Classics and Modern European Languages / M.A. (Ancient History)

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Thesis (MA (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Water is a vital resource essential to human survival and for which there is no substitute. Additionally, whilst water is still seen as a ‘renewable resource,’ reality seems to dictate that there is only a finite quantity of water available in water-scarce regions. As a result, ‘water’ and ‘war’ are two topics that have begun to be assessed together with increasing frequency. Water disputes have indeed been labelled as one of the “New Wars” in Africa, comparing it to the likes of other resource wars such as those over oil and diamonds. Placing water discourse within a theoretical framework of International Relations, this thesis attempts to ground the water war debate in the Fourth Great Debate of rationalism (downstream) and reflectivism (upstream), through a comparative analysis of Anthony Turton’s positivist approach, and Larry Swatuk and Peter Vale’s post-positivist sentiments embedded in reflectivism. The research aim can, therefore, be phrased as: to examine the debate surrounding the inevitability or impossibility of water wars by means of a comparative analysis of the works of Turton and Swatuk/Vale, as applied to the case study of the Okavango River basin and a tentative assessment of the Nile River basin. This study hypothesises that whether you swim upstream or downstream, a water war erupting in the Okavango River basin is never inevitable and quite implausible as argued by both theoretical perspectives. A bridge-building exercise is therefore conducted in an attempt to find commonalities between the two supposedly incommensurable perspectives of Turton and Swatuk/Vale. Furthermore, based on the tentative assessment of the Nile River Basin, this thesis also postulates that while the potential for water conflict is greater in this region, it is unlikely that a full-scale water war will erupt. Indeed, contrary to what doomsday soothsayers predict, interstate cooperation of shared water resources, such as the shared river basins of the Okavango and the Nile rivers, is more prevalent than conflictive situations.

Thesis (PhD (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Please refer to full text for abstract

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Providing basic access to water and sanitation is critical for poverty alleviation and stimulating economic growth, but at the same time it is putting a huge strain on South Africa’s existing economic infrastructure. Local governments allow their existing wastewater infrastructure to deteriorate to the extent that it no longer functions according to its design, and then apply for capital funding for refurbishment. Capital investment alone will not provide a sustainable solution to meet the increased demand on the ageing wastewater infrastructure, since local governments do not have the financial means and technical capacity to adequately maintain and operate their infrastructure. A paradigm shift is required to develop alternative and innovative business models to ensure a sustainable solution providing continued and consistent capacity as a basis for further expansion. Public-private partnerships (PPP) could provide a feasible solution towards building a sustainable technical capacity at local governments. Engaging the private sector must however not be aimed towards access to private sector finance, but rather the improvement in operational efficiency and increased level in service. Obtaining private sector finances will be the wrong focus for engaging in PPP undertakings in South Africa. Private operation must be combined with public financing. The design-build-operate (DBO) model with public financing would be highly viable. Such an arrangement will hold no financial risk to the private sector entity with revenue collection strictly remaining a local government function. The DBO method of delivery (with public funding) will be an effective way to realize cost savings, achieve efficiencies in construction and operation, utilize expertise, and most importantly, for skills transfers and capacity building at local government level. Ultimate sustainability will only be achieved once local government is able to raise the majority of its own funds for operation and maintenance through tariffs and other instruments, including some towards capital redemption. Grant funding must make provision for maintenance and operation of all capital funded projects. All shareholders must join forces in lobbying this concept at the highest political echelons because in terms of Section 154 of the Bill of Rights, national and provincial governments have a duty towards local governments to support and strengthen their capacity, to effectively perform their functions.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African water service providers experience major problems with providing adequate water services to consumers. Water service providers in South African urban areas rely on traditional centralised infrastructure, such as bulk supply networks, to provide water services. Alternative supply and stormwater drainage methods should be encouraged to help mitigate these problems. The researcher thus aims to quantify the potential impact that three alternative methods may have on a given dwelling in terms of its dependence on traditional bulk water services. The three alternatives considered in this thesis are the construction of green roofs, rainwater harvesting and greywater re-use. An efficiency of dwelling water use index (EDWI) was developed during this research project. It was designed in such a way as to show what portion of municipal water services could be replaced within the given dwelling by using the proposed techniques. The final EDWI-rating is obtained by using the EDWI-software tool developed as a part of this research. The derived EDWI-rating ranges from 0 to 100, with a rating of 100 indicating a dwelling requiring only the removal of a portion of sewage by a municipality, but no external water supply. Such a dwelling would also not require any water from a municipal network to meet domestic demand and all stormwater from its roof would be utilised within the plot boundaries. Results presented in this thesis illustrate how different geographical regions require different system specifications to obtain optimal EDWI-ratings, thereby lowering their dependence on the respective municipal water services. Validation of the EDWI-system proved difficult as no similar index could be found during the literature review. It was therefore decided to benchmark the EDWI-system using three model dwellings with nine configurations producing a total of 27 analyses. The EDWI-system provides a conceptual foundation for sustainable water services to South African households in serviced urban areas. Future work could further improve the EDWI-system by testing its practical application so that it may be extended to act as a national barometer, used to compare decentralised water services in terms of sustainability. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Suid-Afrikaanse waterdiensverskaffers ondervind groot probleme met die voorsiening van voldoende waterdienste aan verbruikers. Waterdiensverskaffers in Suid-Afrikaanse stedelike gebiede maak staat op tradisionele gesentraliseerde infrastruktuur, soos grootmaatvoorsienings netwerke, om waterdienste te verskaf. Alternatiewe voorsienings- en stormwater dreineringsmetodes moet aangemoedig word om hierdie probleme aan te spreek. Die studie poog dus om die potensiële impak wat drie alternatiewe moontlikhede kan hê op 'n gegewe woning in terme van sy afhanklikheid van die tradisionele waterdienste te kwantifiseer. Die drie alternatiewe moontlikhede wat in hierdie studie ingesluit word is die konstruksie van groendakke, reënwater oes en grys water hergebruik. 'n Huishoudelike water gebruik doeltreffendheids indeks (EDWI) is ontwikkel gedurende hierdie navorsingsprojek. Die indeks is ontwerp om aan te dui watter gedeelte van munisipale waterdienste deur die voorgestelde tegnieke vervang kan word. Die finale EDWI-gradering is verkry deur gebruik te maak van die EDWI-programmatuur wat ontwikkel is gedurende die navorsing. Die afgeleide EDWI- gradering wissel tussen 0 en 100, met 'n telling van 100 wat ‘n woning voorstel wat slegs die verwydering van 'n gedeelte van die riool deur die munisipaliteit vereis, maar wat geen eksterne watervoorsiening benodig nie. So 'n woning vereis dus geen water van ‗n munisipale netwerk nie, en alle stormwater van die dak word binne die erf gebruik. Resultate wat in hierdie studie voorgelê word illustreer hoe verskillende geografiese streke ander stelsel spesifikasies vereis om optimale EDWI-gradering te verkry. Die navorser kon geen indeks kry wat soortgelyk is aan die EDWI-stelsel om dit mee te vergelyk nie. Dit was gevolglik besluit om die indeks te standardiseer deur gebruik te maak van drie model huise met nege samestellings van alternatiewe, waardeur 27 ontledings ontwikkel was. Die EDWI-stelsel bied 'n konseptuele grondslag vir volhoubare waterdienste vir Suid-Afrikaanse huishoudings in gedienste stedelike gebiede. Toekomstige navorsing kan die EDWI-stelsel verder verbeter deur die praktiese toepassing te toets. Die stelsel kan uitgebrei word om ‗n nationale barometer vorm wat gebruik kan word om desentralisasie van waterdienste te meet in konteks van volhoubaarheid.

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Water resources management practice has undergone changes in management approaches and principles over time. It was previously characterised by what scholars refer to as the hydraulic mission where ‘extreme engineering’ was the order of the day (Allan, 2003). As Radif (1999) argues, water resources managers and policy makers were initially driven to manage and supply water to people for its direct use / these included drinking, growing food, and providing power for domestic and industrial use. This modus operandi continued until the end of the 1970s. Over two decades later, this focus is still prevalent in many countries in southern Africa including Botswana. As Swatuk and Rahm (2004) state, “augmenting supply is a continuing focus of government activity”. The National Water Master Plan (NWMP) is the current policy document guiding water resources management in Botswana and it focuses on supply-side interventions in response to increasing water demand. According to SMEC et al. (1991), the consulting company that conducted the NWMP study, “the investigation and studies... indicated the need for the continuing development of water supplies throughout Botswana over the next 30 years”. Based on these observations, government has developed significant human and technical capacity in exploiting both surface and groundwater resources (Swatuk and Rahm, 2004).