M.Sc. / KwaNibela Peninsula is situated directly adjacent to the World Heritage Site of Lake St. Lucia, and lies between the northern parts of False Bay and Lake St. Lucia. The community of KwaNibela is not unlike many other rural communities in Africa, found in pristine areas with very little development having taken place over the years. However the pristine environment of KwaNibela is under threat from the community themselves, through excessive hunting, slash and burn bush clearing, the encroachment of alien plant species, and various uncontrolled forms of harvesting from the bush. Around the world eco-tourism has been seen as a way to sustainably fund conservation and benefit the local communities. For the conservation of the sand forests and surrounding wetland areas of KwaNibela it is necessary for the local people to see the benefit of conserving the area in their everyday life. Ecotourism has been investigated as the solution to conservation problems at KwaNibela. However it should not be neglected that for hundreds of years the people of KwaNibela have been harvesting from the bush and it is a part of their everyday life, so sustainable ways of using the natural resources in the surrounding area are also being looked at. A plan to demarcate a conservancy area is put forward and to allow limited harvesting and promote and develop tourism in that area. The education of the local community is also of paramount importance to the progression of the project, right from primary school level to the adult community members. The tourism potential of the area is immense; but depends on the development of the right infrastructure and skills to make it a success.

International awareness and demands for the protection of the environment by the public on industry has only been pushed into the limelight in the past couple of decades. Prior to this it could be argued that it was accepted that environmental protection and economic development were at odds. However it has since been recognised that there is a need to achieve environmental sustainability, the concept of which was released in the 1987 Brundtland Report released by the United Nations. There are a number of ways that industry can reduce its impact on the environment and thus help reach this goal. While some advocated that stricter legislation would result in greater innovation by industry in “cleaning-up” its act, such as the Porter Hypothesis, there were also a number of new concepts and voluntary industry codes being developed. These new practices and codes have been promoted by organisations such as the International Chamber of Commerce and include technological improvements within organisations and improved resource productivity. The aim of this case study research was to find out what the environmental policy and related performance of Summerpride Foods Ltd, a pineapple processing factory in East London was and does an understanding of its environmental performance provide insights for improved efficiency. This involved the identification and analysis of what resources were used during the processing of pineapples as well as making recommendations that would result in increased efficiencies of their use. Due to the number of resources identified, only the use of water and coal which were ranked as having the highest impact were investigated further. The literature review showed that there are industry moves to applying cleaner production and eco-efficiency concepts as a means to attaining environmental sustainability. There are a number of voluntary environmental management system standards and codes that organisations can subscribe to with most probably the ISO 14001 standard being the most internationally recognised. There are many benefits to organisations adopting such standards. The use of lifecycle assessments is a useful tool that can be used to assess the environmental impact of a product through its entire life and thus enable one to identify all resources used and their impact, as well as to provide the information required to quantify areas where the greatest improvements can be made. The results of this research showed that at the start of the study, there was no formal environmental policy in place at Summerpride Foods Ltd and that this was starting to become a requirement with some customers. The detailed results which focused on water and coal usage showed that current operating methods do not recognise the importance of any wastage and that there are a number of changes that could be made that would not only result in better efficiency of use but would also result in substantial financial savings to the organisation. Summerpride Foods Ltd currently has a number of systems in place that help reduce its impact on the environment but these are not formally recorded. Summerpride Foods Ltd should adopt the principles of eco-efficiency and record all systems that impact on the environment. This would be the first step to attaining a formal environmental management system accreditation which due the increasing competitiveness of the international market in which Summerpride Foods Ltd operates, would give it a degree of advantage over those competing pineapples processing factories that do not have such accreditation.

This study was conducted in South Africa. South Africa is the first country within the Southern African Development Community to have regulated plastic shopping bags waste through the imposition of both a standard on thickness and a levy. Given this scenario, the Plastic Bags Regulations present an illustrative case for researching complexity, uncertainty and controversies surrounding a new trend in environmental policy making, namely waste product regulation. The thesis focuses on understanding and investigating tensions, debates and responses emerging from the policy process as actors and actor-networks put not only the Plastic Bags Regulations asfocal actant (token) but also other actants and actant-networks as well. To this end, a research question that addressed environmental policies, tensions, debates and responses that informed the development of South Africa's Plastic Bags Regulations was spelt out. The research objectives included the need to: (I) analyse selected international environmental policy processes surrounding plastic shopping bags litter and waste regulation and how these influenced developments in South Africa; (2) identify actors, actants and actor/actant-networks that shaped and were being transformed by South Africa's Plastic Bags Regulations and explain the tensions, debates and responses arising in the policy processes; (3) identify environmental policy outputs and assess outcomes emerging from the formulation and implementation of South Africa's Plastic Bags Regulations; and (4) establish patterns in environmental policy process reforms around South Africa's Plastic Bags Regulations. The language of actors (human), actants (non-human) and actor/actant-networks brings to the fore the aspects of processes and relationships that exist around them. As such, insights from the actor/actant-network theory (AANT) were drawn upon to inform the research. AANT enquiry framework collapses binaries such as nature/society, art/science, structure/agency and global/local historically associated with a particular type of social theory. AANT also denies that purely technical, scientific or social relations are possible (the notion of quaSi-objects or token). Data sets were generated following' the Plastic Bags Regulations as token actant with time frames ranging from prior to, during and after the formulation of the regulations. Similarly, data analysis drew insights from AANT's four moments of translation namely problematisation, interessement, enrolment and mobilisation, with the intervention theory providing an evaluative perspective that complemented AANT. The findings were that after the promulgation of the first draft of the Plastic Bags Regulations in May 2000, tensions emerged around the nature of regulation (whether command and control - preferred by government or self regulation - preferred by industry and labour). In this regard the latter group raised concerns about jobs, income and equipment loss as well as the need to have a holistic approach to waste management rather than targeting a single product at a time whilst the former maintained that this would not be so. As such, education, awareness and stringent antilitter penalties were proposed by industry and labour as sustainable responses to the problem of plastic shopping bags waste rather than regulation. These debates continued and resulted in minor amendments to the original regulations as finalised by Government in May 2002. However, industry and labour continued lobbying government resulting in the conclusion of the Plastic Bags Agreement in September 2002 and the ultimate repulsion of the May 2002 regulations in May 2003. As revealed by this research, these responses led to broader social responses and further tensions as demand for plastic shopping bags went down by about 80% although an estimated 1000 jobs were lost and a number of companies lost equipment and business (with some closing down) following the implementation of the regulations. During implementation, debates emerged around the need to promote locally made carry facilities with two alternatives in sight namely: the Green Bag and the Biodegradable Plastic Bag. Debates also took place regarding enforcement of the new law resulting in the amendments of various pieces of legislation including the Environmental Conservation Act, Environmental Management Act and the Revenue Laws Act. Overall, a 15-year policy reform cycle and sub-cycles was determined. The research also established that the government considered the regulations a success and was already implementing simi lar initiatives to regulate other waste products, among them, used tyres, used oil and glass, confirming the trend towards waste product regulation in South Africa. From these research findings, a series of conceptual frameworks were drawn up to clarify the nature of tensions, debates and responses surrounding certain lead actors, actants and actorlactant-networks. Some of the conceptual frameworks that emerged around the actors and actor-networks include Organised Government, Organised Industry and Organised Labour. Conceptual frameworks that emerged around key actants and actant-networks include the Integrated Pollution and Waste Management, Plastic Bags Regulations as well as the discourses surrounding the Green bag and biodegradable plastic bags. The thesis concludes by reflecting on how the above and the grand actor/actant-network conceptual frameworks emerging from this research might be adopted with varying degrees of flexibility to research environmental and waste management policy processes in different waste product regulation set-ups. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

Thesis (LLM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / Considering that South Africa is part of the world initiatives to ensure maximum protection of the environment for the sake of the present and future generations, if the environment is abused or degraded, there is need to sanction perpetrators accordingly. Reasonable measures should be taken to prevent harm from occurring to the environment or those harms that cannot reasonably be avoided or stopped, be minimized and steps taken to rectify such harm to the environment. Environmental care and management is principally recognised and regulated by the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998. This framework imposes a general duty of care for the environment (that is, every person has the duty to avoid pollution and environmental degradation). Both implementers and enforcers rely on this duty when enforcing environmental obligations. The duty of care has a retrospective effect, meaning that it is imposed on anyone who causes, has caused or may cause significant pollution or degradation to the environment. This study highlights the consequences for violating the duty of care as enshrined in NEMA particularly by people who are destroying the environment in the name of development. It argues for stringent implementation and enforcement mechanisms in order to bring perpetrators to justice. The study further deals with comparative analysis between South Africa, Australia and England where lessons are derived to help South Africa better its environmental laws and policies to ensure maximum protection of the environment.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Agricultural and forestry development as well as the erection of buildings and other structures against steep mountain slopes is currently a substantial problem in the Boland. Such developments can be detrimental because of aesthetic considerations and the environmental damage that can arise therefrom. In this regard, environmental damage specifically includes the destruction of fynbos and soil erosion, the latter also having a negative impact on agriculture. This study has attempted to identify areas sensitive to development, and from the resulting findings to develop a set of guidelines for possible future development along the mountain slopes of the Boland. The study area includes only a part of the Boland mountains, namely the Stellenbosch and Hottentotsholland mountains, but can serve as a pilot area for other regions in the Boland possibly plagued by the same problems. Analyses were primarily undertaken by means of GIS software such as inter alia Unix Arc/Info and ArcView 3.1. Various remote sensing techniques were also used to interpret and analyse Landsat TM satellite imagery. For these analyses the image processing program Idrisi for Windows was mainly used. Because the study concentrates on agricultural development, certain criteria such as the erodibility of soil types and the gradient had to be taken into account in the identification of sensitive areas. With regard to gradient data, the use of a "Digital elevation model" (OEM) was of cardinal importance. Other types of development (buildings and structures, as well as forestry) were also analysed to establish firstly where these developments occur; and secondly whether they occur in sensitive areas as far as the height and gradient of slopes are concerned. Because of the subjectivity that exists with regard to the visual impact of these developments, it is difficult to determine what developments on high mountain slopes are aesthetically acceptable and what are not. According to the Act on Agriculture no. 9238 of 1984, slopes with a greater than 20% gradient may not be ploughed without special permission. Against this background the most important result of the analyses undertaken in this study, was the identification of agricultural areas sensitive to erosion. Finally, guidelines are suggested that can be applied to possible future developments on the mountain slopes of the Boland. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Landbou- en bosbou-ontwikkeling sowel as die oprigting van geboue en ander strukture teen steil berghellings is tans 'n wesenlike probleem in die Boland. Sulke ontwikkelings kan nadelig wees weens estetiese oorwegings en omgewingskade wat hieruit kan voortspruit. In hierdie verband verwys omgewingskade spesifiek na fynbosvernietiging en gronderosie. Gronderosie het natuurlik ook 'n negatiewe impak op die landbou. Daar is in hierdie studie gepoog om ontwikkelingsensitiewe areas te identifiseer, en vanuit bevindinge 'n stel riglyne te ontwikkel vir moontlike toekomstige ontwikkeling teen die berghellings in die Boland. Die studiegebied sluit slegs 'n gedeelte van die Bolandse berge in, naamlik die Stellenbosch- en Hottentotshollandberge, maar kan dien as loodsgebied vir ander streke in die Boland wat moontlik dieselfde probleme ondervind. Analises is hoofsaaklik gedoen deur middel van geografiese inligtingstelsels- (GIS-) programmatuur soos onder andere Unix Arc/Info en ArcView 3.1. Afstandswaarnemingstegnieke is ook aangewend om Landsat TM- satellietbeelde te interpreteer en te analiseer. Vir hierdie analises is hoofsaaklik van die beeldverwerkingsprogram Idrisi for Windows gebruik gemaak. Omdat die studie op landbou-ontwikkeling konsentreer, moes sekere kriteria soos die erodeerbaarheid van grondtipes en gradiënt in ag geneem word in die identifisering van sensitiewe areas. Wat gradiëntdata betref, was die gebruik van 'n "Digital elevation model" (OEM) van kardinale belang. Ander tipes ontwikkelings (geboue en strukture, asook bosbou) is ook ontleed om eerstens te bepaal waar hierdie ontwikkelings voorkom; en tweedens of hierdie ontwikkelings in sensitiewe areas wat hoogte en gradiënt betref, voorkom. Weens die subjektiwiteit wat rondom die visuele impak van hierdie ontwikkelings bestaan, is dit moeilik om te bepaal watter ontwikkelings teen hoë berghellings esteties aanvaarbaar is en watter nie. Volgens die Wet op Landbou no. 9238 van 1984 mag hellings met 'n gradiënt steiler as 20% nie sonder spesiale toestemming geploeg word nie. Teen die agtergrond hiervan is die belangrikste resultaat van analises in hierdie studie, die identifisering van erosiesensitiewe landbou-areas. Riglyne wat toegepas kan word op moontlike toekomstige ontwikkelings teen die berghellings in die Boland, word laastens voorgestel.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Full text to be digitised and attached to bibliographic record. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Tsitsikamma Forest, in the most southern part of the Eastern Cape, is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, one of six such Kingdoms in the world. It has the richest area of plant bio-diversity and fauna in the world which are rare and endemic to the area. The deep gorges, temperate forests, un spoilt oceans and various other features such as the famous Bloukrantz River Bridge, where the world's highest bungi jumps take place are factors that have become the main source of job-creation and income for tourism and its inter-related activities. However, this ecosystem is also home to about 480 families who live in low-income housing at Stormsriver. This settlement which was relocated from the shack area of Coesa, nearby, has an unemployment index of 67% and a similar poverty index. In addition, the Stormsriver Village nearby has a population of about 300 families, mainly older retired white folks. The area is administered by the Koukamma Municipality which is an amalgam of several smaller municipalities viz., Clarkeson, Kareedouw, Stormsriver, Woodlands, Eerste River, ]oubertina and Bloukrantz. Waste reduction and the disposal thereof has always been a major concern to local authorities and the Koukamma Municipality is obviously faced with the same challenge. The authorities have resorted to the concept of landfill sites, which has proven to be the cheapest solution to date. But, with this option comes the problems of health risks to the poorer people who converge on the dump sites in search of food, the harm to children searching through rubbish heaps and the various legal repercussions emanating out of this practice. The option of open-burning and its related effects on human life and forest fires rules it out as an option. Transporting waste out of the area is also very costly. It was then resolved by the Koukamma Municipalities that the possibility of installing an incinerator at Stormsriver would be an option to be investigated. The reasoning behind the selection of this site was the concern of high unemployment in the Stormsriver area and extreme poverty and this venture would in some small measure create jobs, put food on the table and break the poverty cycle. The process of incineration gives rise to emissions such as dioxins and furans which is known to cause cancer, asthma and tuberculosis, if subjected in high doses over a long period of time. It is also regulated by the Atmospheric Pollution Act 45 of 1965. The important moral debate at the core of this problem is the whole question of humans rights and should these be violated solely because the subjects do not belong to an affluent class and should be shown less respect and have their health jeopardised by the toxic air from incineration. Or, should the people's poverty index rise further due to lack of employment. The question that also begs here is whether the well-being of the entire ecosystem, especially the rare and endangered plants and animals take preference over the well-being of the people of Stormsriver, given that the emissions from the incinerator will impact on the animal, bird and plant life, including that of water, soil and air. This would also put into jeopardy the income generated by Tourism and the jobs inherent in it for the locals and would threaten the area's sustainability. The various moral views of philosophers have been canvassed in order to come to a holistic understanding. I have in this vein looked at the views of ethicists such as Tibor Machan, who believes that animals and other organisms do not have any rights and are there purely for human consumption. Then the views of Peter Singer and Tom Regan have also been included, in which consideration is shown to animals. Others such as AIda Leopold, J. Baird Callicott and Paul Taylor whose thinking extends to that of not just showing respect for a single entity but allows for equal respect for all members of the biotic community, have also been. considered. Various solutions have thereafter been considered and amongst those are the relocation of the incinerator out of the Stormsriver, moving the plant to the industrial zone at Kareedouw, transporting the waste out to Port Elizabeth, dumping and finally the 'Do Nothing' option. Using Paul Taylor's "respect for nature" ethics as a guide, I have come to the conclusion that the installation of a waste-reduction incinerator at Stormsriver, Tsitsikamma, may be supported subject to a set of serious riders and conditions in that firstly, the health of the immediate and surrounding inhabitants should not be affected in any way whatsoever. Secondly, the well-being of the non-human environment which must include air, soil, water and plant life, including the animal and bird life must not be harmed in any way. In this way all members of the biotic community will be shown equal respect, thus creating a viable and sustainable community / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Tsitsikamma Woude, in die mees suidelike deel van the Oos-Kaap, is deel van die "Cape Floral Kingdom", een van ses sulke woudgebiede in die wêreld. Dit beskerm die rykste area van plant bio-verskeidenheid asook fauna wat skaars is in die wêreld en slegs daar gevind word. Die diep bergpasse. gemagtigde woude en ongerepte oseaan, tesame met die beroemde Bloukransrivier brug waar die wêreld se hoogste bungi spronge plaasvind is faktore wat bygedra het dat werkskepping en inkomste hoofsaaklik uit toerisme en verwante bedrywe afkomstig is. Hierdie eko-sisteem is ook die tuiste vir ongeveer 480 gesinne wat in sub-ekonomiese huise in Stormsrivier woon. Hierdie gemeenskappie wat vanaf die naby geleë Coesa hervesig is, het 'n werkloosheid sowel as armoede syfer van 67%. Bykomend is daar die Stormsriver nedersetting daar naby met 'n bevolking van 300 families, hoofsaaklik ouer, afgetrede blankes. Die gebied word bestuur deur die Koukamma Munisipaliteit wat in 'n samesmelting van 'n hele paar kleiner munisipaliteite is o.a Clarkson, Kareedouw, Stormsrivier, Woodlands, Eerste Rivier, ]oubertina en Bloukrans. Die vermindering van afvalstowwe asook die verwydering daarvan was maar altyd 'n groet kopseer vir die plaaslike owerhede en dit geld nou ook vir die Koukamma Munisipaliteit. Die owerhede het besluit op die konsep van afvalstortings areas omdat dit die goedkoopste oplossing tot nou toe is. Met hierdie opsie kom egter die probleem van gesondheids risiko's vir die armer gemeenskappe (mense) wat op hierdie stortings terreine toesak op soek na kos, die beserings wat kinders opdoen wat die gemors deursoek asook die wettige terugslag wat hierdie praktyk totgevolg het. Die gevaar van oop vure en die effek wat dit sou hê op mense en die woud self maak dat hierdie opsie nie oorweeg word nie. Ook is dit te duur om afvalstowwe uit die gebied uit te vervoer. Die Koukamma Munisipaliteit het toe besluit om die instállering van 'n verbrandingsoond by Stormsrivier te ondersoek. Die rede om hierdie gebied te kies was die hoë werkloosheid syfer en armoede in Stormsrivier. Hierdie besluit sou werkskepping, kos op die tafel en die verbreking van die armoede-siklus tot gevolg hê. Die proses van verbranding het aanleiding gegee tot die nuwe gevare van skadelike afval produkte van dioksiede en furane wat kanker, asma en tuberkulose tot gevolg het as mense vir lang periodes aan hoë dosisse blootgestel word. Hierdie uitstraling word ook deur die "Atmosferiese Besoedelingswet 45 van 1965" gereguleer. Die belangrike morele debat wat die kern van hierdie probleem vorm is die vraag na menseregte en of die menseregte geskend kan word bloot omdat die mense in die gebied nie aan 'n gegoede klas behoort nie moet daar minder respek aan hulle getoon word en moet hul gesondheid in die weeg skaal geplaas word deur die giftige lug as gevolg van die verbrandering van afvalstowwe, of moet werkloosheid verder styg as gevolg van die gebrek aan werk? Die ander vraag wat gevra moet word is of die welvaart van die hele ekosisteem, veral die van skaars en bedreigde plante en diere voorkeur moet geniet bo die welvaart van die mense van Stormsrivier gegee die feit dat die uitstraling van die verbrandingsoond ook 'n inpak gaan hê op die diere, voëls en plant lewe inkluisend op water, grond en lug. Dit sal ook die inkomste wat uit Toerisme voort gebring word, en die werksgeleenthede vir die plaaslike mense wat daarmee gepaard gaan, in die weegskaal plaas asook die gebied se standhoudendheid bedreig. Die verskeie standpunte van filosowe is na gekyk ten einde tot 'n holistiese verstaan van die situasie te kom. Langs hierdie weg het ek dan na die etiese standpunt van Tibor Machan gekyk. Tibor Machan glo dat diere en ander organismes geen regte het nie en dat hulle daar is vir die uitsluitlike gebruik deur mense. Die standpunte van Peter Singer en Tom Regan, wat 'n mate van sorgsaamheid teenoor diere toon, is ook in ag geneem. Andere wie se standpunte in ag geneem is, is Aldo Leipold,J. Baird Callicot and Paul Taylor. Hulle denkrigting maak voorsiening daarvoor dat respek nie net aan 'n enkele entiteit getoon moet word nie, maar aan almal wat in 'n biotiese gemeenskap saamwoon. Verskeie oplossings is hierna oorweeg onder andere die verskuiwing van die verbrandingsoond buite Stormsrivier na die industriële gebied in Kareedouw, die vervoer van die afval na Port Elizabeth, storting asook die "Doen Niks" opsie. Ek het as etiese riglyn Paul Tayor se "respekteer vir natuur" gebruik en het tot die slotsoom gekom dat die iristallering van 'n afval verminderings verbrandingsoond te Stormsrivier ondersteun kan word met ernstige voorbehoude en voorwaardes deurdat, eerstens, die gesondheid van die onmiddelike en omliggende inwoners op geen manier hoegenaamd aangetas moet word nie. Tweedens, die welvaart van die nie-lewende omgewing met inagneming van lug, grond, water en plantlewe, insluitende die diere en voëls moet op geen manier geskaad word nie. Op hieride maruer sal almal wat deel uitmaak van die biotiese gemeenskap gelyke respek betoon word wat die daarstelling van 'n lewensvatbare en standhoudende gemeenskap tot gevolg sal hê.

Thesis (MTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / Background: A recent review on the effects of ambient air pollution on human health in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically calls for an urgent need for more epidemiological studies in developing countries due to a lack of data in these countries. Air pollution information on exposure is important for understanding and addressing its public health impact in developing countries. In many African countries, the spatial distribution of air pollutants has not been quantified even though air pollution is a global public health risk. The main goal of the study was to quantify and compare the seasonal spatial variation of household air pollution in the 4 Western Cape neighbourhoods. Methods: Weekly indoor and outdoor measurements of Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3), Carbon monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were conducted at 127 households in four informal settlement areas (Khayelitsha, Marconi-Beam, Masiphumulele and Oudtshoorn) during one month each in summer and winter. PM2.5 measurements were conducted using Mesa Labs GK2.05 (KTL) cyclone with the GilAir Plus Air Sampling Pump, Gases were measured using Passam passive samplers. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata V12. Simple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between continuous exposure levels and the respective predictor variables. These include distance to major roads, bus routes, open grills and waste burning sites. Results: The highest average weekly outdoor PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations for summer were recorded in Milnerton (8.76 µg/m3 and 16.32 µg/m3 respectively). However, the highest average concentrations during winter for PM2.5 were recorded in Oudtshoorn (PM2.5: 16.07 µg/m3), whilst the highest NO2, was recorded in Khayelitsha (NO2: 35.69 µg/m3). SO2 levels were consistently low during both seasons. Noordhoek generally recorded the lowest average levels for all pollutants. Winter average weekly concentrations were generally higher than the levels recorded in summer for all pollutants. In a sub-sample of indoor and outdoor measurements, the results were comparable for PM2.5, NO2 and CO. However, the results of Ozone (O3) showed relatively higher (~10 times) outdoor compared to indoor levels. Linear regression modelling results revealed that significant predictors of elevated exposure to PM2.5 were proximity to construction activities and open grills. Analysis demonstrated a clear dose-response relationship with distance, with open grills within 1000m associated with a 0.33 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 to 6.77 µg/m3 at a distance of 25 meters. Results from the linear regression modelling revealed that significant predictors of exposure to NO2 were proximity to rapid transport bus stops, bus routes, taxi routes and major routes. Distance to rapid transport bus stops demonstrated an increase in NO2 between 0.09 µg/m3 (at 1km) to 2.16 µg/m3 (at 50m) during summer. A similar pattern was observed for taxi routes and bus routes displaying an increase of 6.26 μg/m3and 6.82 μg/m3 respectively within the proximity of 1000 meters. / MAUERBERGER Foundation Scholarship

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Crocodile River Greenbelt area, located along the northern edge of Nelspruit, is a unique ecological system that must be protected from encroaching urbanization and invasive alien vegetation. The writer has attempted through policy intervention to achieve this goal. A policy for a greenbelt was compiled to allow for limited development along the Crocodile River Greenbelt area. The first step was to compile a policy for the Crocodile River Greenbelt area, and to contextualise the legislative requirements to compile such a policy. The second step was to discuss the State of Environment Report, which was compiled for the Crocodile River Greenbelt area and reflects directly the physical environment of the policy area. The third step was to lay the foundation of the policy by discussing guiding principles for open space systems. These principles form the basis of the policy. The fourth step was the compilation of the policy itself, which is underpinned by a spatial framework to guide the future physical development of the area. As conservation of the Crocodile River Greenbelt area is the main objective of the policy as well as allowing for limited development within the urban area, a management structure was proposed as Step 5 to achieve these objectives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Krokodilrivier-groengordelgebied is in die noordelike deel van Nelspruit geleë en is 'n unieke ekologiese stelsel wat beskerm moet word teen verstedeliking en indringer plante. Die skrywer poog deur 'n beleidsintervensie om hierdie doel te bereik. Die beleid vir 'n groengordel is saamgestelom voorsiening te maak vir beperkte ontwikkeling in die Krokodilrivier-groengordelgebied. Die eerste stap om so 'n beleid saam te stel vir die Krokodilrivier-groengordelgebied was om dit te kontekstualiseer binne die wetlike vereistes vir so 'n beleid. Die tweede stap was om die resultate van die Omgewings-toestandsverslag, wat vir die Krokodilrivier-groengordelgebied opgestel is en die fisiese omgewing van die beleidsgebied opsom, te bepreek. Die derde stap was om die rigtingewende beginsels van oopruimtes te bespreek wat die grondslag van die beleid vorm. Die vierde stap was die saamstel van die beleid self, wat gerugsteun word deur die grondgebruik plan wat toekomstige fisiese ontwikkeling van die gebied rig. Omdat bewaring van die Krokodilrivier-groengordelgebied die hoofdoel van die beleid is, tesame met beperkte ontwikkeling binne die stedelike gebied, is in Stap 5 'n bestuurstruktuur voorgestelom hierdie doel te bereik.

This research explored the nature of conflict that arose in Xolobeni, a small area in the Mbizana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and the environmental politics emanating from the arguments that supported development rather than environmental protection. The proposed mining project was known as the Xolobeni mining development project within the Amadiba Tribal Authority, an area dominated by Pondos or (Mpondos). The Xolobeni area is located between the Mzamba and Mtentu Rivers, covering some 2 867 hectares, and extends for 20km along the coast of the Mbizana Local Municipality, in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality. In 2005, the Minister of the National Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), now known as the Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, announced that an Australian company, Transworld Energy and Minerals (TEM) will establish a mining development project in Xolobeni to mine red sand dunes which are contained within five blocks, each named after the river at its southern boundary. These blocks were Mtentu, Sikombe, Kwanyana, Mnyameni and Mphalane. According to the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act 28 of 2002), the Department of Minerals and Energy is the sole custodian of the mining licence and therefore the only Department that issues mining licences. The research investigated the nature of conflict that erupted in Xolobeni after this announcement, resulting in the formation of two groups namely, the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC) which represented the communities who were against the mining project in the area and the Xolobeni Local Community (Xolco) which was a Black Economic Empowerment company that represented the communities that supported the mining project and was to receive 26 percent of the proceeds from the mining company. The purpose of the Amadiba Crisis Committee was to channel complaints and grievances of local residents emanating from the mining development project and other development to all relevant authorities so that the Constitutional rights of residents can be respected. The research also investigated the role of each stakeholder in the proposed mining project, namely, local communities in the area, environmentalists, councillors, the National Department of Minerals and Energy, the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA), the traditional authority and the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Economic Development and Environmental Affairs. Central to this research was the level of consultation during the proposed mining project. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used to collect data in Xolobeni. Interviews were conducted with the two opposing groups and other various stakeholders including the chieftaincy, environmentalists, councillors and officials in the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA). The researcher used questionnaires in order to get the views of the targeted participants. Eighty questionnaires were distributed among the targeted participants but only forty five were returned. Some of the participants were reluctant to participate in this study because the mining project had not taken place. Secondary data from the Departments of Environment of Affairs nationally and provincially revealed that the Department of Minerals and Energy through its Minister, Bulelwa Sonjica, awarded the mining licence despite recommendations of both Departments not to do so. The Minister of the new Department of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu, withdrew the licence and gave three months to Transworld Energy and Minerals to address the outstanding issues raised in the environmental impact assessment (EIA). The data collected revealed that the proposed mining project affected all communities in the Amadiba Tribal Administrative area. The research also illustrated how the Xolobeni community organised themselves and protested against development that intended to force them to relocate from their ancestral land without proper consultation. Issues of sustainable development and environmental protection also formed part of the discussions in this research. While the mining project had stalled, it emerged that the majority of respondents in the area did not want the mining project to proceed.

South African Air Quality Units are continuously undergoing changes, and improving their performance remains a constant endeavour. In addition, these units are also experiencing several challenges in terms of improving communication across the different spheres, accessing air quality data and using the information to support the decision-making required for efficient management of air quality in South Africa. This study investigated the concept of output efficiency within the South African air quality management context. Models that enable efficient resource allocation can be used to assist managers in understanding how to become efficient. There are, however, few models that focus on the output efficiency of the public sector and air quality management units. The primary purpose of the study was to develop a model to predict the extent to which organisational efficiency could be explained by the percentage of man-hours allocated to a range of management activities. In this study, the development of a model using the logistic regression technique is discussed. Data was collected for two financial years (2005/6 and 2006/7) from the air quality officers in the national, provincial and local spheres of government (N=228). The logistic regression model fitted indicates that the proportion of time spent on knowledge management activities contributes the most to the likelihood of an Air Quality Unit being efficient. The resource allocation model developed will ensure that air quality officers allocate resources appropriately and improve their output performance. / Graduate School for Business Leadership / D.B. L.