Sustainable development’s wide scale adoption has resulted in the rapid emergence of the field Sustainability Science. This trans-disciplinary field of research attempts to understand the interconnectedness, relationships and complexity between the natural environment and society. To understand these relationships and integration between the natural environment, the economy and society within a sustainability context, an ecosystem goods and services (EGS) approach can be taken. EGS research is being incorporated into mainstream environmental decision-making and strategic thinking, particularly within the corporate sector, however, adoption has been slow. The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) is a framework, developed by the World Research Institute (WRI), which aims to assess the dependence and impact that a company has on EGS through a systematic approach. This methodological framework can be adapted into a tool that assists in more informed environmental decision-making at a local government level. This adapted tool highlights EGS issues within particular open spaces and links these issues to sustainability targets and identifies risks and opportunities for local government. For this research, the ESR tool was tested on open spaces within the Msunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, by adapting the ESR methodological framework to relate to local government decision-making and by incorporating existing tools and strategic documents, namely the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and the Spatial Development Framework (SDF), into the EGS assessment tool. Site-specific EGS issues were identified at two open space study sites through posing different development scenarios, and results from testing the tool revealed linkages between EGS and risks and opportunities for sustainability. The tool has applicability to local level decision-making, particularly in the early stages of development planning, by providing a more holistic input into the environmental decision-making process. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

The attitudes, perceptions and environmentally responsible behaviour of delegates (tourists) at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an area in which little or no academic research was undertaken from an academic, tourism perspective. This dissertation presents the results of a Green Survey undertaken during this climate change conference, focusing on the attitudes, perceptions and responsible practices of delegates in order to obtain a better understanding of tourism related impacts. Forms of tourism used as the conceptual basis were MICE, event tourism, sustainable tourism and responsible tourism integrated with socio-psychological behavioural theories. COP 17 was held in Durban (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) from the 28 November to 8 December, 2011 over 14 days. It was one of the many high-level international meetings on climate change, sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. Delegates involved in the formal discussions included representatives of the world's governments, international organisations and civil society. Several thousand attendees (visitors and local residents) participated in separate discussions and events organised by civil society to highlight environmental and climate injustices and the concerns of the poor. Interviews were conducted at the conference venues, where COP 17 was held, that is, the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC). The study endeavoured to understand the socio-economic and demographic profile of delegates. An additional objective was to examine the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of delegates on various environmental issues related to climate change and its impact on tourism. An attempt was also made to determine whether there were any significant relationships between socio- demographic variables, knowledge and attitudes/ perceptions, and the behaviour of delegates. A structured questionnaire survey of 825 official delegates was undertaken and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The research survey used a non-probability, purposive, spatially-based systematic sampling techniques. The interviews were conducted in the ICC precinct (open spaces) and the first delegate was purposively selected. Subsequently, every fifteenth respondent was interviewed. The results indicate that despite delegates’ awareness of environmental best practices and having a good knowledge of environmental issues, there was inconsistency in behaviour due to a range of factors such as situational, internal and external aspects. Moreover, there was a gap in environmental behaviour practiced at home and whilst travelling. The majority of the delegates agreed that COP 17 had major environmental impacts in terms of energy consumption, air pollution, solid waste and overconsumption of water. Most respondents also stated that they engaged in environmentally responsible practices sometimes or always. It was also found that education had a significant relationship (p=0.000) on all environmental best practices whilst age and gender was only related to certain best practices. Additionally, knowledge of a few environment issues was significantly related to certain environmental best practices. Lastly, age was strongly related to the most number of behavioural practices and knowledge had significant relationships to numerous behavioural practices at home and while at the tourist destination. The study shows that socio-demographic variables, such as level of education, were important determinants of COP 17 delegates’ attitudes and environmentally friendly practices whilst traveling and at home. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1992.

Abstract available in pdf file.

Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Criminal activity and police station locations have an inherent geography that needs to be understood in order for crime prevention strategies to be reasonably effective. This study analysed the spatiotemporal pattern of crime in the city of Manzini, in Swaziland, for the period of 2004 and determined suitable locations for future police stations. Four categories of crime were analysed. These were crimes against property, crimes against people, drug related crimes and crimes against public order. Five main analyses were performed namely: overlay analysis, proximity analysis, temporal analysis, morphological analysis, and accessibility analysis. The findings suggest that crimes against property are the most prevalent category of crime in Manzini with a prevalence rate of 84.2%. This category was followed by crimes against people (11.9%), drug related crimes (3.5%), and crimes against public order (0.4%). Landuses associated with transportation experienced the highest amount (22%) of crime in Manzini. There was a strong relationship between incidents of crime and areas with medium to high population density. The proximity analysis revealed that the highest concentration of incidents of crime was between 50 and 100 metres from alcohol serving establishments in Manzini. In a similar analysis, the proximity of incidents of crime to educational institutions was concentrated between 500 and 1000 metres whereas the proximity of incidents of crime to the Manzini police station was dominant between 250 and 500 metres. Of all recorded incidents of crime 87% occurred during the day while 13% occurred during the night. In areas of high-crime concentration such as the bus rank and the Manzini market, it was established that the structural layout of these areas promoted criminal activity. The accessibility analysis showed that seven police stations are necessary to ensure that people do not walk more than 30 minutes to the nearest police station in Manzini. The study concluded that crime prevention strategies would require the intervention of both the police and city planners to be reasonably successful. It also noted that the establishment of accessible police stations would complement the efforts of the police in their endeavour to combat crime in Manzini.

Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / A multitude of unique fauna and flora exist within the Western Cape of South Africa. Fire plays an intricate role in the conservation and extinction of many of these species. It is therefore imperative to understand this delicate relationship in order to help preserve the province’s uniquely balanced ecosystem. The Western Cape Nature Conservation Board (WCNCB) expressed the need for a system that would allow reserve managers to produce basic fire frequency and veld age maps with considerable ease. These maps are needed for intelligent decisionmaking regarding the management of veldfires. Information concerning vegetation and historical veldfires in the Western Cape, collected over a period of 50 years exist in tabular format in databases of the WCNCB. Some of these tables contain spatial information elements, such as areas affected by fires. Tabular data with spatial elements can be converted to a geographical information system (GIS) format, extracting value previously shielded from the user. Using GIS techniques and the programming language Avenue, two tools with powerful decision-making qualities were created to extract value from these datasets. One tool shows the fire history of a specified area as a digital map. This map shows areas with varying occurrences of fires over time, thereby highlighting hot spots within the specified location. The ability to view various fire scar datasets spatially over a specified period, as opposed to records in a table, enables the user to understand the extent to which areas have been repeatedly exposed to fire and quickly identify areas most affected. The second tool shows vegetation age in a similar fashion, allowing the user to see the current spatial distribution of vegetation and its age. Knowledge about the age of indigenous vegetation, such as fynbos, in a predetermined area, facilitates the reserve manager in decisions related to block burning. This is an accepted practise in areas where vegetation requires fire to stimulate germination. Both tools provide decisionmaking support to reserve managers regarding the most suitable course of action in terms of the implementation of a proactive or passive approach towards fires. This study satisfies the needs of the WCNCB by exploring the hidden value within their datasets. GIS supported by the programming language, Avenue, was successfully utilised in the development of a system capable of extracting information from current datasets to support reserve managers in their critical decision-making processes.

Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / As with any form of intensive agriculture, there are potential environmental impacts associated with the management and housing of livestock on dairy farms. Within the field of dairy farming, particular focus falls to the issue of environmental degradation of water resources, as this form of pollution is currently a major environmental issue around the world. Conventional agricultural practices involving the application of chemical fertilizers to land and crops are causing environmental problems as a result of poor management practices. Dairy wastewater and manures could however be a valuable resource for agricultural producers in the form of an alternate fertilizer for their crops. Waste application as a fertilizer is more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers, and could drastically reduce costs for farmers, whilst alleviating storage and management problems often associated with farmyard manures (FYM). The application of organic wastes, notably livestock manures, to land has historically been important for maintaining soil fertility on farms in terms of nutrient status and organic matter levels, as well as helping to reduce soil erosion and improve waterholding capacity. The research sought to investigate the environmental and economical feasibility of using dairy wastewater and manures as an alternative form of fertilizer within agriculture in South Africa.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wine tourism is emerging as an increasingly significant phenomenon in wine-producing regions throughout the world. The Stellenbosch Wine Region (SWR) is no exception and has experienced dramatic changes in the last decade. However, despite the documented industry development and rapid participant expansion, there has been insufficient systematic study of the extent, development, management and marketing of the wine tourism product provided by wine farms. This study investigates the SWR in terms of the commercial efforts, initiatives, services, facilities and the commodification of resources that occur on wine farms to form the wine tourism product. The aim of the study is to establish the degree of commercialisation and commodification in the SWR. This is achieved through realising three research objectives, namely 􀂾���������� compiling a thorough and complete list of manifestations and indicators that describe commercialisation and commodification in the wine tourism product on wine farms; 􀂾���������� establishing the degree of commercialisation and commodification at each individual wine farm in the research area; and 􀂾���������� portraying and analysing the spatial distribution of the degrees of commercialisation and commodification. A focus group of twelve individuals involved with wine tourism allocated relative importance weightings for each of the 81 identified manifestations and indicators of commercialisation and commodification compiled in the questionnaire that was distributed to the wine farms in the study area. The questionnaire required respondents to indicate the presence or absence of the listed manifestations or indicators on their respective farms. This data, used in conjunction with the importance weightings, facilitated the calculation of a value representing the degree of commercialisation and commodification for each farm, and so too for the SWR. The study results confirmed the importance of commercialisation and commodification with every wine farm having some form of these phenomena and the SWR having a 38 percent average degree of commercialisation and commodification. Of the five wine routes in the SWR, the Stellenbosch Hills route has the highest degree of commercialisation and commodification with 42 percent. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die opkoms van wyntoerisme is ‘n toenemend betekenisvolle verskynsel in wynstreke dwarsoor die wêreld. Die Stellenbosch Wynstreek (SWS) is geen uitsondering nie en het dramatiese veranderinge oor die laaste dekade ervaar. Ten spyte van die gedokumenteerde ontwikkeling in die bedryf en die vinnige deelnemer uitbreiding, is daar nie genoegsame sistematiese studie van die omvang, ontwikkeling, bestuur en bemarking van die wyntoerismeproduk, gelewer deur die wynplase, nie. Hierdie studie ondersoek die SWS in terme van die kommersiële pogings, inisiatiewe, dienste, fasiliteite en die kommodifikasie van hulpbronne wat op wynplase gevind word om die wyntoerismeproduk te vorm. Die doel van die studie is om die graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie in die SWS vas te stel. Dit word bereik deur die realisering van drie navorsingsdoelwitte, naamlik 􀂾��������� die definiëring van ‘n volledige en deeglike lys van manifestasies en indikatore wat die kommersialisering en kommodifikasie van die wyntoerismeproduk op wynplase beskryf; 􀂾��������� die bepaling van die graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie by elke wynplaas in die navorsingsgebied; en 􀂾��������� die uitbeelding en analisering van die ruimtelike verspreiding van die grade van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie. ‘n Fokusgroep, bestaande uit twaalf individue betrokke in wyntoerisme, het relatiewe belangrikheidsgewigte toegeken aan elk van die geїdentifiseerde manifestasies en indikatore van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie, wat saamgevoeg is in die vraelyste wat versprei is na die onderskeie wynplase in die studiegebied. Die respondente moes die teenwoordigheid of afwesigheid van die gelyste manifestasies aandui. Hierdie data, saam met die belangrikheidsgewigte, is aangewend om waardes te bereken wat die graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie van elke wynplaas, asook die SWS, verteenwoordig. Die navorsing bevestig die belangrikheid van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie en elke plaas is gekenmerk deur vorme van hierdie verskynsels met die SWS wat ‘n 38 persent gemiddelde graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie behaal. Van die vyf wynroetes in die SWS, het die Stellenbosch Hills-roete die hoogste graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie vertoon, naamlik 42 persent.

Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Tourism routes or networks have been identified as a tool for local economic development and could also contribute towards social development of communities, and conservation of the natural environment. In order to determine whether the development of routes have the desired effects on the economy, society and the environment, a set of sustainability indicators (SIs) needs to be developed to measure the possible effects. The aim of this study is to identify appropriate SIs that could be applied to tourism route development in Africa; to identify a suitable method of identifying route-specific indicators; and to test the suitability of these indicators in two case studies, namely the Caprivi Wetlands Paradise route and the Barotse Trails Route. The study area comprises part of the proposed Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area and includes the south-western part of Zambia and the Caprivi region in north-eastern Namibia. The objectives of the study are to determine the elements of a sustainable tourism route from existing literature; to identify a framework for selecting both generic and route-specific SIs; to select appropriate indicators for tourism route development in the African context; and to do a baseline assessment for the two case study routes to determine the suitability of the selected methods and indicators. Data were collected by making use of structured interviews and focus groups. Collected data on individual businesses are combined and presented collectively for each route by making use of sustainability assessment maps (SAMs). In addition, a method of identifying route-specific indicators was selected which makes use of the pressure-state-response (PSR) framework previously used for identifying environmental indicators. The results of the study show that the identified indicators provide a means of determining overall sustainability of routes or networks based on the principle of the triple bottom line. SAMs are a good way of presenting data to stakeholders in a simplified way. The results also indicate that the PSR framework can be adequately adapted to identify indicators in conjunction with communities in a participative manner. Recommendations are made for improving the overall sustainability of routes or networks and for increasing their network functionality. Recommendations include the possibility of investigating the use of geographic information systems in mapping SIs. KEYWORDS: Sustainability indicators; tourism routes; monitoring; pressure-state-response; sustainability assessment maps; tourism networks; route development.

Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--Stellenbosch University, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gated developments (GDs) are a global phenomenon with their presence and numbers increasing in many cities throughout the world. This is also true for cities in South Africa, including Cape Town which has seen a dramatic increase in the number of GDs during the last decade. GDs pose significant challenges to their surrounding urban environments and to cities as a whole because of the spatial and social fragmentation associated with such developments. The challenges created by GDs are especially relevant in the context of the post-apartheid planning goals of integration and sustainability of cities in South Africa. There is a pressing need to understand these GDs in their social and spatial contexts. This study examined aerial photographs to establish the spatial distribution of GDs, ascertain their growth over time and determine clustering of the phenomenon in the north-eastern suburbs of Cape Town. The architectural characteristics and the security measures employed by the GDs were investigated through field observations of a sample of GDs. The socio-economic and demographic features, as well as the daily activity spaces of the residents of the GDs, were determined in a questionnaire survey of a sample of these inhabitants. These investigations provided a detailed look at the gating phenomenon as it manifests in a post-apartheid city, namely Cape Town. The study is of particular interest to urban geographers, town and regional planners, and urban policy makers dealing with the integration of post-apartheid cities. The study found that the GDs constrain progress toward reaching the post-apartheid planning goals of integration and urban sustainability by their contribution to increasing urban fragmentation and urban sprawl through their clustering close to the urban edge. The GDs also promote social segregation through their high perimeter defences with low visual permeability which effectively separate the developments from their neighbourhoods. The use of a larger sample on which to base the socioeconomic and demographic profiles of GD residents as well as the use of more recent aerial photography will enhance future studies of the gating phenomenon. A thorough analysis of travel patterns and traffic volumes in neighbourhoods with large clusters of GDs will advance an understanding of this phenomenon’s effects on urban segregation and fragmentation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sekuriteitsoorde is ʼn globale verskynsel wat toenemend in teenwoordigheid en getalle wêreldwyd in die meeste stede voorkom. Dit is ook die geval in Suid-Afrikaanse stede, insluitend Kaapstad wat in die laaste dekade ʼn dramatiese toename in die getal sekuriteitsoorde beleef het. Sekuriteitsoorde hou ʼn paar gewigtige uitdagings vir die omliggende stedelike omgewings en dié vir die groter stad in as gevolg van die ruimtelike en sosiale fragmentasie wat met hierdie ontwikkelings geassosieer word. Hierdie uitdagings is veral relevant vir die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse beplanningsbeleid wat na 1994 in werking getree het en wat stedelike integrasie en volhoubare stedelike ontwikkeling beklemtoon. Dit is belangrik om sekuriteitsoorde binne hulle sosiale en ruimtelike kontekste te bestudeer. Lugfoto’s is bestudeer om die ruimtelike manifestasie (ligging, groei en konsentrasie) van hierdie verskynsel in Kaapstad se noordelike voorstede te ontleed. Verder is ʼn steekproef van sekuriteitsoorde ter plaatse ondersoek om die argitektoniese kenmerke en die sekuriteit maatreëls van die ontwikkelings te bestudeer. Die sosio-ekonomiese en demografiese profiele sowel as die daaglikse aktiwiteitsruimtes van sekuriteitsoordinwoners is deur middel van ʼn vraelysopname van ʼn steekproef van inwoners vasgestel. Hierdie ondersoeke het ʼn diepgaande blik op geslote ontwikkelings in stede wat gekenmerk is deur apartheidstyl beplanning (soos Kaapstad) gegee. Die bevindings is dus veral relevant vir stedelike geograwe, stads- en streeksbeplanners en stedelike beleidmakers wat met die integrasie van na-apartheidstede te doen het. Die studie het bevind dat hierdie ontwikkelings die bereiking van die na-apartheidsbeplanningsdoelwitte van stedelike integrasie en volhoubare stedelike ontwikkeling belemmer deur stedelike fragmentasie en stedelike wildgroei te bevorder deur konsentrasies van hierdie ontwikkelings naby die stedelike grens te vestig. Sosiale fragmentasie word ook deur hierdie ontwikkelings aangehelp deur hulle neiging om hoë grensmure met lae visuele deursigtigheid te gebruik wat effektief die ontwikkelings van hul buurt afsonder. Die studie kan verbeter word deur ʼn groter steekproef te gebruik om die sosioekonomiese en demografiese profiele op te baseer, asook om jonger lugfoto’s in te span. ʼn Deeglike ondersoek van reispatrone en verkeersvolumes in die woonbuurte met groot konsentrasies geslote ontwikkelings sal ʼn beter begrip van die verskynsel se impakte op stedelike segregasie en fragmentasie bevorder.