Working in poverty: Informal employment of household gardeners in Eastern Cape towns, South Africa
- Authors: King, Andrew , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401398 , vital:69731 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2021.1940867"
- Description: In South Africa there has been relatively little consideration of the informal employment offered to domestic household workers and gardeners. Here we report on the number and profile of gardeners employed by private households and the wage and satisfaction rates in 12 towns of the Eastern Cape. Over 98% of the informal gardeners were male, middle-aged and with limited formal schooling. Approximately 58% of middle and upper income households employed a gardener, at a mean daily rate of R112.20 in 2019. This equated to 13 170 gardeners earning a total wage bill of R139 million p.a. across the 12 towns, which scales up to 0.7–1 million informal gardeners nationally earning approximately R10–14 billion per year. However, daily remuneration was insufficient to cover basic needs, and slightly more than half of the gardeners would prefer a different job, indicating the survivalist nature of the sector.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022
Advancing urban ecology in the global south: emerging themes and future research directions
- Authors: du Toit, Marie J , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cilliers, Sarel S , Davoren, Elandre
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433713 , vital:72996 , ISBN 978-3-030-67650-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67650-6_17
- Description: The rapid growth in urban ecological research and application has been led by countries of the Global North, particularly Europe and the USA, albeit not restricted to them. However, this belies that most urban growth is currently in the Global South, with the differential set to increase in the future. Thus, there is an imbalance between where the bulk of urban ecological research and framings are developed and where the majority of urban citizens globally live, work and seek to meet their aspirations. This chapter illustrates how this book addressed the identified research gaps in the Global South. We also highlight dominant recurring themes in Global South research discourse and importantly, where future research efforts over the next decade should be focussed. Eight themes are considered, namely: inequality; informality; urban–rural links; small and medium-sized towns and cities; urban green infrastructure, biodiversity and ecosystem services; understanding and accommodating multiple worldviews of urban nature; human health and urban nature; and specific research approaches.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Attitudes and preferences towards elements of formal and informal public green spaces in two South African towns
- Authors: Manyani, Amanda , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402203 , vital:69830 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104147"
- Description: Different types of public urban green spaces (PUGS) contain various natural (such as trees, pools, flowerbeds) and artificial elements (such as benches, play equipment, fountains) which contribute to the enjoyment and experience of users. However, which elements users most require, appreciate or notice has rarely been examined as the basis of their choice for specific PUGS, especially in poorer neighbourhoods and countries, where formal PUGS may be limited. The study was carried out in two towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, both characterized by high poverty and unemployment levels, low literacy rates and many people living without basic infrastructure and services. To understand the meanings people, have for specific PUGS elements, formal and informal PUGS and peri-urban municipal commonages were assessed with respect to the natural and artificial elements present. A survey of 360 households was conducted across two towns by targeting PUGS users and households within 100 m from the designated PUGS. Approximately 63% of the respondents visited PUGS, with informal PUGS being the most frequented. However, they were strong negative feelings towards some natural elements because of their unkempt nature. Issues of safety, cultural restrictions and lack of recreational facilities were mentioned as some of the specific deterrents against visiting the closest PUGS among different user and age groups. Most respondents emphasized the need for PUGS that are well laid out with maintained lawns, recreational facilities and open vegetation. Thus, the current design and available features within the studied PUGS do not meet local preferences and needs and thus do not contribute to enjoyment as much as they could. Attention needs to be given to understand and incorporate the elements that invoke positive attitudes among urban residents.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Does the absence of community involvement underpin the demise of urban neighbourhood parks in the Eastern Cape, South Africa?:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Njwaxu, Afrika
- Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175791 , vital:42624 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.104006
- Description: Public urban green spaces are essential for urban sustainability and the physical and mental wellbeing of urban residents. Yet in some settings they may face a number of threats, ranging from land transformation and development, through to poor maintenance and vandalism. It has been posited that community engagement is a crucial strategy in addressing or minimising many of these threats. Here we report on the condition of 11 newly created or renovated parks in poorer neighbourhoods of six towns over a three year period, along with in-depth interviews regarding the sentiments of local residents and officials to the (re)creation of the parks and their subsequent deterioration.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Ecological patterns and effectiveness of protected areas in the preservation of Mimusops species’ habitats under climate change
- Authors: Sinasson, Gisèle K S , Shackleton, Charlie M , Teka, Oscar , Sinsin, Brice
- Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175812 , vital:42626 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01527 , https://researchdata.ru.ac.za/search?q=:keyword: "Gap analysis"
- Description: Understanding the niche and habitat requirements of useful and threatened species, their shifts under climate change and how well protected areas (PAs) preserve these habitats is relevant for guiding sustainable management actions. Here we assessed the ecological factors underlying the distribution of two multipurpose and threatened species, Mimusops andongensis and M. kummel, in Benin, and potential changes in the suitable habitats covered by PAs, under climate change scenarios. Fifty seven occurrence points were collected for M. andongensis and 81 for M. kummel.
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- Date Issued: 2021
Ecosystem provisioning services in Global South cities
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433764 , vital:72999 , ISBN 978-3-030-67650-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67650-6_8
- Description: All of humankind, urban and rural, rich and poor and whether living in the Global South or the Global North rely to some degree on provisioning ecosystem services such as food, water, timber, fibre and medicinal products. However, in contrast to the Global North the contextual forces shaping many urban livelihoods in the Global South necessitate that many people access the needed provisioning services themselves by directly harvesting or collecting from the immediate, local urban and peri-urban environments, or purchasing them from those who do. Thus, the need for and local availability of provisioning services has profound implications for not only the quality of urban livelihoods, but also the urban ecology in relation to extent and use of urban green infrastructure from where the provisioning services are sourced and the species within them. This chapter summarises compelling evidence from throughout the Global South regarding the extent of use of locally sourced provisioning services by urban communities. It shows that Global South contexts prompt the use of a diverse array of resource types and hundreds of different species in specific settings, much greater than found in Global North cities.
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- Date Issued: 2021
Grand challenges in urban agriculture: ecological and social approaches to transformative sustainability
- Authors: Zimmerer, Karl S , Bell, Martha G , Chirisa, Innocent , Duvall, Chris S , Egerer, Monika , Hung, Po-Yi , Lerner, Amy M , Shackleton, Charlie M , Ward, James D , Ochoa, Carolina Y
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402287 , vital:69838 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.668561"
- Description: This synopsis of the Grand Challenges of Urban Agriculture (UA) is framed by the urgent need to understand and strengthen the expanding yet highly diverse roles of UA amid rapid global urbanization, failures of predominant food systems, and crises in systems of physical and mental health. More than half of humanity lives in cities today and by 2030 this is projected to grow to 60.4 percent, ∼5 billion people (UN Habitat, 2020). More than 90 percent of urban demographic increase is anticipated to take place in the developing world. Ecological and social dimensions of UA are situated in these expanding spaces of cities, towns, and villages (along with their urban fringe or peri-urban areas), and among their diverse populations. UA is further situated in the powerful, far-reaching influences of urbanization processes that occur within and beyond these spaces. UA is thus integral to the prospect of Urban Sustainability as SDG 11 (“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”) of the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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- Date Issued: 2021
How people foraging in urban greenspace can mobilize social–ecological resilience during Covid-19 and beyond
- Authors: Sardeshpande, Mallika , Hurley, Patrick T , Mollee, Eefke , Garekae, Hesekia , Dahlberg, Annika C , Emery, Marla R , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402313 , vital:69841 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2021.686254"
- Description: Informal foraging for food and other natural materials in urban greenspaces is an activity undertaken by many across the world. For some, foraging is a necessary means of survival and livelihood, while for others, it provides cultural and recreational opportunities. In the socioeconomic crises induced by Covid-19, foraging can help communities, especially (but not exclusively) vulnerable people, cope with the impacts of lockdowns, and associated economic decline. In the long run, foraging can help improve social–ecological resilience in urban systems, particularly in response to climate, economic, and disease disruptions. First, we elaborate the ways in which urban foraging can provide immediate relief from the shocks to natural, human, social, physical, and financial capital. We then describe how over time, the livelihood, food, and income diversification brought about by foraging can contribute to preparedness for future uncertainties and gradual change. Cities are increasingly becoming home to the majority of humanity, and urban foraging can be one of the pathways that makes cities more liveable, for humans as well as other species we coexist with. Through the capitals framework, we explore the role foraging could play in addressing issues of biodiversity conservation, culture, and education, good governance and social justice, multifunctional greenspace, and sustainable nature-based livelihoods in urban areas.
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- Date Issued: 2021
Knowledge of formal and informal regulations affecting wild plant foraging practices in urban spaces in South Africa
- Authors: Garekae, Hesekia , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/403221 , vital:69935 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102659"
- Description: Although foraging wild plants is commonly perceived to be synonymous with rural areas, it is now increasingly recognized in urban areas. Notwithstanding, the regulations conditioning access to and rights to foraging in urban green spaces have seldom been examined. This study explored the formal and informal regulations governing access to and defining rights to forageable plant resources in the towns of Potchefstroom and Thabazimbi, South Africa. A random sample of 374 households was considered for the survey, complemented by in-depth interviews with 26 participants. Foraging occurred in a variety of public and private spaces, with the frequency of access differing with the type of space. The majority of the respondents were unaware of formal and informal regulations governing access to and use of urban landscapes. Recognizing foraging activities in urban landscapes is a fundamental step toward fostering active community involvement in the management and production of urban green spaces.
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- Date Issued: 2021
Livelihood and vulnerability analysis
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Schreckenberg, Kate , Shackleton, Sheona E , Luckert, Marty
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433811 , vital:73002 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
- Description: Livelihood analysis and vulnerability analysis are integrative approaches and consequently draw on a variety of methods to collect and analyse primary and secondary data covered in other chapters. Core ones include systems scoping (Chapter 5), ecological field data collection (Chapter 6), interviews and surveys (Chapter 7), participatory data collection (Chapter 8), action research (Chapter 15), statistical analysis (Chapter 18), qualitative content analysis (Chapter 19), comparative case study analysis (Chapter 20), institutional analysis (Chapter 22) and spatial mapping and analysis (Chapter 24).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Local use and knowledge of Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata in Zitundo area, southern Mozambique:
- Authors: Martins, Angelina R O , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175801 , vital:42625 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2020.12.011
- Description: Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata are two abundant palm species in the Maputaland coastal plains of southern Mozambique. They provide an array of subsistence and commercial non- timber forest products. This research characterizes the ethnobotanical knowledge and uses of these species. Using structured interviews we assessed the knowledge, past and current uses, cultural importance and the determinants of the knowledge and current uses of these species. The knowledge about the uses of these two palms is widespread, however only 32% of respondents are engaged in palm exploitation. Thirteen palm products are used in the area with palm wine production from the sap of both species being the dominant activity, followed by broom production.
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- Date Issued: 2021
Nationwide Assessment of Population Structure, Stability and Plant Morphology of Two Mimusops Species along a Social-Ecological Gradient in Benin, West Africa
- Authors: Sinasson, Gisèle K , Shackleton, Charlie M , Sinsin, Brice
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/399805 , vital:69560 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111575"
- Description: Understanding tree species autecology and population structure supports effective conservation actions. Of particular importance are multipurpose trees that provide non-timber forest products (NTFPs). We assessed the population structures and morphologies of two species of NTFP trees in the genus Mimusops across bioclimatic zones in Benin by sampling 288 plots within 11 forests. Structural characteristics were compared between species, forests and zones. Correlations were also observed between Mimusops tree regeneration density, tree features and ecological characteristics. The density of trees ≥5 cm and of regeneration and mean tree height were higher for M. andongensis (within more protected forest) than M. kummel (in forests with access to people), while the highest mean diameter was observed for M. kummel. Tree and regeneration densities and mean height were greatest in the humid zone of Benin, whilst the largest mean diameter was obtained in the sub-humid zone. The results showed significant correlations between regeneration density and soil properties for M. andongensis but not for M. kummel. The correlations between tree morphology and soil characteristics were weak for both species. Ecological characteristics, along with the species’ functional traits and pressures, are important factors related to the observed differences between the species. All diameter classes were represented, and the population seemed more stable in the more protected forest relative to other forests. Mimusops trees with a diameter of 5–15 cm represented more than 30% of this species in most forests; this suggests, for M. kummel, whose trees flower when quite small (≥6 cm dbh), that there are sufficient reproductive trees. Thus, as a long-lived species, its populations could be maintained even with low/episodic recruitment. However, we found no regeneration in many forests and climate change could threaten populations. Therefore, it is important to investigate regeneration growth and dynamics, seed production and germination of the species in relation to the biophysical conditions and disturbances experienced by Mimusops stands.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Specialty Grand Challenges in Urban Agriculture: Ecological and Social Approaches to Sustainability Transformations
- Authors: Zimmerer, Karl S , Bell, Martha G , Chirisa, Innocent , Duvall, Chris S , Egerer, Monika , Hung, Po-Yi , Lerner, Amy M , Shackleton, Charlie M , Ward, James David , Yacamán Ochoa, Carolina
- Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175779 , vital:42623 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.668561
- Description: This synopsis of the Grand Challenges of Urban Agriculture (UA) is framed by the urgent need to understand and strengthen the expanding yet highly diverse roles of UA amid rapid global urbanization, failures of predominant food systems, and crises in systems of physical and mental health. More than half of humanity lives in cities today and by 2030 this is projected to grow to 60.4 percent, ~5 billion people (UN Habitat, 2020). More than 90 percent of urban demographic increase is anticipated to take place in the developing world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
The cultural significance of plant-fiber crafts in Southern Africa: a comparative study of Eswatini, Malawi, and Zimbabwe
- Authors: Pullanikkatil, Deepa , Thondhlana, Gladman , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/399860 , vital:69564 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2021.1998797"
- Description: Traditional handicrafts made from various plant materials are produced by most cultures around the world. Many originated through symbolic and utilitarian needs that became ritualized through time, thereby gradually attaining greater value as cultural items or symbols rather than solely functional ones. Here we report on a survey of 343 crafters across Eswatini, Malawi, and Zimbabwe in southern Africa regarding the cultural uses and significance of the items they make from wild plant fibers and sell to local communities or tourists. The plant materials used were largely dictated by tradition and local availability and were crafted into a diverse range of products including baskets, mats, brooms, storage containers, hats, fish traps, ornaments, and furniture. Many products had uses and cultural significance at major ceremonies or rituals, such as weddings, funerals, initiation, and divination. The preparation and design of the different crafts were influenced by tradition as well as market demand as indicated by tourist fashions and advice provided by government or non-government agencies to boost income generation from crafts. Although the crafting of cultural objects is increasingly commercialized and subject to the tastes and fashions of tourist markets in the region, the traditional and cultural significance of such artifacts remains widely recognized and valued.
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- Date Issued: 2021
The distribution of selected woody invasive alien species in small towns in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Mabusela, A , Shackleton, Charlie M , Gewdla, Nanamhla
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401289 , vital:69723 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.05.019"
- Description: The potential and real negative and positive effects of invasive alien species (IAS) are increasingly recognised by researchers, land managers and decision-makers. However, most of the research and knowledge stems from understandings developed from rural and natural landscapes, with relatively little derived from studies in urban settings. Small towns in particular pose a novel suite of conditions that make the study and mangment of IAS particularly pressing. Here we examined the distribution of seven woody IAS (Acacia mearnsii, Cestrum laevigatum, Eucalyptus spp., Lantana camara, Melia azedarach, Senna didymobotrya and Solanaum mauritianum) within and between five small towns in the Eastern Cape via means of drive-by road surveys of every street in each town. Across the five towns and seven IAS 4,307 individuals were recorded, with the highest densities found in the two more coastal towns. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the IAS were located in residential properties, 24 % in public spaces and 13 % on road verges, closely mirroring the proportional area of these landuses. Within the residential landuse zone specifically, the townships had between 41 % and 61 % of all the recorded IAS plants per town, followed by the affluent neighbourhoods (22 – 41 %) and lastly, the RDP neighbourhoods (6 – 32 %). Cestrum laevigatum was the most abundant woody IAS across the five towns as a whole (1,783 inviduals). The second-most abundant species was M. azedarach (914 stems) and the least recorded was S. mauritianum (44). Additionally, there were differences in the general distribution of the seven species across residential neighbourhoods, with C. laevigatum (71.2 %), M. azedarach (49.3 %) and S. mauritianum (60.0 %) concentrated in township neighbourhoods, whilst A. mearnsii (66.4 %), L. camara (64.1 %) and Eucalyptus spp. (48.6 %) were most common in the affluent neighbourhoods. This study confirms that woody IAS are widespread in small towns of the region, but that they are unevenly distributed between towns and landuses within towns, indicating the need for local-scale inventories and management.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
The need for an urban ecology of the Global South
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Cilliers, Sarel S , du Toit, Marie J , Davoren, Elandre
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433744 , vital:72998 , ISBN 978-3-030-67650-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67650-6_1
- Description: Urban ecology is a key discipline in guiding urban development, sustainability and consequently human wellbeing. However, most urban ecological research has, and continues to be, undertaken in the Global North, and thus urban ecological methods, principles and frameworks are dominated by contributions and understandings from the Global North. However, there are a multitude of local- and national-scale contextual differences between the Global North and the Global South that limit or question the universal application of Global North perspectives and knowledge. This chapter lays the foundation for the rest of the book in two ways. First, it explores the development and definitions of the terms ‘urban ecology’ and ‘Global South’. Second, it presents the major biophysical and socio-economic contextual characteristics of Global South towns and cities that differentiate them from those in the Global North. These contextual differences need to be accounted for in urban ecological research, theory and application towards the development of an urban ecology that is more relevant for the Global South, and when conjoined with understandings from the Global North allow for the exploration and development of truly universal urban ecology principles and frameworks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
The potential influence of commercial plant nurseries in shaping the urban forest in South Africa
- Authors: Arnoldi, Marco , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398408 , vital:69409 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127254"
- Description: A substantial portion of urban green infrastructure is under private tenure in residents’ and business/corporate gardens. Therefore, the ways that urban residents manage their gardens can influence the type, quantity and quality of ecosystem services and disservices in urban areas. Plant nurseries are a major source of trees for urban residents, and so the types of trees and species that nurseries stock influence the composition of private gardens. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the roles that plant nurseries play in shaping the urban forest in South Africa. To do so, an online and direct questionnaire was used to gather data from 30 nurseries across 19 urban centres in South Africa. The main questions included species selection criteria, customer tree inquiries, best-selling tree species, attitudes towards increasing urban tree cover and diversity and whether they think climate change will affect the selection of species to stock. The results show that there is a strong preference for indigenous trees, which were also most commonly listed as best-sellers. Non-native species that were commonly sold were ones that provided provisioning services, particularly edible fruits. Drought tolerance influenced selection criteria and customer demand. Vachellia spp. and Olea europaea were commonly inquired about and most commonly listed amongst the best-sellers. Nursery owners valued the importance of increasing tree cover and diversity in urban areas, listing many perceived benefits for doing so. We conclude that there is a clear preference for indigenous tree species by customers and nursery owners, which in time could increase the proportion and cover of native species.
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- Date Issued: 2021
The relevance of ecosystem services to land reform policies: Insights from South Africa
- Authors: Clements, Hayley S , de Vos, Alta , Bezerra, Joana C , Coetzer, Kaera , Maciejewski, Kristine , Mograbi, Penelope J , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175767 , vital:42622 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104939
- Description: Land reform is an important socio-political strategy in many countries. Despite the importance of ecosystem health in attaining land reform objectives, human-nature interactions have been largely absent from contemporary land reform discussions. In this perspectives paper, we highlight why land reform programmes could benefit from considering ecosystem services in their planning processes, to better achieve their goals of socio-economic development and equity. Drawing on examples from South Africa, we argue that an ecosystem services lens can help achieve equity in land reform programmes by providing insight into how land-use legacies and the multi-functional nature of landscapes influence who benefits from land reform across space and through time.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Urban ecology of the Global South
- Authors: du Toit, Marie J , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cilliers, Sarel S , Davoren, Elandre
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433728 , vital:72997 , ISBN 978-3-030-67650-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67650-6
- Description: Against the background of unprecedented rates of urbanisation in the Global South, leading to massive social, economic and environmental transformations, this book engages with the dire need to understand the ecology of such settings as the foundation for fostering sustainable and resilient human settlements in contexts that are very different to the Global North. It does so by bringing together scholars from around the world, drawing together research and case studies from across the Global South to illustrate, in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive fashion, the ecology of towns and cities in the Global South. Framed using a social-ecological systems lens, it provides the reader with an in-depth analysis and understanding of the ecological dynamics and ecosystem services and disservices within the complex and rapidly changing towns and cities of the Global South, a region with currently scarce representation in most of the urban ecology literature. As such the book makes a call for greater geographical balance in urban ecology research leading towards a more global understanding and frameworks. The book embraces the complexity of these rapid transformations for ecological and environmental management and how the ecosystems and the benefits they provide shape local ecologies, livelihood opportunities and human wellbeing, and how such knowledge can be mobilised towards improved urban design and management and thus urban sustainability.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Urban ecosystem disservices in the Global South
- Authors: Davoren, Elandre , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433780 , vital:73000 , ISBN 978-3-030-67650-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67650-6_11
- Description: As much as people benefit from the ecosystem services provided by nature, ecosystem disservices also impact daily lives. This is especially true for many urban communities in the Global South due to (1) the often greater diversity of ecosystem disservices and (2) higher vulnerabilities, which together can lead to greater impacts of ecosystem disservices in many Global South settings. This chapter provides an overview of the current understandings of urban ecosystem disservices and their assessment and management with an emphasis on the Global South, albeit with reference to the Global North where useful. This overview reveals a lack of detailed and systematic empirical research on urban ecosystem disservices generally, but even more so in the Global South, despite the greater diversity and vulnerability in Global South settings. This needs to be acknowledged in urban ecology framings of urban dynamics in the Global South and translated into better integration of both ecosystem services and disservices within common research, policy or management frameworks. It is only through such integration that appropriate context-relevant policy directions and management options can be identified, thereby promoting the wellbeing of urban citizens in the Global South.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021