A 32-item scale, based on a model of environmental concern using anthropocentric and ecocentric orientations as its two dimensions, and intended to measure the level of environmental concern in South Africa, was developed from existing similar measures and modified for the South African context. Factor analyses of the data collected from 95 questionnaires completed by participants in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces of South Africa indicated not only the existence of an anthropocentric factor and an ecocentric factor, but also that these two factors were correlated sub-factors of one general factor. Participants who were involved in the activities of an environmentally oriented club showed significantly higher levels of environmental concern than those who were not. No other significant correlations between biographic or demographic variables and environmental concern were found. The internal consistency of the scale as indicated by Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.91. / Psychology / M.Sc.

A 32-item scale, based on a model of environmental concern using anthropocentric and ecocentric orientations as its two dimensions, and intended to measure the level of environmental concern in South Africa, was developed from existing similar measures and modified for the South African context. Factor analyses of the data collected from 95 questionnaires completed by participants in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces of South Africa indicated not only the existence of an anthropocentric factor and an ecocentric factor, but also that these two factors were correlated sub-factors of one general factor. Participants who were involved in the activities of an environmentally oriented club showed significantly higher levels of environmental concern than those who were not. No other significant correlations between biographic or demographic variables and environmental concern were found. The internal consistency of the scale as indicated by Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.91. / Psychology / M.Sc.

This thesis investigates the design of a model, methods and guidelines that may assist government agencies in South Africa to find a balance between the objective of biodiversity conservation and increased local economic development in cases of land restitution in protected areas. The data collection that was needed for this study took place from 2007 to 2009 and was limited to seven priority protected areas in Mpumalanga Province. The general model design was established via an extensive literature review and analysis of the legal background and formed the theoretical concept of this thesis. The general model design was used to devise the guidelines for co-management to be used by government agencies in South Africa for the possible implementation of the biodiversity conservation and local economic development mandates in cases of land restitution in protected areas, within their financial and institutional limitations. From the results, it is clear that a consolidated government position, agreed upon by all relevant government stakeholders, assists in keeping the land restitution process in protected areas within the legal framework. Through the analysis of the model design in the seven priority protected areas it was identified that additional information is needed to reach the preferred land claim settlement option per protected area such as the actual tourism record, a socio-economic assessment of the environment in which each protected area is embedded, and financial figures to make projections on current and future net profit calculations. Government should support all the land claim settlement options, as elaborated in the model design, which is not the case at the moment, and most alternative options, other than co-management, are currently still unclear and/or not feasible. This might have serious negative implications for the conservation agency, with the risk of compromising its mandate to manage areas of high biodiversity effectively. The methods that were developed to workshop the generic agreement frameworks with the land claimant representatives proved to assist in the land claimants making an informed choice within the legal framework and to tailor the land claim settlement option and agreements to their specific situation. / Development Studies / Ph. D. (Development Studies)

This thesis investigates the design of a model, methods and guidelines that may assist government agencies in South Africa to find a balance between the objective of biodiversity conservation and increased local economic development in cases of land restitution in protected areas. The data collection that was needed for this study took place from 2007 to 2009 and was limited to seven priority protected areas in Mpumalanga Province. The general model design was established via an extensive literature review and analysis of the legal background and formed the theoretical concept of this thesis. The general model design was used to devise the guidelines for co-management to be used by government agencies in South Africa for the possible implementation of the biodiversity conservation and local economic development mandates in cases of land restitution in protected areas, within their financial and institutional limitations. From the results, it is clear that a consolidated government position, agreed upon by all relevant government stakeholders, assists in keeping the land restitution process in protected areas within the legal framework. Through the analysis of the model design in the seven priority protected areas it was identified that additional information is needed to reach the preferred land claim settlement option per protected area such as the actual tourism record, a socio-economic assessment of the environment in which each protected area is embedded, and financial figures to make projections on current and future net profit calculations. Government should support all the land claim settlement options, as elaborated in the model design, which is not the case at the moment, and most alternative options, other than co-management, are currently still unclear and/or not feasible. This might have serious negative implications for the conservation agency, with the risk of compromising its mandate to manage areas of high biodiversity effectively. The methods that were developed to workshop the generic agreement frameworks with the land claimant representatives proved to assist in the land claimants making an informed choice within the legal framework and to tailor the land claim settlement option and agreements to their specific situation. / Development Studies / Ph. D. (Development Studies)