Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Environmental management is becoming an increasingly popular phrase as
businesses, organisations and communities are becoming more environmentally
conscious. Conservation areas are under a significant amount of pressure from
stakeholders to deliver effective collaboration and co-management strategies.
What was previously understood as fragmented and underdeveloped,
environmental conservation areas are now moving towards becoming
decentralised, self-regulated and holistic in nature. Previously discouraged public
involvement has now come to the forefront of government’s focus as public entities
can aid in providing promised service delivery to conservation areas.
As environmental conservation areas consist of a variety of ecosystems distributed
throughout South Africa, this research focuses on three different conservation
areas. The aim is to compare different managerial systems across the boundaries
of conservation management in the context of international case studies, the
South African government, as well as policy mandates already in place in the
conservation areas. The purpose of the study is to compare different collaborative
approaches by assessing the managerial methods within each of the chosen
conservation areas. The overall purpose is to assess the various levels of
stakeholder involvement by evaluating the levels of participation between the comanagement
areas and stakeholders involved.
A biosphere reserve, a water management system, and a land management
system were studied. For the biosphere reserve case study, the Cape West Coast
Biosphere Reserve was investigated. The Breede-Overberg Catchment
Management Agency was studied for the water management system case study,
and the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area was explored for the land
management system case study.
The methods used within this research comprised of conducting a literature study,
as well as conducting interviews with various participants from each of the
conservation areas involved. It was discovered that the Cape West Coast
biosphere reserve functions as a non-governmental organisation with numerous
exchangeable stakeholders. The Breede-Overberg catchment management agency
is government orientated with the South African government as the main
stakeholder. The Nuwejaars Wetlands special management area was established
as being a private organisation with a Land-Owners Association.
Research designs used include the evaluation research design and conceptual
analysis design. The results of the study showed that conservation areas within South Africa need to implement more co-management, increase awareness within
public and organisations’ spheres, increase institutional development, and
implement more strategic partnerships in terms of stakeholder engagement with
specific focus on private sector engagement. Tourism and sustainable scenario
planning have also been proven to increase the benefits of collaboration,
cooperation and co-management within each of the three conservation areas.
With the emerging trend of environmental sustainability and popularity increasing
in conservation, individuals on a global scale have become progressively more
aware of the problems facing environmental conservation areas. It is imperative
that a conservation area implements strategic collaborative resource management
practices which best suit the type of organisation, whether it is state-run, privately
run, or a non-governmental organisation. The best possible recommendation found
was that it is in a conservation area’s best interest to find the right combination of
solutions which work for a specific area instead of trying to implement a new,
singular solution. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Besighede, organisasies en gemeenskappe word al meer omgewingsbewus en dus
is die bestuur van die omgewing van meer belang. Bewaringsgebiede is onder ʼn
beduidende hoeveelheid druk vanaf belanghebbendes om doeltreffende
samewerking en mede-bestuur strategieë te lewer. In die verlede was sulke
gebiede onder-ontwikkel en gefragmenteer. Bewaringsgebiede is nou besig om in
gedesentraliseerde, self-regulerende en holistiese gebiede te word. Voorheen is
openbare betrokkenheid ontmoedig, maar die fokus het nou verskuif en die
regering se fokus is nou op openbare entiteite wat kan help met die verskaffing
van beloofde dienslewering aan bewaringsgebiede.
Bewaringsgebiede bestaan uit ʼn verskeidenheid van ekosisteme wat versprei is
oor die hele Suid-Afrika. Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op drie verskillende
bewaringsareas. Die doel hiervan is om verskillende bestuurstelsels te vergelyk
oor alle grense van bewaring in die konteks van internasionale gevallestudies, die
Suid-Afrikaanse regering sowel as die mandaat van beleid wat reeds in plek is in
die bewaringsgebiede. Daar word ook gepoog om die verskillende samewerkende
benaderings tot vergelyk te bring deur die beoordeling van die bestuurs-metodes
van elk van die gekose bewaringsgebiede. Die oorkoepelende doel is om die
verskillende vlakke van belanghebbende betrokkenheid vas te stel, deur die vlakke
van betrokkenheid tussen die mede-bestuurs gebiede en belanghebbendes te
evalueer.
ʼn Biosfeer-reservaat, waterbestuurstelsel en landbestuurstelsel is bestudeer. In
die geval van die biosfeer-reservaat gevallestudie is die Kaapse Weskus Biosfeerreservaat
ondersoek. Die Breede-Overberg Opvanggebied Bestuursagentskap is
vir die waterstelsel gevallestudie bestudeer en die Nuwejaars Vleilande Spesiale
Bestuursgebied was as bron vir die landbestuurstelsel gevallestudie gebruik.
Die metodes wat toegepas was in hierdie navorsing het bestaan uit die uitvoer van
literatuurstudies asook onderhoude, in samewerking met ʼn verkose deelnemer uit
elk van die bogenoemde bewaringsgebiede wat betrokke is. Daar is vasgestel dat
die Kaapse Weskus Biosfeer-reservaat funksioneer as ʼn nie-regeringsorganisasie
met verskeie uitruilbare belanghebbendes. Die Breede-Overberg Opvanggebied
Bestuursagentskap is regerings georiënteerd met die Suid-Afrikaanse regering as
die vernaamste belanghebbende. Die Nuwejaars Vleilande Spesiale
Bestuursgebied is gevestig as ʼn private organisasie met ʼn Land-huiseienaars
Vereniging.
Die navorsingsontwerpe wat toegepas was, sluit die evaluering van die
navorsingsontwerp sowel as ʼn konseptuele analise ontwerp in. Die resultate van
die studie dui aan dat die bewaringsgebiede in Suid-Afrika: meer mede-bestuur
moet implementeer; bewaringsbewustheid binne die openbare en organisasies se
sfere moet vergroot; dat daar ʼn verhoging in institusionele ontwikkeling nodig is
en dat die implementering van meer strategiese vennootskappe in terme van
betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes met spesifieke fokus op dat private sektor se
betrokkenheid nodig is. ʼn Toename in die voordele van samewerking sowel as
mede-bestuur binne al drie bewaringsareas kan toegeskryf word aan toerisme en
volhoubare scenario-beplanning.
Saam met die opkomende tendens van ʼn toename in die populariteit van bewaring
sowel as omgewings volhoubaarheid begin individue op ʼn globale skaal meer
bewus raak van die probleme wat die omgewings- en bewaringsgebiede in die
gesig staar. Dit is noodsaaklik dat bewaringsgebiede strategieë implementeer wat
samewerkende bestuur van die hulpbronne wat die beste pas by hulle tipe
organisasie, of dit nou onder staatsbeheer is, privaat bestuur word of nieregeringsorganisasies
is, bevorder. Die beste moontlike aanbeveling was dat dit in
ʼn bewaringsgebied se beste belange is om die regte kombinasie oplossings te vind
vir ʼn spesifieke area, eerder as om te probeer om ʼn nuwe, enkelvoud oplossing te
implementeer. / National Research Foundation
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20140 |
Date | 03 1900 |
Creators | Page, Raelene Renee |
Contributors | Muller, J. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. |
Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
Language | en_ZA |
Detected Language | Unknown |
Type | Thesis |
Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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