What can we learn from the programmes which have attempted to improve the conditions of an estimated 190 million children around the world who are chronically undernourished? It is evident from the literature that there is a dramatic increase in the risk of death amongst malnourished children, many of whom die from minor diseases which become fatal in the presence of malnutrition. Implementation of successful nutrition programmes seems to be an effective way of not only preventing the waste of human resources which are vital for development but also as an empowering process for communities to solve their own problems and ensure sustainable development. In addition, improved nutrition is viewed as a means to ensure the rights of children to life and an improved quality of life. At the same time it is regarded as a way of saving scarce resources which would have been spent on malnourished children and instead to spend the money in other sectors of the economy. A review of different nutrition related programmes revealed that there is no "magic bullet" for solving nutrition related problems in different communities. However, there are basic elements which need to be considered if successful and sustainable implementation of nutrition related programmes is desired. This exploratory study aims at increasing the understanding of some of the elements which enhanced successful implementation processes of the Child Survival, Protection and Development (CSPD) programme in two regions of Tanzania, namely Mara and Singida. In order to accomplish the study a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. Districts and villages involved in the study were randomly selected. The study revealed that there were eight main elements which enhanced implementation of the programme in the two regions. The elements included awareness, training, commitment, appropriate structures, an effective monitoring system, good leadership, adequate linkage with other programmes and positive outcomes within a reasonable time. Furthermore itwas found that no single element was enough on its own to facilitate adequate implementation ofthe programme and hence the combination of the elements was an important factor. Finally, recommendations are provided on how to incorporate the elements effectively into the implementation of the nutrition related programmes in order to ensure success and sustainability. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

There are strong arguments in the literature on development that underdevelopment of rural areas is caused by lack of grassroots participation in the development process. Participation of the rural poor in the whole development process is therefore regarded essential for redressing problems of underdevelopment. This study sets out to explore whether the level of participation of the rural poor is satisfactory and whether the participatory approach is capable of effectively redressing underdevelopment problems. A qualitative, interpretative approach was used in attempting to answer this question. Interviews and questionnaires were used to find information on project, participants and supporting organisations. This information was interpreted and analysed to find out if the current practise of participation has the potential for sustainable development. The study concludes that the current practise of participation has not reached a satisfactorily level required for sustainable development. The main stress on this participation seems to be the weak institutional support which fails to match the development efforts of the poor within the broad spectrum of the rural development process. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal. 1978.

An attempt is made in this dissertation to evaluate the quality of life of communities living in traditional settlements and planned betterment schemes. A comprehensive socio-economic survey was undertaken to assess the developmental potential of both areas. The dissertation also drew a comparison between the two settlements in terms of their physical and human capabilities. Final analysis revealed that there are significant environmental differences between the two settlements. The communities differ markedly in terms of their land use patterns, agricultural productivity, access to amenities and services, social organization and environmental perception. Both settlements have strengths and deficiencies and the latter beg serious attention. In this respect, several policy statements and recommendations are made in order that the lives of people in the rural areas of KwaZulu are improved. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

The provision of an improved water supply service to the poor urban areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is essential, given that large numbers of people living in the city have problems of access to a reliable and adequate potable water supply. Only 62% of residents receive an adequate water supply in the City. Clearly, much still needs to be done in this regard. Additionally, water resources need to be managed far more efficiently. This study examines water resource management in Ethiopia using the political ecology framework focusing on issues of equity with regard to access to safe and clean water in the poor areas of the city of Addis Ababa. The key objectives of this study are: to evaluate existing water resource management practices in Ethiopia; assess access to drinking water and; propose sustainable and social justice based management strategies to water resources in Addis Ababa. Qualitative and quantitative research techniques within a purposive sampling methodology are used in this study. The study covers water use and consumption patterns; availability and reliability of water; gender; income; monthly water expenditure and time taken to fetch water from existing sources. The results indicated that more than 37% of the sample households use less than 20 litres per person per day. Most households pay a relatively high price for drinking water with the average cost of ETB 12.87/m3, or 9.19/m3 Rands for water. The majority of households are willing to pay for a new improved water supply. However, the initial connection fee has to be in small instalments linked to their level of income. An innovative financing and cost recovery mechanism is required to increase the coverage of a reliable and safe water supply at an affordable price. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This research project is primarily a theoretical work which critiques androcentric knowledge in general and androcentricism in South African human geography in particular . It therefore has relevance both for local geographers and local feminists . The project as a whole has been informed by feminist politics at a theoretical , practical and personal level . The lack of gender-consciousness in the local radical geography tradition is challenged and local geographers are provided with specific pointers for moving beyond a gender-blind impasse . Furthermore , it is argued that the majority of the local gender-conscious literature has inadequately theorised patriarchal gender relations and that such a theorisation would have crucial bearing on developing strategies for social change . It is suggested that a materialist feminist theoretical framework offers the most sophisticated tool yet developed for understanding the oppression of women . Hence , a variety of contemporary materialist feminist work is reviewed, and a realist perspective is offered as a way of theorising the complex interconnections between the social relations of race, class and gender . This materialist approach has thus far had the greatest impact on feminist geographers. A selection of the latter 's work is therefore presented in order to illustrate how they have expanded our understanding of urban processes . Finally, empirical data pertaining to Durban is used to illustrate a) how gender is socially constructed: b) how gender meanings change over time and c) the way in which patriarchal gender relations have been expressed in the local context. It is ultimately asserted that geographers must take it as implicit that the categories and forces of the processes of urbanisation are dependent upon a specific construction of gender . The study of this, must in consequence become an integral part of human geographical analysis . / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1987.

One of modern society's most pressing problems today is the environment with which it interacts. Though this interaction is inseparable, the environment has been treated as a separate entity. This lack of a symbiotic relationship between the society and its environment has produced certain pathologies such as increasing economic growth, excessive exploitation of resources, socio-economic inequalities, consumerism and environmentally insensitive planning and decision making. Education is deemed in this thesis, as a determinant and potential transformer of existing socioeconomic, environmental and administrative ideologies. With education/conscientization being regarded as the catalyst for societal change, Gramscian social theory is used to conceptualize societal functioning. Society has a hegemonic and counter-hegemonic realm. The' organic' intellectuals (leaders) within these realms will determine the nature and extent of political, socio-economic and environmental changes in society. A third grouping - the semi-hegemony - is recognized in this thesis. This group which includes tertiary educative institutions, plays a pivotal role between the hegemony and counter-hegemony in determining the nature of societal change. Universities could adopt a critical environmental paradigm. The environmentally conscientized intellectuals from these institutions can permeate the broader society bringing about gradual environmental, economic and societal transformations. For this reason, the research sets out to gauge the extent to which environmentalism has permeated into some South African universities. The nature and quantity of environmental content in disciplines, the predominant ideological trends and interdisciplinary potentials are assessed. Though experiencing many shortcomings, it is found that these universities had the potential to foster an holistic environmental paradigm. In conclusion, a set of models are proposed that could strengthen the: university's semi-hegemonic role; ensure the integration of an holistic environmental paradigm (via at' Integrated University Environmental Programme); establish links between the semi- hegemony and the broader society; and allow universities to play a role in regional cooperation as regards the promulgation of an environmentally based set of socio-economic and development policies and strategies. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1989.

The study explored the leisure styles of peri-urban youth living on the fringe of the city of Durban. Little is known about the leisure patterns of this marginalised segment of the urban population and an aim of this study was to begin to develop a knowledge-base using a holistic or multi-theme approach. Data was collected on the leisure activities, attitudes and the leisure setting of shack youth. Such information would be helpful in understanding the role which leisure plays and could play in the social development of shack youth. The research methodology, comprising qualitative interviewing in phase one (to gather contextual data) and a survey in phase two (to explore leisure patterns quantitatively), complemented the holistic focus by examining actors' leisure experiences and the wider leisure context. To interpret the research findings, socio-psychological models of leisure explained respondents' styles of leisure at the interpersonal level whilst at the macro-spatial level, findings were contextualised in an apartheid city 'framework to show the way the historical context has shaped present leisure patterns. In the context of shack life, leisure was found to be a strategy for survival and an alternative route to the satisfaction of higher order needs. Despite environmental constraints, respondents identified socio-spatial opportunities for leisure activities which they perceived to be freely chosen and enjoyable. The study concluded that leisure is a valuable tool which social policy makers and planners could use to develop the latent potential of young shack dwellers. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1994.

In contrast to the wealth of palaeoenvironmental research stemming from the eastern Afromontane archipelago, the southern Afromontane component, which comprises largely of the Drakensberg, remains understudied. The Drakensberg constitute an area of significant biodiversity, cultural and economic importance. Suitable sites for palaeoenvironmental research are rare in South Africa due to general arid climatic conditions over much of the country. The KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg offers a unique opportunity for palaeoenvironmental research through its increased rainfall and higher altitudes, which enable the development of wetlands that have the potential for polliniferous accumulation to occur. Catchment Six in Cathedral Peak is one such wetland that has provided an opportunity to research palaeoenvironmental conditions of the southern Afromontane archipelago component. A 371 cm sediment core was extracted from a subalpine wetland in Catchment Six and analysed using multiple proxies including; pollen, charcoal and geochemistry (carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes). A chronological framework for the core was established based on accelerated mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of eight bulk sediment samples. A basal date of 15,100 ± 445 cal yr BP was determined at a depth of 298 cm. Poor pollen preservation of the basal portion of the core limited palaeoenvironmental inference for the late Pleistocene section of the record. The multiproxy record provides high chronological resolution for the early to late Holocene. Multi-proxy data indicate that the Holocene period in the Drakensberg was characterised by variable climatic conditions. Charcoal data indicate periods of increased regional fires in the last ca. 400 cal yr BP. Palaeoenvironmental inferences from the Catchment Six record are broadly in agreement with regional climatic indications based on existing literature. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and environmental pollution have all become buzzwords of our time. The awareness in recent years of the degradation of the planet by prioritising economic gain has allowed for open debate about the way the planet is being affected by development. However, there is wide consensus that development cannot be stopped or slowed down, but may be conducted in a sustainable way. The aim of this research is to investigate the role of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as a tool to promote the use of renewable energy in South Africa. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997, which stipulated that developed nations of the world would take on emission reduction targets to reduce their GHG emissions by five percent below 1990 levels. These emissions will be evaluated by the CDM Executive Board at the end of 2012 and penalties are payable should countries not meet their stipulated targets. South Africa is defined as a country (under CDM) which is eligible for hosting CDM projects, and does not have emission reduction targets. This research aims to explore the barriers to the successful implementation of CDM projects in South Africa, with a particular focus on renewable energy projects. In order to address the research problem, the theory of ecological modernisation (Mol, 1995; Hajer, 1995; Christoff, 1996) is applied to analyse the policy decisions around renewable energy, thus highlighting areas that need attention in order to make significant changes in the climate change policy decisions prevailing at the time of the study. Ecological modernisation is a policy orientated discourse which describes environmental issues in a particular manner. In the developing country context of South Africa, a case of weak ecological modernisation has been established (Christoff, 1996; Scott and Oelofse, 2005; Blowers and Pain, 1999). This is in part due to the weak participatory approach which has been adopted by government. This study had found that South Africa has robust and progressive policies in terms of environmental management and renewable energy. However, the area in which it seems to be failing is implementation. The results of this study show that CDM is not popular in South Africa due to a host of reasons. Funding and lack of implementation of projects seem to be the key factors. Eskom’s relatively low electricity price still hinders the wide spread implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. This study concludes that CDM projects have not succeeded in South Africa due to the bureaucratic process that CDM projects need to undergo coupled with the two issues mentioned above (funding and relatively cheap electricity). This is completely different compared to its other developing country counterparts like India, China and Brazil. This study was conducted at a time when the Kyoto Protocol was nearing its end. Should the agreement not be extended, it would be a lost opportunity for South Africa in terms of gaining technology transfer from the developed world as well as much needed funding for climate change projects. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.