Land degradation in most communal parts of the Keiskamma catchment has reached alarming proportions. The Keiskamma catchment is particularly predisposed to severe land degradation associated with soil erosion, thicket degradation and deteriorating riparian vegetation. There is a close coupling between land use/cover dynamics and degradation trends witnessed in the catchment. Soil erosion is prevalent in most of the communal areas in the catchment. The principal aim of this study was to investigate land use/cover trends, model the spatial patterns of soil loss and predict future land use/cover scenarios as a means of assessing land degradation in the Keiskamma catchment. Multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery from 1972 to 2006 was used for land use/cover change analyses using object-oriented post-classification comparison. Fragmentation analysis was performed by computing and analyzing landscape metrics in the riparian and adjacent hillslope areas to determine the land cover structural changes that have occurred since 1972. The landscape function analysis was used to validate the current rangeland conditions in the communal areas and the former commercial farms. The current condition of the riparian zones and proximal hillslopes was assessed using the Rapid Appraisal of Riparian Condition and future land use/cover scenarios were simulated using the Markovcellular automata model. Spatial patterns of soil loss in the Keiskamma catchment were determined using the Sediment Assessment Tool for Effective Erosion Control (SATEEC), which is a GIS based RUSLE model that integrates sediment delivery ratios. Object oriented classification was used to map soil erosion surfaces and valley infill in ephemeral stream channels as a means of demonstrating the major sediment transfer processes operating in the Keiskamma catchment. The Mahalanobis distance method was used to compute the topographic thresholds for gully erosion. To understand the effect of soil characteristics in severe forms of erosion, laboratory analyses were undertaken to determine the physico-chemical soil properties. iv The temporal land use/cover analysis done using the post-classification change detection indicated that intact vegetation has undergone a significant decline from 1972 to 2006. The temporal changes within the intermediate years are characterized by cyclic transitions of decline and recovery of intact vegetation. An overall decline in intact vegetation cover, an increase in degraded vegetation and bare eroded soil was noted. Fragmentation analyses done in the communal villages of the central Keiskamma catchment indicated increasing vegetation fragmentation manifested by an increase in smaller and less connected vegetation patches, and a subsequent increase of bare and degraded soil patches which are much bigger and more connected. The Landscape Organisation Index revealed very low vegetation connectivity in the communal rangelands that have weak local traditional institutions. Fragmentation analyses in the riparian and proximal hillslopes revealed evidence of increasing vegetation fragmentation from 1972 to 2006. The Markov Cellular Automata simulation predicted a decline in intact vegetation and an increase in bare and degraded soil in 2019. The Keiskamma catchment was noted as experiencing high rates of soil loss that are above provincial and national averages. The classification of erosion features and valley infill showcased the vegetation enrichment in the ephemeral streams which is occurring at the expense of high soil losses from severe gully erosion on the hillslopes. This in turn has led to an inversion of grazing patterns within the catchment, such that grazing is now concentrated within the ephemeral stream channels. Soil chemical analyses revealed a high sodium content and low soluble salt concentration, which promote soil dispersion, piping and gully erosion. The presence of high amounts of illite-smectite in the catchment also accounts for the highly dispersive nature of the soil even at low SAR values. Significant amounts of swelling 2:1 silicate clays such as smectites cause cracking and contribute to the development of piping and gullying in the catchment. Given the worsening degradation trends in the communal areas, a systematic re-allocation of state land in sections of the catchment that belonged to the former commercial farms is recommended to alleviate anthropogenic pressure. Strengthening local institutions that effectively monitor and manage natural resources will be required in order to maintain v optimum flow regimes in rivers and curb thicket degradation. Measures to curb environmental degradation in the Keiskamma catchment should encompass suitable ecological interventions that are sensitive to the socio-economic challenges facing the people in communal areas.

The study presented here describes an attempt to bridge the gap between systematic conservation assessment and decision-making for land-use planning in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The aim was to investigate how to effectively convince officials concerned with land use planning processes in the local municipal sphere to include conservation priorities meaningfully in their processes. The approach used to reach this aim was social marketing, the use of marketing technologies and concepts to effect behavior changes to further societal good. So far social marketing is not commonly used in the conservation domain; I therefore aimed also at proving the usefulness of this approach for conservation. Following the introduction which provides background to the project and a more detailed summary, Chapter 2 provides a detailed and comprehensive review of the considerations and concepts regarding the use of social marketing in a context geared at protecting nature. The research on the primary target group for this study, officials concerned with land use planning processes in the local municipal sphere is described in Chapter 3. The main outcomes were that land use planners perceive few needs with regards to implementing the incorporation of biodiversity conservation issues in the land use planning process, and that the deficiencies in the land use planning process per se, as well as the lack of recognition in the political sphere (the domain of elected councilors), represent the core barriers to adopting the conservation priorities. I conclude that to effect behavior change towards adoption of conservation priorities the land use planning processes need to be supported and the political sphere need to be included in the behavior change process. 6 Chapter 4 therefore focuses on the new target group that emerged as essential in the previous chapter, locally elected councilors. I found that councilors do actually consider land use planning procedures as being important, but also as being dysfunctional. Councilors do value their natural environment for themselves as well as for its tourism value, but most councilors had little understanding of what the term “biodiversity” means and did not connect the term “sustainability” with the natural environment. It became also evident, that councilors do not see conservation in a predominantly positive manner. Chapter 5 therefore yields insight on councilor’s perception that environmental protection and development are mutually exclusive, and the negative frames attached to the conservation endeavor as being socially unjust, disrespectful and utopian. In Chapter 6 I investigated the usefulness of a tractable and well established measure of environmental attitudes or beliefs. I assessed my target audience’s responses to the New Ecological Paradigm scale and the Inclusion of Nature in Self scale. I conclude in Chapter 7 with an account of the difficulties I encountered during the project, an assessment of my project from a social marketing perspective, components of my project that did not yield the results expected, and a proposal for future research.

<p>This research investigated experiences of the Saamwerk equity scheme as a framework to analyze the ways in which the scheme has achieved the objectives of land reform. It reviewed the role of this scheme in relation to the experiences and perceptions of beneficiaries about the extent to which this scheme has or has not improved their living conditions.</p>

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development Planning, Johannesburg 2016 / The spatial transformation project in post-Apartheid South Africa aims to change the alienating urban form that resulted from planning policies based on racial segregation. Johannesburg’s municipal government aims to capitalise on its investment on the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), through the principles of Transit Oriented Development (TOD), to catalyse densification and diversification of land uses along the Rea Vaya’s corridors. This research sought to discover whether these objectives are being realised in Diepkloof and Orlando East, Soweto. In order to answer the research question, the results of a qualitative survey of people residing around these stations were analysed in conjunction with GIS data and records of Town Planning applications for properties located around BRT stations. The following findings emerged: the rate of densification has intensified but remains constrained mainly because of restricted access to finance; land-uses have remained the same but with increased activity levels. All spatial development strategies in the study area need to be aligned to the principles of TOD. This research hopes to achieve two things. Firstly, enrich the scarce literature on spatial transformation through transit investments, particularly the BRT in South African Townships. Secondly, guide spatial planning policies in similar contexts across the country / XL2018

The research report is hereby submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development Planning to the School of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / The main aim of the study is to investigate the significance of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (16 OF 2013) (SPLUMA) and its possible implications on land allocation in areas under traditional authority. In order to achieve this, the Act was reviewed as a data collection mechanism. This was done in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the act and its objectives before attempting to formulate the implications of this Act on land allocation in areas under traditional authority .This study explored how this new planning legislation (i.e. SPLUMA) will affect the roles and functions of traditional leaders in rural development and overall service provision, focusing mainly on land allocation. The research study discovered that SPLUMA was a significant Spatial and Land Use Management legislation in South Africa which is central in addressing issues of land rights and rural development. The findings were that there has been tension between traditional leaders and elected local government officials as they found contesting for power and authority in rural areas. This was because of the ambiguity and vagueness of the Constitution and the Traditional Leadership and Governance Act on issues of power and functions of the two institutions especially on matters of land allocation and administration. Another finding was regarding the socio-economic implication which showed that SPLUMA was a planning law which has potential to redress the socio-economic imbalances left by the colonial and apartheid regimes, but it requires the collaboration of traditional leaders as custodians of tribal land and customary law. Conclusions and key recommendations were that local government officials and traditional leaders need to cooperate on issues of land allocation and administration. However, clarification of roles and functions in SPLUMA regulations should be done to avoid tension and frustrations. Furthermore, there is also a need for national land allocation guidelines which traditional leaders should consider when allocating land. Lastly, capacitation of traditional leaders on spatial planning, land management and rural governance was indispensable in promoting land rights and rural development in areas under their jurisdiction. / MT2017

Thesis (MTech (Applied Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / Changes in plant specIes richness and diversity were investigated in Rocherpan Nature Reserve across a fence (or old fence line) separating 34 years of conservation management, conservation management for 11 years south and north, natural veld grazed by cattle and goats, natural veld grazed by sheep, and strip-ploughed veld grazed by sheep. Vegetation surveys were conducted in September 2001. The modified 20 m x 50 m Whittaker plot design with its attractive features of long-thin plots and the original Whittaker plot design were used. Number of species (as richness data) and the numbers of individual recordings per species per land use (as abundance data) were used in calculations in the 20 m x 50 m (1000 m2 ) plots. The species richness index showed significantly smaller numbers of species in the conservation management 11 years south land. The results also showed an increase in species numbers under the grazing land use systems. The data from the comparative study of the five different species diversity indices showed no significant differences. As a result, the Shannon-Wiener index was selected for further assessing the species diversity index and the species diversity significance of different land uses in the West Coast Strandveld. In this particular study, the species that showed an increase in vegetation cover in response to grazing land use regimes were Hemimeris racemosa (annual herb) and Ehrharta brevifolia (annual grass).

With the introduction of a new government in South Africa in 1994, the country embarked on a programme of land reform, and currently the process of dealing with the issues of Land Redistribution, Land Restitution and Tenure Reform is underway. Sound land administration is crucial to the Land Reform programme, and to future peace in the country. Such land administration requires a range of role players with varying levels of education. Also in the field of education the country saw a complete break away from the system of content-based education and competency based training, to one of outcomes-based education and training. The introduction of this new educational dispensation is overseen by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), who is in the process of ensuring the smooth implementation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) into all aspects of learning in South Africa. The purpose of the NQF in the broad sense is to provide for the registration of nationally and internationally recognised qualifications on all levels in an integrated system, in order to facilitate access to and provide mobility in education and training. The NQF is designed to develop learning that is relevant to the needs of industry, the individual and the economy, but also to be dynamic and able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. It therefore is providing South African educators with new challenges in the field of Outcomes-Based Education and training. One of the methods available to identify appropriate learner outcomes to meet the above requirements is the DACUM method, which works on the premise that expert workers are better able to describe/define their job than anyone else. The DACUM method is a proven way of arriving at relevant outcomes, which is the starting point in the curriculum development process as used in outcomes-based education and training programmes. In this thesis the DACUM model is tested as a tOGI for designing relevant outcomes, and such outcomes are modified in accordance with outcomes in practices in existing programmes in land administration in SouthernAnother important component in designing learning outcomes is to ensure that appropriate embedded knowledge is identified in order to avoid that learning becomes mechanistic without learners mastering necessary content. In this thesis a body of general knowledge has been compiled which can inform the curriculum developer on relevant embedded knowledge when designing learning units in Land Administration. This body of knowledge includes land related historical issues in South Africa as well as Australia and the USA, Government Policies and Legislation dealing with Land Reform. Finally some learning units in one of the fields in land administration were developed. In making the choice of which field, care was taken to identify one which will span a range of NQF levels, and the choice fell on the adjudication of land rights, which proved to have relevant learning on every NQF level from Level 3 to Level 7. To achieve this the writer had to interview a number of stakeholders and compile a body of knowledge specific to adjudication. Care was taken to develop elements, which could be used by the Standards Generating Body (SGB) in Surveying in designing Unit Standards, as well as by educators in Higher and Further Education. Africa. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

<p>This research investigated experiences of the Saamwerk equity scheme as a framework to analyze the ways in which the scheme has achieved the objectives of land reform. It reviewed the role of this scheme in relation to the experiences and perceptions of beneficiaries about the extent to which this scheme has or has not improved their living conditions.</p>

Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Agricultural production has become vital to the Sandveld, of which Verlorenvlei is a part, in terms of both economic growth and food security. It is well documented as an area under threat of severe natural resource depletion if it is not well managed with sustainability in mind. Agricultural production, other human-driven development and the survival of the local ecosystems compete for the limited water resources. This study uses the SWAT hydrological model to simulate the transport of water through the catchment area. ArcSWAT, a third-party software extension to ArcGIS, is used as an interface between ArcGIS and the SWAT model. Spatial data (DEM, soil and landuse) is used in the preprocessing phase and fed into the SWAT model through the interface. Daily climate data were sourced and prepared according to the SWAT model’s input requirements. Considerable effort was required to fill temporal and spatial gaps in available climate data, and to infer certain unmeasured climate variables from other measurements (e.g. infer solar radiation from daylight hours, time of the year and latitude). The SWAT hydrological model was then run. The model results compared favourably to measured flow data. The study recommends building on from this first step using the SWAT hydrological model to simulate future land use scenarios for the catchment area.

Urban areas have become strategic locations where many throng to for a better life. However, wealth and economic opportunities are not evenly distributed in these urban spaces. South Africa is a fairly young democracy whose urban landscape has been largely shaped by the colonial apartheid system. The apartheid system segregated and relegated the black majority to the fringes of the cities into crowded communities characterised by poor living conditions, exclusion from the mainstream economy and limited urban amenities. Townships epitomise the harsh reality of the urban poor and how underdevelopment has been perpetuated. South Africa came up with different policies to redress the historical imbalances and inform urban development strategies. Urban renewal has been implemented as a development strategy in various cities across the world in an attempt to revive and improve the social, economic and environmental state of derelict urban spaces. Townships in South Africa have been the target areas for urban renewal with 8 presidential nodes having been initially identified for such in 2001. Eventually, Helenvale was added to the mix as a prime node in 2006 and the Helenvale Urban Renewal Project (HURP) was birthed - Helenvale and HURP being the identified site and project for this research respectively. An evaluative approach was adopted in assessing the socio-economic impact of urban renewal in South Africa townships and more specifically the socio-economic impact of HURP. Helenvale, like most townships in South Africa, is characterised by a high density settlement pattern, poverty, high unemployment, high rate of violence and crime, drug trade and substance abuse as well as a high rate of school dropouts. The Helenvale Urban Renewal Project (HURP) was implemented by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) and eventually the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) with the intention to rejuvenate the community on the social, economic and environmental front. The study findings showed that Helenvale, like all urban renewal nodes in South Africa had a number of socio-economic issues which prompted HURP. These include high unemployment (was 53.5% in 2013); alarming levels of violence and crime; drug trade and substance abuse and high rate of school dropout. Between 2007 and 2014, different projects were implemented under HURP, focusing mainly on physical development and community building. Study respondents had mixed reactions and perceptions of the impact of HURP. On one hand, the project saw the community benefit from the constructed public facilities like recreational parks and resource centre as well as capacity development and created employment opportunities. On the other hand, unemployment has persisted with only a small proportion of the population benefiting from the created jobs; crime remains unabated; drug trade has persisted leaving parents fearing for their young and gang violence has rendered the provided safe public physical features ineffective and the housing challenge has also not been resolved. By and large urban renewal and in this particular study, HURP has made great strides in improving the social and economic standing of the township community despite the challenges that are still lurking. A number of recommendations were proposed for similar studies and for urban renewal initiatives in South Africa. For the latter the study recommended having a robust policy that speaks to urban renewal directly and informs such. Other propositions include allowing the community to own and be stewards of urban renewal initiatives; allocating enough resources, both human and financial; and tailoring the project to respond to the needs of a particular community and not a one size fits all approach. In terms of similar studies the study recommends using a mixed methods approach to evaluate the impact of such ventures as well as evaluating more than one urban renewal initiatives for comparison and to allow for the generalizability of the findings.