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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Contemporary South African environmental response : an historical and socio-political evaluation, with particular reference to Blacks

Khan, Farieda January 1990 (has links)
Bibliography: leaves 128-148. / The impress of history has been particularly profound in the sphere of environmental perception, in that South Africans, both black and white, have had their notions of the environment shaped by the political forces of the past. Accordingly, this study is placed within the context of historical geography, as its open-ended techniques and multi-disciplinary approach is regarded as the most appropriate way of undertaking a study which crosses both historical and environmental boundaries. A contention fundamental to this study, is that South African environmental awareness and knowledge is at a fairly low level and that black environmental interest and concern in particular, ranges from apathy to outright hostility. It is further contended that the attainment of mass environmental literacy is essential for the success of the environmental movement in this country and that this in turn, is dependent on the adoption of a strategy incorporating an integrated historical, social and political perspective. Historico-political factors such as: the impact of the colonizing process; the dispossession of the indigenous peoples; the effect of racial attitudes; discriminatory land legislation and, in particular, the imposition of the apartheid system in 1948, are evaluated in terms of their effect on the development of black environmental attitudes. The culmination of these factors has led to a distortion of environmental perceptions and attitudes, as well as to the alienation of blacks from the environment. Conversely, the initially exploitative white response to the environment gradually incorporated a preservationist element, subsequently evolving into a conservation ideology which generally ignored black interests and perspectives. The policies and activities of the first black environmental organizations are detailed, in an attempt to place their achievements in historical perspective. Research in this area was conducted using primary sources. Interviews with selected environmental and mass democratic organizations in the Greater Cape Town Region were conducted. Using the techniques of the focused interview, their stance on environmental issues was established and their proposals for a future environmental strategy elicited. It was found that, while only one of the nine mass democratic organizations evaluated had an environmental policy, they were all committed to the establishment of a democratic society as well as to the concept of mass participation in environmental politics. Based on the insights gained from the historical aspects of the study, as well as an assessment of the proposals put forward during interviews, it is concluded that certain preconditions .are necessary for the successful implementation of future environmental strategies, if blacks are to become involved in environmental issues. These are: the destruction of apartheid; the establishment of a democratic state and the enhancement of individual quality of life.
2

An assessment of cumulative effects in Strategic Environmental Assessment : a critical review of South African practice

Mitchell, Inge 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (M.A.)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a general consensus that EIA is limited in its scope. The main concern in this regard is that EIA generally fails to handle cumulative impacts effectively, due to its focus on individual projects. Cumulative effects are changes to the environment that are caused by an action in combination with other past, present and future human actions. The evaluation of cumulative effects generally focuses on potential pervasive, regional environmental problems. Due to its strong focus on sustainable development, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), by definition, should address cumulative effects. EIAs in South Africa traditionally only considered the "footprint" or area covered by each project component. However, in recent years the cumulative nature of environmental impacts of human actions has increasingly become a visible concern to the South African public, which has led to the need to infuse cumulative effects concepts into environmental assessments. In theory, a SEA is aimed at improving the way in which cumulative effects are dealt with in environmental assessments. This raises the question of whether past and present South African SEA approaches have effectively addressed the issue of cumulative effects. This thesis provides a critical reappraisal of recent experience in SEA with particular reference to its application in South Africa. It is in this context, of the opportunities and constraints of current SEA application, that this study attempts to determine how best to infuse cumulative effects methodology and philosophy into the emerging South African SEA process. This study evaluates three SEA case studies undertaken in South African, in order to assess how effectively cumulative effects are addressed within the current South African SEA process. The analysis focuses on both innovative approaches used in each study, as well as the limitations and deficiencies of each approach. A generic framework was developed in order to provide broad guidelines for practitioners and reviewers. These guidelines focus on how best to infuse cumulative effects philosophy and methodology into the current SEA process. It is envisaged that this methodology will enhance the current SEA process, in order to ensure that environmental issues are placed on the same level as economic and social considerations in future decision making, to achieve sustainable development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
3

ISO 14001 and environmental legal compliance at Samancor Chrome

14 August 2012 (has links)
M.B.A. / "There has been an increased concern regarding environmental issues in the international community during the last couple of decades. Whereas nongovernmental organisations have played an important role in drawing attention to environmental impacts caused by industrial activities, governments and international organisations have responded by promulgating increasingly stringent legislation" (Hall, 1998:3). As Hall emphasised in the above statement more pressure is placed on international competing organisations to prove to the international community that they are committed to positive environmental performance. This is normally done through the implementation of an integrated environmental management system, such as the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) ISO 14001 (1996) system, followed by third party certification. A decision was made by the Billiton Board that all its subsidiaries would implement an integrated, internationally accepted environmental management system. To ensure that the same standard applies to all its operations it was decided that all subsidiaries must implement the SABS ISO 14001 (1996) environmental management system, coupled with third party certification. Samancor, is a subsidiary of Billiton, who owns operations all over the world. Thus individuals at each Samancor plant was tasked with SABS ISO 14001 (1996) implementation and certification. Five of the plants already received SABS ISO 14001 (1996) certification and Palmiet Ferrochrome is currently in the process of developing and implementing the SABS ISO 14001 (1996) standard. The aim of the dissertation is to determine if the implementation of SABS ISO 14001 (1996), as an integrated environmental management system would ensure environmental legal compliance in the Samancor group. The different Samancor plants are not only pressurised to become SABS ISO 14001 (1996) certified by the parent company, Billiton, but also by its customers seeing that most of Samancor's products are exported and sold on the international market. As a result of these pressures the company is actively engaged in a dynamic integrated environmental management plan, which deals with all aspects of air, water, ground and solid waste pollution.
4

The legal duty of the municipalities to enforce environmental law

Mathebula, Mkhachane Themba January 2011 (has links)
Thesis (LLM. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011
5

Overview of the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998

Khumalo, Jan Lekopane January 2011 (has links)
Thesis (LLM) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Bishop Edward Lekganyane Bursary Fund
6

Change and continuity in government institutional arrangements : implications for environmental management in the Upper Tugela area of KwaZulu-Natal.

Nsuntsha, Aubrey N. M. January 2000 (has links)
Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, 2000.
7

Environmental ethics and the problem of sustainability : a South African study.

Mbaya, Kennedy Lloyd Mphatso. January 2002 (has links)
Chapter one introduces the topic and outlines chapters two, three, four and five. Chapter two discusses environmental ethics in the light of the three notions of the environment, namely, instrumental value, intrinsic value and the inherent worth. This chapter also discusses philosophical theories of ethics, viz. a consequence-based theory, which is, Utilitarianism, principle-based theories and a philosophical principle of stewardship. Chapter three discusses the trajectory of sustainable development with respect to selected international events. This chapter also shows how the paradigm of sustainable development has peen embraced in nation states, with a special reference to South Africa. Chapter four critically analyses South Africa's environmental law and its macroeconomic policy, GEAR, in the light of environmental ethics. Chapter five synthesises discussions raised in the preceding chapters and offers some insights as to how policy-making pertaining to environment and development can be improved by incorporating a holistic approach of environmental ethics. Chapter six summarises discussions that emerged in chapters one, two, three, four and five. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.
8

Effectiveness of environmental management frameworks in South Africa : evaluating stakeholder perceptions and expectations.

Mtolo, Khanyiso Edmund. January 2010 (has links)
The interest in environment and environmental management in South Africa is growing rapidly. Although the sector is still developing, South Africa has achieved commendable progress compared to global trends and standards. As the natural resources are becoming increasingly vulnerable by over-utilization and environmental degradation, the development and implementation of effective decision support tools is becoming increasingly important. For these reasons, it is likely that environmental management tools will continue to develop in South Africa and it is therefore vital that these tools are developed to ensure that development is conducted in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner. Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs), as one of the decision support tools within the Integrated Environmental Management system, were officially proclaimed under National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (NEMA EIA Regulations) of 2006, which have since been amended to NEMA EMF Regulations. The Department of Environmental Affairs, as a leading agent in addressing environmental issues, is tasked with ensuring that Environmental Management Frameworks become efficient and effective in South Africa. In spite of existing Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) tools such as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Management Plan (EMP), and Environmental Management Systems (EMS), there has been a strong debate by stakeholders around the development of Environmental Management Frameworks as decision support tools in spite of other existing planning tools at national, provincial and local levels. Debates are around, for example, the actual need for EMFs, their application, context and scope, and around the outcomes from applying Environmental Management Frameworks in South Africa. The lack of knowledge around Environmental Management Frameworks and their potential impacts, both within Government and in the general public, makes research and development of Environmental Management Frameworks essential to provide a clear pathway towards understanding the potential impacts. Therefore, this research has been conducted to evaluate perceptions and expectations of stakeholders involved in the development process of Environmental Management Frameworks. By understanding stakeholders’ perceptions and expectations, it is hoped that the research findings will be utilized to devise possible strategies to make Environmental Management Frameworks efficient and effective in South Africa. The results of the research lead to the formulation of a number of recommendations that will hopefully lead to their adoption, as suggested above. It is also the intention that the research will be absorbed by a wider audience, so that the challenges in the potentially successful implementation of EMFs in the future are more fully understood. Recommendations include the need for legal enforcement of EMFs with the Department of Environmental Affairs setting in place succinct EMF regulations and guidelines as a matter of urgency; that the Department of Environmental Affairs establish viable partnerships with key stakeholders to benefit from their collective wisdom; and that government should enhance such publicprivate partnerships in the development of EMFs by ensuring realistic budgetary allocations to achieve desired outcomes. This dissertation acknowledges the new EMF Regulations of 2010 but adheres to the NEMA EIA Regulations of 2006. The research was already finalized when the new EMF Regulations came into effect.
9

Property rights and environmental conservation.

Fitzpatrick, Russell Anthony. January 1996 (has links)
The intention of this dissertation is not to embark on a discussion on the desirability of a property clause, nor to undertake a full analysis of the property and environmental clauses as they appear in both the interim and working draft constitutions. Instead it is my intention to analyze the inherent conflict that exists between property rights, specifically ownership, and environmental conservation. This will be assessed against the backdrop of the common law, case law and in the light of both the interim and working draft constitutions. Due to the fact that the terms "deprived" and "expropriate", as used in both constitutions, broadly correspond to the concepts of police powers and eminent domain, and since measures taken in the name of environmental conservation are invariably carried out under the auspices of the States police power, it is necessary to :- (a) assess the "deprivation"-"expropriation" conflict and emphasise the ambiguity that can arise in interpreting and differentiating between the two terms; (b) draw a distinction between police power deprivations and expropriatory deprivations. Foreign jurisdictions have experienced grave problems in drawing this distinction, which has been further exacerbated by the concept of inverse condemnation. U.S takings jurisprudence is analyzed to elicit the resultant chaos which will emerge if the courts do not come up with an adequate solution. A possible solution is offered which will provide the courts with an analytical framework within which to work; and (c) assess, although to a lesser extent, the courts ability to review Parliamentary enactments and administrative action. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.
10

Urban regeneration and sustainability : conflicting or mutually supportive agendas within contemporary cities : a case study of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Hannan, Sylvia. January 2012 (has links)
In the context of globalization and neo-liberal urban restructuring, cities have been attempting to reposition themselves within the competitive global landscape through focusing on their images and their enhancement since the 1970’s. Rebuilding the city became the goal of urban policy through the process of urban regeneration, and large-scale, emblematic urban development projects or ‘mega-projects’ began to play a major role in this endeavour. However, in the current landscape of uncontained economic growth, social decline and ecological destruction, sustainability has become a critical concept, and the pursuit of a ‘sustainable city’ is a desirable goal. Urban policy consequently focuses on urban regeneration and sustainability as parallel agendas. This study focuses on the South African city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, where regeneration has become particularly evident in recent years, with the focus intensifying when the country was awarded the bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, sparking the planning and construction of a number of mega-projects. Simultaneously sustainability has gained greater focus, as the need to develop within environmental limits has been recognized. Three particular mega-projects within the city are investigated: the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Warwick Junction Mall, and the Point Development; in order to explore the relationship between the two dominant agendas of contemporary urban policy. This is achieved through the exploration of the urban policy and regeneration landscape of the city, and the particular role which mega-projects play. Subsequently, the three mega-projects are assessed in terms of sixteen sustainable city principles to determine the extent to which they incorporate sustainability, and thereby the extent to which sustainability is considered in the city’s urban regeneration. The research findings reveal that although sustainability is present in the policy and planning rhetoric of the city, the mega-projects and urban regeneration do not include these principles to any meaningful extent. It is therefore concluded that these two policy strands are currently conflicting agendas within the planning and development landscape of Durban. There is a consequent need for sustainability to be practically incorporated to a greater extent in order to ensure a sustainable future for the city. i / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.

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