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A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. 14 April 2016. / South Africa has seen a significant loss and degradation of its urban wetlands, all in the name of development. The natural and strategic location of Wetlands, subject these natural systems to a host of extraction processes, leading to the ultimate destruction and demise of these Wetlands. The biggest threats to wetlands are people and their innate exploitative and destructive nature. Anthropogenic activities that lead to degradation and total loss of wetlands in South Africa are: drainage, mining activities, clearing of large tracts of land for infrastructural and agricultural practices and over- harvesting of wetland resources. The drastic alteration of a wetland system has severe and far reaching environmental, economic and social consequences. The value of a single wetland system is so unique and is yet, not stressed enough in legislation governing the protection and conservation of natural ecosystems. A typical example of an undervalued wetland is the case of the Kwa-Thema Ext 3 Wetland, which has been subjected to partial degradation as a result anthropogenic activities. The study concluded that activities such as over-grazing, extraction of natural vegetation, clearing large tracts of land for housing development and extensive farming practices (to name a few) have all contributed to the degradation and devaluing of the Kwa-Thema Ext 3 wetland. Interesting aspects of this study revealed that, whilst some individuals were aware of their prolonged and unsustainable use of the wetland’s resources, little room for choice was left but to utilize the wetland, on account of poverty- stricken living conditions. It seems that perhaps, through understanding why people are using the wetland in such extreme ways, methods of wetland rehabilitation and improvement in the socio-economic dynamic of the community can be attained in the near future. As a result of this study, a number of recommendations are made: (i) Integrate wetland value educational programmes into the lives of all South Africans; (ii) Consolidate and realign policy and legislation that specifically focus on wetland protection and conservation; (iii) Improve communication between governmental and respective local authorities; and (iv) Strengthen the national wetland inventory. / GR 2016

Negotiation is one of the most critical processes that determine organizational performance. Since the 1950s, scholars have revealed that negotiator cognition and decision-making processes play a crucial role in determining negotiation performance. Recently, scholars have started to pay attention to the importance of emotion in negotiation and have suggested that emotional intelligence is likely to contribute to improving negotiation performance. However, few studies have tested the relationship between emotional intelligence and negotiation outcomes. The current study contributes to the literature on negotiation by empirically testing the influence of emotional intelligence on negotiation outcomes, and also examining the mediating effects of rapport, negotiation strategy, and judgment accuracy. In particular, the current study hypothesized that emotional intelligence would have a positive association with both economic outcomes (individual and joint gain) and social outcomes (satisfaction, trust, desire to work in the future), and that rapport, bargaining strategy, and judgment accuracy would mediate the relationships between emotional intelligence and negotiation outcomes. This study employed a laboratory experimental design. 204 business major students (102 dyads) at the junior and senior level participated in a negotiation task involving a job contract where one party played the role of personnel manager and the other played the role of new employee. The direct effects of emotional intelligence on negotiation outcomes were tested using regression analysis, and the mediating effects of rapport, strategy, and judgment accuracy were tested using Baron and Kenny's (1986) four-step approach. Emotional intelligence scores of participants were measured using the 33-item Emotional Intelligence Scale (Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden, & Dornheim, 1998). The current study found that emotional intelligence had a significant effect on the opponent's trust, satisfaction, and desire to work in the future, and that rapport and negotiation strategy fully or partially mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and trust, satisfaction, and desire. Implications, future research issues, contributions, and strengths/weaknesses of the current research are discussed.

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