Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leave 110-114). / The integrated development plan (IDP) has been described as a key tool to ensure the incorporation of sustainability considerations at the local planning level within government. In the South African context this suggests a linking of planning and environmental management functions within local level government. Various theoretical studies have been conducted regarding the incorporation of environmental and sustainability concerns in the integrated development planning process. Evidence from these studies indicates that consideration of the environment and sustainability issues is largely inadequate. Furthermore, the need to consider the environment as a cross-cutting issue has not been realized at the local government level, subsequently the environment is still considered as a separate sector or as an add-on after plan and project formulation. These findings are further indicative of the fact that a gap exists between policy and practice at the local government level. In terms of sustainability concerns and the integrated development plan, there are few empirical studies that provide evidence to support these claims. The broad aim of this study has been to determine to what extent sustainability concerns are being incorporated into Integrated Development Plans (lOP) at the metropolitan, district and local municipal authority level within the Western Cape Province of South Africa. To address the aim of this study, four main methods were employed. Firstly, a literature review was carried out to provide the theoretical and conceptual basis for the research. Secondly, the legislative and policy context in South Africa in terms of integrated development plans, environmental management and planning was examined. Thirdly, an analytical framework was developed based on a set of environmental and sustainability questions that need to be taken into consideration during each phase of the IDP process. Fourthly, this analytical framework was used to review and analyse a sample of lOP documents within the Western Cape Province. Lastly, interviews were conducted with various key officials at all three levels of government involved in different aspects of the IDP in the Western Cape.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The objective of this study is to establish a methodology in which remote sensing can be used to support the monitoring of water resources. SPOT XS imagery and object-oriented classification was used to identify farm dams and their surface area. Two equations applied to determining the capacity of dams were used to convert surface area to volume. The results showed a similarity between fieldwork and object-oriented classification data for surface area. Overall, there appears to be a strong positive correlation between object-oriented classification and unsupervised classification. The correlation between object-oriented classification and supervised classification ranged from strong positive association to little or no association. This study concludes that remote sensing is a useful tool in identifying water bodies and generating an estimate of volume stored.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The Convention on Biological Diversity provides an international regulatory framework for countries to develop their own access and benefit-sharing (ABS) legislation. This international convention governs the utilization of a country's genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. Due to increased capabilities and demand from industry for these resources, a market is created over which ABS legislation is to govern. This is based on the realization of the objectives of the convention that provide for state sovereignty over a country's indigenous biological resources. This dissertation presents the results from an evaluation of ABS legislation and its implementation within South Africa. Key objectives are to analyze the implementation of regulations and procedures governing access to indigenous biological resources and traditional knowledge, and associated institutional arrangements.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-100). / This case study is based in South Africaand in particular in the Western Cape province. The case study was reviewed for the purpose of evaluating its EIA effectiveness in which all the EIA stages from project design to follow up were revisited and analysed against criteria for effectiveness.

Bibliography: leaves 100-108. / This research determines that the Green Building Tool (GBTool) may be sufficiently flexible to be implemented in Japan. Even so, the locally developed system has been adopted as the preferred building environmental assessment method for Japan. Pressing building environmental concerns in Japan are identified, and performance criteria for building assessment tools in Japan established. A distinction is drawn between building performance assessment criteria and assessment tool performance criteria. This is central to understanding Japanese attitudes towards the GBTool. The Japanese Green Building Challenge (GBC) process is discussed -including the testing, customisation and use of the GBTool and the subsequent development of a Japanese alternative (CASBEE - the Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency). A comparative assessment of the GBTool and CASBEE system for Japanese commercial application is undertaken. User-friendly tools that can slot into existing building processes and regulations are most suitable for commercial use in Japan. Building professionals prefer a set of tools designed for use in specific building stages such as CASBEE. The study consequently finds that the GBTool is suitable for research, but has limited commercial application because of the size of the assessment framework. The development of a Japanese tool for nationwide implementation has been a consensus based decision-making process. The development of assessment frameworks acceptable to local users may enable the promotion of building environmental priorities while addressing established commercial building concerns.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / This dissertation presents a comparative analysis of two selected Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of environmental improvement projects and evaluates the performance of this tool towards its overall goal of promoting sustainable development. Principles for EIA effectiveness are articulated in different countries in general and in South Africa in particular; which describe the current state of knowledge on EIA effectiveness. A framework for evaluation of the two cases is developed from the EIA literature which includes criteria such as contributing to project design, development control, and informing the planning process and decision making. Various perspectives on effective EIA and problems in South Africa informed the evaluation framework. The dissertation outlines legal and institutional arrangements including EIA regulation, administration and enforcement at different government levels, the extent of cooperation between the province and the local municipality, and the implications for EIA performance. In evaluating EIA, it is crucial to define the factors underlying a given EIA problem or strength and the consequences, rather than just outlining the problems. This requirement for in-depth analysis inspired the choice to conduct the study on the basis of case studies. Prevention of groundwater contamination of the Duikersvlei stream at the old Kynoch Factory site and proposed processing and disposal of sulphur produced at the Caltex Refinery are two selected EIAs of environmental improvement projects. They were both done under Environmental Conservation Act (ECA), 1997. For the record of decision, the scoping report was considered in the case of Duikersvlei project and for the Sulphur processing project a full EIA was done.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-91). / This dissertation discusses the challenges to interorganizational collaboration in Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) projects in the developing world. After roughly 20 years of implementation, ICM is just beginning to systematically review its initiatives especially in the developing world. The early reviews of ICM initiatives that have been published note several challenges that are hindering the effectiveness of many ICM initiatives. One of these challenges is how to implement effective interorganizational coordination in ICM initiatives.

This research explores the ecological integrity of three small-scale interventions in urban greening in a single catchment in the City of Cape Town, within the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos ecotype. The chosen intervention sites were namely: Tokai Park, Princess Vlei and Bottom Road Sanctuary. The study aimed to bridge a gap in the current research by contributing to an understanding of the ecological value of social management and intervention.

In densely settled urban and peri-urban areas of South Africa, stormwater infrastructure is frequently being used as a conduit for the daily discharge of effluents resulting in the deterioration of rivers and other receiving water bodies. This study investigates the pollution load from urban localities entering the Berg River at Paarl, and in particular, seeks to determine whether or not there is a difference in the pollution load immediately after periods of wet and dry weather conditions.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-71). / This study examines and analyses the role played by Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that act as intermediary organizations that help to bring benefits to veld product harvesters. It also examines the nature of these benefits, with a focus on Kgetsi-ya-Tsie (KyT) in the Tswapong region of eastern Botswana. Specific objectives were to examine how KyT has helped veld product harvesters maximize benefits from natural resources; to analyse the institutional capacity, structure, and relationships that affect decisionmaking processes to distribute benefits; and to examine who and how many people benefited from KyT and why they benefited. Intermediaries such as KyT identify market linkages between producers and markets. They are able to build on the strengths of traditional skills and knowledge by infusion of technologies, capital and innovative practices. Thus they are able to equip local communities with new skills and capabilities to market and run profitable enterprises. Through detailed investigation of KyT it is concluded that producers have benefited from the involvement with the organization. The values of products have been enhanced through quality control, labelling, packaging, marketing and sales. Not only have markets been secured, but prices to producers have also improved through KyT. Producers have also benefited through skills acquisition and social empowerment.