary and Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) curves were developed. A ready-to-use empirical form of IDF curve has been proposed from this analysis for the City of Calgary. The results from the WRF-PGW modelling indicated that future high flow, low frequency (exceedances less than 10%) streamflow events will decrease compared to those under the current climate condition by 4, 9 and 1.6 m3/s for the Bow River at Banff and Calgary and Elbow River at Sarcee Bridge respectively. The average of the 15 new CanRCM4-WRF-PGW results supports the above result with some greater decreases in streamflow of 9, 16 and 4 m3/s for Bow River at Banff and Calgary and Elbow River at Sarcee Bridge respectively. However, there were some CanRCM4-WRF-PGW realisations that suggested substantial increases in future low frequency streamflow from those indicated by the average CanRCM4- WRF-PGW-drive MESH model. The below average, high frequency (exceedances greater than 30%) future streamflows will increase modestly in all gauging locations by from 1 to 12.5 m3/s. The results of the extreme precipitation analysis at Calgary indicated an increase in future extreme precipitation events of all duration and return periods. On an average an increase of 1.5 times is noted for short return periods (=2, 5), and an increase of 4 times for long return periods (=500, 1000)

Yukon River Basin Streamflow Forecasting System

Prepared for Government of Yukon, Yukon Environment, Water Resources Branch, Whitehorse, YukonGovernment of Yukon Water Resources BranchNon-Peer ReviewedThe Yukon River Basin is one of the main rivers in the Arctic region of North America and is shared between Canada and the US. The Canadian part covers almost half of the Yukon Territory in addition to a small portion of the province of British Columbia, while the US part falls totally within the state of Alaska. This study is concerned with Canadian part of the Yukon River with its outlet at Eagle, just across the border in Alaska. Small parts of this catchment are in Alaska. This basin has an area of 288,000 km2, from 58.8 – 65.6°N and 129.2 – 134.1°W. The southern part of the basin is characterized by large glaciers at high elevations (up to 4700 m above sea level) with steep slopes, and thus generates considerable runoff. There are also mountain ranges on the eastern and northern boundaries of the basin, while the western areas are milder in slope and partially forested. Snow redistribution, snowmelt, glacier melt and frozen soil processes in winter and spring along with summertime rainfall-runoff and evapotranspiration processes are thus key to the simulation of streamflow in the basin. This project developed, set up, calibrated, validated, and operationalized a streamflow discharge forecasting system for the Yukon River and several of its tributary rivers within the Yukon Territory. The Yukon River Basin streamflow forecasting system is based around the MESH (Modélisation Environmentale Communautaire - Surface and Hydrology) hydrological land surface model. MESH is a state-of-the-art semi-distributed cold regions hydrological land surface model that models both the vertical exchanges of heat and moisture between the land surface and the atmosphere as well has the horizontal transfer of water to streams that is routed hydrologically to the outlet of the basin. It includes snow, frozen soil and glacier processes as well as the full suite of warm season hydrology. MESH is driven by the Environment and Climate Change Canada GEM weather model and hindcasts are driven by GEM-CaPA which is a data assimilation product that uses local precipitation observations where they exist. The rivers forecasted includes the Yukon River Basin upstream of Eagle, AK and the Porcupine River Basin near the international boundary. MESH provides supplemental high resolution simulations and forecasts for the Klondike, Stewart, Pelly and White Rivers at their mouths. Daily river discharge and water balance forecasts are produced by the system for each river basin. Having MESH run at both 10 km and 5 km resolution provides an assessment of model resolution needed for forecasting and also of model uncertainty in the forecasts. The MESH model was driven by GEM-CaPA for hindcasts and with the GEM ECCC Regional and Global Deterministic Prediction Systems - RDPS and GDPS forecasts for forecasts of 2 and 9 days. The GEM-MESH model showed good to very good predictions in most river basins after calibration and parameter selection, with challenges for the Porcupine and White rivers due to permafrost and wetlands (Porcupine) and to extensive icefields (White) and overall to sparse to non-existent observed precipitation data to assimilate into the CaPA system. The forecast system is capable of providing reliable streamflow predictions and is run with automated scripts on Amazon Web Services. Future development of the forecasting system should focus on the very challenging permafrost hydrology of the Porcupine River Basin, and the glacier hydrology of the White River which drains the largest icefields in North America. The model does not include a river ice component, but one could be added in the future

Diagnosis of Historical and Future Flow Regimes of the Bow River at Calgary Using a Dynamically Downscaled Climate Model and a Physically Based Land Surface Hydrological Model : Final Report

Final Report developed under Agreement #AP744 for the Natural Resources Canada Climate Change Adaptation Program.Developed under Agreement #AP744 for the Natural Resources Canada Climate Change Adaptation Program, with financial and in-kind assistance from Natural Resources Canada, Alberta Environment and Parks, the City of Calgary, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Global Water Futures program.Non-Peer ReviewedThis report assesses the impacts of projected climate change on the hydrology, including the flood frequencies, of the Bow and Elbow Rivers above Calgary, Alberta. It reports on investigations of the effects of projected climate change on the runoff mechanisms for the Bow and Elbow River basins, which are important mountain headwaters in Alberta, Canada. The study developed a methodology and applied a case study for incorporating climate change into flood frequency estimates that can be applied to a variety of river basins across Canada

Estimation of evaporation over the upper Blue Nile basin by combining observations from satellites and river flow gauges

Reliable estimates of regional evapotranspiration are necessary to improve water resources management and planning. However, direct measurements of evaporation are expensive and difficult to obtain. Some of the difficulties are illustrated in a comparison of several satellite-based estimates of evapotranspiration for the Upper Blue Nile (UBN) basin in Ethiopia. These estimates disagree both temporally and spatially. All the available data products underestimate evapotranspiration leading to basin-scale mass balance errors on the order of 35 percent of the mean annual rainfall. This paper presents a methodology that combines satellite observations of rainfall, terrestrial water storage as well as river-flow gauge measurements to estimate actual evapotranspiration over the UBN basin. The estimates derived from these inputs are constrained using a one-layer soil water balance and routing model. Our results describe physically consistent long-term spatial and temporal distributions of key hydrologic variables, including rainfall, evapotranspiration, and river-flow. We estimate an annual evapotranspiration over the UBN basin of about 2.55 mm per day. Spatial and temporal evapotranspiration trends are revealed by dividing the basin into smaller subbasins. The methodology described here is applicable to other basins with limited observational coverage that are facing similar future challenges of water scarcity and climate change