The Port of Durban is a resource utilised by a wide range of stakeholders. The water quality of this resource is a prerequisite for sustaining the preferred uses of the bay for future generations. Given the extent of development in the port the abundance of fauna and flora is remarkable. Based on the current literature available the management of the port uses a combination of international and local standards to manage the water resource. An associated problem however is that the local legislation does not address the heart of the pollution problem - the polluter. This is highlighted in all chapters of this thesis, as the South African water quality guidelines are not legally enforceable, and do not take into account the combined use of resources. The uncontrolled nutrient loads and pollution present in the port system could ultimately affect the ecosystem health. This is amplified by apparent inability of officials to protect the receiving environment of the Port of Durban. The subsequent condition of water quality in the port compared with the Department of Water Affairs guidelines indicates that there is less than 5% compliance with the target water quality variables. in comparing the same water quality to international water quality Legislation the compliance percentage increased marginally, however the bacterial contamination and nutrient contamination of the resource is apparent even with more relaxed international comparisons. The noticeable cause was clearly evident when comparing results, indicating extensive unacceptable bacterial and nutrient contamination emanating from stormwater systems from the city of Durban, and highly urbanised river catchments. Based on the water quality results it is highly recommended that sustainable environmental management practices be implemented to protect and address the water resource. The metropolitan authorities need to investigate the origins of the stormwater pollution and dialogue must ensue between Portnet and the City to reach consensus on receiving water quality objectives with the aim of compiling a water management policy. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Low levels of development, increasing levels of environmental degradation and poverty are features which characterise many rural areas in the Developing World. The socio-economies of these rural communities are primarily founded on the direct utilization of the natural resource base. The challenge faced by rural communities is thus to achieve socio-economic growth and stability in conjunction with environmental conservation and stability. Integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) have been applied in underdeveloped areas with the objective of enhancing biodiversity conservation through approaches which attempt to address the needs, constraints and opportunities faced by the rural communities. While successes have been recorded, critical analyses by researchers have found that few projects have met their objectives. This case study in KwaJobe, KwaZulu-Natal, attempts to ascertain the development priorities as identified by the community. The participatory rural appraisal techniques utilized in this study provide a valuable approach for local people to provide information to outsiders, as well as to analyse their own circumstances with reference to natural resource management. The findings of the study indicate that the community is characteristic of many rural communities in underdeveloped areas. The development priorities identified by the community focus on economic and social welfare needs. The presentation of two natural resource based development models, ie, a resource based tourism development and an irrigation development, were used to interpret the development preferences and priorities of the community. From this it was possible to ascertain that the communities development priorities do not include natural resource management or environmental conservation. Development initiatives which rank these criteria as the primary objective do not induce support from the community. Approaches to rural development thus need to focus primarily on the meeting of community identified needs if they are to be accepted and supported by the community. Methods need to be devised to facilitate sustainable development which offer opportunities for environmental conservation, rather than attempting to achieve development via conservation initiatives. There is thus a need for a change in the focus of ICDPs from using conservation initiatives to facilitate rural community development, to a focus which prioritises meeting the development needs identified by the communities. Attempts can then be made to facilitate environmental conservation by means of integrated development and conservation projects (IDCPs). / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

There is growing evidence that the way that the world produces and consumes food needs to change. There is growing public awareness of serious environmental threats (e.g. global warming, loss of biodiversity and pollution) as well as social concerns (e.g. poverty, inequality and food security). It is necessary for global agriculture to rethink its approach to food production and to find new ways of producing food that can meet the demands of the growing world population and at the same time reduce the environmental degradation caused by farming. So called green revolution technologies, resulting in high intensity, high input agriculture are damaging the very resources on which agriculture depends; soil and water. Research reveals current conventional practices to be unsustainable. There is a growing recognition, arising from the creation of new knowledge and the development of deeper understanding, that this change is necessary and urgent. Organic (or ecological) farming has emerged as a more beneficial way of producing food from a social and environmental perspective. Demand for, and production of, organic food grew steadily in the second half of the twentieth century and has increased dramatically in the twenty first century. This can largely be ascribed to social learning processes. This growth is not yet reflected in South African agriculture. Given the advantages of organic agriculture, it is necessary to consider how to accelerate its expansion. Understanding the social learning processes of organic farmers and using learning histories are useful tools to create a better understanding of how this can be achieved. The objective of this dissertation is to make use of four social learning frameworks to enhance the understanding of the social learning dynamic of organic farmers by: • Using existing baseline data from a survey of the organic farming sector to draw out the learning histories. • Developing an understanding of four social learning frameworks. • Combining the learning histories and the understanding of social learning frameworks to form a deeper understanding of the social learning dynamics in the South African organic agricultural sector. A literature review of the organic sector and of four learning frameworks (profound change, conversion of knowledge, deeper learning, and the pedagogy of adult social learning) is used to develop an understanding of the essence of organic agriculture and how people learn. Information from a survey of organic farmers in South Africa, is used to impregnate the learning frameworks in order to develop an understanding of how organic farmers in South Africa are learning Open-ended questions from the survey are analysed and interpreted based on the understanding of learning frameworks. Selected statements that reflect social learning are highlighted, incorporated into the learning frameworks and discussed to better understand how organic farmers are learning. The analysis indicates that a high proportion of organic farmers are social learners. The four frameworks demonstrate that many organic farmers see their role as more than just providers of food. They also see themselves as custodians of the land with a deep concern for the environment. Fewer organic farmers demonstrate an understanding of social issues. Those that did showed a clear understanding of the need to integrate social considerations into food production. Networking and sharing of learning are important methods of knowledge creation among organic farmers as a result of the limited research and support for organic farmers in South Africa. Recommendations to accelerate and understand the learning by organic farmers and consumers are provided. Future research is suggested in order to investigate how to assist organic and conventional farmers to better understand learning, identify how learning can be enhanced or retarded, and actively engage in learning that facilitates knowledge creation. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

The objective of the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) initiative is to enhance biodi versity conservation through approaches which balance the needs of local communities reliant upon natural resources, with national and international needs in conservation. This is achieved by addressing the imbalances in the distribution of costs and benefits in natural resource man~gement (NRM). So those who live with natural resources should receive benefits for their effort in conservation. Once there is a benefit stream associated with a resource, communities can then be involved in NRM as a long term strategy. In this way sustainable use of resources is promoted. For successful CBNRM, there has to be a vehicle for eliciting community participation and involvement through planning and decision making. In a communal property management regime, there exist sanctions and rewards for conserving/managing the resource. For community management to be successful there has to be an authority which protects the local rights and ensures that duties are fulfilled . This authority has to be local and national. Within the national context, the authority defining rights and duties in NRM is determined by the institutional framework in which the CBNRM initiative operates. At the community level, community leadership institutions are the authority protecting the rights and enforcing duties. Local leadership gains legitimacy from the wider institutional structures and from the community. How community leadership functions determines largely the structure and functioning of the CBNRM initiative locally. The case study of Kanyurira Ward, a community involved in a CBNRM initiative, namely CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe, attempts to find out the role of leadership within the evolving institutional structures in shaping the functioning and structuring of the initiative. Analysis of the historical progression of leadership within the community and the community perceptions on leadership selection, monitoring and evaluation, legitimacy and the distribution ofcosts and benefits between the community and the leadership were used to identify the salient factors for effective and efficient local leadership in CBNRM. 11 The study showed that local leadership effectiveness and community expectations of leaders influence performance based on understanding of the leadership role and objectives of the CBNRM initiative. The environments in which CBNRM programmes operate have forced the community to change its leadership selection and monitoring criteria over time. External agencies have their own role expectations for local leaders based on their organizational goals and objectives. These different leadership role expectations place undue pressure on leaders. Community perceptions on cost -benefit distribution within CBNRM programmes affect the sustainability of the programme as they can be an incentive or disincentives to follow NRM rules. Changes in the institutional structures within the communities due to government policies have resulted in overlaps and conflicts in roles of traditional and modem political leadership. Though traditional leadership does not have formal legitimation, it has community acceptance and has persisted over the years. Approaches within CBNRM, need to be evaluated within the community's and leaders world view so that they can address any imbalances and mismatches in role, status and benefit expectations before negating on the CBNRM objective of community participation with benefits for sustainable NRM and development. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

A study was conducted to establish whether farmers are changing land use from growing food crops for human consumption to biofuel production to an extent that could significantly affect food security. Following concerns in the recent years about the excessive global demand for fossil fuel that drove prices to very high levels, biofuel alternatives derived mainly from agricultural food crops such as soybean, maize and sugarcane are being pursued in many countries. This study targeted a sample emerging farmers in the Northern Agricultural Region, one of the four administrative areas for agricultural extension services in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Biophysical suitability for change from maize food crop to soybean for biofuel land use was assessed using the locally developed Bio-resource spatial database. A sample of 11 emerging farmers was interviewed regarding land use change of food to biofuel production, farming operations, inputs and yields. Emerging farmers are black African farmers who were previously deprived of land and institutional support in developing into commercial farmers, but who are now recipients of land as well as financial and technical agricultural support services. This group of farmers arguably comes from vulnerable communities who depend on food crops for subsistence and who could influence change in land use with food security implications in their communities. Further information was obtained from an agricultural consultant regarding 7 commercial farms producing soybean biofuel. The study revealed that the Northern Agricultural Region had adequate suitability for profitable soybean production for biofuel. Furthermore, the majority of farmers interviewed had changed from maize production for human consumption to soybean production for biofuel. All the farmers interviewed applied farming operations with modern technology including land preparation and planting, fertilisation, irrigation, crop protection and harvesting. The majority interviewed farmers reported varied total earnings from soybean derived biofuel ranging from R 50, 000 to R 500, 000. The variability in earnings is consistent with the varied range of ages as attributable to experience and with the varied levels of education which may be related to management skills. Although the sample of farmers interviewed was too small to provide statistically valid conclusions, they represent an important sector in the farming community that shows future directions of food versus biofuel productions. The farmers indicated that they are fully aware of food production requirements and will endeavour to balance the two through soybean-maize crop rotation, a practice that not only ensures food security but also improves soil quality. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Ntabamhlophe indigenous state forest is the focus study area. It is one of the forests that are found along the Drakensberg mountain range in KwaZulu- Natal province in South Africa. It is a proclaimed forest of approximately 50ha in extent. The Ntabamhlophe indigenous state forest was formerly called Monk’s Cowl State Forest, (Monk’s Cowl State Forest - iNtabamhlophe) situated in central uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This forest is located on communal land. In many parts of the world, indigenous forests face growing threats and pressures. Internationally this has resulted in approximately 9.4 million hectares being lost by 1990. Indigenous forests play an important role in ecosystem processes. They are associated with a range of products and processes that support the livelihood of millions of people around the world. Forests cover more than 3 000 km2 or 0.1% of the land surface of South Africa. Furthermore, due to the lack of appropriate management programmes, South Africa has contributed its share to indigenous forest loss. Approximately 76% (3240ha) of the Drakensberg Montane forest is formally protected South Africa’s geographical positioning is such that it has historically had a smaller extent of forests. The future of South Africa’s remaining indigenous forests depends partly on the values ascribed to them by local communities. The study objectives were, (i) to understand the values and perceptions of the community towards the existence and future management of the Ntabamhlophe indigenous state forest, and (ii) to determine the different types of forest products and resources used by the community and their values to the users (cultural, spiritual or economic values). To understand Ntabamhlophe community’s indigenous forest resource use, values and perceptions, a qualitative survey method was used. This was conducted by using focus group techniques. The use of focus groups provided an insight into qualitative data. The technique combined both wise counsel and focus group workshops. The use of this technique aimed at drawing upon respondents’ attitudes, feelings, beliefs, experiences and reactions. The questionnaire design was based on the structures of other studies, on user attitudes and values relating to forest resources. The study revealed that the community ascribes high values to the indigenous forest, however they do not have a proper forest management system in place. The following were regarded as the major threats facing Ntabamhlophe forest resources: crime, uncontrolled and excessive burning, uncontrolled harvesting of indigenous medicinal plant and fuelwood, deforestation (clearing forests for plantations, e.g. vegetable crops and Cannabis sativa). Illegal hunting, soil erosion, and inappropriate forest management systems (nonexistence) were all considered by community representatives as serious threats to the survival of this indigenous forest. The findings also revealed that there is a lack of capacity and skills, appropriate stakeholder representation and coherent community leadership to pursue Ntabamhlophe Mountain and forest conservation initiatives. Given the circumstances, there is an apparent lack of confidence on the part of the community to confirm their natural resource conservation priorities. The community representatives recommended that the current uncontrolled activities be prohibited. They also had a strong belief that the forest should be protected through a cooperative management system involving Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the Traditional Authority, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Imbabazane Local Municipality. The focus group indicated that they had a very high future benefit expectation of activities such as education, water, cultural, biodiversity, spiritual upliftment, tourism, craft and free access (Table 6). They also indicated that gathering medicinal plants and fuelwood was very common. Educational benefit was regarded as the most important of all, followed by tourism and biodiversity conservation. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This study proposes a system-based approach to land registration ana lysis using the case of the KwaZulu-Natal Deeds Registry in Pietermaritzburg. The study seeks to; (i) investigate and analyze the land registration system (as a whol e) in terms of its key processes, data stores and data flows (ii) assess, based on the na ture of the data stores, data flows and processes, the turn around time of the as is (manual) and the to be (computerised) systems, and (iii) recommend improvements based on ident ified gaps and bottlenecks. The study identified two key role players in land regis tration; the Conveyancers (responsible for deed drafting) and Deed Registry (deed examination and approval). The interaction between the two, which has its own challenges , ensures the proper application of complex legislation related to the registration of land. To gain deeper insight into the activities of the land registrati on system, key informant interviews were held and several documents were reviewed to understa nd the data sources and their formats, processes performed, storage and acc essibility of such data as well as the internal and external data flows across Conveyancers , Deeds Registry and other stakeholders. In this regard, the land registration system wa s decomposed into a number of data flow diagrams (DFDs); namely context (system as a whole), top level (system as composed of main subsystems) and lower level (deta iled sub systems) to identify the core data stores, data flows and processes. Based on these diagrams, manual and electronic data stores, proces ses and data flows were identified and turnaround time of the as is (manual) and the to be (computerized) systems was derived and compared. A conventional case of a deed of transfer - from deed of sale to registration of the deed of transfer was used. The res ults showed that significant gains in turn around time, from 70 to 9 days can be realized through comput erisation of certain key data stores, processes and data flows. Recommendat ions for improvement were then generated based on the system diagrams and turn around times. The study thus demonstrates the potential of a holistic approach to la nd registration analysis and improvement. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The South African Government has set a target of universal access to basic electricity by the year 2012. Free basic electricity is defined as the amount of electricity sufficient to provide basic lighting, media access, water heating and ironing with on-grid electricity; or basic lighting and media access for a non-grid system. Eskom Distribution, in conjunction with local municipalities, is responsible for the outstanding electrification predominantly in rural areas. In KwaZulu-Natal, mountainous terrain and scattered settlement patterns of communities complicate the achievement of this goal. This study was aimed at using GIS to address the urgent need to plan electrification, firstly by identifying areas that need electrification and secondly by prioritising those areas according to set principles. Electrification areas were effectively identified and prioritised from both a need and capability of supply aspect. The study then aimed at designing the shortest networks from the grid to those identified electrification areas. To determine electrification areas spatially, electoral areas (EAs) demarcated as rural during the run up to the 1994 elections were used to identify rural areas; and Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality, current electrification projects, reserves and a buffer zone around existing transformers excluded. Household point data was used to polygonize the remaining area, and those polygons were aggregated on their calculated area to create future rural electrification areas (FREA). A points and weighting system; based on one initially used in Namibia and further developed in an electrification planning model by RAPS Consulting, CSIR and DME to prioritise villages for electrification; was applied to calculate point scores for each FREA and other criteria such as distance from a network with capacity considered to determine a prioritised list of FREA that can be electrified immediately. Roads, land cover, household positions and slope were used to design the shortest path from the grid to the three highest scoring FREA. Each layer was reclassified, ratings applied and the layers combined to successfully determine the final path in terms of the criteria used. Interest in using GIS for spatial planning has led to a GIS Initiative Group (GISIG) being formed at Eskom Distribution in Eastern Region to address data collection, co-ordination of planning, tools written previously but never implemented being re-evaluated and, more recently, new tools being designed. However, much is still needed in terms of research, resolving of data quality issues, testing of points and weighting systems, and for functionally independent sections to work together on making changes to age-old system structures and processes before any of the recommendations resulting from this study can be effectively implemented. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) is a paradigm that has emerged in response to the perceived failure of past approaches to conservation and development. CBNRM is intended to deliver socio-economic development to impoverished rural communities, who manage natural resources, and harness the utility of these resources as a vehicle for development. This dissertation revisits the concept of CBNRM, using the Tchuma Tchato project at Bawa, Tete Province, Mozambique as a case study. A conceptual framework for a CBNRM project intervention is developed and used to analyse the Tchuma Tchato project. The role of external agents, and particularly the lead institution, is vital to a project intervention. It is shown that external agents need to be well organised, and they need to interact effectively as a team. External agents need to have the financial and human capacity, and an understanding of CBNRM to play a constructive and effective role in a time-bound project intervention. A project intervention must evolve from a top-down intervention into an autonomous CBNRM programme, that is sustainable, and that can contribute to a process of sustainable development and conservation after the end of a project life. In order to realise this, a project intervention must be rigorously planned and designed. This formulation is critical to the subsequent implementation and operation of a project. It is vital that a CBNRM addresses the key characteristics of CBNRM, and that in doing so, it delivers social, economic and environmental development to the targeted community. Analysis of the Tchuma Tchato project at Bawa has elucidated that the project is floundering. Application of the conceptual framework to Tchuma Tchato has established causes for this. The primary cause is a weakness in the roles played by the lead institution and external agents. The project was not rigorously formulated. The project has not been effectively managed. The project has failed to address the key characteristics of CBNRM, and it is not contributing to a process of sustainable development. This analysis has facilitated the identification of remedial actions for Tchuma Tchato at Bawa, and recommendations for future CBNRM projects have been made. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.