3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Measuring the effectiveness of scientific assessments at the knowledge-policy interface(2020) Schreiner, Gregory Oliver‘Scientific assessments’ are elaborate knowledge-policy processes which convene large numbers of experts, policymakers and stakeholders. Their purpose is to surface, deliberate and then organise knowledge relevant to multi-facetted problems of high social importance. Well-known examples include the processes and published reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Given the widespread and increasingly frequent use of scientific assessments over the past 30 years at global, regional, national and sub-national scales, it is surprising that few empirically based effectiveness evaluations exist. This research asks two questions: Are scientific assessments effective? And, in the South African context, will they help advance our own knowledge-policy interface? To answer the first question, I apply a case-study mixed methods approach to six scientific assessment cases – two at global scale, two at regional scale and two at national scale. This approach integrates quantitative and qualitative data from: 1.) a systematic review (n = 162); 2.) an online survey (n = 674); 3.) semi-structured interviews (n = 43); and 4.) my own experience from involvement in scientific assessments. Using an evaluation framework based on the dimensions of credibility, relevancy, and legitimacy (CRELE) there is overall good evidence supporting the hypothesis that scientific assessments are effective knowledge-policy processes. With high confidence, based on agreement between multiple lines of enquiry, I conclude that specific areas of strength include their ability to engage multi- and interdisciplinary teams in iterative knowledge productionprocedures in a transparent way, producing high-quality scientific outputs which policymakers generally find useful; and which garner a high degree of stakeholder trust. There is slightly less agreement between sources regarding the areas which could be improved. Measured against a hypothetical ‘best-case’ (which may be an unrealistic and unnecessarily high target) specific areas in which there is scope for improvement include the adequate planning of financial and human resources, taking note of ‘assessment fatigue’ and the need for future capacity building; the integration of non-academic knowledge systems or ‘transdisciplinarity’; the provision of more co-production opportunities between experts, policymakers and stakeholders; and the need for innovative public communication and media strategies. With respect to the second question, despite the existence in South Africa of a well-established and resilient knowledge-policy infrastructure, there are nevertheless examples of decision-making processes poorly informed by evidence. These practices primarily subscribe to the ‘test’ model of policy generation, where policymakers rely on legislated minimum requirements rather than adopting more sophisticated, open-ended knowledge production approaches. Given that uneven history, there is little doubt that the targeted application of scientific assessments, for problems that call for a complex response, would substantially help to improve decision-making in South Africa.Item Contrasting elephants and humans as agents of disturbance in Miombo woodlands(2019) Ransom, CaitlinThe Miombo woodlands are “disturbance driven savannas”, where people, elephants and fire prevent canopy closure and maintain tree-grass coexistence. Since the end of the 18th century, the woodlands have undergone dramatic changes to their disturbance regimes, through increases in human and decreases in elephant populations. This has resulted in a high concentration of human-driven disturbances in some areas of the woodlands and low disturbances in other areas. Consequently, in the areas affected by humans, there are high levels of biomass loss, while other areas experience woody plant encroachment. The ecological impacts of humans and elephants are comparable, but there are important differences. Although both remove woody biomass, they might impact vegetation composition and structure differently. The aim of this study was to investigate whether people can perform a similar functional role to elephants, with regards to biomass removal and potential changes to savanna structure and composition. Aboveground woody biomass estimates were obtained from Synthetic Aperture Radar backscatter and used to (1) compare biomass change at different levels of human (2010 human population density) and elephant influence (2009 Niassa elephant density); and (2) identify how the intensity of biomass loss differs for humans and historical elephant densities (1.4 elephants/km2) under different rainfall and initial biomass conditions. Biomass change was calculated between 2007 and 2010 and compared across equal areas inside and outside of Niassa National Reserve. For human influence, a regional analysis was also done. Published estimates of past elephant densities without poaching for Niassa National Reserve were used as the historical elephant density. Biomass loss increases with population density, for both people and elephants. However, rainfall responses show opposite patterns: biomass loss decreases with rainfall within Niassa National Reserve (under elephant influence) but increases outside of protected areas (under human influence). Under more mesic conditions, humans tend to remove more biomass than elephants. This suggests that woodlands with low rainfall and low human influence have more trees and higher biomass than if elephants were still present at their historical densities, and that some harvesting by people may be beneficial. People and elephants both remove woody biomass; however, they do not necessarily select the same stems. Therefore, species and size class preference of humans and elephants were compared, to identify potential differences in their impacts on vegetation structure and composition. I found that humans prefer a wider range of species than elephants, so might filter the canopy layer more strongly. Elephants’ preference for slightly larger stems suggests that areas utilised by elephants might result in a more left-skewed size-class distribution than humans in areas without a charcoal industry. The high regeneration ability of many species, the large overlap in stems used by people and iii elephants and the relative flexibility in what stems can be used for a specific purpose, suggests that many of these differences in impacts on composition and structure could be mitigated. While elephants and people clearly have different impacts on woody vegetation, people are a totally novel ecological and evolutionary force due to some similarities in how both use woody biomass. The type of human utilisation will determine the stems used and I suggest that since almost all aboveground woody biomass can be utilised for charcoal, the human impact on the woodlands could be reduced by decentralising the charcoal industry. Encouraging small scale production in low rainfall, low human impact areas, could alleviate the pressure on the hotspots of biomass loss. This could provide rural populations with an additional source of income, and the woodlands with a disturbance necessary in maintaining, to some extent, the ecosystem structure and functioning. However, care needs to be taken as increasing accessibility in remote areas could result in rampant deforestation. Results from this thesis suggest that forest management principals developed in other ecosystems, which haven’t had mega-fauna for thousands of years, need to be tailored to African ecosystems. African forest managers therefore need to develop policies that consider the past and present disturbance regimes of these ecosystems.Item Towards an improved understanding of environmental concern: development of an environmental concern model, corroboration of previous assessments, and pilot testing original scales(2018) Wessel, Bjorn Peter BurdonThe vision for this project is to aid in approaching climate change by providing an improved understanding of environmental concern. There are two missions. First, to develop heuristic models of environmental concern, and to utilize their constructs to assess environmental behaviour and environmental concern in a population. The model is intended to provide a depiction to aid in better understanding environmental concern and may aid in framing and developing intervention strategies to mitigate harmful effects of climate change. Broadly, assessments of environmental concern have been operationalized in two ways, as a unidimensional construct, ranging from high concern to low concern, or as multidimensional constructs demonstrating underlying reasons for environmental concern. Examining two multidimensional assessments reveals limitations of both and gaps between their underlying constructs. A reading of value-orientated theories from environmental ethics literature identifies six constructs for use in a multidimensional assessment of environmental concern. Utilizing equivalent constructs to the previous multidimensional assessments and expanding “nature” and natural entities into three separate categories results in six constructs intended to fill the gaps of the previous multidimensional assessments and may addresses some of their limitations. This reading also provides a theoretical foundation for designing items to relate to the six constructs. A theory map is presented which demonstrates constructs relating to an expanded narrative for use in multidimensional assessments. Climate change is a complex and often poorly understood phenomenon. Furthermore, it is clear that human behaviours are the underlying causes of climate change. Cross-disciplinary research and integration of several disciplines and fields of inquiry are necessary for developing sound approaches to climate change. Experimental philosophy and empirical ethics are discussed as guiding methodologies for this project. Meta-ethical fallacies and two considerations from the philosophy of science aid in contextualizing this research and provide epistemological limits for deriving ethical conclusions from facts about the world. A survey consisting of 11 sociodemographic items, the revised NEP scale’s 15 items, an existing 17 item environmental behaviour scale, and six 10 item original scales relating to six constructs based on value-orientated theories from environmental ethics and presented in the heuristic models, was drafted. An electronic version was designed and emailed to firstyear Life Science and Economics students. The environmental behaviour scale and the revised NEP scale are significant and correlate moderately positively, corroborating the hypothesis, that there is a relationship between environmental behaviour and environmental concern. While three of the six original scales (egocentrism, sociocentrism, and sentiocentrism) were unreliable, did not have many significant relationships with other variables, and require further development, the other three (nihilism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism) succeeded in corroborating the hypothesis, that there are underlying dimensions of environmental concern, and that they are significantly related to environmental behaviour. The project’s implications and recommendations discusses different intervention strategies in response to climate change as well as environmental communications and education, and how the heuristic models may aid in these topic’s endeavours. The project concludes by identifying a lack of environmental concern in two South African President’s State Of the Nation Addresses and stresses the need to improve environmental concern and increase the frequencies of people engaging in environmental behaviours. Key words: nature; natural entities; environment; environmental concern; environmental behaviour; value; environmental communication; environmental education; nihilism; anthropocentrism; egocentrism; sociocentrism; sentiocentrism; biocentrism; ecocentrism; experimental philosophy; empirical ethics; quantitative research.Item For profit or the environment?: an analysis of the relationship between the motor vehicle manufacturing industry and the green economy in South Africa(2018) Mutumi, Prue Portia JacquelineMotor vehicle manufacturing plays a key role in the South African economy and in 2015 contributed 7,2% to the GDP of the country but at the same time consumes large amounts of raw materials and discharges various forms of waste into the environment (Lamprecht, 2015). The manufacturing industry, within which motor vehicle production in South Africa is located, has been identified as an industry in which sustainability principles can be pursued in spite of the adverse effects manufacturing processes generally pose for the environment. Sustainability concepts remain largely contested because of various and at times divergent interpretations of what sustainability imperatives entail or mean. However, several studies have suggested that the concept refers to the use of resources in a manner that ensures that societal needs are met on an intergenerational scale, whilst ensuring ecological conservation. Generally, corporations have a production and profit mandate and those within vehicle manufacturing are not exempt from this mandate. Despite the variations in the understanding and application of sustainability, the environmental ills and the profit mandate, vehicle manufacturers as part of the manufacturing cohort are expected to facilitate the process of mainstreaming a green agenda in production under the ‘Green Growth Path’ that South Africa has adopted. This is largely because the vehicle manufacturing industries in South Africa yield resources and power that can facilitate a green agenda in production. In the context of this study, the interrelationships have been analysed within the setting of current debates and discussions on the “Green Economy”, profitability and sustainable development with an emphasis on environmental sustainability on a global, international and local scale. Using data collected through case studies conducted within the vehicle manufacturing industry, manufacturers’ sustainability/environmental reports, in depth interviews (with managers, vehicle dealers, Departments of Environmental Affairs and Trade and Industry, oral data, observations and revealed the tensions and conundrums that exist in the manufacturing-green economy relationship. Conundrums exist in that sustainability is ill defined and global companies have redefined sustainability to suit business ultimately controlling decisions by sitting in environmental bodies and influencing decisions to favour business agendas. Contentions arise in instances where environmental considerations interfere with economic interests. The power corporations yield by virtue of their financial muscle, the interpretations of sustainability and the profitability mandate over environmental n concerns is evident in the life cycle of a vehicle from raw material sourcing up until the end of life. Environmental preservation and manufacturing are concepts that therefore are at odds with each other particularly given what they seek to satisfy, but the current drive has been to advocate for harmonious co-existence between production and conservation. The challenges in the relationship between manufacturing and green initiatives stem from an almost insincere or hypocritical approach towards environmental protection adopted by vehicle manufacturers as seen in sustainability reporting, supplier relations and a lack of fair platforms that can be used to address environmental concerns. This is aggravated by an overall lack of political will to address environmental concerns particularly in emerging economies. Corporations are set up with a strong profitability mandate and pursue and promote this mandate and deal aggressively with anything that hinders financial gain and this is evident in the way in which the adoption of green initiatives is explained in line with cost reductions, innovation, growth potential, potential savings, reputation protection or competitive advantage. The suggested recommendations include reviewing the meanings attached to sustainability in relation to manufacturing to ensure preservation is not anchored on the business case for sustainability. In addition manufacturers should also focus on the total effects raw materials’ extraction has on the environment and not just concentrate on the production sites. This can also feed into aspects of sustainability reporting to ensure it is not conducted solely to fulfill legal requirements or as a marketing tool but as a platform to create viable solutions. The strengthening of the political framework will also help in controlling manufacturers’ capture of the greening dialogue and restructuring CSR activities to give back into the environment from which the raw materials are derived from. Further research can be conducted to explore the sustainability-manufacturing link and the complexities that arise in setting up manufacturing as the main area for greening the economy. Building on this, more work can be conducted on teasing out the vested interests that hinder the greening process emanating from various sources such as global companies, local and host environment aspiration to cite a few. Finally, as raw materials are central in production, tracing raw materials from source together with waste generated at every value addition stage up to the production site until disposal of the manufactured component at end of life would give insights into the components that pose the most threat on the environment and these can then be used as a basis to develop less harmful and more viable alternativesItem Environmental Impact Assessments: Have EIA regulation amendments influenced report quality?(2018) Tilakram, KarieshaSouth Africa has implemented regular amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations in an attempt to improve the effectiveness of the process. One way of evaluating effectiveness is to assess the quality of EIA reports submitted for decision-making. This study aimed to assess whether the amendments to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), (Act no 107, 1998) EIA regulations in 2014 have contributed to better EIA report quality in South Africa in comparison to the previous EIA system. As such, a sample of 26 EIA reports, 16 under the 2010 EIA regulations and 10 under the 2014 EIA regulations, were reviewed using an adapted version of the Lee and Colley review package. The findings of this research revealed that overall report quality improved under the 2014 EIA regulatory system compared to the 2010 system. Furthermore, an improvement in the 2014 EIA report quality indicates that the decision-making process is more well informed and holistic, which further indicates an improvement in effectiveness of the EIA process. Key amendments to the 2014 EIA regulations that have an influence on EIA report quality include appendix 2 which outlines the objective, scope and content of a scoping report, appendix 3 which outlines the objective, scope and content of an EIA report, appendix 4 which outlines the content of an EMPr, and appendix 6 which outlines the content of a specialist report. It is thus concluded that amendments to the EIA regulations have in fact influenced report quality. These findings differed from those of other studies undertaken on EIA quality under the 2006 EIA system in comparison to the 1997 EIA system. Key words: Environmental Impact Assessment, Effectiveness, Environmental Impact Assessment Report, EIA Report Quality, EIA Regulations, National Environmental Management Act.Item The policy and practice of reclaimer integration in the City of Johannesburg(2017) Sekhwela, Maite MmakgomoReclaimer integration in South Africa has been identified as a priority, but how to integrate reclaimers remains a challenge. Crucially, there is not yet a coherent approach or a clear understanding of what reclaimer integration means in South Africa, let alone whether this same understanding of integration is shared by the reclaimers who are being integrated. By focusing on the integration initiatives of the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD) and Pikitup, this thesis conducts a comparative study of two reclaimer integration projects in Johannesburg. It investigates the breakdown and mismatch of understandings between social actors who do not share the same view of integration and implications thereof. In doing so, it contributes to discourse on the transformation of Johannesburg’s waste management system. Social constructivism theory by Berger and Luckmann (1966) provides the theoretical grounding for this dissertation by exploring how different milieus and experiences shape people’s understanding of realities. Findings illustrate that there is no clear conceptualisation of integration that underpins waste management policy. Drawing on social constructivism theory, the paper concludes that integration is a socially constructed and contested concept. Essentially, there are inconsistent understandings of integration among different groups of reclaimers as well as officials. For that reason, integration programmes created a new form of exclusion and imposed negative effects on reclaimers. KEYWORDS: Integration, Reclaimers, Waste, Policy, Recycling, cooperatives