Hydro-institutional mapping in the Steelpoort River Basin, South Africa

River basins / Institutions / Organizations / Private sector / Public sector / Local government / Mapping / Water resource management / Water policy / Legislation / Rural women / Constraints / Groundwater / Surface water / Water quality / Water use / Water users / Dams / Reservoirs / Large-scale systems / Irrigation management / Industrialization / Case studies / Operations / Maintenance / Canals / Conflict / Farmer-agency interactions / Policy / Water supply / Rural development

Epitaxial deposition of silver ultra-fine nano-clusters on defect-free surfaces of HOPG-derived few-layer graphene in a UHV multi-chamber by in situ STM, ex situ XPS, and ab initio calculations

The growth of three-dimensional ultra-fine spherical nano-particles of silver on few layers of graphene derived from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite in ultra-high vacuum were characterized using in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The energetics of the Ag clusters was determined by DFT simulations. The Ag clusters appeared spherical with size distribution averaging approximately 2 nm in diameter. STM revealed the preferred site for the position of the Ag atom in the C-benzene ring of graphene. Of the three sites, the C-C bridge, the C-hexagon hollow, and the direct top of the C atom, Ag prefers to stay on top of the C atom, contrary to expectation of the hexagon-close packing. Ab initio calculations confirm the lowest potential energy between Ag and the graphene structure to be at the exact site determined from STM imaging

Public sector agricultural research expenditures and output in Lesotho: Analysis of causality and cointegration

This article investigated the causal relationship between public agricultural research expenditures and agricultural output in Lesotho. Cointegration and Granger-causality tests were performed to determine the causal relationship between agricultural research and agricultural output. Lag length tests were performed to facilitate the Cointegration analysis. Results of the empirical analysis indicated that agriculture in Lesotho is driven by agricultural research. The results also showed that it takes seven to eight years for public agricultural research expenditures to have a significant impact on agricultural output in Lesotho

Public sector agricultural research expenditures and output in Lesotho: Analysis of causality and cointegration

This article investigated the causal relationship between public agricultural research expenditures and agricultural output in Lesotho. Cointegration and Granger-causality tests were performed to determine the causal relationship between agricultural research and agricultural output. Lag length tests were performed to facilitate the Cointegration analysis. Results of the empirical analysis indicated that agriculture in Lesotho is driven by agricultural research. The results also showed that it takes seven to eight years for public agricultural research expenditures to have a significant impact on agricultural output in Lesotho.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Doubling irrigation for southern Africa - do we have enough water and where is the hope?

Paper presented at the Biennial Conference and Exhibition of Water Institute of Southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9 May 2012Southern Africa Development Communality (SADC) through its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) has set up an ambitious goal to double irrigation by 2015, which it sees as important component to sustain regional development and ensure food security. While the target timeline is questionable with year 2015 fast approaching, the goal to increase irrigated areas to 7% is certainly valid and has significant implications for regional food security and livelihood of rural population. The objective of this paper is to examine water resources in conjunction with the status of irrigation development in SADC region, and assess water availability for irrigation development. The desktop analysis builds largely upon literature, existing projects and products to integrate baseline information. The results reveal that water is sufficiently available for doubling irrigation without hampering too much on environment even with the possible impacts imposed by climate change. The potential is however largely variable from country to country, and basin to basin. To make irrigation sustainable and cost-benefit effective, irrigation expansion needs to undertake smart water resources/storages development to avoid significant impact on ecosystem functions which are all supported by water

Hydro-institutional mapping in the Steelpoort River Basin, South Africa

Volume 1 of the study on Hydro-Institutional Mapping of the Olifants River Basin. This study aims to give an overview of water users and influences on water use by institutions in the Steelpoort river basin, a sub-basin of the Olifants. Describes a general methodology and framework for setting out the HIM for a river basin and presents findings from case studies in the basin. The hydro-institutional interactions among all types of water users in a South African river basin are also described