abstract: Peri-urbanization is a process in which previously rural areas on the outskirts of established cities become more urban in character. This process is of great significance in China, because peri-urbanization is often manufacturing and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) driven. After witnessing the dramatic development of the Eastern Coastal Region from the mid-1980s, China recently changed its regional development focus to interior regions to pursue more spatial equity within the nation. Wuhan, as the most populous city in central China, is experiencing significant peri-urbanization. The thesis focuses on Dongxihu District, a representative peri-urban area in Wuhan Municipality. To explore peri-urbanization in Dongxihu, this study first documents the metrics of ongoing peri-urbanization in the District from land use, economic, demographic and institutional perspectives. Causality is explored by relating peri-urban outcomes to drivers within the framework of research questions, namely: (i) What is driving peri-urban change in Dongxihu? (ii) Which drivers of peri-urbanization in the District are most important? (iii) How can Dong Xi Hu's peri-urbanization process and outcomes best be characterized? and (iv) What policy implications can be drawn from Dong Xi Hu's peri-urbanization experience? The primary conclusion is that Dongxihu's peri-urbanization is primarily manufacturing driven, resembling previous first generation peri-urbanization on the coast more than the more diverse peri-urban outcomes now emerging in wealthy coastal metropolitan areas, e.g., Shanghai. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Urban and Environmental Planning 2016

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This study focuses on the contradictory ways officials frame the problem of providing water services in Kampala with specific emphasis on the debates about framing of key factors that constrain delivery. Perceptions about and framing of policy issues implicitly suggest the causes of problems. Policy scholars acknowledge that formulating policy is “messy” and that it is about values, and not as “evidence-based” as is often assumed. Using a social constructionist perspective that stresses that perceptions tell one how people define situations, this study demonstrates the often contradictory ways that state officials see public problems. Drawing on debates about rational and muddling-through approaches, the study uses thirty structured questionnaires and several semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore the narratives of government officials regarding policy formulation in water delivery. The thesis found that almost all officials see rapid growth in population density in informal areas coupled with unplanned settlements as the single biggest combined issue inhibiting progress. Officials favoured market-related solutions even though their diagnosis of the problem suggested more concerted and comprehensive public planning of urban development.

Dual land administration systems operate in many peri-urban customary areas in subSaharan Africa (Burns, 2007), yet the rationality behind them is different, and possibly conflicting (Watson, 2003). The conflicting rationalities between the dual systems have created binaries in land administration discourse. Some scholars have promoted statutory land administration systems over customary systems (Hardin, 1968). Many pre-21st century land administration systems theories were purely economy-based, and sought to discredit customary land administration and tenure systems (De Soto, 2000; Peters, 2009). The weaknesses of customary land administration and tenure systems have been widely articulated in economy-based land administration literature (Demsetz,1967). However, recent research findings seem to suggest that peri-urban customary land management could improve through hybrid land administration, incorporating both customary and statutory systems (Whittal, 2014). In this study, statutory and customary land administration systems are examined to understand how they can be integrated to improve effective land delivery at the peri-urban interface in Ghana. A case study analysis of hybrid forms of land administration was undertaken, using both primary and secondary data. Relatively successful case studies (from Ghana and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa) were deliberately chosen to learn good ways of managing peri-urban customary land. Land administration practices in such areas were assessed using the good land governance framework. The case study analysis reveals that hybrid land administration systems are appropriate in enhancing livelihood sustainability and tenure security of the local people. To this end, the study proposes some improvements in hybrid land administration practices to reduce conflicting rationalities between customary and statutory land administration systems.

MSc(Eng), Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, 2010

An increasing number of countries worldwide is becoming water-stressed, sub-Saharan Africa being one of the most recurrent regions within this discourse. Tanzania, one of the countries in the region, is no exception: large population growth has increased pressure on its precious water resources. The largest city, Dar es Salaam, has a poorly maintained and dimensioned water supply and wastewater system. However, as this system expands and more people are given access to the water network, the water consumption of the city is expected to increase. This is problematic for the whole city; however, peri-urban areas suffer the most from its consequences, e.g. periodical water shortages. This report seeks to investigate the potential for saving water in one of these peri-urban areas, Kibondemaji, by looking at fields of application and techniques for reuse of wastewater from showers. This is done via a literature review and interviews in the field in order to analyse and compare the different systems – reuse for tap water, irrigation and toilet flushing. The interviews showed that there is wide acceptance within the community for water reuse for toilet flushing but not for tap water or irrigation. Reuse for toilet flushing also requires less treatment than other fields of application, thus being the most promising technique for implementation in Kibondemaji.

In developing countries, land management, government intervention in peri-urban land, and the striking decline of agricultural land have all affected farmers’ livelihoods and the capacity of locally supplied food for ever-growing cities. A growing body of literature has focused on the exploration of these issues in rural areas, which are believed to be the backbone of the national agriculture economy, and in peri-urban areas of large cities, which have experienced extreme changes during recent decades. But the issues are also relevant to peri-urban mid-sized cities where urbanization is in a different phase compared to the above areas. This study examines the main changes underway in the agrarian transition of peri-urban areas of Vinh city, a mid-sized city in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. Vinh was chosen given its unique position in transforming from a mid-sized to a large city. This study explores the dynamics of agricultural production, and the role of the Vinh government in mediating urbanization and its impacts on farmers’ livelihoods. In order to attain the objectives, interviews with local leaders, and a survey with farmers were conducted, and a GIS database was also developed. The findings regarding agricultural production in the case study demonstrate that this mid-sized city, in the early phase of development, manifests itself as a duplicate of larger cities, escalating the threat of food accessibility from local sources. Duplication is in the sense that the peri-urban population in Vinh still depends largely on agriculture with a shift to commercial agriculture with higher value products despite the shrinkage of agricultural land. Agricultural production primarily uses manual family labor, and traditional products are substantially subsistent. Compared to larger cities, post-production activities (including processing, packaging, marketing, and delivery) and the organization of the agrofood supply chain in Vinh are underdeveloped due to minimum support from local and outside agencies. The case study confirms that as general trend in developing countries, Vietnam’s land policies favor the expropriation of agricultural land for industrialization and modernization. The findings also demonstrate the heterogeneity of land administration in Vietnam, structured from the ‘bottom-up’ mechanism, through which Vinh’s local authorities have the prerogative to not issue land use right certificates of agricultural land despite the national policy. This has occurred in order to control land markets to satisfy the city’s goal of transforming to an independent municipality. The situation is perpetuated by the absence of agricultural land legislations in a peri-urban context while contemporary legislation has been developed to address the rural areas because of their importance in the national agriculture economy. This is an issue for land management in Vietnam as well as in other developing countries. Finally, the findings on land expropriation in the peri-urban areas of Vinh city also confirm that direct government intervention through land expropriation in developing countries, with low compensation and lack of alternative vocational training, undermines farmers’ livelihoods and threatens the local food supply.

In developing countries, land management, government intervention in peri-urban land, and the striking decline of agricultural land have all affected farmers’ livelihoods and the capacity of locally supplied food for ever-growing cities. A growing body of literature has focused on the exploration of these issues in rural areas, which are believed to be the backbone of the national agriculture economy, and in peri-urban areas of large cities, which have experienced extreme changes during recent decades. But the issues are also relevant to peri-urban mid-sized cities where urbanization is in a different phase compared to the above areas. This study examines the main changes underway in the agrarian transition of peri-urban areas of Vinh city, a mid-sized city in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. Vinh was chosen given its unique position in transforming from a mid-sized to a large city. This study explores the dynamics of agricultural production, and the role of the Vinh government in mediating urbanization and its impacts on farmers’ livelihoods. In order to attain the objectives, interviews with local leaders, and a survey with farmers were conducted, and a GIS database was also developed. The findings regarding agricultural production in the case study demonstrate that this mid-sized city, in the early phase of development, manifests itself as a duplicate of larger cities, escalating the threat of food accessibility from local sources. Duplication is in the sense that the peri-urban population in Vinh still depends largely on agriculture with a shift to commercial agriculture with higher value products despite the shrinkage of agricultural land. Agricultural production primarily uses manual family labor, and traditional products are substantially subsistent. Compared to larger cities, post-production activities (including processing, packaging, marketing, and delivery) and the organization of the agrofood supply chain in Vinh are underdeveloped due to minimum support from local and outside agencies. The case study confirms that as general trend in developing countries, Vietnam’s land policies favor the expropriation of agricultural land for industrialization and modernization. The findings also demonstrate the heterogeneity of land administration in Vietnam, structured from the ‘bottom-up’ mechanism, through which Vinh’s local authorities have the prerogative to not issue land use right certificates of agricultural land despite the national policy. This has occurred in order to control land markets to satisfy the city’s goal of transforming to an independent municipality. The situation is perpetuated by the absence of agricultural land legislations in a peri-urban context while contemporary legislation has been developed to address the rural areas because of their importance in the national agriculture economy. This is an issue for land management in Vietnam as well as in other developing countries. Finally, the findings on land expropriation in the peri-urban areas of Vinh city also confirm that direct government intervention through land expropriation in developing countries, with low compensation and lack of alternative vocational training, undermines farmers’ livelihoods and threatens the local food supply.

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 6.2 aims at providing access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and to end open defecation by 2030. Yet, 47 % of the population in Bolivia lacked access to basic sanitation services in 2012. There is a risk of actors focusing on only the construction of toilet facilities, without looking at the need for related service required for a sustainable development. El Alto is a rapidly growing city in Bolivia where the sanitation service is expanding fast. In order to enhance knowledge about the sustainability of existing sanitation systems in El Alto and to give recommendations for future development, this sustainability assessment was conducted. Two sanitation systems in El Alto were assessed against five sustainability criteria, related to: 1) health, 2) environment, 3) technical function, 4) socio-culture (institutional and user related) and 5) economy. The conventional sanitation system with sewers and an alternative small-scale sanitation system with urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs) were selected as system options.  Results show that the "conventional system" entails higher health risks than the "UDDT system". For example, blockages in the main sewer lines cause overflows in the streets during rainy season when storm water gets mixed with potentially infectious wastewater. The UDDT system has a higher performance than the conventional system regarding the environment criterion, which is related to nutrients recovery and removal. Results related to the technical function criterion show that the conventional system has a better capacity to endure a change in quality or quantity of input products to the system. Both systems can handle the freezing temperatures in El Alto but the UDDT system has better resilience against climate change impacts such as flooding or drought events. The levels of complexity are reasonable in a local context for both systems. If assuming that the aspiration for flush toilets is as low in entire El Alto as in the area of investigation, results show that users of the UDDT system are more satisfied than uses of the conventional system. The dissatisfaction expressed by users of the conventional system mainly derives from malodors appearing during the wastewater overflows in the streets. The institutional capacity is stronger for the conventional system, making it harder for the UDDT system to expand. In addition, the UDDT system has difficulties with financing. Recommendations for future development are to inspect and renew the sewer network and to review and expand treatment capacity of the centralized treatment plant. Financial resources should be focused on the UDDT system where there is no sewer network. / Det globala hållbarhetsdelmålet 6.2 syftar till att senast 2030 säkerställa att alla har tillgång till fullgod och rättvis sanitet och hygien och att ingen behöver uträtta sina behov utomhus. År 2012 hade fortfarande 47% av Bolivias befolkning inte tillgång till acceptabel sanitet. Det finns en risk för att aktörer fokuserar på enbart snabb utbyggnation av toaletter, utan att ta hänsyn till behovet av relaterad service som krävs för en hållbar utveckling. För att sanitetssystem ska räknas som hållbara krävs, förutom att de skyddar hälsan, även att de är ekonomiskt genomförbara, socialt accepterade, tekniskt och institutionellt anpassade och att de skyddar miljön och hushåller med naturresurser. Med syftet att öka kunskapen kring hållbarheten av de existerande sanitetssystemen i El Alto, en snabbt växande stad i Bolivia, och för att ge rekommendationer till framtida utveckling av sanitetssystemen, genomfördes en hållbarhetsanalys av två existerande sanitetssystem i området. Det ena var det konventionella systemet tillhörande avloppsledningar och det andra var ett alternativt småskaligt system tillhörande urinsorterande torrtoaletter (UDDT).  Resultaten visar på att det ”konventionella systemet” innebär högre hälsorisker än ”UDDT systemet” för arbetarna och för boende som vistas i områdena där systemen finns. Det dåligt underhållna avloppssystemet var den avgörande faktorn, eftersom under regnperioder orsakas översvämningar av avloppsvatten på gatorna. Det konventionella systemet orsakar ungefär sex gånger så höga utsläpp av övergödande ämnen som UDDT systemet. UDDT systemet har potential att återvinna ungefär 64 % av inkommande kväve medan den motsvarande siffran för det konventionella systemet är endast 9%. Det konventionella systemet klarar bättre av förändringar i kvalitet och kvantitet av inflöden än UDDT systemet men båda systemen klarar av perioder då minusgrader inträffar. UDDT systemet förväntas, till skillnad från det konventionella systemet, att kunna hantera eventuell torka eller översvämning bättre som kan inträffa till följd av klimatförändringar. Till stor del på grund av de årligt förekommande översvämningarna av avloppsvatten på gatorna verkar användarna av det konventionella systemet vara mindre nöjda med sitt sanitetssystem än vad användarna av UDDT systemet verkar vara. Det gäller då att viljan att skaffa vattentoaletter är lika låg i hela El Alto som i området där intervjuer gjordes. Den institutionella kapaciteten är högre för det konventionella systemet än för UDDT systemet, vilket gör det svårare för UDDT systemet att expandera. Dessutom har UDDT systemet finansiella svårigheter.  Rekommendationer för framtida utveckling av sanitetssystemen i El Alto är delvis att underhålla och förnya avloppsledningarna och att expandera kapaciteten på det konventionella vattenreningsverket innan fler hushåll ansluts till ledningsnätet. Finansiella medel rekommenderas fokuseras på UDDT systemet i områden där avloppsledningar inte täcker. / El Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 6 Meta 2 incluye que hasta el 2030, se logre el acceso a servicios de saneamiento e higiene adecuados y equitativos para todos y poner fin a la defecación al aire libre. Todavía, 47 % de la población en Bolivia carecía de acceso a saneamiento básico en 2012. Para alcanzar la meta sin comprometer los otros objetivos de desarrollo sostenible, la Alianza Sustenable de Saneamiento (SuSanA) identificó cinco criterios de sostenibilidad para el desarrollo de sistemas de saneamiento. Estos criterios son relacionados con: 1) salud e higiene, 2) medio ambiente y recursos naturales, 3) tecnología 4) asuntos financieros y económicos, y 5) aspectos socioculturales e institucionales (SuSanA, 2008). Con el objeto de mejorar el conocimiento sobre la sostenibilidad de los sistemas de saneamiento existentes en El Alto, una ciudad en rápido crecimiento en Bolivia, y para dar recomendaciones para el futuro desarrollo, se realizó una evaluación comparativa sobre la sostenibilidad de dos de los sistemas. Se evaluó el ”sistema convencional”, que tiene conexiones al alcantarillado y una planta de tratamiento centralizado. Tabmbien se evaluó el ”sistema UDDT”, que tiene baños secos ecológicos de los cuales existen en menor escala en El Alto. Los resultados muestran que existe alto riesgo para la salud derivados del alcantarillado del sistema convencional. Durante la temporada de lluvia suele ocurrir bloqueos taponamientos en la red del alcantarillado. Los bloqueos causan desbordes de aguas residuales en las calles que se mezclan con aguas pluviales. Los resultados muestran también que emisiones de eutrofización son aproximadamente seis veces más altas que el sistema convencional en comparación con el sistema UDDT. El potencial para el reciclaje de nitrógeno se puede estimar en 64%del sistema UDDT y solo 9%del sistema convencional. Los resultados sobre robustez muestran que el sistema convencional tiene una mejor capacidad para soportar un cambio en la calidad o cantidad de productos de entrada al sistema. Ambos sistemas pueden manejar las temperaturas de congelación en El Alto, pero el sistema UDDT tiene una mejor resistencia contra los impactos del cambio climático, como una inundación o una sequía. Existe insatisfacción que expresan los usuarios del sistema convencional debido a los desbordes anuales de aguas residuales en las calles. En general, los usarios del sistema UDDT estaban satisfechos. Parece que la aspiración de inodoros con descarga de agua es más baja en El Alto comparado con una ciudad más al sur de Bolivia. Por que la capacidad institucional es más fuerte para el sistema convencional comparado con el sistema UDDT, es más fácil para el sistema convencional expandirse. Además, los recursos financieros no están asegurados para el sistema UDDT. Las recomendaciones para el futuro desarrollo del situación de saneamiento es inspeccionar y renovar la red de alcantarillado existente y revisar y ampliar la capacidad de tratamiento de la planta de tratamiento centralizada antes de expandir la red de alcantarillado. Los recursos financieros deben centrarse en el sistema UDDT donde ya no existe una red de alcantarillado. / This thesis has been a pre-study linked to the Stockholm Environment Institute-led Bolivia WATCH program (contributing to more integrated sanitation and watershed management planning in Bolivia), and particularly to its sub-project ‘Comparative sustainability assessment of sanitation services’, which aims at generating a fair and comprehensive comparison between different sanitation system approaches. The comparative assessment, developed in collaboration with RISE, AguaTuya and Unicef, is expected to provide insights and guide future sanitation investments in Bolivia, but also highlight where both conventional and alternative approaches have improvement potential from a sustainability perspective in the Bolivian setting.

<p>Den snabba utvecklingen och urbaniseringen i stora delar av Kina har ett flertal konsekvenser för miljön. Yangtzedeltats ytvatten är till stor del eutrofierade, delvis p.g.a. diffusa förluster från jordbruket. I denna studie har kväve- och, till viss del, fosforflöden och förluster från två odlingsrutor i ett intensivt odlat grönsaksfält i ett tätortsnära område i Nanjing, med hög tillförsel av organiskt gödsel, undersökts med hjälp av den fältskaliga simuleringsmodellen GLEAMS. GLEAMS parametriserades och kalibrerades mot mätvärden av jordens vatten- och kväveinnehåll. Ett scenario med minskad kvävetillförsel simulerades sedan.</p><p>Simuleringen av vattenhalten i de olika horisonterna var inte utmärkt. Den simulerade mängden mineralkväve i marken var avsevärt lägre än den uppmätta. Detta kan bero på en felaktig simulering av mineraliseringen av organiskt kväve eller en för långsam nedbrytning av gödsel. Det är också möjligt att felen i vattensimuleringarna bidrog till underskattningen av mängden mineralkväve i marken. Simuleringarna på de båda odlingsrutorna gav liknande resultat, förutom att ruta B hade 20% större förluster av N via simulerad erosion och läckage. För fortsatt simulering av alternativa odlingsmetoder bör modellens parametrisering förbättras, särskilt vad avser parametrar kopplade till gödselns mineralisering.</p> / <p>Many parts of China are going through a rapid development and urbanization resulting in various environmental impairities. The Yangtze Delta Region surface water bodies are affected by eutrophication, partly caused by diffuse losses from agriculture. In this study, nitrogen, and to some extent also phosphorus, flows and losses from two plots in an intensively cultivated vegetable field in a peri-urban area of Nanjing, with a high input of organic fertilizer, were analysed by the use of the field-scale simulation model GLEAMS. The GLEAMS model was parameterized and calibrated against measurements of soil water and nitrogen content in two plots. A scenario with a reduced input of nitrogen was then simulated.</p><p>The resemblance between simulated and measured water content in the different soil layers was quite poor. The simulated inorganic nitrogen content in the soil was significantly lower than the measured during great parts of the simulation period. This could be due to an inappropriate simulation of the mineralization of organic N under these conditions, or an underestimated decomposition rate of manure. It is also possible that the poor water simulations contributed to the underestimated inorganic N content in the soil. There were similar results for the two plots, except for an unexplained 20% increase in leaching and erosion losses of N in Plot B. For simulation of scenarios to find best management practices, the model parameterization should be further refined.</p>

Thesis (M.M. (Public Policy))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, 2013. / This research set out to explore the feasibility of developing Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) collaborative policy networks in South African metros. The study explored related challenges and barriers, and investigated the role of the state (national, provincial and local/metro) and other sectoral development stakeholders (private sector, research institutions, non-governmental-organisations, development partners, donors, and farmers) in the substantive UPA policy management process in South Africa. The research was conducted against the backdrop of institutional/procedural policy and collaborative policy networks’ theory was used as framework. The research goal was to contribute to and generate new information and knowledge to enhance UPA collaborative governance and procedural policy. This was done through the application of collaborative policy networks as a contemporary procedural policy arrangement framework. Collaborative policy networks in this research are patterned relationships between state and society. These networks link a variety of actors (in the public and private sector) in a set of relatively stable relationships, that are non-hierarchical and interdependent, that share similar policy interests and exchange resources. The purpose is to collaboratively pursue specific policy goals as outlined by Börzel (1997:1). This research applies institutional/procedural theory as formal and legal aspects of government structure and particularly focuses on the way governments are arranged, their legal powers, and their rules and procedures in policy management (Kraft and Furlong, 2004). South Africa’s metros have continuously demonstrated an appreciation of the developmental role of UPA through small and concrete initiatives, including the development and implementation of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) development policies. In line with Mougeot (1994:1), this research however notes that the focus on UPA development in South Africa overemphasises agricultural production as the major component of the UPA definition. According to Dr Jane Battersby-Lennard, Head of the Urban Food Security programme of the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town, the overemphasis on agricultural production can mainly be attributed to the peri-urban agriculture vi (UPA) terminology, which accentuates agriculture – even in metros where agricultural production is not feasible. As a result, this research recommends that the UPA terminology in South Africa be rephrased as ‘Urban Food-security Systems’ (UFS). In this context UFS is defined as a systems approach to develop sustainable and equitable urban food value chains while incorporating a strong focus on elements of urban land-use planning, access to production resources (land and water), food production, safe supply of production inputs, value adding and processing, market development and access. Such an approach also develops responsive institutional/procedural and substantive policy management instruments. The emerging trend noted through this research is that South African metros have not made much progress on the ground in terms of UPS substantive policy management. This also applies to UPA institutional policy in South Africa, which in its current form offers limited opportunities to UFS development in South African metros. This type of development still faces a number of barriers and challenges that relate to institutional ad substantive policy issues. Even with the metros’ demonstrated interest in advancing the sector, UPA policy management capacity and resources (human, social, physical, economic and environmental capital) remain limited. UPA suffers overall limited state attention and commitment and consequently restrictive legislation, bureaucratic red tape and limited institutional, technical and financial support. The research argues that UPA development initiatives could benefit from government’s commitment and prioritisation at all spheres (metro, provincial and national). The research gathers that UPA governance could be enhanced through institutional policy improvements that emphasise wider stakeholder participation through collaborative policy networks. The researcher argues that there is a strong need for state sanctioned interventions that initially focus on developing strategic institutional policy networks as a development foundation for comprehensive, accelerated, equitable and sustainable UFS interventions rather than just agricultural production. This calls for the engagement of multiple stakeholders from social, economic and environmental vii development sectors (including agriculture, food security, natural resources management, social development, political management, climate change, environment and health, etc.) as active UFS development partners in South Africa. This research emphasises collaborative policy networks as an appropriate form of UPA institutional/procedural policy arrangements to help ensure trust, transparency, participation, reciprocity and a good balance of vertical and horizontal power/governance structure (as also defined by Deleon and Varda, 2009:67-71). Here the researcher argues that institutional policy networks articulate very well with the desired objectives of achieving collaborative UPA governance, and that these objectives are key to efficient UPA substantive policy management for South Africa. As a justification for policy networks, the study found that UFS development as a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral public policy issue could benefit not only from the distributed intelligence presented as a benefit of policy networks, but also from the distributed human, social, physical, financial, and political capital/resources that can be accessed and utilised collaboratively to pursue overarching and specific substantive UFS policy goals at national, provincial and local levels. The study recommends the establishment of a national level UFS policy network that could be led by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in partnership with the metros and other strategic state and non-state actors. The research recommends that a national UFS Secretariat be established at part of DAFF, to deal with national UFS policy issues (substantive and institutional) and to provide strategic programming and technical support to metros. The research also notes that developing efficient UFSs would require engaging numerous specialised skills and capacity sources that thus calls for the establishment of smaller specific substantive policy networks within the national UFS policy network. This could be led and constituted by specialist institutions with the required capacity and skills. Potential smaller specific substantive policy networks could include: agricultural production, trade, food/nutrition security and research; trade and marketing and research; environmental management and research; and spatial development and land-use planning and research. The research recommends that such policy networks be institutionalised at national, provincial and local/metro levels and that viii these policy networks are referred to as the Urban Food-security Systems – Community of Practice (UFS-COP). The research also notes that although there is a strong appreciation of the characteristic benefits of policy networks for managing multi-dimensional policy issues such as UFS, it must be noted however, that policy networks are not a panacea and that they do exhibit a hind-side of major challenges (for collaborative governance) that must be continuously addressed in search of efficient collaborative policy governance structures that emphasis the active engagement of multi-sectorial and multi-level policy management stakeholders for collective action.