Implementation of water energy food-health nexus in a climate constrained world: a review for South Africa

In recent years, the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus has gained significant attention in global research. Spatial inequality in water-energy-food security (WEF) and its impact on public health and how this is affected by climate change remains a grand adaptation challenge. South Africa is extremely vulnerable and exposed to the impacts of climate change due to its socio-economic and environmental context. While alternative nexus types have garnered interest, this paper pioneers an extension of the conventional WEF framework to encompass health, giving rise to the Water-Energy-Food-Health (WEF-H) nexus. Despite a plethora of WEF nexus studies focused on South Africa, a substantial knowledge gap persists due to the lack of a comprehensive overview of the enablers and barriers to realizing the WEF-H nexus. South Africa boasts diverse policies related to water, energy, food, and health; however, their alignment remains an ongoing challenge. This study seeks to bridge this critical gap by conducting an exhaustive review of existing literature. Its primary aim is to delve into the intricate mechanisms that either facilitate or impede the actualization of the WEF-H nexus in South Africa. By synthesizing insights from a wide array of literature sources, this research strives to illuminate the challenges and opportunities stemming from the integration of health considerations into the established WEF nexus framework. This exploration holds immense significance, not only for unraveling the multifaceted interactions between these pivotal sectors but also for guiding policy development and decision-making processes in South Africa towards a more holistic and sustainable approach to resource management

An assessment of the costs and benefits of using Acacia saligna (Port Jackson) and recycled thermoplastics for the production of wood polymer composites in the Western Cape province, South Africa

Acacia saligna (Port Jackson) is one of the most pervasive IAPs in South Africa. The government’s control efforts have by and large not been co-financed by the private sector due to a lack of incentives. Here we develop a system dynamics model to assess the costs and benefits of using the invasive Acacia saligna for the production of wood polymer composites (WPCs). The cumulative net present value for clearing Acacia saligna and making WPCs amounts to approximately ZAR122.1 million for the baseline scenario (no WPC production), and is estimated to be ZAR144.4 million for Scenario 2 (WPC production with 20% co-financing), ZAR172.7 million for Scenario 3 (50% co-financing) and ZAR211.2 million for Scenario 4 (100% co-financing). In addition to these direct financial benefits, the control of Acacia saligna also offers benefits with respect to employment, an increase in the state’s tax revenue base, and an increase in the contribution to GDP.The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Working for Water programme.http://www.aaae-africa.org/afjaream2018Economic

Realist review of just transition

The Independent Evaluation Unit of the Green Climate Fund and the International Labour Organisation are jointly undertaking a rigorous and precise global evidence review of interventions that could be regarded as aiming at outcomes consistent with a just transition in non-Annex I countries, specifically in the energy, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors and in ecosystem services. This approach paper describes this research in detail and sets out the realist approach to reviewing just transition. It identifies the need for a just transition, the paucity of evidence in non-Annex I countries and hence the case for this GCF–IEU / ILO evidence review. It also introduces the four systems to examine: energy, agriculture/food, infrastructure and ecosystem services. It also details the review's scope and objectives and explains the methods to be applied, including the search strategy, data screening, data extraction and management, data synthesis, and learning and uptake of findings

The impact of economic policies and instruments on conservation agriculture in South Africa

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa, sustainable land use and management is paramount as the country’s agricultural natural resources are diverse, complex and vulnerable to degradation. To realise sustainable agricultural production and development, an agro-ecosystem-specific approach entailing soil, water and nutrient conservation agricultural practices is imperative. Conservation Agriculture is one of the agricultural production method that can be employed to ameliorate and prevent the degradation of South Africa’s agricultural land. The major aim of this study was to investigate how the uptake and adoption of conservation agriculture is influenced by economic policies and instruments in South Africa. To achieve this, an interactive research approach was followed initially involving an extensive literature review before scientific and empirical analysis was conducted. Firstly it was noted in the study that currently there is not any specific policy for conservation agriculture that has been promulgated in South Africa, but however there are a number of policies (i.e. Climate change policy, Carbon Tax policy, Land Reform policy, Trade policy, Water policy, Food and nutritional security policy, NEMBA regulations, CRDP, CARA, Organic production policy, Policy on Agriculture in sustainable development and the Environmental policy) that have been drafted which have the potential to positively influence the uptake and adoption of conservation agriculture by farmers across all the farming typologies (i.e. small scale, emerging and commercial farmers). The afore-mentioned policies were described and analysed with the purpose of establishing how they affect conservation agriculture using analysis criteria adopted from the field of political sciences. Criteria of effectiveness, unintended effects, equity, cost, feasibility and acceptability were constantly employed. In this regard, all the policies were tested to see how they affect conservation agriculture and to check if there was any alignment and harmonisation within the policy environment. It was found in this study that an alignment of the aforementioned policies is imperative in order to make the policies politically and administratively feasible which will lead to the swift implementation and effectiveness of the policies in meeting their core objectives. On this basis, it was deduced that the aforementioned policy mix has the potential to advance the uptake and adoption of conservation agriculture to further contribute to an enhanced food security and a sustainable resource base in South Africa. The policy mix analysed in this study, is however under specific constraints. These were identified and subsequently recommendations were made to ameliorate these constraints, in order to make the policies align with each other and to maximise the contribution of the policies towards the advancement of conservation agriculture in South Africa.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volhoubare grondgebruik en bestuur is belangrik in Suid-Afrika as gevolg van diverse, komplekse en kwesbare natuurlike hulpbronne wat maklik degradeer. As gevolg hiervan moet volhoubare bewaringspraktyke gevolg word wat spesifiek is tot die grond, water en voedingswaarde kompleks van verskillende boerdery-omgewings gevolg word. In hierdie opsig is bewaringsboerdery een metode wat ontplooi kan word om grond-degradasie te voorkom. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was dus om te bepaal tot watter mate die aanvaarding van bewaringsboerdery praktyke deur ekonomiese beleid en -instrumente beïnvloed word. Hiervoor is ʼn interaktiewe benadering gevolg tussen ʼn uitgebreide literatuurstudie en ʼn wetenskaplike en empiriese analise. Die eerste belangrike bevinding is dat daar tans geen formele staatsbeleid oor bewaringsboerdery in Suid-Afrika bestaan nie, maar daar is wel verwante beleidsuitsprake (oor klimaatsverandering, die koolstof belasting, grondhervorming, internasionale handel, voedselen voedingsbeleid, NEMBA regulasies, CRDP, CARA, beleid oor organiese produksie, beleid oor volhoubare landbou-ontwikkeling en omgewingsbeleid) wat wel die aanvaarding van bewaringsboerdery praktyke kan versnel. Hierdie stel van beleidsuitsprake is beskryf en ontleed deur middel van ʼn analitiese raamwerk ontleen aan die politieke wetenskappe om hulle potensiële impak op bewaringsboerdery. Die spesifieke kriteria waarop gekonsentreer is sluit in doeltreffendheid, ongewensde gevolge, regverdigheid, koste, implementeerbaarheid en aanvaarbaarheid. Die doel van laasgenoemde was nie slegs om vas te stel hoe hulle bewaringsboerdery beïnvloed nie, maar ook of daar belyning bestaan tussen die verskillende beleidsuitsprake, omdat sulke belyning krities is tot suksesvolle implementering. Daar is dan bevind dat die huidige stel beleidsuitsprake wel die potensiaal het om by te dra tot die aanvaarding van bewaringsboerdery, en dus tot die volhoubare bestuur van Suid-Afrika se hulpbronne. Hierdie bestaande beleidsraamwerk word egter onderwerp aan spesifieke beperkings. Laasgenoemde is dan geïdentifiseer, en is aanbevelings gemaak om dié beperkings aan te spreek om sodoende beter belyning te kry en dus om hulle bydrae tot volhoubare boerdery te bevorder

Sustainable land use planning in the aftermath of the clearing of alien invasive plant species : a system dynamics modelling approach

Thesis (DCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Biological invasions caused by invasive alien plant species (IAPs) pose diverse direct and indirect impacts on economic, social and environmental systems globally. The net impacts can be beneficial or harmful, although in most cases the negative impacts outweigh the beneficial effects. IAPs pose a significant threat to various systems through for example loss of biodiversity, excessive consumption of water, reduction in stream flow, health hazards to both animals and humans, increased fire risks and encroachment into agricultural lands and native ecosystems. Despite these negative impacts, IAPs to a limited extent also offer benefits to society, amongst them carbon sequestration, raw materials for manufacturing of value added products as well as habitat services for fauna. Given the predominant negative effects, however, the government of South Africa, through the Working for Water Programme (WfW), funded the clearing of IAPs mainly through labour intensive manual, mechanical and chemical means, as well as biological control using pathogens and insects as the control agents. Despite the aforementioned clearing efforts, IAPs have continued to spread exponentially, warranting more funding to finance the clearing operations targeting both new invasions and follow up clearing. In addition, the failure to contain invasions by IAPs has also led to sub-optimisation of agricultural land, which is attributed to a deficiency of land use planning frameworks and the ineffectiveness of laws governing agricultural land use in South Africa. As disclosed in this study, most of the research conducted to date has focussed mainly on control, distribution mapping, impact assessments and evaluation and to a lesser extent, partial cost benefit analyses of controlling IAPs. Given the complexities involved in the science of IAPs and land use planning decisions, the linear approach used in most studies has not been successful in fully capturing all the system elements, dynamics, causal and effect relationships thereof in order to understand the impacts of IAPs on the whole system. These complexities are further exacerbated by differences in land tenure systems. In order to understand the implications of the various land use options on land restored through clearing IAPs, within different contexts and tenure systems, it is imperative to undertake a non-linear analysis that captures the aforementioned complexities. This study identified the key decision-rules that should guide decision making in selecting the best land use and management options under diverse contexts, within the aforementioned complex and dynamic system. This was done using a system dynamics modelling approach and a multiple criteria decision analysis. The, focus was put on four study sites in the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Three system dynamics models and one multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model were developed for: (i) understanding the integrated (i.e. both private and externality) benefits and costs associated with restoration of natural capital1 through the clearing of IAPs; (ii) exploring and identifying the land use capability of the land restored through clearing of IAPs and the alternative best use land types based on multiple criteria decision analysis; (iii) investigating the potential economic, social and environmental sustainability of the returns emanating from the land use types and value added industries implemented inter alia the valuation of ecosystem goods and services; (iv) assessing the economic feasibility of prospective land use types and value added products (VAPs) that can be pursued in the areas were clearing of IAPs has taken place in South Africa (with a specific focus on four sites in SA) (v) determining the opportunity cost of unrestored land cleared from invasive alien plant species in South Africa (vi) formulating scenarios under which the land use types, VAPs and management options considered will be tested using the system dynamics modelling approach in order to see the respective impacts thereof; and for (vii)understanding the policy shortcomings, options, and implications with respect to restoration of natural capital and land use types in South Africa. Validation tests of system dynamics models were also done. These included structure verification, parameter verification, dimensional consistency and extreme conditions tests which were undertaken to check for the structural validity. In addition, a behavioural validity test was conducted using multivariate sensitivity analysis to test the sensitivity of the Net Present value to the discount rate. As for the MCDA model, a parametric sensitivity analysis was conducted to test the sensitivity of the results to a change in the model parameters in order to build confidence in the analysis.Lastly, while efforts were made to capture all the economic, social and environmental aspects of IAPs management and land use planning decisions, not all core aspects were considered due to unavailability of data, methodological limitations and other unanticipated modelling complications. The limitations of the study were made explicit while concluding remarks and recommendations were made.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die biologiese indring veroorsaak deur uitheemse indringer plante (UIP) skep ʼn verskeidenheid van direkte en indirekte ekonomiese, sosiale, en omgewingsimpakte op verskeie stelsels regoor die wêreld. Die netto uitwerking van hierdie indringing kan óf positief óf negatief wees, maar oor die algemeen oorheers die negatiewe die positiewe gevolge. UIP is ʼn noemenswaardige bedreiging vir verskeie sisteme deur byvoorbeeld ʼn verlies aan biodiversiteit, die oormatige verbruik van water, die verlies aan water vloei in ʼn rivier, gesondheidsrisiko’s vir beide mens en dier, toenemende brandgevare en die indringing van landbougrond en inheemse ekosisteme. Ten spyte van hierdie negatiewe gevolge, het UIP ook beperkte positiewe gevolge, soos, onder andere, die absorpsie van koolsuurgasse, die verskaffing van ru-materiaal vir die vervaardigingsindustrie, sowel as habitat vir fauna. Gegewe die oorweldigende negatiewe gevolge van UIP, befonds die Suid-Afrikaanse regering, deur die Werk-vir-Water (WvW) program die skoonmaak en beheer van UIP, meestal by wyse van arbeidsintensiewe, meganiese en chemiese metodes, maar ook by wyse van biologiese beheer deur van patogene en insekte gebruik te maak. Ten spyte van hierdie beheermaatreëls, versprei UIP eksponensieel en dit regverdig meer befondsing om die beheermaatreëls te finansier ten einde beide huidige en nuwe indringing die hoof te kan bied sowel as opvolg aksies te kan uitvoer. Die onvermoë om UIP te beheer het ook gelei tot die sub-optimale gebruik van landbougrond. Dit is toe te skryf aan die gebrek aan grondgebruik beplanningsraamwerke en die oneffektiwiteit van die grondgebruik wetgewing in die landbou sektor in Suid-Afrika. Soos onthul word in hierdie studie, die meeste van die navorsing tot op hede het gefokus op die beheer van, die kartering van verspreiding, impak analise en die evaluasie daarvan, en tot ʼn mindere mate die koste-voordeel analise van die beheer van UIP. Gegewe die kompleksiteit betrokke in die wetenskap van UIP en grondgebruiksbeplanning besluitneming, was die liniêre benadering wat gebruik is in die meeste studies onvoldoende om al die elemente van die dinamiese sisteem, sowel as die oorsaaklikheid en die oorsaak en gevolg verhoudings van UIP, na wese weer te gee of te verstaan. Hierdie kompleksiteit word verder verdiep deur die verskille in grondeienaarskapstelsels wat bestaan. Ten einde beter begrip te hê vir die impak van die verskeidenheid grondgebruik opsies van gerestoureerde grond nadat UIP verwyder is, binne ʼn verskeidenheid van kontekste en grondeienaarskapstelsels, is dit belangrik om ʼn nie-lineêre analise te onderneem wat poog om die voorafgenoemde kompleksiteite weer te gee. Hierdie studie identifiseer die kern veranderlikes wat besluitneming behoort te rig ten einde die beste grondbestuursopsies te kies – en dit binne die genoemde komplekse agtergrond. Dit was gedoen deur van ʼn sisteem dinamiese model en ʼn veelvoudige kriteria analities-besluitnemings model gebruik te maak. Vier studie areas in die Wes en Noord Kaap provinsies van Suid-Afrika was gekies vir hierdie studie. Drie sisteem dinamiese modelle en een veelvoudige kriteria analities-besluitnemings model is ontwikkel ten einde: i) ʼn begrip te ontwikkel vir die geïntegreerde voordele en kostes verbonde aan die restourasie van natuurlike kapitaal2 deur die beheer van UIP; ii) die ondersoek na en identifisering van die grondgebruik vermoë na restourasie by wyse van die beheer van UIP en die soeke na die beste grondgebruik gebaseer op ʼn veelvoudige kriteria analities-besluitnemings model; iii) die ondersoek van die potensiële volhoubaarheid op grond van ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewingsoorwegings voortvloeiend die voordele van die verskillende grondgebruiksmoontlikhede en addisionele waardetoevoeding en die toename in die waarde van die ekosisteem; iv) die evaluering van die ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid van die voornemende grondgebruik opsie en die waardetoevoeging by wyse van produkte wat ondersoek kan word in areas waar UIP verwyder is in Suid-Afrika (met spesifieke verwysing na die vier studie areas); v) die beraming van die geleentheidskoste van ongerestoureerde grond; vi) die formulering van scenario’s waaronder die grondbestuur tipes, die waardetoegevoegde produkte, en die bestuuropsies getoets word by wyse van ʼn sisteem dinamiese model ten einde vas te stel wat die onderskeie gevolge daarvan is, en vii) om insig te verkry in die beleidstekortkominge, en die opsies en implikasies daarvan met betrekking op die restourasie van natuurlike kapitaal en die verskillende grondgebruik tipes in Suid-Afrika. Die sisteem dinamiese model is ook onderwerp aan stawingstoetse. Hierdie sluit onder andere strukturele stawing, parameter stawing, toetse insake dimensionele konsekwentheid en ekstreme voorwaardes ten einde die strukturele stawing. Gedragstoetse is ook onderneem deur meervoudige veranderlike sensitiwiteitsanalise ten einde die sensitiwiteit van die netto huidige waarde vir die diskontokoers te bepaal. Wat die veelvoudige kriteria analities-besluitnemings model betref, ʼn sensitiwiteitstoets insake verskeie parameters is onderneem ten einde die sensitiwiteit van die resultate ten opsigte van ʼn verandering in die model parameters vas te stel om sodoende vertroue in die model en die analise te bou. Laastens, terwyl ʼn verskeidenheid van pogings aangewend is om al die ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewings impakte van die bestuur en grondgebruiksbesluitneming van UIP vas te vang, kon nie alle impakte geïnkorporeer word nie as gevolg van ʼn gebrek aan data, metodologiese beperkings, en onverwagte modellerings aspekte. Die beperkings van die studie word pertinent uitgewys binne die konteks van die slot opmerkings en aanbevelings

The opportunity cost of not utilising the woody invasive alien plant species in the Kouga, Krom and Baviaans catchments in South Africa

CITATION: Vundla, T., et al. 2016. The opportunity cost of not utilising the woody invasive alien plant species in the Kouga, Krom and Baviaans catchments in South Africa. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 19(5):814-830, doi:10.4102/sajems.v19i5.1603.The original publication is available at https://sajems.orgThis study estimates the opportunity costs of using woody invasive alien plants (IAPs) for value-added products by estimating the net economic return from the value-added industries in South Africa. By 2008, IAPs were estimated at the national level to cover an area of 1 813 million condensed hectares in South Africa. A market has formed around their use for value-added products (VAP) like charcoal, firewood and timber in the Kouga, Kromme and Baviaans River catchments in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The net economic return from these value-added industries was estimated for the purpose of several management scenarios, and was then used to estimate the opportunity costs if they were not used. A system dynamics model was used to value and analyse the Net Present Value of clearing in the study area and to estimate the opportunity cost of the non-use of VAP. The study showed that the inclusion of VAPs in the project would yield higher net present values for clearing. The findings from this study suggest that a cofinance option of the total economic returns from VAP for clearing costs is the best management scenario for reducing the costs of clearing and maximising the net economic returns from clearing. The net economic returns of VAPs by 2030 are estimated at R23 million without the co-finance option and R26 million with the option. The cumulative net income from VAPs with co-financing over the period of valuation is estimated to be R609 million.https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/1603Publisher's versio

A cost-benefit analysis of using Rooikrans as biomass feedstock for electricity generation : a case study of the De Hoop nature reserve, South Africa

CITATION: Mudavanhu, S., et al. 2016. A cost-benefit analysis of using Rooikrans as biomass feedstock for electricity generation : a case study of the De Hoop nature reserve, South Africa. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 19(5):788-813, doi:10.4102/sajems.v19i5.1602.The original publication is available at https://sajems.orgInvasive alien plants (IAPs) like Rooikrans (Acacia Cyclops) have several undesirable effects on both the natural environment and the social, economic and cultural wellness of society in the De Hoop nature reserve of the Western Cape Province. A few of these negative effects are: the change in coastal sediment dynamics, the change in seed dispersal dynamics, and the fact that it is overtaking native plants. However, Rooikrans can also potentially be used as biomass feedstock for electricity generation. Following a system dynamics modelling approach, the feasibility of using woody biomass from Rooikrans was investigated. The RE-model used data obtained from the Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA) Natural Resource Management (NRM) division, consulted with experts and conducted literature reviews with respect to the subject matter. Three scenarios were tested and the RE-model results showed that all scenarios have a positive cumulative Net Present Values (NPVs), with the exception of the baseline case scenario. This study shows that the production of electricity using Rooikrans woody biomass is a viable and feasible option in comparison with electricity production by diesel generators.https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/1602Publisher's versio

A cost-benefit analysis of clearing invasive alien plants in the Berg River quaternary catchment of South Africa

Environmental degradation caused by invasive alien plants must be remedied in time before the land becomes too heavily degraded for restoration to be successful. This study investigates the cost-benefit analysis of restoring natural capital through clearing invasive alien plants and transforming them into value-added products (VAPs), such as wood chips, timber, firewood, charcoal and briquettes, under three scenarios using a system dynamics modelling approach. The study shows that, if the production of VAPs commenced in 2015, the net present value (NPV) under all scenarios (namely clearing activities paid for by the government alone, clearing activities with 20% co-financed by the private sector, or the do-nothing scenario) resulted in negative values. If, however, the production of VAPs had commenced from the beginning of the model simulation (2008), the cumulative NPV for both the government-funded clearing activities scenario and the 20% private sector co-finance scenario is strongly positive (higher than ZAR200 million).The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Working for Water programme.http://www.aaae-africa.org/afjareAgricultural Economics, Extension and Rural DevelopmentEconomic