The tasks of managing and protecting South Africaâs water resources are being performed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), although the requirement to protect water resources are also entrenched in the policies and acts of other departments. DWAF has also recognized over the past ten years the importance of international co-operation with regards to water issues. As part of South Africaâs commitment to the realization of Agenda 21 and related international water management commitments, the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has committed itself to participating in the Global Surface Water Quality Monitoring Programme. The programme falls under the management of the United Nations Environmental Programme and is administrated by the UN Global Environmental Monitoring System/Water Programme (GEMS/Water). The aim of the study was to develop a strategy that would enable SA to effectively participate in this global water quality monitoring programme, by making use of existing programmes and infrastructure. A very important aspect of this study was also to test the scientific and operational ability of SA to honour this commitment, as the submission of unreliable and irrelevant data for use in international reports by the UN can lead to embarrassment on a political level. Clear objectives, based on international requirements, were formulated to serve as the basis for the design of a scientifically sound monitoring system. Three different types of monitoring data, namely global river flux, global trends, global baseline data were identified as the main focus areas. A wide variety of techniques such as statistical analyses of national water quality data, specialist workshops, meetings with international data users, geographic information system (GIS), performance auditing of existing monitoring programmes and extensive field visits were used to design a monitoring system that would enable SA to meet the set objectives. Special attention was also given to the design of a comprehensive ISO 9001:2000 based quality management system and operational structures that would ensure the production and submission of reliable data in a sustainable manner. The importance of producing a documented monitoring strategy cannot be over emphasized. Such a strategy must clearly link the information needs with monitoring objectives, which in turn must be clearly linked to the design of the monitoring programme During the design process a number of potential shortcomings in the existing systems and programmes were identified and specific recommendations are made. Some of the main recommendations related to the implementation of a quality management system for new and existing national monitoring programmes, placement of sampling sites, alteration of sampling frequencies and expansion of monitoring variables currently being tested for. It was finally concluded that South Africa does have the ability to honour their commitment to the UN GEMS/Water Programme, provided that the recommendations emanating from this study are implemented.

Global land use trends have resulted in extensive transformation and loss of biodiversity in natural landscapes. In South Africa these trends are apparent in the Grassland Biome. Although it has a very high level of biodiversity and provides essential ecosystem services for economic development, only 2% is formally protected and it is one of the most threatened biomes in the country. With over 60% transformed and less than 1% formally protected, the Mistbelt Grassland of KwaZulu-Natal is a priority for urgent conservation attention. The continued transformation of natural landscapes due to economic pressures and the limited opportunity for an increase in protected areas where production and development needs must be met, presents a challenge to biodiversity conservation. This study was motivated by the need for a strategic focus in the evaluation of the impacts of land use on the biodiversity integrity of landscapes in order to facilitate integrated environmental management and guide land use decisions that would promote conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development. A methodology for this evaluation is proposed that exploits the hierarchical approach to characterizing biodiversity and employs multi-criteria analysis in the form of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and decision-making by experts. Separate evaluations of the impacts of land use on biodiversity integrity in the Mistbelt Grassland of KwaZulu-Natal and the moist sub-biome of the Grassland Biome were conducted to examine the application of the methodology at the vegetation-type and biome levels. Accordingly, five land uses and fourteen biodiversity indicators were selected for the Mistbelt Grassland study, and ten land uses and fifty-two indicators for the Grassland Biome study. Indicators for the integrity of landscape composition, structure and function were selected. The overall relative weights for land uses were obtained from rankings of the impacts of each land use on indicator criteria. Relative impacts of land uses on landscape composition, function and structure were consistent and provided an unambiguous statement of the overall impact on biodiversity integrity. The greatest impact of land use was associated with that on landscape structure and was the result of the extent of transformation and fragmentation. The integrity of grassland habitat is important for landscape composition, while nutrient leakage and fire regime are considered important for landscape function. Urban settlements were considered to have the greatest negative impact on biodiversity, while timber plantations, croplands and rural settlements also had a high impact. Pastures and livestock ranching were associated with low impacts. Against the benchmark of conservation, activities like game ranching, livestock ranching and tourism accounted for slight impacts on biodiversity integrity and are recommended for the maintenance of landscape biodiversity. While timber plantations, dairy farming, rural settlements and croplands were considered to make little contribution to the maintenance of biodiversity, their spatial orientation was considered to be critical for the maintenance of regional connectivity and the biodiversity integrity of the greater landscape. In accordance with the methodology employed and insights obtained in the evaluation of land use impacts on biodiversity integrity, the Land Use Evaluation Model is proposed as an integrated environmental management tool. Within a single integrated, cost-effective evaluation procedure that allows for input by key stakeholders, the hierarchy of decisions in the Analytic Hierarchy Process can be expanded to accommodate a limitless number of indicator criteria to rank the impacts of alternative development plans or projects on the social, economic and biodiversity components of the environment. An examination was made of the Land Use Evaluation Model in strategic environmental assessments and its role in facilitating environmental impact assessment and the integrated development planning processes.

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Water in South Africa is becoming a scarce and important resource and therefore has to be managed and protected in order to ensure sustainability, equity and efficiency. The SAGDT is designed to provide methods and tools to assist groundwater professionals and regulators in making informed decisions concerning groundwater use, management and protection, while taking into account that groundwater forms part of an integrated water resource. The SAGDT is spatially-based software, which includes: ⢠A GIS interface to allow a user to import shape files, various CAD formats and georeferenced images. The GIS interface also provides for spatial queries to assist in the decision-making process. The GIS interface contains default data sets in the form of shape files and grid files depicting various hydrogeological parameters across South Africa. ⢠A risk assessment interface introduces fuzzy logic based risk assessments to assist in decision making by systematically considering all possibilities. Included risk assessments relate to the sustainability of a groundwater resource, vulnerability of an aquifer, pollution of a groundwater resource (including seawater intrusion), human health risks associated with a polluted groundwater resource, impacts of changes in groundwater on aquatic ecosystems and waste site impact on an area. ⢠Third-party software such as a shape file editor, an interpolator, a georeference tool, a unit converter and a groundwater dictionary. ⢠A report generator, which automatically generates documentation concerning the results of the risk assessment performed and the input values for the risk assessment. ⢠A scenario wizard for the novice to obtain step by step instructions in setting up a scenario. All case studies presented in this thesis is available in the scenario wizard. ⢠The SAGDT allows problem solving at a regional scale or a local scale, depending on the problem at hand. This thesis discusses the origin, research, development and implementation of the SAGDT. Case studies are included to demonstrate the working of the SAGDT. They include: ⢠Vunerability (Fish River Lighthouse) ⢠Waste Site (Bloemfontein Suidstort) ⢠Sustainability (De Hoop) ⢠Mine (Van Tonder Opencast) The SAGDT relies heavily on the expertise of hydrogeologists, assumptions and approximations of real world conditions. Together with the heterogeneities present in groundwater systems it is impossible to guarantee the accuracy of the methodologies and this must be taken into consideration.

Groundwater has been identified as a viable alternative for future freshwater production in South Africa. The management thereof is steadily gaining more recognition from governmental institutions. A significant obstacle in the development of this resource is the conceptual understanding of surface water and groundwater interaction. The availability of reliable data for rainfall, flow volumes in rivers and water levels in boreholes have prompted an investigation into patching incomplete data sets. This study also focused on predicting the influence of rainfall and flow volumes in a river on the surrounding groundwater levels. Neural networks have been used to investigate both data patching and forward prediction of water levels in selected data sets. Uittreksel

There is wide scientific consensus that concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing due to human activities, causing global climate change. Climate change exerts significant pressure on the agricultural sector and economic development of Africa. Despite a growing number of country-level case studies, knowledge gaps continue to exist at the level of impact analysis. In addition, while adaptation and coping with climate variability and change have become key themes in current global climate discussions and policy initiatives, literature on adaptation in Zimbabwe and Zambia appears to be still limited. In this regard, this study addressed the following objectives: ⢠To investigate farmer perceptions of threats from climate variability and change and how these may differ across countries; ⢠To identify and analyse the impacts of climatic variability and change on farmer households in the two countries; and, ⢠To identify coping and adaptation strategies to climate variability and change employed by farmers and investigate factors influencing choice of adaptation/ coping strategies across the study districts Methods used to collect data for this study are both qualitative and quantitative methods. The specific method used in the Quantitative approach is the survey. Qualitative methods used include Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), specifically, resource mapping, historical trend lines, seasonal and daily activity calendars and matrix scoring and ranking. FGDs and indepth case studies were also used. Conclusions drawn from the findings of the study are listed below: ⢠While farmers report changes in local climatic conditions consistent with climate change, there is a problem in assigning contribution of climate change and other factors to observed negative impacts on the agricultural and socio-economic system ⢠While there are multiple stressors that confront farmers, climate variability and change remain the most critical and exacerbate livelihood insecurity for those farmers with higher levels of vulnerability to these stressors ⢠There are variations in manifestations of direct and structural impacts from climate variability and change as a result of differences in types of farming systems and general economic and political contexts ⢠Apart from its overwhelmingly negative effects, climate variability might also have a positive impact and localised benefits in the context of structural changes in communitiesâsocial organization and economic activities-under certain circumstances ⢠Significant responses to climate variability and change involve organizing agriculture and related practices, than switching to off farm initiatives ⢠While farmersâ selection of coping and adaptation strategies to climate variability and change and the associated outcomes may be intrinsic, this selection tends to be overwhelmingly shaped by diverse factors such as demography, access to information and assets and vulnerability levels Following the above conclusions, the study recommended that there is need to: ⢠Strengthen the capacity of farmers and institutions for identifying and assessing climate changes through programmes to educate farmers and other relevant stakeholders on climate change and variability and their potential impacts on farmersâ livelihoods ⢠Make a transition from designing policies that target climate change issues as a distinct entity to policies that address climate change issues as an integral component of multiple stressors that confront farmers ⢠Design appropriate policies that buttress farming systems against climate variability and change through taking into account variations in these farming systems and other relevant factors ⢠Make a transition from conceptualisation of climate change impacts in the policy framework as being inherently negative, to research and policy making with an openminded lens that dissects climate change and variability impacts in order to enhance alternative livelihoods for farmers ⢠Provide support for appropriate agricultural innovations and development of new livelihood activities emerging as farmers respond to climate variability and change ⢠Integrate sectors through interventions that target agricultural extension, meteorology, academic research and other developmental activities through civil society organisations

The study explores ukuthwasa initiation process amongst amaXhosa women in the Eastern Cape Province. The focus is on the training of women amagqirha in three areas in the Eastern Cape. The study looks at how the women are trained as amagqirha and how they construct their multifaceted identities during their tedious five-year training process. The Komanisi iphehlo is used as a paradigmatic model school for the training of amagqirha. The ritual of ukuthwasa is analysed as a transformational practice that operates changes in those who undergo it. A brief review of the interface between ukuthwasa and Christianity is included and reflections in specific historical and socio-cultural contexts are provided. AmaXhosa have been shaping and reshaping their ethnicity, religious culture, their identities and political systems during the course of political instability and economic and social-cultural challenges, including challenges during the democratic government. Such challenges affected amaXhosa as a nation and their religious life, as traces of such can be observed in transformations that have affected ukuthwasa practice. The study reveals the structure of the training process and incidents that led to the evolution of ukuthwasa, ritualism, symbolism, myth or magic and possible inexplicable realities of the world of ukuthwasa, to reveal the epistemologies and existential realities of ukuthwasa and female experiences. The polymorphism of ukuthwasa demands the use of various theoretical approaches to explain the process and practice of ukuthwasa. Consequently, that led to the use of a triangulation approach as a method of choice to collect, analyse and interpret the data. The grounded theory method was used. The life histories of four trainers and the spiritual journey of the researcher are used as retrospective data to explain the process, existential experiences and practice of ukuthwasa. In total, 115 participants, including amagqirha, faithhealers, public community members, family members of those who thwasa, initiates and key public figures have been interviewed through structured and unstructured interviews. Verification and soundness of data collected are maintained by means of verifying data through focus groups. Results reveal that the amaXhosa experience ukuthwasa as a cultural initiation process that helps in nurturing, awakening and stimulating the personâs umbilini (intuition), which is an inborn gift used in divining. Umbilini is the only skill used to assess, diagnose and treat their clients and patients. Therefore amagqirha use inductive ways of assessing their clients. Through ukuthwasa initiation, women are able to understand their âselfâ better. Ukuthwasa also instils maturity and opens up insights into their other gifts such as âleadershipâ skills. In that way, ukuthwasa enhances their identities. In addition, amaXhosa understand ukuthwasa as a reality and an inborn gift that runs in families. The result is also that ukuthwasa is a complex and abstract phenomenon that unfolds as a long process and is never completed fully in its entirety; only death relieves a person from its demands. It is fraught with various crises and to reject it is to invite continuous crises and ultimately madness and death; the best way is to accept it. To treat ukuthwasa as a possession and as a psychological phenomenon or syndrome is to underestimate the primary factor of the inborn dispositionâs importance as cultural text and cultural discourse. Variations in the structure and procedures carried out in ukuthwasa are identified within the cultural group and other Nguni cultures, as well as at national and international level. Furthermore, there is an inevitable interface between ukuthwasa and Christianity. The amaXhosa believe in one, universal world. The infusion of cultural doctrines with Christian values leads amagqirha to construct their multiple identities as amagqirha, faith-healers, powerful healing women as well as women leaders in the cultural and Christian healing profession.

Indigenous peoples around the world have sought knowledge of physical reality throughout the ages. Their understanding of the physical universe is codified in their knowledge systems. However, often the content of agricultural information in less developed countries is devoid of inputs from the indigenous people. It is based on the need to modernise agriculture without consideration of the goals and strategies of indigenous people. Indigenous agriculture, however, as it was originally applied prior to colonisation and apartheid, as is the case with South Africa, can neither be fully resumed nor would it satisfy the world food needs and recession crisis of the ever-increasing world population. It will, however, if taken on a solemn note, have a significant impact on the world food production (World Bank 2005). Despite the enormous value of IKS in the sustainable management of natural resources, the world has suffered and continues to suffer from a profound loss of indigenous peoples, rural groups, and their knowledge about the natural world, which has been constructed from their intimate ties to land and place. This loss has been accompanied by neglect and the marginalisation of their practices and beliefs often figured as inferior forms of knowing that should be replaced by universalised knowledge derived from the western scientific traditions (Hardison 2005). This study is an exploration of how indigenous knowledge, which has been marginalised over the years, is incorporated in Land Reform Projects of agricultural development. It is an attempt to help indigenous people regain the value of their knowledge. Employing a multidisciplinary method, the work presents an analysis of indigenous knowledge practices in agricultural land reform projects (Basotho Letjhabile and Maolosi Trust), and how indigenous knowledge contributes to sustainability and transformation with these two community projects.

Recent advances in antiretroviral treatments have simplified dosing regimens for people living with HIV. Yet, typical regimens still remain far more complex than treatments for other health conditions and adherence continue to concern health care providers. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy still dominates debates as one of the challenges facing HIV positive patients and the health service delivery. Thus, support for people on antiretroviral therapy becomes fundamental. It sis therefore argued that treatment buddies can be critical element in enhancing adherence and in retaining patients in care Against this background, research was undertaken to assess the role of treatment buddies in the South African public sector antiretroviral treatment programme as implemented in the Free State province. To achieve this aim certain objectives and hypothesis were identified and based on these objectives, five key outcomes for the study were identified. This study used two sources of data: (i) data collected from a longitudinal study conducted among patients enrolled in the public sector antiretroviral treatment programme (patient survey) and (ii) data from once-off individual interviews conducted with treatment buddies of patients interviewed as part of the patient survey (treatment buddy survey). Patients included in the analysis represent the sub-sample of patient respondents in the survey observed at least once in each of the four phases of the treatment career (n=160). Following the completion of the sixth and final round of the patient interviews, telephonic interviews were conducted with treatment buddies (n=55) using a semi-structured interview schedule to supplement information on treatment buddies collected in the patient survey as well as to provide insight into some findings from the patient survey data. Analyses for the purposes of this study focused on an investigation of treatment support and related outcomes over the treatment career. Various bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed separately for point estimates and change outcomes for each of the five main outcomes. Differences and transitions in key explanatory variables were regressed on point estimates of the main outcomes, while point estimates and lagged differences or transitions in key explanatory variables were regressed on differences and transitions in main outcomes respectively to avoid problems of endogeneity and to focus on causal dynamics of cause-and -effect. The study reveals that throughout the study, access to a treatment buddy declined over the treatment duration. As expected, health related quality of life consistently impacted on access to and transitions in access to a treatment buddy. Patients who had access to a treatment buddy had improved health-related quality of life. The treatment career phase featured as a strong predictor of access to a treatment buddy. Access to treatment buddy declined as months on treatment increased. The study reveals that similar to access to a treatment buddy, access to alternative support mechanisms declined as treatment duration increased. However, a significant decline over the treatment career phase was only observed in access to informal, individualised support such as emotional and physical caregivers. Access to more formal support and to group-based support did not exhibit a similar significant declining trend over the treatment career. The findings revealed that access to a treatment buddy was associated with perfect adherence knowledge. Moreover, the frequency of treatment buddy visits declined over the treatment career. Access to other forms of support increased the frequency of treatment buddy visits. Marital status was strongly associated with access to treatment buddy and other key outcomes. Clinical adherence varied significantly across the treatment career, increasing as treatment duration increased. The transition results indicate that patients who had been on treatment for six to twelve months and patients who had been on treatment for 18 to 30 months were less likely to transition from clinical adherence to non-adherence. This statement denotes that patients who have been on treatment for a longer period are more likely to maintain clinical adherence. Overall, the research indicates that treatment buddies represent an important form of informal adherence and psycho-social support in the early phase of the ARV treatment career, particularly among married ART clients. Access to treatment buddies declines later in the treatment career as clientsâ health-related quality of life improves. Policy makers and programme managers should develop suitable adherence support strategies for single clients as well as suitable longer-term adherence support strategies for clients facing challenges with medication adherence later in the treatment career.

Climate change is major threat to our world particularly poor countries. Climate change is driven by changes in the atmospheric concentrations of Greenhouse Gases and aerosols. These gases affect the absorption, scattering and emission of radiation within the atmosphere and the earthâs surface thus resulting in changes in the energy balance (IPCC, 2007). Much strain will be placed on water resources especially in areas where water infrastructure does not exist, or where water delivery is difficult due to aridity (Pietersen, 2005). This dissertation examines the causes of climate change and explores the resulting effects on the environment, social and economic sectors. This study focuses its attention on South Africa as a whole. South Africa is viewed as a waterâstressed country with an average annual rainfall of 500 mm and any climatic change could have adverse impacts on water resources of the country. The potential impacts of climate change on water resources and hydrology for Africa and Southern Africa have received considerable attention from hydrologists during the last decade. Very little research has been conducted on the future impact of climate change on groundwater resources in South Africa. Climate change can affect groundwater levels, recharge and groundwater contribution to baseflow. The first step in the approach involves the creation of a climate change groundwater vulnerability profile. In analogy with the DRASTIC methodology the DART methodology was developed. The parameters considered in the DART methodology are as follows: D â Depth to water level change A â Aquifer type (storativity) R â Recharge T â Transmissivity The DART methodology focus more on typical parameters used in sustainability studies, but also indirectly accommodate the issue of quality due to the fact that the water quality is likely to deteriorate with a drop in water level over time as the salt load will concentrate. Two scenarios are considered; current and future. The current scenario is representative of the current precipitation patterns and the future scenario is representative of the predicted scenario based on the selected GCM. Vulnerability indices are developed to assess the impacts of global change at spatial scale to enhance the understanding of impacts on people, and develop the appropriate policies for adaptation. For the purpose of this study, a vulnerability index was developed to assess the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources of South Africa on rural communities. At first glance, the results indicate there is not a significant difference between the current and future average indices, which indicates that climate change impacts on groundwater have very little impact on communities and therefore few adaptation requirements are necessary for community impacts due to groundwater impacts based on climate change.