Many people in Africa, due to high levels of poverty, rely directly on natural resources and the environment for their livelihoods. Different mechanisms have been employed over the years to address poverty and local livelihoods in the context of conservation. Community Conservation Areas and the sustainable livelihood approach are examples of these mechanisms. Increasingly, these and other mechanisms have reinforced the view that unless the risks and opportunities presented by poverty to local livelihoods are addressed, many conservation efforts are bound to fail. The research reported here was based on the premise that appropriate mechanisms that explicitly address poverty and local livelihoods are a necessary prerequisite to successfully engaging local people in conservation. Such mechanisms assure the sustainability of local livelihoods and present opportunities for conservation initiatives to succeed within the context of human societies that are dependent on associated ecosystems and resources. The Maloti-Drakensberg mountains region in South Africa was the study site and the proposed Ngelengele Nature Reserve, a Community Conservation Area, was used as a case study. The amaHlubi community people constituted the study's respondents. The study was largely qualitative, drawing on both primary and secondary sources of data in the form of interviewer-administered questionnaire and documentary analysis respectively. Field observations and discussions with respondents complemented the interviews. By adopting the sustainable livelihoods framework to understand and analyse the livelihoods of the amaHlubi community, the study highlighted concerns about livelihood assets with the conclusion that there is a high dependence on natural resources mainly for domestic purposes, and in general most of the assets are non existent. The study also highlighted the level of awareness and community support towards Ngelengele Nature Reserve, as well as the reserve's implications on local livelihoods. Although some stated that the objectives of Ngelengele Nature Reserve remain unclear, the majority of respondents showed high expectations and support for the project. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Text in Afrikaans / This research deals with the artist's contribution towards the current process of ecological purification through which mankind's attention are brought to the destructive maintenance of the planet. The alchemical artist uses purification as a means to make social comments on the lifestyle of the contemporary person, through the aestheticism of objects. The different manifestations of ceo-feministic thought within environmental activism are explored to make the reader aware of the diversity of ceo-feministic thought. Eco-feminism in general, tries to promote the importance of the earth as a life supporting system by respecting her needs, cycles, energies and eco-systems. As a result of this process, the public are invited to take part in recycle-art through which a change in attitude towards purification and the survival of the planet, are being accomplished / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)

Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / This study is located in the Joe Slovo informal settlement, Langa, Cape Town. This is a settlement much like many other townships in South Africa in that it is a disaster-prone, marginalised community. On the 15 January 2005 a fire ravaged the area, destroying 2 590 dwellings and leaving 12 950 people homeless. This qualitative study attempted to explore the personal perspectives of the survivors of this shack fire within the wider context of communal and socio-political variables. A number of interviews were conducted, some with the fire survivors, and others with service providers in the field of disaster management. Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was found to be a useful lens through which to analyse the data. The fire event itself is shown to have been a precipitant of a far longer and more complex chain of events and ongoing struggles for survival. Reactions to the fire and subsequent events, furthermore, must be understood at a number of levels – including at inter-personal and inter-group levels. The principles and corollaries of COR theory enable a deeper exploration of the disaster especially in terms of resource loss and the implications of survivors having been disadvantaged prior to the fire taking place. A number of pre-event issues are presented in order for this context to be fully understood. Two obstacles to community intervention are emphasised as key. First, the reality of what COR theory terms ‘communities within communities’ has implications for survivor behaviour. Second, the focus on the acute aftermath of the fire, and what COR theory terms the ‘avoidance of long-term needs’ is also crucial. COR theory facilitated the visibility of a link between the data and the use of space at an intergroup level. Despite the abolition of apartheid, segregation between groups in South Africa remains high. The current study made use of the social psychology of segregation to explore the inter-group conflict that emerged as the most salient and ongoing feature of this disaster. Although the current study is exploratory, it is hoped that it will encourage future research into the interface between space, inter-group relations and disaster.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Environmental management is becoming an increasingly popular phrase as businesses, organisations and communities are becoming more environmentally conscious. Conservation areas are under a significant amount of pressure from stakeholders to deliver effective collaboration and co-management strategies. What was previously understood as fragmented and underdeveloped, environmental conservation areas are now moving towards becoming decentralised, self-regulated and holistic in nature. Previously discouraged public involvement has now come to the forefront of government’s focus as public entities can aid in providing promised service delivery to conservation areas. As environmental conservation areas consist of a variety of ecosystems distributed throughout South Africa, this research focuses on three different conservation areas. The aim is to compare different managerial systems across the boundaries of conservation management in the context of international case studies, the South African government, as well as policy mandates already in place in the conservation areas. The purpose of the study is to compare different collaborative approaches by assessing the managerial methods within each of the chosen conservation areas. The overall purpose is to assess the various levels of stakeholder involvement by evaluating the levels of participation between the comanagement areas and stakeholders involved. A biosphere reserve, a water management system, and a land management system were studied. For the biosphere reserve case study, the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve was investigated. The Breede-Overberg Catchment Management Agency was studied for the water management system case study, and the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area was explored for the land management system case study. The methods used within this research comprised of conducting a literature study, as well as conducting interviews with various participants from each of the conservation areas involved. It was discovered that the Cape West Coast biosphere reserve functions as a non-governmental organisation with numerous exchangeable stakeholders. The Breede-Overberg catchment management agency is government orientated with the South African government as the main stakeholder. The Nuwejaars Wetlands special management area was established as being a private organisation with a Land-Owners Association. Research designs used include the evaluation research design and conceptual analysis design. The results of the study showed that conservation areas within South Africa need to implement more co-management, increase awareness within public and organisations’ spheres, increase institutional development, and implement more strategic partnerships in terms of stakeholder engagement with specific focus on private sector engagement. Tourism and sustainable scenario planning have also been proven to increase the benefits of collaboration, cooperation and co-management within each of the three conservation areas. With the emerging trend of environmental sustainability and popularity increasing in conservation, individuals on a global scale have become progressively more aware of the problems facing environmental conservation areas. It is imperative that a conservation area implements strategic collaborative resource management practices which best suit the type of organisation, whether it is state-run, privately run, or a non-governmental organisation. The best possible recommendation found was that it is in a conservation area’s best interest to find the right combination of solutions which work for a specific area instead of trying to implement a new, singular solution. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Besighede, organisasies en gemeenskappe word al meer omgewingsbewus en dus is die bestuur van die omgewing van meer belang. Bewaringsgebiede is onder ʼn beduidende hoeveelheid druk vanaf belanghebbendes om doeltreffende samewerking en mede-bestuur strategieë te lewer. In die verlede was sulke gebiede onder-ontwikkel en gefragmenteer. Bewaringsgebiede is nou besig om in gedesentraliseerde, self-regulerende en holistiese gebiede te word. Voorheen is openbare betrokkenheid ontmoedig, maar die fokus het nou verskuif en die regering se fokus is nou op openbare entiteite wat kan help met die verskaffing van beloofde dienslewering aan bewaringsgebiede. Bewaringsgebiede bestaan uit ʼn verskeidenheid van ekosisteme wat versprei is oor die hele Suid-Afrika. Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op drie verskillende bewaringsareas. Die doel hiervan is om verskillende bestuurstelsels te vergelyk oor alle grense van bewaring in die konteks van internasionale gevallestudies, die Suid-Afrikaanse regering sowel as die mandaat van beleid wat reeds in plek is in die bewaringsgebiede. Daar word ook gepoog om die verskillende samewerkende benaderings tot vergelyk te bring deur die beoordeling van die bestuurs-metodes van elk van die gekose bewaringsgebiede. Die oorkoepelende doel is om die verskillende vlakke van belanghebbende betrokkenheid vas te stel, deur die vlakke van betrokkenheid tussen die mede-bestuurs gebiede en belanghebbendes te evalueer. ʼn Biosfeer-reservaat, waterbestuurstelsel en landbestuurstelsel is bestudeer. In die geval van die biosfeer-reservaat gevallestudie is die Kaapse Weskus Biosfeerreservaat ondersoek. Die Breede-Overberg Opvanggebied Bestuursagentskap is vir die waterstelsel gevallestudie bestudeer en die Nuwejaars Vleilande Spesiale Bestuursgebied was as bron vir die landbestuurstelsel gevallestudie gebruik. Die metodes wat toegepas was in hierdie navorsing het bestaan uit die uitvoer van literatuurstudies asook onderhoude, in samewerking met ʼn verkose deelnemer uit elk van die bogenoemde bewaringsgebiede wat betrokke is. Daar is vasgestel dat die Kaapse Weskus Biosfeer-reservaat funksioneer as ʼn nie-regeringsorganisasie met verskeie uitruilbare belanghebbendes. Die Breede-Overberg Opvanggebied Bestuursagentskap is regerings georiënteerd met die Suid-Afrikaanse regering as die vernaamste belanghebbende. Die Nuwejaars Vleilande Spesiale Bestuursgebied is gevestig as ʼn private organisasie met ʼn Land-huiseienaars Vereniging. Die navorsingsontwerpe wat toegepas was, sluit die evaluering van die navorsingsontwerp sowel as ʼn konseptuele analise ontwerp in. Die resultate van die studie dui aan dat die bewaringsgebiede in Suid-Afrika: meer mede-bestuur moet implementeer; bewaringsbewustheid binne die openbare en organisasies se sfere moet vergroot; dat daar ʼn verhoging in institusionele ontwikkeling nodig is en dat die implementering van meer strategiese vennootskappe in terme van betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes met spesifieke fokus op dat private sektor se betrokkenheid nodig is. ʼn Toename in die voordele van samewerking sowel as mede-bestuur binne al drie bewaringsareas kan toegeskryf word aan toerisme en volhoubare scenario-beplanning. Saam met die opkomende tendens van ʼn toename in die populariteit van bewaring sowel as omgewings volhoubaarheid begin individue op ʼn globale skaal meer bewus raak van die probleme wat die omgewings- en bewaringsgebiede in die gesig staar. Dit is noodsaaklik dat bewaringsgebiede strategieë implementeer wat samewerkende bestuur van die hulpbronne wat die beste pas by hulle tipe organisasie, of dit nou onder staatsbeheer is, privaat bestuur word of nieregeringsorganisasies is, bevorder. Die beste moontlike aanbeveling was dat dit in ʼn bewaringsgebied se beste belange is om die regte kombinasie oplossings te vind vir ʼn spesifieke area, eerder as om te probeer om ʼn nuwe, enkelvoud oplossing te implementeer. / National Research Foundation

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

MaxEnt modelling uses only the known locations of a species to predict the overall distribution of a species. Large trees are important for the functioning of savanna ecosystems, bringing nutrients to the surface, providing shelter to animals and providing a number of ecological functions. Large trees have been identified as declining in density in many southern African reserves, making the conservation of large trees within reserves an issue in park management, such as in Kruger National Park (KNP) and Hluhluwe iMfolzi Parks (HiP). Two species of primary concern are Acacia nigrescens and Sclerocarya birrea, which have similar distributions in Southern Africa. Effective management of large trees requires understanding their distribution within reserves and any potential distribution changes. By determining the current locations of a species, and using GIS layers of environmental variables to predict the extent of habitats that could support the species, niche models can predict species distribution. Maximum Entropy techniques evaluate the probability of finding the species in raster squares, with values for environmental factors controlling distribution. For this study, the locations of A. nigrescens and S. birrea trees higher than 5 m were recorded in KNP and HiP, and were used in conjunction with MaxEnt to produce distribution probability maps for both species in each reserve. In HiP, the distribution map was compared with an independent existing data set to determine if the predicted distributions were accurate. The factors effecting their distribution were compared between HiP and KNP to determine why the species were found together in KNP but not in HiP. MaxEnt could predict the locations of the species within HiP, but predictions were better for A. nigrescens than S. birrea. In both Reserves, rainfall was the best predictor of tree location, along with elevation. The niche overlap was higher in KNP, where both species are well within their total species range, than in HiP where A. nigrescens was at the edge of its distribution. These variables that are limiting distribution at a reserve scale will have an influence on the overall distribution of the species. Niche models can be used to inform the establishment of botanical reserves or other management strategies that can help preserve large trees within reserves. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

No description available.

On March 22, 1958 David Brower's film Wilderness Alps of Stehekin premiered to an audience of conservationists in Seattle, Washington. Almost two years in the making, the thirty-one minute film advocated the preservation of nature in Washington's North Cascades through the creation of a national park. Over the next decade, Wilderness Alps of Stehekin became the most influential publicity tool in the struggle to preserve the North Cascades. Because of the region's geographic isolation, the film was the first time many people throughout the nation were exposed to the scenic grandeur of the area. Images of craggy peaks and colorful alpine meadows resonated deeply with many Americans and persuaded them to join in the campaign. It was the voice of these citizens that led Congress to pass the North Cascades Act of 1968, which placed 674,000 acres of the North Cascades under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. In this thesis I tell the creation story of North Cascades National Park from a conservationist perspective and trace the influence of Wilderness Alps of Stehekin within this context. Although the film was never shown in movie theaters and never aired on national television, many thousands viewed it from its premiere to the signing of the North Cascades Act. The film first introduced the idea of a North Cascades National Park, and it was important in convincing conservationists to unite around a national park solution. Ultimately, Wilderness Alps of Stehekin changed the approach activists took in the North Cascades and helped to preserve a wild and scenic nature experience for future generations through the protection of old-growth forests and alpine meadows.