Fishing is an ancient way of food gathering, which has been instrumental for the healthy living of many people, for many years. Nowadays, fishing is particularly important to developing countries since the value of fish surpasses that of agricultural commodities such as sugar and rice. People living along the coast have been harvesting marine resources for basic subsistence for generations and at present several small-scale fisheries operate along the South African coastline, ranging from the shore-based harvesting of intertidal resources such as mussels, to the targeting of migratory line-fish stocks using small motorized vessels. Due to their high dependence on marine resource harvesting, small-scale fishers (SSF) are among the most vulnerable socio-economic groups, and while small-scale fisheries employ the vast majority of the world's fishers, they are often marginalized and ignored. The lack of appropriate governance in South African small-scale fisheries has made it hard for fishers to benefit from the resources that are readily available to them. However, changes within fisheries management practices have led to the move from conventional resource-centred strategies to management approaches that recognize the complexity of the sector. The new small-scale fisheries policy, currently in its implementation phase, embraces many of these new approaches but does not necessary prepare small-scale fishers to actively participate in the co-management of their resources. Furthermore, the lack of reliable data and information about small-scale fisheries, due to historical marginalisation, is currently one of the primary challenges facing the sector in the country, and preventing small-fishers from demonstrating to policy makers the potential of the sector to contribute towards food security and poverty eradication. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of a mobile app in bringing about a co-production of fisheries knowledge and stimulating the co-management of fisheries, using the fishing communities of Lambertsbaai on the West Coast and Struisbaai along the South Coast as case studies. The research aimed to understand and assess the concerns and uncertainties of formalizing the mobile app (Abalobi) and explore if the mobile app can entice fishers' enthusiasm towards the implementation of

Includes bibliographical references. / The Cape Town Talent Exchange (CTTE) is a Community Exchange System operating locally in Cape Town, while allowing national and global exchanges to take place. Trading activity occurs between members of the community through an alternative currency, Talents. There are numerous incentives driving the participation of the community members. These include various political, social, economic, environmental and philosophical motivations. It is evident, however, that the members’ desires meet through the search for an alternative space where social interactions are experienced and social values are formed through economic activity. The construction of the CTTE as an alternative economy, that re¬‐introduces this social dimension into the economic sphere contributes to the movement away from the hegemonic, capitalist economy to one of heterogeneity. There are, however, tensions that lie in the overlapping nature of these systems, restricting the alterity and autonomy of the CTTE and emphasising the power and dominance of the mainstream economy.

Small-scale fishers (SSFs) are among the most vulnerable socio-economic groups because of their high dependence on marine resource harvesting. While small-scale fisheries employ the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers and contribute substantially to the global catch, they are, on the whole, marginalised and ignored. Despite their importance in providing food security and livelihoods in coastal communities, state management authorities routinely neglect small-scale fisheries in favour of industrial fisheries. In South Africa, the exclusion of small-scale fishers is intricately linked with the oppressive policies of the apartheid government, which limited access to the fisheries for the largely Black and Coloured smallscale fishers. Changes within fisheries management practices led to the development of management tools that moved away from conventional resource-centred strategies, to management approaches that recognised the complexity of natural and ecological processes inherent within small-scale fisheries. Many of these new approaches have been embraced in South Africa's new small-scale fisheries policy. The policy represents a long line of arguably failed attempts at reforming South African fisheries undertaken by the South African government. While the policy is unique in the scale of participation by the small-scale fishers themselves it is still faced with the hurdle of implementation. The adoption of the individual rights approach embodied by the individual quota (IQ) system in the post-apartheid reforms has led to divisions within the community. Fishing rights benefited a small elite and disenfranchised many more fishers for whom fishing was a livelihood, but were excluded from the rights allocations. The new small-scale fisheries policy is widely acknowledged as progressive and carries the hope of inclusion for small-scale fishers along South Africa's coasts. After decades of disenfranchisement and individual rights allocations, the major challenge in the new policy's implementation will be dealing with the range of complex and unique communities in which the policy will be carried out. The purpose of this study was to establish a profile of the Lamberts Bay small-scale fisher groups and their perceptions regarding the new small-scale fisher policy, in order to inform the policy's implementation in Lamberts Bay.

The City of Cape Town is under increasing pressure to develop sustainable urban policies and plans to be able to mitigate and prepare for impacts of environmental change. Both city practitioners and academic researchers in Cape Town believe that one knowledge base is not sufficient to attempt to address the 'wicked problems' associated with environmental change, and that there is a need for collaboration among different knowledge types. This case study considers the value of facilitating an engaged interaction between academics and practitioners in order to co-produce knowledge that can be more relevant and useful for addressing sustainable urban planning challenges. A process of qualitative research by means of interviews with practitioners and researchers within the Cape Town Knowledge Transfer Programme revealed that a more engaged interaction between the researchers and the practitioners, who are the likely users of that research, generates more valuable knowledge and solutions for addressing sustainable urban planning challenges. This case study found that the engaged interaction was immeasurably valuable for both of the institutions, as well as the knowledge produced during the interaction, and the individuals involved in it. The results and implications for partnerships between academic researchers and city practitioners is discussed.

Sustainable surfing events are a recent phenomenon and there is little to no academic literature reflecting this development. Sustainable event management (SEM) is the integration of sustainability principles and practices into event production to produce an event that goes beyond economic longevity and fulfils important social, cultural, and environmental roles that people value. This research explores the current practices and issues surrounding the implementation of SEM into surfing events held in Hawaii, USA and in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. The thesis follows a qualitative case study approach using semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentary evidence. Findings demonstrated that the key obstacles to implementing sustainable event management principles and practices include limited access to capital, lack of government support, resistance to change, the absence of a common vision, and a lack of education and awareness. This study revealed the importance of context in a hosting community's journey towards sustainable event production. Overcoming these obstacles requires engagement of the private sector, influence of local champions, involvement of NGOs, trusting relationships between local and external event stakeholders, access to technology and resources, and the strategic use of media to promote sustainability awareness to all event stakeholders. Based on these findings, recommendations for improving the sustainability performance of surfing events include the development of a formal policy, education and training for event staff, a media campaign focused on sustainability issues, and in-depth engagement with the local hosting community. How the enabling or inhibiting factors play out on the ground depends on the variety of factors previously highlighted. In practice, there are linkages across SEM practices and many work in concert to enhance the overall sustainability performance. Theoretically, the implications of this research lie in its contribution to a growing body of knowledge pertaining to the surfing industry's transition towards more sustainable business operations. Practically, this information can be used to inform policy, set goals, carefully examine alternatives, establish effective factors to enable SEM, and encourage sustainable decision-making and actions. Other surfing communities can learn from the experiences of the event stakeholders in Hawaii and Jeffreys Bay to improve their efforts of hosting a sustainable surfing event. Overall, this knowledge can promote a more balanced dissemination of sustainability thinking and practices within the global surfing events sector.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) advocates that well-functioning ecosystems are critical for building resilience and supporting society's adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change. The National Department of Environmental Affairs, Fisheries and Forestry in South Africa has decided to mainstream EbA into its climate response actions, developing a strategy and set of guidelines to steer implementation. However, little work has been done to grasp different actors' perspectives and understandings of EbA, its implementation and how to link EbA to existing related projects and programmes that focus on natural resource management and ecological restoration. This research presents findings from a qualitative study in the Western Cape that sought to investigate what EbA means ‘on the ground' and how it can be actioned. The objectives for this research were to 1) unpack how government actors in the Western Cape relate to, understand and give meaning to EbA in their specific and existing work contexts and how they relate EbA to other concepts such as green infrastructure, restoration and various forms of natural resource management (NRM); 2) explore the concerns and challenges encountered and what support is needed to implement EbA within each actor's sector; and 3) interpret what the findings mean for future conceptualization, and promotion of EbA mainstreaming in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews with 19 government officials and participant observation at EbA related events in South Africa were the main methods used in the research. Findings suggest that despite some conceptual confusion related to EbA, EbA can be ‘grounded based on the three spheres EbA explicitly builds on; namely biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, climate change adaptation and socio-economic benefits. That said, the study also found that practitioners might struggle to successfully address climate change as one of the critical areas of EbA, due to the difficulties of integrating climate change science and projections into projects. In addition, three challenges were identified that relate to funding availability, silo mentality and the mismatch between short-term objectives and decision making in government, and the need for long-term thinking and planning. Increased climate change understanding together with effective demonstration and the use of applicable language that relates to what the different actors are already doing can help improve EbA uptake and mainstreaming, as well as address the challenges related to conceptual confusion, funding, silo mentality and short-term thinking.

In Post-Apartheid South Africa tourism was seen as an important tool for economic development and poverty alleviation, especially in rural communities. The term Responsible Tourism was adopted by government in the 1996 White Paper and encouraged tourism that creates competitive advantage, maintains natural, social and cultural diversity and promotes sustainable use of local resources. This study looks at two case studies on the Wild Coast of South Africa, namely; Coffee Shack in Coffee Bay and Bulungula Lodge in Nqileni, which have both been awarded for their responsible tourism efforts. Through a review of the literature, document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this thesis identified a set of responsible tourism criteria applicable to tourism ventures in rural South Africa, while also identifying some of the challenges that come with tourism development in rural areas. The study discusses how responsible tourism approaches and practices can enable not only job opportunities, but also contribute to improving basic living conditions and enhance education and skills development of local communities. Gaining ownership of the tourism venture, meaningful participation of local communities in management and decision making, equal power relations as well as sharing in the benefits were all found to be important enablers in the case studies. A responsible tourism approach also focuses on promoting sound environmental management practices, including respect for local cultures, institutions and local knowledge, thereby contributing to biodiversity conservation efforts and promoting sustainable livelihoods. The study recognised how partnerships with government and NGOs can enable better implementation of responsible tourism policies and approaches, while monitoring results and accreditation can measure these benefits delivered to the economy, community and environment.

Development researchers have long held a belief that developed states use their power to provide Aid or other forms of external assistance such as private philanthropy, assistance of Non-Governmental Organisations, and other private financing to underdeveloped, or developing, nations to achieve global economic and political stability. Development scholars (including geographers) have largely attributed this to a sense of responsibility. Many have assumed this assistance to travel in one direction, i.e. from Global North to Global South, thus overlooking the modalities of care and hospitality among individuals within countries of the Global South. In this thesis, I posit that looking at everyday modes of assistance at the community level would challenge scholars to re-think the ways in which place matters in development. Analysing qualitative data gathered through interviews and focus groups in two neighbourhoods in Maputo, Mozambique, this study is ultimately an investigation of proximity. I argue that the closeness of people in these complex community relationships matters in three ways: (i) the everyday practices of assistance in these communities are modes of resistance to an oppressive state; (ii) forms of assistance serve as expressions of local (as opposed to national) identity; and (iii) religious institutions play a significant role in fostering public discourse, rather than motivating assistance itself. In speaking more specifically about how proximity matters, this study contributes uniquely to the growing realisation that development must come from within.

The food security of university students in South Africa is an area of research which is becoming increasingly researched and recognised. Internationally, there has been research into university student food security, recognition of student food insecurity and the links to academic success, and the idea of secure campus food systems. Approaches documented in the literature from the global North include the establishment of food banks and pantries, and the use of university green space in order to feed university students and decrease student food insecurity. Limited research on food security of university students in South Africa has been conducted, but this is increasing. Universities around the world are becoming increasingly aware and active in examining their ecological impacts as universities, and placing sustainability on the university agenda. This research explores the current narratives of student food security, campus food initiatives and the (dis)connection between green spaces and student food security responses at a university in South Africa. In order to achieve the research aim, three objectives were identified. The first objective was to review the global literature of university student food security, the use of green spaces on university campuses as a food security response. The second objective investigated student food security dialogues, and the third objective included the examination of university based food initiatives and university policy documents and reports, and assessing the integration of aspects of student food security. This exploratory research used a mixed methods approach, using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data, by way of literature review, document analysis, online quantitative surveys and semi structured interviews in order to explore the narrative of student food security in South Africa, as well as the link between university campus sustainability and student food security. Dominant themes which arose from the research include food costs and affordability, in addition to food quality and health. It was found that there is a disconnection between student food experiences, sustainability and green spaces. While the links between green space and student food security may be relevant in Northern contexts, more pressing systemic issues require attention in the context of South Africa, thus adding to the complexity of how student food security is approached in the country. This exploratory research highlights the need for further research to be conducted in the area of student food security.

This study aimed to examine the perceptions of two local communities living adjacent to Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve (MMNP&R) and Kuruwitu community closure (tengefu) in Kenya regarding the benefits and impacts of the MPA on their livelihoods. A secondary aim was to compare the perceptions of these two communities in relation to the MPA management models employed at the two study sites. The research employed a case study approach and undertook focus group meetings and key informant interviews at each case study site and with relevant organisations. Key findings from the research revealed that both sites experienced diversification of livelihoods, however the diversification was for different reasons. The Bamburi community members stated that the park generated benefits such as new forms of employment linked to tourism, beach security, increased variety of corals and fish species as well as improved infrastructure. The Kuruwitu community perceived the closure to have resulted in various benefits but in particular social benefits, such as women empowerment, ownership of resources, co-existence among resource users and community exchange visits were highlighted. However, both cases also identified various negative impacts including tensions due to an increase in migrant fishers, illegal access and poaching and the use of unsustainable gear. Furthermore, the direct resource users (fishers) in both case study sites felt that their fishing grounds had been drastically reduced due to the establishment of the park and tengefu which negatively affected their fish catches and livelihoods, leading to decreased support for the conservation initiatives. Therefore, the fishers in both study sites were more negative about the protected areas compared to the other resource users. Kuruwitu, in particular, identified perceived fear of the loss of their marine area to privatisation, inequitable sharing of benefits by their leadership group and limited involvement of women in decision- making as primary negative concerns. On the other hand, concerns about minimal involvement in management decisions during and after park inception were expressed by participants at the Bamburi study site. In addition, the lack of transparency in the management and use of revenue derived from the state- run MMNP&R further aggravated tensions between the state and the adjacent communities as well as severe penalties set for transgressions on locals by marine park authorities at MMNP&R. With the introduction of co-management through the Beach Management Units (BMUs) in Kenya in the year 2007, it was expected that stakeholder participation would be increased, however, the Bamburi community lamented over lack of proper representation within the BMUs which they claimed gave outsiders more power. While both communities, especially Kuruwitu identified a number of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) that aided in fulfilling the community’s socio- economic and ecological objectives, they were much more central to achieving socio-ecological objectives at Kuruwitu than at Bamburi. These NGOs and other stakeholders, however, became much more engaged at MMNP&R after the inception of the BMUs. Based on the findings, it was evident that the community- based co-management conservation approach at Kuruwitu generated more social benefits to the community than the state-centred co- managed conservation approach at MMNP&R. Loss of access to traditional fishing grounds, perceived loss of benefits and increased social costs triggered illegal access into the state park, therefore, fuelling conflicts and exacerbating tensions between the community and the state as well as tensions between various management institutions regarding overlapping mandates. Implementing genuine co-management approaches are key to fostering inclusivity, accountability, legitimacy and support for marine conservation initiatives.