An assessment of marine food security in the Western Indian Ocean and the likely impacts of climate change
- Taylor, Sarah Frances Wedgwood
- Authors: Taylor, Sarah Frances Wedgwood
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Food security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44528 , vital:38140
- Description: The Western Indian Ocean hosts the second largest coastal population on the planet and supports 4 million tons of fish catches annually yielding $943 million in revenues and employment. However, it has been warming at a rate faster than any other region of the tropical oceans over the last century thereby placing the challenges of fluctuating fish supply and changes in ocean productivity on coastal communities. With the global food system under mounting pressure, governments need to understand the relationship between fish supply and food security to avoid overseeing the important role fish and fisheries play in ensuring food security. This study provides an alternative view and measurement of food security at a national level by assessing the impact that macroeconomic variables and climate change have on fish supply in Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania as case study countries of the Western Indian Ocean. Vector Error Correction Models were run to analyse the impact of economic growth, fishing effort, lending interest rates, and climate change on marine food security for the period of 1980-2016. Agricultural employment was used as a proxy for fishing effort. In general, the relationship between fish supply and fishing effort is negative in the short run and positive in the long run for Kenyan marine fisheries, South African total capture and marine fisheries, and Tanzanian capture fisheries. These results therefore oppose the theoretical expectations. Sea surface temperature, as a proxy of climate change, was found to have a negative impact overall on fish supply and therefore exerts a negative impact on marine food security in all three countries. The results emphasise the need to use disaggregated fisheries statistics to better understand the complex relationship between macroeconomic variables and fish supply. By doing so, more effective food security policies can be created in attempt to mitigate the potential negative impacts of climate change on marine food security in the Western Indian Ocean.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Taylor, Sarah Frances Wedgwood
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Food security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44528 , vital:38140
- Description: The Western Indian Ocean hosts the second largest coastal population on the planet and supports 4 million tons of fish catches annually yielding $943 million in revenues and employment. However, it has been warming at a rate faster than any other region of the tropical oceans over the last century thereby placing the challenges of fluctuating fish supply and changes in ocean productivity on coastal communities. With the global food system under mounting pressure, governments need to understand the relationship between fish supply and food security to avoid overseeing the important role fish and fisheries play in ensuring food security. This study provides an alternative view and measurement of food security at a national level by assessing the impact that macroeconomic variables and climate change have on fish supply in Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania as case study countries of the Western Indian Ocean. Vector Error Correction Models were run to analyse the impact of economic growth, fishing effort, lending interest rates, and climate change on marine food security for the period of 1980-2016. Agricultural employment was used as a proxy for fishing effort. In general, the relationship between fish supply and fishing effort is negative in the short run and positive in the long run for Kenyan marine fisheries, South African total capture and marine fisheries, and Tanzanian capture fisheries. These results therefore oppose the theoretical expectations. Sea surface temperature, as a proxy of climate change, was found to have a negative impact overall on fish supply and therefore exerts a negative impact on marine food security in all three countries. The results emphasise the need to use disaggregated fisheries statistics to better understand the complex relationship between macroeconomic variables and fish supply. By doing so, more effective food security policies can be created in attempt to mitigate the potential negative impacts of climate change on marine food security in the Western Indian Ocean.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Relating vegetation condition to grazing management systems in the central Keiskamma catchment, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Ndou, Naledzani Nyahman
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Grazing -- Management , Grazing -- South Africa -- Management , Vegetation and climate -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10673 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020645
- Description: Vegetation degradation in South Africa has been identified as a serious environmental problem, especially impacting communal areas. This study investigated the spatial distribution of vegetative condition, along with related changes, deterioration and trends, across the communal villages of the central Keiskamma catchment, Eastern Cape Province. The principal hypothesis of this study was that differences in grazing management strategies may explain the variations in vegetation condition within these communal areas. This investigation assessed the status and condition of vegetation in relation to local institutional grazing management systems, in association with factoring in relevant topographical and physical elements. Topographic homogeneity of the study area was tested by extracting topographic parameters from a DEM and performing a Chi squared test. Remote sensing techniques were used to analyse the spatial and temporal variations in vegetation condition between the villages. Landsat TM images, from 1984 and 1999, in conjunction with SPOT imagery of 2011, were used to assess the spatial trends in vegetation. Land use and cover maps were generated, comprising five categories of land cover, viz. intact vegetation; transformed vegetation; degraded vegetation; bare surfaces; and water. The classification of the images was achieved using the supervised object-oriented classification techniques, which aggregates pixels of each class into homogeneous objects. Information regarding existence and functionality of local institutional structures was obtained through structured interview method. Vegetation condition was correlated to grazing management systems, with the logistic regression confirming a significant relationship between vegetation condition and grazing management systems. Analysis of vegetation condition trends revealed a decline in pristine vegetation with an increase in degraded vegetation and exposed soil throughout the villages. However, it was observed that the decrease in pristine vegetation, with the associated increase in degraded vegetation and soil, do not occur evenly among the villages of the central Keiskamma catchment; the communal areas surrounding certain villages exhibited severe degradation of soil and vegetation, while other villages demonstrated less or minimal deterioration in their environs. The topographic homogeneity of the study locale lent credence to the theory that the uneven distribution of vegetation conditions between the villages is not controlled by topographic factors. Analysis of the data, collected through interviews, revealed differences in the functionality of institutional structures between villages. A statistically significant correlation between the vegetative condition and implementation of grazing management systems, supports the postulated concept that the variances in vegetation condition of the central Keiskamma catchment reflect the efficacy or inefficiency of the settlements‘ grazing management systems. Through gathering, analysing and assessing all the data, a conclusion was drawn, which advances that the primary requirement for remedial action in reversing the current decline in vegetation condition is strengthening the local institutional management regimes throughout all villages under study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Ndou, Naledzani Nyahman
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Grazing -- Management , Grazing -- South Africa -- Management , Vegetation and climate -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10673 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020645
- Description: Vegetation degradation in South Africa has been identified as a serious environmental problem, especially impacting communal areas. This study investigated the spatial distribution of vegetative condition, along with related changes, deterioration and trends, across the communal villages of the central Keiskamma catchment, Eastern Cape Province. The principal hypothesis of this study was that differences in grazing management strategies may explain the variations in vegetation condition within these communal areas. This investigation assessed the status and condition of vegetation in relation to local institutional grazing management systems, in association with factoring in relevant topographical and physical elements. Topographic homogeneity of the study area was tested by extracting topographic parameters from a DEM and performing a Chi squared test. Remote sensing techniques were used to analyse the spatial and temporal variations in vegetation condition between the villages. Landsat TM images, from 1984 and 1999, in conjunction with SPOT imagery of 2011, were used to assess the spatial trends in vegetation. Land use and cover maps were generated, comprising five categories of land cover, viz. intact vegetation; transformed vegetation; degraded vegetation; bare surfaces; and water. The classification of the images was achieved using the supervised object-oriented classification techniques, which aggregates pixels of each class into homogeneous objects. Information regarding existence and functionality of local institutional structures was obtained through structured interview method. Vegetation condition was correlated to grazing management systems, with the logistic regression confirming a significant relationship between vegetation condition and grazing management systems. Analysis of vegetation condition trends revealed a decline in pristine vegetation with an increase in degraded vegetation and exposed soil throughout the villages. However, it was observed that the decrease in pristine vegetation, with the associated increase in degraded vegetation and soil, do not occur evenly among the villages of the central Keiskamma catchment; the communal areas surrounding certain villages exhibited severe degradation of soil and vegetation, while other villages demonstrated less or minimal deterioration in their environs. The topographic homogeneity of the study locale lent credence to the theory that the uneven distribution of vegetation conditions between the villages is not controlled by topographic factors. Analysis of the data, collected through interviews, revealed differences in the functionality of institutional structures between villages. A statistically significant correlation between the vegetative condition and implementation of grazing management systems, supports the postulated concept that the variances in vegetation condition of the central Keiskamma catchment reflect the efficacy or inefficiency of the settlements‘ grazing management systems. Through gathering, analysing and assessing all the data, a conclusion was drawn, which advances that the primary requirement for remedial action in reversing the current decline in vegetation condition is strengthening the local institutional management regimes throughout all villages under study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
An investigation of the role of selected ward committees in enhancing basic service delivery: the case of Buffalo City Municipality
- Jakatyana, Xolile Christopher
- Authors: Jakatyana, Xolile Christopher
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8201 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1256 , Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study investigated the role of selected ward committees 29 and 32 of Nompumelelo and Tsholomnqa respectively in the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in enhancing basic service delivery. In terms of the White Paper on Local Government (1998:4), developmental local government promotes a system that centres on working with local communities to find sustainable ways to meet their needs and improve the quality of their lives. The study on that basis examines the nature and extent to which wards 29 and 32 committees enhanced basic service delivery within BCM. The study is premised on the assumptions that: The involvement of party-elected Councillors in ward committees inhibits members of ward committees from playing an active role in their communities; Ward committees are not clearly communicating municipality programmes to their communities; BCM is biased in favour of urban wards in service delivery; If the committees of wards 29 and 32 were given more powers to play a much wider role in providing leadership and make decisions in their communities (being elevated from an advisory role to ward management structures), they would make an impact in enhancing basic service delivery; and, With additional decision-making powers ward committees could play a more effective role in local government matters. The perceived slow pace of service delivery by municipalities has resulted in growing impatience and dissatisfaction, in particular among poor communities. This has been demonstrated by the spontaneous protests and unrests directed at municipalities that have been taking place nationally since 2003. The uprisings explain two aspects, namely local government is considered by communities to be the delivery arm of government in South Africa and poor communities feel betrayed because their active participation in government-provided spaces for participation such as municipal elections, ward committees and IDPs did not yield the result of promised development (Theron, 2008:36). iv The study employed the qualitative research design using an interview survey as a method of data collection and the reviewing of existing study material and documents to test the validity of the afore-mentioned assumptions. Lastly, with the aim of assisting BCM in nurturing the potential of ward committees operating in its area of jurisdiction, the following recommendations based on the findings of the study are made: BCM considers subjecting ward committees to structured formal and accredited training; BCM delivers services in a legally compliant manner; BCM delegates sufficient powers to ward committees; Ward committees be trained together with officials that drive the CBP process when BCM starts implementing the process; and, BCM provides support to ward committees.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Jakatyana, Xolile Christopher
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8201 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1256 , Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study investigated the role of selected ward committees 29 and 32 of Nompumelelo and Tsholomnqa respectively in the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in enhancing basic service delivery. In terms of the White Paper on Local Government (1998:4), developmental local government promotes a system that centres on working with local communities to find sustainable ways to meet their needs and improve the quality of their lives. The study on that basis examines the nature and extent to which wards 29 and 32 committees enhanced basic service delivery within BCM. The study is premised on the assumptions that: The involvement of party-elected Councillors in ward committees inhibits members of ward committees from playing an active role in their communities; Ward committees are not clearly communicating municipality programmes to their communities; BCM is biased in favour of urban wards in service delivery; If the committees of wards 29 and 32 were given more powers to play a much wider role in providing leadership and make decisions in their communities (being elevated from an advisory role to ward management structures), they would make an impact in enhancing basic service delivery; and, With additional decision-making powers ward committees could play a more effective role in local government matters. The perceived slow pace of service delivery by municipalities has resulted in growing impatience and dissatisfaction, in particular among poor communities. This has been demonstrated by the spontaneous protests and unrests directed at municipalities that have been taking place nationally since 2003. The uprisings explain two aspects, namely local government is considered by communities to be the delivery arm of government in South Africa and poor communities feel betrayed because their active participation in government-provided spaces for participation such as municipal elections, ward committees and IDPs did not yield the result of promised development (Theron, 2008:36). iv The study employed the qualitative research design using an interview survey as a method of data collection and the reviewing of existing study material and documents to test the validity of the afore-mentioned assumptions. Lastly, with the aim of assisting BCM in nurturing the potential of ward committees operating in its area of jurisdiction, the following recommendations based on the findings of the study are made: BCM considers subjecting ward committees to structured formal and accredited training; BCM delivers services in a legally compliant manner; BCM delegates sufficient powers to ward committees; Ward committees be trained together with officials that drive the CBP process when BCM starts implementing the process; and, BCM provides support to ward committees.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
The development of a putative microbial product for use in crop production
- Authors: Gumede, Halalisani
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Agricultural productivity , Agriculture -- Economic aspects , Microbial products , Bacterial diseases of plants , Biological pest control agents , Lettuce -- Diseases and pests , Crops -- Nutrition , Bacillus (Bacteria) , Phytopathogenic microorganisms -- Control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3945 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004004 , Agricultural productivity , Agriculture -- Economic aspects , Microbial products , Bacterial diseases of plants , Biological pest control agents , Lettuce -- Diseases and pests , Crops -- Nutrition , Bacillus (Bacteria) , Phytopathogenic microorganisms -- Control
- Description: The challenges faced by the agricultural sector especially around improving production yields using environmentally friendly solutions have received market attention. Biological intervention can range from application of biological products to enhance the nutritional value of crops or to control plant pathogens. Biostart, a biological product that demonstrated growth enhancement when applied in lettuce crops is currently in the market. The product is comprised of a consortium of bacterial isolates (Bacillus licheniformis, Brevibacillus laterosporus and Bacillus laterosporus) but the contribution of the individual isolates to growth enhancement had not been elucidated. Green house experiments on lettuce seedlings with individual and mixed treatments were commissioned to determine such contribution. There was either no or marginal growth enhancement observed in the experiments. The results showed that the product was effective as a consortium and not as individual isolates. Further isolation and screening for potential Bacilli with antifungal properties was undertaken. An isolate identified as Bacillus subtilis that demonstrated inhibition against a wide spectrum of fungi, and especially the phytopathogenic Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, was successfully identified. The isolate was cryo-preserved and cultivated to significant levels at bench scale. A characterized comparison of different putative products with known systematic fungicide showed potential application even of heat treated products. The product showed control V. dahliae when tested in green houses with potatoes and tomatoes as test crops. This isolate has been targeted for further development as a biological control product.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Gumede, Halalisani
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Agricultural productivity , Agriculture -- Economic aspects , Microbial products , Bacterial diseases of plants , Biological pest control agents , Lettuce -- Diseases and pests , Crops -- Nutrition , Bacillus (Bacteria) , Phytopathogenic microorganisms -- Control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3945 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004004 , Agricultural productivity , Agriculture -- Economic aspects , Microbial products , Bacterial diseases of plants , Biological pest control agents , Lettuce -- Diseases and pests , Crops -- Nutrition , Bacillus (Bacteria) , Phytopathogenic microorganisms -- Control
- Description: The challenges faced by the agricultural sector especially around improving production yields using environmentally friendly solutions have received market attention. Biological intervention can range from application of biological products to enhance the nutritional value of crops or to control plant pathogens. Biostart, a biological product that demonstrated growth enhancement when applied in lettuce crops is currently in the market. The product is comprised of a consortium of bacterial isolates (Bacillus licheniformis, Brevibacillus laterosporus and Bacillus laterosporus) but the contribution of the individual isolates to growth enhancement had not been elucidated. Green house experiments on lettuce seedlings with individual and mixed treatments were commissioned to determine such contribution. There was either no or marginal growth enhancement observed in the experiments. The results showed that the product was effective as a consortium and not as individual isolates. Further isolation and screening for potential Bacilli with antifungal properties was undertaken. An isolate identified as Bacillus subtilis that demonstrated inhibition against a wide spectrum of fungi, and especially the phytopathogenic Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, was successfully identified. The isolate was cryo-preserved and cultivated to significant levels at bench scale. A characterized comparison of different putative products with known systematic fungicide showed potential application even of heat treated products. The product showed control V. dahliae when tested in green houses with potatoes and tomatoes as test crops. This isolate has been targeted for further development as a biological control product.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
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