Browsing by Author "Scott, Dianne."

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Citizen, state, and the negotiation of development: the Nacala development corridor and the N13 highway rehabilitation programme.
(2017) Kalina, Marc Ronald.; Scott, Dianne.
For rural citizens in developing countries, the extension of infrastructural networks into previously remote areas is one of the primary ways in which the state comes into view through development. In some countries, citizens affected by infrastructural development are able to negotiate with the state over local developmental outcomes through engagement with the state and the advocacy of interested intermediaries. An examination of Mozambique’s experiences, in this thesis, however suggests that the dominance of state power within developmental processes, as well as a lack of commitment to governance of the authoritarian Mozambican state, limits the ability of Mozambican citizens to equitably engage with the state over the negotiation of local developmental outcomes. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the development of the Nacala Development Corridor Programme and the N13 Highway Rehabilitation Project in northern Mozambique as a lens through which to more broadly interrogate the impacts of the development on local citizens and examine the relationship between citizen and state within development processes. The research contributes to theoretical debates, in which a gap exists for critical, English-language research, set within a developing nation context. The study adopts a qualitative and deductive explanatory case study design in order to evaluate the implications of the infrastructure interventions associated with the Nacala Development Corridor and the N13 Highway Rehabilitation. The study is rooted within the discipline of development studies and provides critical engagement with the theories of the developmental state and Mozambican neoliberalism. Furthermore, the study draws on Foucault’s concept of ‘governmentality,’ as well as a number of post-Foucauldian concepts in relation to state-citizen relations, in order to provide a set of analytical concepts for interpreting the interactions between citizen and state. This study reveals that in the case of the Nacala Development Corridor and the rehabilitation of the N13 Highway, state-citizen relations in Mozambique are complex, and are constantly being reshaped by the transformational impacts of infrastructural development. As a result of these developments, citizens along the N13 have altered their relationship with a previously distant government and are increasingly looking to hold the state accountable on development issues. The rehabilitation of the N13 in particular, has dramatically increased the number and nature of local communities’ interactions with state institutions by forcing affected individuals to negotiate their continued existence in relation to the road. However, processes of negotiation over local developmental outcomes are shallow, with the state dominant in decision-making. As a result, some citizens have turned to alternative forms of participation, such as lodging complaints, in order to have their voices heard. Such methods are unevenly available to citizens within the study area, and are largely ineffective in challenging the exertion of state power within development. However, the majority of citizens within the study area are reluctant to resist the state, instead demonstrating a passive sense of ‘uncritical’ citizenship evident in the term ‘governo papa’ in describing the role of the state.
Clean Development Mechanism : is it a tool to promote the use of renewable energy in South Africa?
(2013) Moosa, Nadia.; Scott, Dianne.
Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and environmental pollution have all become buzzwords of our time. The awareness in recent years of the degradation of the planet by prioritising economic gain has allowed for open debate about the way the planet is being affected by development. However, there is wide consensus that development cannot be stopped or slowed down, but may be conducted in a sustainable way. The aim of this research is to investigate the role of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as a tool to promote the use of renewable energy in South Africa. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997, which stipulated that developed nations of the world would take on emission reduction targets to reduce their GHG emissions by five percent below 1990 levels. These emissions will be evaluated by the CDM Executive Board at the end of 2012 and penalties are payable should countries not meet their stipulated targets. South Africa is defined as a country (under CDM) which is eligible for hosting CDM projects, and does not have emission reduction targets. This research aims to explore the barriers to the successful implementation of CDM projects in South Africa, with a particular focus on renewable energy projects. In order to address the research problem, the theory of ecological modernisation (Mol, 1995; Hajer, 1995; Christoff, 1996) is applied to analyse the policy decisions around renewable energy, thus highlighting areas that need attention in order to make significant changes in the climate change policy decisions prevailing at the time of the study. Ecological modernisation is a policy orientated discourse which describes environmental issues in a particular manner. In the developing country context of South Africa, a case of weak ecological modernisation has been established (Christoff, 1996; Scott and Oelofse, 2005; Blowers and Pain, 1999). This is in part due to the weak participatory approach which has been adopted by government. This study had found that South Africa has robust and progressive policies in terms of environmental management and renewable energy. However, the area in which it seems to be failing is implementation. The results of this study show that CDM is not popular in South Africa due to a host of reasons. Funding and lack of implementation of projects seem to be the key factors. Eskom’s relatively low electricity price still hinders the wide spread implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. This study concludes that CDM projects have not succeeded in South Africa due to the bureaucratic process that CDM projects need to undergo coupled with the two issues mentioned above (funding and relatively cheap electricity). This is completely different compared to its other developing country counterparts like India, China and Brazil. This study was conducted at a time when the Kyoto Protocol was nearing its end. Should the agreement not be extended, it would be a lost opportunity for South Africa in terms of gaining technology transfer from the developed world as well as much needed funding for climate change projects.
Climate change knowledge among youth in Durban : a case study of COY7.
(2012) Borg, Karolina Viktoria.; Scott, Dianne.
This case study explores climate change knowledge among a group of youth in Durban who participated in the seventh Conference of Youth (COY7). The conference was held 25th-27th of November 2011 in Durban in conjunction with the 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The study examines how they understand the concept of climate change; what inspired them to take an interest in climate change issues; what sources of information on climate change that have been influential for them; and how their participation in the conference influenced their knowledge and commitment. The findings reveal that many different sources have been influential for providing climate change knowledge and engendering commitment among the youth. While peers are particularly important as a source of initial interest, the influential sources of knowledge are more varied. Two main sources were evident in this study: sources provided by more structured settings like university and written materials, and sources obtained through more socials settings, such as interactions with people and conferences and seminars. According to the findings, COY7 was more important for the youth as a source of inspiration and motivation than as a source of new knowledge. The case study reveals the importance of diversity in sources of information about climate change among the youth.
Communal space construction : the rise and fall of Clairwood and district.
(1994) Scott, Dianne.; McCarthy, Jeffrey J.
This study documents the emergence of an Indian cultural enclave located on the periphery of the colonial town of Durban, its subsequent rise to a flourishing communal space by the mid twentieth century, and its decline in the apartheid era. The focus on change and transformation locates the research question within the broad ambit of historical geography. Clairwood and District grew into a densely-populated informal living space with all facilities and institutions built by the community. Based on a cultural inheritance in the form of language, the extended family system and religious beliefs , the Indian settlers and their descendants developed an elaborate network of kinship and communal relationships which formed the moral and social framework for the process of communal space construction. Entering the colony of Natal predominantly as indentured labour, the Indians were from the outset ostracized and subjugated by the white settlers and perceived as an alien temporary group. This identity was henceforth embodied in discriminatory legislation which marginalized the Indians in South Africa and resulted in their neglect and spatial containment. Parallel to the organic process of Indian communal space construction occurring in southern Durban was the sustained policy of land-use transformation embarked upon by the Durban municipality. The goal of this policy was to create a 'productive zone' south of Durban within an explicit racial zoning plan. The application of this goal resulted in a clash between the dominant white culture and the subordinate Indian culture as each.sought to retain control of the southern corridor and define its land-use and identity. After a protracted struggle the Durban municipality succeeded in imposing a formal industrial landscape upon the communal living space with the exception of the small node in Clairwood itself which has remained a residential enclave. This vestige of the former flourishing residential area of Clairwood and District suffers from industrial penetration and a physically degraded environment. However, it retains a sense of place of the former vibrant community. Clairwood is currently undergoing a process of revitalization under the auspices of the Durban municipality with a subsequent redefinition of identity. The study documents the cultural meanings that have been produced in a unique urban landscape in a South African city revealing the need to uncover the historical geographies of minority groups as a source of identity and a resource for future urban reconstruction.
The effect of distance from clinics on maternal and child health (MCH) service utilization and MCH status.
(2004) Tsoka, Joyce Mahlako.; Scott, Dianne.; Solarsh, Geoffrey C.
There is strong evidence from developing countries to support the hypothesis that physical accessibility of health services, particularly absolute distance from clinics, is a major determinant of health service utilization and health status. In South Africa, such evidence is very limited and as a result the relationship between absolute distance and health service utilization and health status is not fully understood. As an attempt to understand this relationship, a household survey of mothers with children aged 12-23 months was conducted in a rural district of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Maternal and child health (MCH) service utilisation and MCH status patterns were then compared at different absolute distances from PHC clinics. The find ings reveal that the study population is characterised by impoverished living conditions (86%), high functional illiteracy (67%), high fertility and unemployment rates . In comparison with other studies conducted previously in the same population, MCH service utilization rates are high. Based on mean distances of homesteads from PHC clinics in the entire study area before the Clinic Upgrading and Building Programme it has been concluded that the physical accessibility of fixed PHC clinics, when compared with the WHO recommendations, was suboptimal. When this assessment is based on clinic usage patterns, it is found that clinic usage decreased from 86.4% at 0-5 km to 79% at 6-10 km with a dramatic decrease to 37.8% at distances beyond 10 km. This decrease in usage at distances above 5 km translates into a considerable reduction in effective coverage of the target population by PHC clin ic services if it is considered that above 50% of the population live greater than 5 km from these clinics. An assessment of the effect of distance of homesteads from PHC clinics on specific MCH service utilization and MCH status has found very few or no significant differences between mothers and children living at 0-5 km, 6-10 km or > 10 km from these clinics. This observation is consistent even after adjustment for the effects of potential confounding. The fact that distance from clin ics has little or no effect on the indicators of MCH service utilization and MCH status is counter-intuitive. A few explanations can be provided. These include the fact that only 50% of the population, even in one of the most rural parts of South Africa access clinics on foot. Since the traditional assumption has been that this distance effect is a function of straight-line walking distances between homesteads and clinics, Euclidian distances alone may be a poor explanatory variable for health service utilization. Furthermore, if the hypothesis is valid that health status is a function of service utilization, it may also be a poor explanatory variable for health status of community members who are reliant on these services. Secondly, based on data from other sources, there is evidence that there have been steady declines in both mortality and fertility rates in the study population over the past 10-20 years suggesting that client communities are already benefiting quite substantially from health services in general and from MCH services in particular in spite of residual distance barriers. In other words, this distance effect on service utilization and health status may be more evident in populations with much higher background infant, child and maternal mortality rates. Thirdly, it is also possible that distance effect still exists, but that methodological limitations prevented this study from showing this effect. For instance, the fact that people use mobile clinics for some MCH services may have confounded the effect of distance from fixed clinics. It is also possible that people use different facilities for different services even though they are further away, and the assumption that all facilities have equal attraction for clients and that the only determinant of use is distance may be flawed. For example, it is evident from this and from other studies in South Africa that whereas most clients use fixed clinics for vaccinations, deliveries are now increasingly conducted at hospitals. Other methodological issues include the fact that certain health outcomes such as stunting are not an exclusive reflection of health service inputs, but are a function of social and economic determinants. Based on these findings, a number of recommendations are made.
Environmental governance in the Warwick Junction Urban Renewal Programme.
(2004) Francis, Shanthinie.; Scott, Dianne.
Governance is defined here as the process of decision-making and implementation. Public participation which leads on from good governance is a process leading to a joint effort by stakeholders, technical specialists, the authorities and the developing agent who work together to produce better decisions than if they had acted independently. Environmental decision-making and environmental partnerships go hand in hand in the sense that good environmental decision-making can only take place if sustainable environmental partnerships are formed. This thesis focuses on the case study of the Warwick Junction Urban Renewal Programme as an example of an area based management development project in the eThekwini Municipality. Warwick Junction is a vibrant trading and transport node in the heart of the city. The area is complex in terms of its biophysical, societal, economic and political structures. The purpose of the implementation of an Urban Renewal Program in July 1996 in Warwick Junction was to uplift and upgrade this inner city area so as to provide an improved trading and residential environment. A large number of projects that fall under this renewal programme have been completed. Community involvement in these projects has been implemented via community representation on a steering committee. It is proposed that a process of good governance is necessary to integrate sustainability into all spheres of development. The aim of this research therefore is to assess the decision-making processes for a number of environmental projects in Warwick Junction. The following projects that have already been completed will be the focus of this study: The Warwick Triangle Playground, Herb Traders Market, Bovine Head Cookers facility, Mealie Cookers Facility and the Badsha Peer Project. Theories of urban governance, public participation, environmental decision-making and environmental partnerships under the broader framework of sustainability, form the conceptual framework for this study. A qualitative approach has been employed in this research. Primary data has been derived from focus groups and open-ended interviews. A set of social sustainability indicators that was derived from the theoretical framework was used to determine the most successful project. Results show that the Mealie Cookers Project displayed all the characteristics of good urban governance. It is also considered to be a sustainable project because as part of its commitment to the urban renewal programme it has balanced the social, economic and environmental needs of present and future generations in Warwick Junction. This was the most successful project out of the five projects as it ranked very high on the social sustainability indicator table followed by the Muthi Traders market, the Badsha Peer Shelter, the Playground Facility and lastly the Bovine Head Cookers facility. The Muthi Market ranked as high as the Mealie Cookers Project on the social sustainability indicator table. This is due to adequate participation with affected communities which allowed them to contribute towards the decision-making process. The strength of the Badsha Peer Shelter Project lies in the good governance and good environmental decisions being taken, win-win partnerships and overall empowerment of stakeholders. The Playground Facility brought with it many political tensions as there were two civic associations that were at loggerheads with each other surrounding the whole project. The strength of this project lies in its transformative participation as the affected communities ideas were used to decide on the location of the park. There were also many political tensions among the Bovine Head Cookers. As a result of the cookers belonging to different political parties, an issue of territory was brought to the surface. Due to serious conflict between cookers and the renewal team, this project has taken three years to implement. It is thus considered to be the most unsuccessful project out of the five projects researched. It is therefore evident that three out of the five projects have been successful, displaying appropriate environmental governance. The results indicate that the environmental decision-making mechanisms that have been employed by the urban renewal team have been transformative in the sense that they not only give a voice to the communities, but also have empowered them in the process. Adequate public participation has also contributed to the success of the programme along with win-win types of partnerships that have formed. It is therefore concluded that the urban renewal decision-making mechanisms implemented in the Warwick Junction have contributed to the sustainability of the development programme.
Environmental management decision-making : the South Durban Basin Multi-Point Plan.
Kasavel, Kathryn Joanna.; Scott, Dianne.
The South Durban Basin (SDB) is known as an area of conflict due to a juxtaposition of industrial and residential land uses as a result of past political and environmental injustices. Over the years residents of the SDB have protested against the industrial developments and ensuing pollution in the area especially the air pollution emitted from major refineries and other businesses. This civil action brought attention to the serious air quality health concerns in the area which eventually led to the formation of a Multi-Point Plan (MPP) in 2000. The MPP was a scientifically based air pollution monitoring network of the SDB established by government in collaboration with community and industry representatives to address the air pollution issues of the area. The MPP was one of the first of its kind in South Africa and the outcome of this process fed into the most recent Air Quality Management Act 39 of 2004 which in turn led has led to an improvement of air quality in the SDB. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the SDB MPP as a form of deliberative governance as the MPP had aimed to include and deliberate effectively with all stakeholders in the decision-making policy processes of the plan. Therefore, using a theoretical framework on deliberative governance in the network society in environmental decision-making, the true deliberative nature of the MPP can be assessed. Four objectives are used to analyse the MPP where the first is to explain the goals and structure of the MPP and the second to describe the decision making processes involved. The third objective is to examine the degree of deliberation that took place in the processes of the MPP and the fourth objective is to analyse the role of science in the MPP. The outcome of this study shows that while stakeholders were included, the NGO and community stakeholders felt that they were not fully involved and collaborated with, in the decision-making process of the MPP. The results showed that the deliberative processes of the MPP were not democratically deliberative. Therefore the MPP proved to be a weak form of deliberative governance.
The environmental outcomes of public-private partnerships (PPP) : the case of the Durban beachfront.
(2011) Ramayia, Jonathan Lemuel.; Odendaal, Nancy.; Scott, Dianne.
No abstract available.
Environmentalism in education - the missing link.
(1989) Galanos, Gary Arthur.; Scott, Dianne.
One of modern society's most pressing problems today is the environment with which it interacts. Though this interaction is inseparable, the environment has been treated as a separate entity. This lack of a symbiotic relationship between the society and its environment has produced certain pathologies such as increasing economic growth, excessive exploitation of resources, socio-economic inequalities, consumerism and environmentally insensitive planning and decision making. Education is deemed in this thesis, as a determinant and potential transformer of existing socioeconomic, environmental and administrative ideologies. With education/conscientization being regarded as the catalyst for societal change, Gramscian social theory is used to conceptualize societal functioning. Society has a hegemonic and counter-hegemonic realm. The' organic' intellectuals (leaders) within these realms will determine the nature and extent of political, socio-economic and environmental changes in society. A third grouping - the semi-hegemony - is recognized in this thesis. This group which includes tertiary educative institutions, plays a pivotal role between the hegemony and counter-hegemony in determining the nature of societal change. Universities could adopt a critical environmental paradigm. The environmentally conscientized intellectuals from these institutions can permeate the broader society bringing about gradual environmental, economic and societal transformations. For this reason, the research sets out to gauge the extent to which environmentalism has permeated into some South African universities. The nature and quantity of environmental content in disciplines, the predominant ideological trends and interdisciplinary potentials are assessed. Though experiencing many shortcomings, it is found that these universities had the potential to foster an holistic environmental paradigm. In conclusion, a set of models are proposed that could strengthen the: university's semi-hegemonic role; ensure the integration of an holistic environmental paradigm (via at' Integrated University Environmental Programme); establish links between the semi- hegemony and the broader society; and allow universities to play a role in regional cooperation as regards the promulgation of an environmentally based set of socio-economic and development policies and strategies.
Exploration into knowledge production in spatial planning : the Cornubia Housing Project, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa.
(2014) Cooke, Helen Louise.; Sutherland, Catherine Grace.; Scott, Dianne.
Individual's perception and the potential of urine as a fertiliser in eThekwini, South Africa.
(2012) Benoit, Natalie.; Scott, Dianne.
Climate change, environmental degradation and unsustainable consumption of resources are increasingly putting a strain on the Earth's natural wealth. More sustainable sanitation behaviour such as maximising the use of urine diversion dry toilets (UDDT) can help alleviate the strain on water resources. Urine could be used as a fertiliser as it contains nitrogen and phosphorus, important components required for the soil. Furthermore, with urine as a fertiliser, it would now be free, accessible to all and decrease the need to mine phosphate. This research explores the perceptions and knowledge of farmers in the eThekwini municipality about urine and its use in agriculture. It seeks to understand if this practice is socially acceptable in order to contribute to the debate of food security. To investigate the attitudes towards urine, 12 interviews were conducted with farmers who consult with the Umbumbulu Agri-Hub and at the Newlands Mashu Permaculture Learning Centre (NMPLC). These interviews were done in order to find out their views of urine and its possibility on integrating ecological sanitation, more specifically urine reuse in their programmes. According to Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behaviour as a framework the findings suggest that: individuals' and others self-perception and non-motivational factors such as smell and lack of training remain barriers to usage as well as lack of knowledge about its potential for fertilising capabilities. In Zulu culture urine is utilised in various ways and is deemed acceptable for medicinal and spiritual purposes. Nonetheless, there seems to be a negative perception of urine amongst most respondents. However, many farmers expressed curiosity towards the use of urine in agriculture if not for themselves then for future generations. This would allow an important role for organisations such as the Agri-Hub and NMPLC to aid in disseminating the knowledge concerning urine reuse in agriculture.
Integrated local governance and development planning : a case study of the greater Louis Trichardt transitional local council.
(2000) Sadiki, Madonoro Patrick.; Scott, Dianne.; Brooks, Shirley.
With apartheid having left an imprint of spatial fragmentation in the South African urban and rural landscape, there is a major challenge in most places in South Africa to create integrated systems of local governance. Achieving integration of the remnants of selfgoverning territories, independent homelands, old provincial administrations and tricameral structures, is very difficult. The new political dispensation has raised the aspirations and expectations of both the rural and urban areas but more especially poor rural dwellers. Transitional Local Councils, appointed in 1995, inherited the task of integration and service delivery. This was to be achieved, in part, through the fannulation of an Integrated Development Plan for each TLC. This study examines local governance and development planning in the Transitional Local Council area of Greater Louis Trichardt in the Northern Province. The study provides a background to the history of urban planning and changing urban space in South Africa and in Louis Trichardt in particular. Structuration theory, Local Economic Development theory and literature on public participation and local governance, were used to raise questions about the planning and delivery of development in Louis Trichardt. These questions were then answered through an intensive and extensive research process in which both the residents of the TLC area, and the members of the TLC structures, were interviewed about their perceptions. The study found that there are still major constraints to the achievement of effective development, integration and service delivery in the Greater Louis Trichardt Transitional Local Council area.
Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of both the community and traditional healers with regard to diagnosis and treatment of malaria in KwaZulu Natal.
(2000) Dladla, H. R.; Scott, Dianne.; Sharp, Brian Leslie.
This study aimed at investigating the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of both the community and traditional healers with regard to the diagnosis and treatment of malaria in KwaZulu Natal with special reference to Ndumu in the magisterial district of Ingwavuma. Ingwavuma is one of the two northern magisterial district of KwaZulu Natal Province which is regarded as the highest malaria risk district in South Africa as a whole. The area has a warm temperature, 27-32°C, which is favourable for the development of the Anopheles mosquito. The factors predisposing the community to malaria infections were the socio-economic status of the area which is characterised by poverty. unemployment, poor housing and illiteracy, cross border migration, drug resistance, the agricultural development and irrigation scheme. Efficient control measures like house spraying a residual insecticide to control malaria vector mosquitoes, passive surveillance and active case detection with definitive diagnosis and treatment in place to prevent and control the upsurge of the disease The objectives of the study were to ascertain the knowledge. attitudes and perceptions of traditional healers in regard to malaria diagnosis and treatment and that of the community in relation to malaria treatment and diagnosis by traditional healers. The ultimate objective was to identify possible forms of collaboration between the traditional and the modern health services. The study was conducted from sections 2 - 10 of Ndumu where the population was 13 047 and 1300 households. A random sample of 173 respondents from the community and 70 traditional healers were selected for interview. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used in order to collect numerical and descriptive information. Data was collected using semi- structured questions and two sets were made: for traditional healers and the community. The study showed that the community was well aware of the signs of malaria but their knowledge was not supported by definitive testing and diagnosis of the condition. It came out that there are forms of health services available at grass root levels for example. self - help. where an individual tried on his own to combat he offending symptoms of the disease, family support systems, where family members especially the elder member gave support and assisted during the times of ill-health, the use of traditional healers, the malaria control camp, clinics and the hospital. The community supported the idea of collaboration between healers and the malaria control team and expressed their willingness to attend the services of a trained healer. Traditional healers confirmed the fact that some community members utilize traditional healers services and also expressed their wish to see the two forms of health services working together to control malaria.
Landscapes of dispossession : farm dwellers' experiences of relocation in the context of private game farming.
(2011) Kjelstrup, Liv Kristin.; Brooks, Shirley.; Scott, Dianne.
This thesis explores the material and non-material impacts of private game farming for a group of farm dwellers in KwaZulu-Natal. The thesis is located within the context of an increasing trend whereby farm dwellers are being relocated in order to provide farm owners with the economic opportunity that commercial game farming entails. The thesis emphasises the marginalised position of the farm dwellers and points to the fact that the farm dwellers themselves often have little control and knowledge regarding their legal rights. It further emphasises the lack of protection that this group receives from the authorities. Even though legislation has been implemented to address tenure insecurity, in reality this legislation has made little difference to the lives of farm dwellers. The thesis concludes that as a direct consequence of the relocation the farm dwellers were affected materially, but perhaps more important were their ‘invisible’ non-material losses. Their non-material losses include loss of self-esteem, increased social marginalisation and the cutting of their ties to their ancestral land.
Marine resource utilisation : the perceptions of stakeholders regarding crayfish harvesting at Mfazazana, KwaZulu-Natal
(1997) Rich, Jessica.; Scott, Dianne.; Oelofse, Catherine.
The illegal sale of East Coast rock lobster (Panulirus homarus) along the N2 highway at Mfazazana on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, continues to create tension between the local community and conservation and other authority structures in the region. Panulirus homarus (P. homarus) is a valuable commodity in an area distant from industry and other economic prospects and is within easy reach of both the harvester, in terms of its intertidal living space and the market, in terms of the N2 and the economy in seafood prevalent in the region. P. homarus is therefore at risk by virtue of its biology and habitat, and the illegal nature of its capture tests the parameters of sustainable resource management still further. This research addresses the issue of sustainable resource use through an examination of the perceptions of the various stakeholders who are involved in the use and protection of P. homarus at Mfazazana. This study was commissioned by the Communications Section of the KwaZulu Department of Nature Conservation (KONC) in response to continued illegal harvesting and trade of P. homarus at Mfazazana. One of the mandates of the Communications Section is to initiate and maintain environmental education programmes and thus comply with the KONC mission statement (See Appendix 1a). Specific objectives of the study include: • how respondents perceive their relationship with, responsibility to and role in terms of P. homarus • how respondents perceive their relationship with, responsibility to and role in terms of the others involved with P. homarus • how present legislation is perceived by stakeholders • what options exist regarding the regulation and/or management of P. homarus • whether changes over time have occurred in the respondents' relationship with P. homarus Fishing and trading activities were inv~stigated using informal, loosely structured questionnaires which elicited qualitative information. Two main groups were selected. and respondents were interviewed either individually or in small groups. The crayfishers made up the first group and the resource managers made up the second group which included the Natal Parks Board (NPB), the KONG, the Hibberdene Tourism and Publicity Association, the Community Policing Forum, the Community Development Forum at Mfazazana and the South Coast Fishing Forum. The study provided an understanding and explanatiol] of how the elements of the locality interact with underlying structures and human agency in time to produce the conflict over the marine resource P. homarus at Mfazazana. It was found that the conflict between stakeholders, as a result of differing perceptions regarding the illegal harvesting of the resource, was obstructing the sustainable management of P. homarus at Mfazazana.
Participatory forest management (PFM) discourse in South Africa : ecological modernisation in the developing world.
(2009) Brown, Fiona P.; Scott, Dianne.
There is growing recognition internationally of the shift in natural resource management away from top-down, technocratic management towards participatory approaches that incorporate local communities and other stakeholders in decision-making. Natural resources and their management are also increasingly seen to play a role in development, providing the resources necessary to drive local economic development and poverty alleviation schemes. These shifts are evident in both forestry and fisheries literature and co-management policies. Co-management is a mature theory of participatory environmental governance. Participatory Forest Management (PFM), which is a co-management approach to governance in forest management, comprises a major shift in government policy in terms of managing the people-forest interface in South Africa. Democratic approaches such as comanagement are commendable; however, the reality surrounding the lack of capacity for decisionmaking by local people and the complex scientific nature of forest management makes the implementation of this approach difficult. This study adopts a critical approach to participatory practices in forestry, and questions whether participation is occurring or whether it is merely rhetoric - a disguise for an eco-modernist, technocratic problem solving approach that still employs top down management. Ecological modernisation is a policy-orientated discourse, which is used to construct environmental problems in a particular way, and so influence the manner in which they are addressed. The mainstream ecological modernisation approach, which is a weak ecological modernisation approach (Christoff, 1996), is arguably the prevailing mainstream environmental management approach in the developed and also latterly, the developing world (Christoff, 1996; Blowers and Pain, 1999; Murphy, 2000; Scott and Oelofse, 2005). According to Oelofse et al. (2006), Laros (2004) and Scott and Oelofse (2005) this weak mainstream approach has been transferred from the developed countries, where it has been institutionalised for over two decades, to developing countries such as South Africa, and has become the “rationale for environmental management” (Oelofse et al. 2006:61) in these countries also. However, within the ecological modernisation approach, shifts are taking place towards what Christoff (1996) refers to as ‘strong’ and Beck (1995) as ‘reflexive’ ecological modernisation, which acknowledge the use of more participatory, communicative and deliberative approaches to addressing environmental problems (Christoff, 1996; Blowers and Pain, 1999; Scott and Oelofse, 2005). The southern Cape PFM case study in South Africa is presented as an opportunity to explore these ideas. This thesis explores the relationship between PFM and ecological modernisation through an analysis of PFM discourse, and expands the conceptualisation of ecological modernisation by applying it to an environmental policy process in a developing world context. Through an analysis of the implementation of PFM using Hajer’s (1995; 2003) argumentative approach to discourse analysis, the appropriateness of the form of co-management, typified by PFM to the South African context, is challenged. Research findings reveal that the manner in which PFM is implemented in the southern Cape comprises a weak ecological modernisation approach to environmental management because the participatory element of PFM was found to be problematic. The nature of participation occurring at a local level differs greatly from the policy being advocated at a national level. The discourse of PFM has been institutionalised nationally as a policy and an approach to indigenous forest management, which resonates with strong ecological modernisation. Locally, however, although a degree of discourse structuration has occurred, it appears that the co-management approach being implemented is a weak form, which is more consistent with weak ecological modernisation. South Africa’s context as country in transition places it in an awkward position with regard to the application of ecological modernisation as an environmental problem-solving approach. A strong ecological modernisation approach would seem to be the most appropriate given South Africa’s context; however, there are limitations that indicate why a strong ecological modernisation discourse becomes weak at the level of implementation. Even if weak ecological modernisation were pursued, it would appear that South Africa might not yet be ready to apply such a programme effectively.
Participatory monitoring and evaluation of marine water quality, a case study of Sappi Saiccor, Umkomaas.
(2002) McPherson, Mamosa Eileen.; Oelofse, Catherine.; Scott, Dianne.
Previously, issues concerning the use and conservation of the natural resources were restricted to certain groups of individuals, normally those considered to be scientific experts. However with the emergence of sustainable development and the adoption of its principles therein, there has been increased community concern over environmental quality issues resulting in pressure for transparency in environmental decision-making processes. The result has been a dramatic expansion in the number of organisations at the local, national and global scales committed to environmental improvement. This in turn has let to dramatic changes in the role of the public in decisions relating to natural resource management. Participatory development is now acknowledged as critical in achieving sound environmental management. The initiation of community-based environmental decision-making has led to the formation of new and interesting partnerships. Environmentalists, communities, policy makers and business people have begun to work together in an attempt to find consensus concernIng environmental problems and related socio-economic inequalities. This has resulted in the development of new ways of integrating local and scientific knowledge systems. This thesis illustrates community-based environmental decision-making in the management of the use of the south coast of Durban. It outlines a partnership, through the formation of the Permit Advisory Panel (PAP), comprising industry (Sappi Saiccor), government, through its Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, environmental organisations, and the local people in the monitoring of the impacts of effluent produced by the industry and disposed of into the sea. The aim of this thesis is to develop an alternative methodology that will be acceptable to all stakeholders, for the collection and analysis of data in the monitoring of the Sappi Saiccor effluent. This was achieved through the following objectives: to develop a methodology for the collection and analysis of data, to assess the performance of the new pipeline in terms of reduced aesthetic impacts of the effluent, to assess the role of local knowledge in the monitoring process, and finally to assess the role of this study in the functioning of the PAP. This thesis attempts to integrate qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The subjective local data collected by the divers is analysed using statistical methods to assess the impacts of the effluent on marine water quality and the effect the new pipeline has had in reducing these impacts. Qualitative surveys such as questionnaires and interviews were administered to assess the role of local knowledge in the monitoring process and also to assess the role this study has had in the functioning of the PAP. The statistical analysis did not reveal any major improvement in underwater visibility since the pipeline was extended. There is a 6% and 4% improvement in the number of effluent days and visibility respectively. This however is due to some limitations inherent in the data collection process, and as a result the improvement brought about by the pipeline extension has been toned down. An effluent and visibility index is therefore recommended as an alternative method of data collection and analysis to reduce the level of inaccuracy. The role of local knowledge is perceived by many of the PAP members as vital in the monitoring process. This study was therefore thought of as an important step in validating this local knowledge such that it can be a reliable data source to be used in the monitoring process. It also played an important role in resolving the conflict between the PAP members. It is therefore recommended that the divers data should be continually used in the monitoring process, though the divers have to be more actively involved. The PAP is therefore tasked with liasing with the community members, especially the divers such that they can assume a more active and responsible role within the PAP. They should be involved in the development of the methods of data collection and analysis.
The politics of knowledge : case study of the management of beach quality in Durban, South Africa.
(2015) Van Heerden, Paul.; Scott, Dianne.
Whatmore (2009: 588) suggests that knowledge controversies surface when the “rationales of environmental science and policy fail to convince those affected by what is at issue” and force a variety of actors to be included in the policy processes around these issues These situations are increasingly commonplace in the socio-economic context of the ‘network society’ which requires a form of governance able to accept and process a diverse array of knowledge inputs to arrive at robust policies and decisions. Increasing emphasis is placed on the demand for inclusion of varied knowledge claims, policy-making, and knowledge production processes. In Durban, a knowledge controversy surfaced when the public questioned eThekwini Municipality’s reasoning, position, and knowledge regarding the unsuitability of the Blue Flag Programme for its ‘Golden Mile’ beaches. This thesis aims to provide a social science understanding of a marine science issue: the faecal contamination of urban coastal waters, by using the case of Durban’s involvement with the Blue Flag Programme between 2002 and 2014. A qualitative methodology, discourse analysis, is utilised as a tool for exploring meaning bound up in language. It is proposed that numerous environmental discourses were used by a variety of Durban residents to understand and argue about eThekwini Municipality’s decision-making around its beach management policies. Furthermore, evidence collected in the research illustrates that the absence of a formal public engagement process created an environment in which the media, primarily the popular press, was the primary source of information for the public. This gave rise to a situation which resulted in an ever-evolving political debate in which public opinion was galvanised against the Municipal authority’s decision-making through informal establishment of a discourse coalition comprising varied actors from Durban’s civil and professional societies. It also created an enabling environment for co-production of knowledge although this ideal was not fully realised as the Municipal decision to re-join the Blue Flag Programme sated widespread public antipathy for Municipal decision-makers by effectively resolving the knowledge controversy.
The production and coalescence of knowledge : a study of coastal governance processes in the eThekwini Municipality.
(2015) Amra, Tazkiyyah Mohamed.; Scott, Dianne.
Abstract available in PDF file.
Re-thinking education in South Africa : case studies of community participation in education in the Durban Functional Region.
(1993) Matsepe, Rosemary Mputsanyane.; Scott, Dianne.; Kitchin, Felicity.; Khosa, M. M.
The inadequacies of Black education have been approached from various angles including government intervention in the form of legislation, socio-economic measures, and others. People have also discovered this inadequacies and are struggling to resolve them in the form of 'alternative schools' or 'people's education' campaigns. The focus of this thesis is on community participation in the provision of education looking at two case studies in the Durban Functional Region. The theoretical framework for the study was threefold: derived from the development literature incorporating community participation; followed by a review of the literature on space; and a discussion on education - people's education. Data was gathered from intensive interviews, group discussions, newspaper articles, school reports and other documents. This assisted in giving an insight into the particular forms that community participation took in the two case studies. The following processes were identified from the study: processes of conflict and opposition and processes of co-operation in sharing a common task. These were analysed based on parameters such as: goals, concerns, students, community involvement, accountability, finance, sustainability and empowerment. The salient yet powerful features of the study were that of 'space' and 'locality' which presented a powerful force explaining the specificity of the processes in each of the case studies. The case studies succeeded in critically illuminating the precise meaning and evolution of community participation, its theoretical consistency, spatial sensitivity and also assessed its practicality. Furthermore, the study emphasised that local and domestic strategies in the provision of education need to be re-enforced through positive national or state interventions. Finally, as demonstrated in the two case studies, context-specificity should be the guiding principle in any community participation efforts.