The socio-economic evaluation of peri-urban households adjacent to the buffelsdraai landfill site community reforestation project in the eThekwini municipality, Durban.

Abstract

In Africa, climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives have been implemented to address its impacts and support livelihoods. In South Africa, the eThekwini Municipality established the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project to reduce Durban’s carbon footprint through the reforestation of degraded sugarcane lands surrounding the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site. The project contributes to climate change mitigation by creating a natural carbon sink and generating socio-economic benefits through a payment-for-ecosystem-services scheme that compensates local households for cultivating indigenous trees. Although such projects provide environmental, social and economic benefits, their socio-economic dimensions remain understudied and overlooked. Therefore, this study investigated household dependence on non-timber forest products, household perceptions of climate change and their determinants, and household preferences for forest ecosystem attributes associated with the Buffelsdraai Reforestation Project. The study was conducted in two peri-urban communities adjacent to the project site in the eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. A stratified multi-stage sampling approach was used to select 434 household heads. Data were collected through household questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Principal component analysis, ordinary least squares regression, the double hurdle model and a choice experiment approach were employed to address the study objectives. To examine climate change perceptions, principal component analysis was used to construct psychosocial indices, followed by the application of the double hurdle model. Households associated climate change with changes in seasonal temperatures, rainfall patterns and wind occurrences. Strong affective responses, individualistic worldviews and community engagement increased the likelihood of perceiving climate change. The intensity of climate change perceptions was higher among hopeful households, those with stronger social networks, and those holding individualistic and hierarchical worldviews. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating emotional and community-based communication strategies in climate change awareness programmes. To assess household dependence on non-timber forest products, a regression-weighted dependence index was developed using behavioural indicators of such use. Principal component analysis was used to derive indices for cultural worldviews and social and psychological capital. The OLS results showed that dependence on non-timber forest products increased with the number of adults in a household, agricultural asset ownership, access to electricity and stronger social networks. In contrast, households with greater asset endowments and fatalistic and egalitarian worldviews were less dependent on non-timber forest products. These findings suggest the need to support livelihood diversification through home food gardens and the cultivation of marketable non-timber forest product species. The choice experiment approach was used to assess household preferences for forest ecosystem attributes and the influence of cultural worldviews, psychological capital and socio-demographic characteristics. Principal component analysis was applied to identify the dominant dimensions of cultural worldviews and psychological capital, and a mixed logit model was estimated to account for preference heterogeneity. Households generally preferred improved forest management options over the status quo. Gender increased the likelihood of selecting improved forest management alternatives, while older household heads were less likely to support changes to the current management regime. Individualistic and hierarchical worldviews significantly influenced preferences for forest ecosystem attributes. The study recommends livelihood support programmes that strengthen technical skills and reduce reliance on non-timber forest products, climate change communication through existing community networks, and gender-sensitive approaches to reforestation programmes. Future research should compare non-timber forest product dependence across rural and peri-urban contexts, examine perceptions of climate change longitudinally, incorporate climate literacy measures, and develop context-specific psychological capital constructs.