Collaborative risk governance in informal urban areas : the case of Wallacedene temporary relocation area

CITATION: Zweig, P. J. 2017. Collaborative risk governance in informal urban areas : the case of Wallacedene temporary relocation area. Jamba: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 9(1):a386, doi:10.4102/jamba.v9i1.386.The original publication is available at http://www.jamba.org.zaCommunity-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) is an emancipatory approach that aims to empower local communities in reducing their own risks. A community risk assessment (CRA) is an essential element of CBDRM, incorporating highly participatory processes of hazard identification and vulnerability analysis. By incorporating local knowledge and insights, together with those contributed by other external role players, the nature of local risks can be more accurately identified, giving consideration to their causal factors, the nature of their realised impacts or potential effects on a local community and the challenges posed in addressing them. Reflecting on the process and outcomes of a CRA conducted in an informal settlement in the Cape Town metropolitan area, this article describes how one such risk assessment contributed to building local agency through a process of collaborative engagement. Offered as an example of possible best practice, it illustrates both the immediate and potentially longer term benefits to be derived from such a collaborative process, suggesting that a community-based risk assessment may contribute significantly to building more resilient communities. It concludes with a consideration of the challenges of sustaining longer term risk reduction efforts.https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/386Publisher's versio

Everyday hazards and vulnerabilities amongst backyard dwellers : a case study of Vredendal North, Matzikama Municipality, South Africa

CITATION: Zweig, P. J. 2015. Everyday hazards and vulnerabilities amongst backyard dwellers : a case study of Vredendal North, Matzikama Municipality, South Africa. Jamba: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 7(1):8 pages, doi:10.4102/jamba.v7i1.210.The original publication is available at http://www.jamba.org.zaThe populations of many small towns in South Africa continue to expand unmatched by parallel economic growth, entrenching high levels of poverty. The town of Vredendal, located close to the national route between Namibia and Cape Town in South Africa, is a West Coast development node and an emergent industrial and processing area that continues to attract an influx of people seeking economic opportunities. This is challenging the capacity of the local municipality, which has a waiting list for state-provided low-cost housing units, whilst the provision of adequate infrastructure to meet growing local need is also a developmental concern. In the suburb of Vredendal North this has resulted in the proliferation of unplanned informal dwellings in the backyards of formalised low-cost housing areas. Largely overlooked by urban researchers, little is known or understood about small town backyard populations. This prompted a brief study of Vredendal North backyard dwellers commissioned by the local municipality to identify their everyday hazards and livelihood vulnerabilities to inform future development planning. A community workshop identified critical development needs and suggested that backyard dwellers in small towns experience similar living conditions and hazards to those in the cities, although underlain by some unique differences.http://www.jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/210Publisher's versio

Microbiota determines insulin sensitivity in TLR2-KO mice

Environmental factors have a key role in the control of gut microbiota and obesity. TLR2 knockout (TLR2(-/-)) mice in some housing conditions are protected from diet-induced insulin resistance. However, in our housing conditions these animals are not protected from diet-induced insulin-resistance. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of our animal housing conditions on the gut microbiota, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in TLR2(-/-) mice. Material and methods: The microbiota was investigated by metagenomics, associated with hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp and GTT associated with insulin signaling through immunoblotting. Results: The results showed that TLR2(-/-) mice in our housing conditions presented a phenotype of metabolic syndrome characterized by insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and increase in body weight. This phenotype was associated with differences in microbiota in TLR2(-/-) mice that showed a decrease in the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla and an increase in the Firmicutesphylum, associated with and in increase in the Oscillospira and Ruminococcus genera. Furthermore there is also an increase in circulating LPS and subclinical inflammation in TLR2(-/-). The molecular mechanism that account for insulin resistance was an activation of TLR4, associated with ER stress and JNK activation. The phenotype and metabolic behavior was reversed by antibiotic treatment and reproduced in WT mice by microbiota transplantation. Conclusions: Our data show, for the first time, that the intestinal microbiota can induce insulin resistance and obesity in an animal model that is genetically protected from these processes234CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informaçãosem informação465693/2014-8We also acknowledge the financial support INCT de Obesidade e Diabetes 465693/2014-8 (FAPESP) and CAPES/CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico)