Land degradation is a national concern that needs to be redressed and
prevented by the government and its agencies as it has a significant
impact on agricultural productivity and food security. The National
Department of Agriculture is in the process of reforming the sustainable
resource use policy to deal with the causes of land degradation and to
promote the sustainable use of natural resources, particularly in poverty stricken
areas. Prior to 1994, this policy was only applied in areas where
commercial agriculture was practised.
The researcher has explored the struggles encountered during the
implementation of the sustainable resource use policy through a case
study approach within the Enkumane region of KwaZulu-Natal. The
research followed a cross-sectional approach drawing from methods such
as typology techniques, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires,
which were employed at various stages in the policy process, from the
levels of policy-makers to the intended beneficiaries. A literature review
emphasized the importance of applying integrated and participatory
approaches in implementing a public policy.
The results highlighted significant differences of opinion concerning the
implementation of the sustainable resource use policy within and between
the different stages of the process from policy to implementation. This
was partly attributed to the inadequacy in terms of clear roles, direction
and guidelines, and also in terms of the institutionalisation of experience,
knowledge and skills. It was recommended that a more co-ordinated and integrated effort is required to reform the policy. This calls for the
establishment of mechanisms to ensure that people at all stages in the
policy process are involved in a participatory manner, towards the
continual improvement of the sustainable resource use policy.
The significance of this study is twofold, firstly the financial burden of
ineffective policies is unacceptable to our society. Secondly, the research
has a potential to enhance the policy to implementation process, which
may provide a platform for improving the sustainable resource use policy. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/2153 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Jacobs, David. |
| Contributors | Hill, Trevor R. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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