MESC / Department of Hydrology and Water Resources / Wetlands are known of their pollution reduction characteristics due to their flat topography and dense vegetation which capture pollutants on the settling sediments. Three processes take place on the captured pollutants in the sediments, the physical, chemical and biological processes, which facilitate the removal of pollutants from the wetlands. This research was carried out in order to assess the Water Quality of wetland downstream of Makhado oxidation ponds and its potential effects on Irrigation Waters by determining the Physical-chemical parameters (pH, Dissolved Oxygen, temperature, electrical conductivity and turbidity); the nutrient levels (Nitrates, phosphates, nitrites, bromide) and heavy metals. The water samples were collected from the effluent discharge of Makhado oxidation ponds (upstream), the middle section of the wetland (midstream) and downstream of the wetland. The climate data for the study was also used assess the contribution to variation in the physical-chemical parameters during their passage through the wetland. The use of waters in the wetland by subsistence farmer’s was also assessed to determine their farmer’s perception on wastewater reuse, sustainability, water quality, health hazards and crop yield. At the discharge and midstream point, the physical parameters tested were found to be mostly outside the target water quality range of irrigation water set out by DWAF but are within the DWAF guidelines for discharge of wastewater. The exceptions were with total dissolved solids which were higher than 25 mg/l guideline value of the said standards. The anions were analysed by Ion chromatography and showed spatial variation in content and seasonality. The nutrients (nitrates, nitrites and phosphates) and chloride were higher than the DWAF guidelines for discharge of wastewater. The heavy metal content in the wetland was analysed by ICP-OES and varied throughout the wetland. The following metals were reduced during their passage in wetland and were within DWAF guidelines: zinc, lead, cadmium and total chromium. Iron and manganese were reduced during the drier season but were above the DWAF guideline values during the wet season. Also the metal contents in the wetland are out of the target water quality range of the same standards bringing forth the risks of toxicity in the wetland. The anion analysis also suggests that the wetland is becoming a nutrient rich environment bringing forth risks of eutrophication. Nitrite concentrations did not conform to the South African viii Water Guidelines on target water quality ranges for irrigation water. Farmers have expressed a positive opinion on wastewater use for irrigation since there are loads of nutrients. The presence of nutrients in wetland may contribute to development of harmful algal blooms.

MENVSC / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / Human activities on land degradation have triggered several environmental problems especially in rural areas that are under developed. The main aim of this study is to analyse the contribution of different land uses to gully development and sediment load on the Nzhelele River Valley in the Limpopo Province. Data was collected using different methods such as observation, field data techniques and experiments. Satellite digital images, topographic maps, aerial photographs and the sediment load static model also assisted in determining how land use affects gully development and sediment load. For data analysis, the researcher used the following methods: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and statistical correlation methods. The results of the research illustrates that high land use activities create negative changes especially in areas that are highly fragile and vulnerable. Distinct impact on land use change was observed within settlement area (9.6 %) within a period of 5 years. High correlation between soil organic matter and soil moisture (R=0.96) was observed. Furthermore a significant variation (p ≤ 0.6) between the soil organic matter and soil moisture was also observed. A very significant variation (p ≤ 0.003) was observed in bulk density and extreme significant variations (p ≤ 0.0001) were observed in organic matter and soil particle size. The sand mining and agricultural activities has contributed significantly to the amount of sediment load in the Nzhelele River. A high significant amount of total suspended sediment (55.3 %) and bed load (53.8 %) was observed within the agricultural area. The connection which associates the development of gullies to various land use activities determines the amount of sediment load. These results are consistent with other previous research and suggest that land use activities is likely to exacerbate the development of gullies and sediment load in the Nzhelele River Valley

MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / Wetlands are amongst the world’s most important ecosystems providing many direct and indirect benefits to local communities. The majority of South Africans residing in rural areas depends mostly on natural resources for their livelihood. However, wetlands in South Africa continue to be the most threatened ecosystems primarily due to unsustainable use and poor resource management. Additionally, the history of South Africa has been characterised by exclusion of local communities in the process of decision-making and general management of natural resources. The aim of the study was to investigate possible challenges affecting the management of Thulamela wetlands by assessing the level of interaction and conflicting interest amongst participating stakeholders, including role of wetlands on local communities for possibly improved management scenarios. The study used questionnaires, interviews and observations to capture data on the local communities and management stakeholders. Seven wetlands within Thulamela were selected as study areas and the study population was selected based on their specialised expertise, involvement, and closeness to wetlands. Data was analysed using SPSS, Microsoft Excel and also using thematic analysis in NVIVO. The results show that selected wetlands are highly beneficial in supporting the local communities. Based on the socio-economic and demographic characteristics (family size, age, gender, and employment status) measured, the study deduced that unemployment rate or low income of the respondents is the main contributor to an increase dependency on wetland utilization. Additionally, the results revealed that unregulated use and excessive agricultural practices such as cultivation and livestock grazing are common in all study areas, hence further degradation of these wetlands. One of the findings from the study was the destruction of wetlands through expansion of human settlement. The population increase in the areas was found to be major drivers of socio-economic challenges causing people to spread through and exploit wetlands. Consequently, human settlement along the wetland area has resulted in the extensive clearance of natural wetland vegetation. Furthermore, the results show that there is poor wetland information transfer to the local communities most likely due to none/or insufficient outreach programmes. The current management arrangements and structures for selected wetlands are not being practiced through the unequal representation amongst management stakeholders and poor inclusion of local communities in management processes. Additionally, there are currently no openly known active platforms provided upon which stakeholders are able to air their views on wetlands management issues. The findings further show differences in perceptions amongst wetlands users, non-users and management stakeholders. The management stakeholders have a relatively strong focus on livelihood and environmental problems, they regard rules and regulations on wetland use’ as a relatively central variable. On the other hand, the local communities are currently more concerned about the benefits they receive from the wetlands than the conservation of those systems. The study also revealed unequal representation amongst participating management stakeholders. The findings show poor interaction between the management stakeholders and the local communities; differences in perceptions amongst resource users, non-users and managers; exploitation of wetlands resources; poor wetlands information transfer. The results suggest that centralised top-down rules and regulations on wetland use are not sufficient for maintaining the wetland ecosystem and this poses a challenge to sustainable wetland management. Therefore, there is a need to develop shared understanding through bottom-up approaches to wetland management that are nested within national regulatory frameworks, ideally combined with awareness building and knowledge sharing on the ecological benefits and management of wetland. / NRF