Editors reflect on the state of journalism: the cha(lle)nging media space
- Authors: Malila, Vanessa
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158650 , vital:40218 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC159502
- Description: Trying to understand how journalists and editors in the South African media landscape think about the work they do and the environment in which they work is not easy. However, while many of us speculate about why things are reported on in one way or another, this article gets to the heart of the issue - or the mouth - by speaking to journalists and editors about the work they do and how things have changed in the last few years within this complex institution we call the media.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Malila, Vanessa
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158650 , vital:40218 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC159502
- Description: Trying to understand how journalists and editors in the South African media landscape think about the work they do and the environment in which they work is not easy. However, while many of us speculate about why things are reported on in one way or another, this article gets to the heart of the issue - or the mouth - by speaking to journalists and editors about the work they do and how things have changed in the last few years within this complex institution we call the media.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Natural resource products contribute to poverty mitigation amongst urbanising communities in sub-saharan Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Schlesinger, Johannes, Kaoma, Humphrey, Davenport, N I, Ward, Catherine D, Evans, Michelle L, Drescher, Axel W
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Schlesinger, Johannes , Kaoma, Humphrey , Davenport, N I , Ward, Catherine D , Evans, Michelle L , Drescher, Axel W
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: vital:6624 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016232
- Description: [From Introduction] Urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa: changing the locus of poverty. Urbanisation is a global phenomenon that is changing the face of the Earth, as well as how people earn a living and secure their livelihoods. In 2006 the number of urban people in the world surpassed the number of rural people, and this gap will continue to grow. In only 16 years (by 2030) just under two-thirds of the world's people will be urban dwellers. Whilst most of the developed world and large parts of Latin America already have more than threequarters of their populations living in cities and towns, most countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are still catching up. This means that they are experiencing massive migrations from rural to urban areas as rural people wish to swap the insecurities of rural living for the allure of secure employment and better services for health, education, sanitation and transport in towns and cities. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the most rapidly urbanising region of the globe. According to UN-Habitat, in 1990, only 28 % of the region's inhabitants lived in towns and cities; that increased to approximately 32 % in 2001 and 41 % in 2010. The size of the urban population is likely to surpass the rural one around 2025. Contrary to popular belief, most urban residents in SSA (and globally) live in small towns rather than massive megacities; with just over half living in towns of less than 200,000 people and 78 % living in towns of less than 500,000 residents. Only 14 % of urban dwellers live in cities of more than one million people. Many new urban households maintain strong links to relatives and clans in rural areas, with circular migration patterns emerging as the urban transition takes place over several decades. The implications of this extremely rapid urbanisation in SSA countries for livelihoods and poverty are widely debated. UN-Habitat highlights a relatively unique aspect of urbanisation in SSA as being the accompanying high rate of growth in informal settlements or slums. In other words, not all rural migrants to towns and cities find secure incomes or shelter. Some slum areas have become permanent features where inter-generational poverty is reproduced. Although urban areas are producing an increasing share of national wealth in SSA countries, some argue that slowly the nexus of poverty is shifting towards urban areas. Rates of poverty are high in rural areas of SSA, but migration and internal population growth means that in some countries the number of urban poor almost matches the number of rural poor, and it is likely to grow. The informal economy contributes an average of 40 – 45 % of total urban GDP, which is higher than any other region of the world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Schlesinger, Johannes , Kaoma, Humphrey , Davenport, N I , Ward, Catherine D , Evans, Michelle L , Drescher, Axel W
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: vital:6624 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016232
- Description: [From Introduction] Urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa: changing the locus of poverty. Urbanisation is a global phenomenon that is changing the face of the Earth, as well as how people earn a living and secure their livelihoods. In 2006 the number of urban people in the world surpassed the number of rural people, and this gap will continue to grow. In only 16 years (by 2030) just under two-thirds of the world's people will be urban dwellers. Whilst most of the developed world and large parts of Latin America already have more than threequarters of their populations living in cities and towns, most countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are still catching up. This means that they are experiencing massive migrations from rural to urban areas as rural people wish to swap the insecurities of rural living for the allure of secure employment and better services for health, education, sanitation and transport in towns and cities. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the most rapidly urbanising region of the globe. According to UN-Habitat, in 1990, only 28 % of the region's inhabitants lived in towns and cities; that increased to approximately 32 % in 2001 and 41 % in 2010. The size of the urban population is likely to surpass the rural one around 2025. Contrary to popular belief, most urban residents in SSA (and globally) live in small towns rather than massive megacities; with just over half living in towns of less than 200,000 people and 78 % living in towns of less than 500,000 residents. Only 14 % of urban dwellers live in cities of more than one million people. Many new urban households maintain strong links to relatives and clans in rural areas, with circular migration patterns emerging as the urban transition takes place over several decades. The implications of this extremely rapid urbanisation in SSA countries for livelihoods and poverty are widely debated. UN-Habitat highlights a relatively unique aspect of urbanisation in SSA as being the accompanying high rate of growth in informal settlements or slums. In other words, not all rural migrants to towns and cities find secure incomes or shelter. Some slum areas have become permanent features where inter-generational poverty is reproduced. Although urban areas are producing an increasing share of national wealth in SSA countries, some argue that slowly the nexus of poverty is shifting towards urban areas. Rates of poverty are high in rural areas of SSA, but migration and internal population growth means that in some countries the number of urban poor almost matches the number of rural poor, and it is likely to grow. The informal economy contributes an average of 40 – 45 % of total urban GDP, which is higher than any other region of the world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
New possibilities for research on reef fish across the continental shelf of South Africa
- Bernard, Anthony T F, Gotz, A, Parker, Daniel M, Heyns, Elodie R, Halse, S J, Riddin, N A, Smith, M K S, Paterson, Angus W, Winker, A Henning, Fullwood, L, Langlois, T J, Harvey, E S
- Authors: Bernard, Anthony T F , Gotz, A , Parker, Daniel M , Heyns, Elodie R , Halse, S J , Riddin, N A , Smith, M K S , Paterson, Angus W , Winker, A Henning , Fullwood, L , Langlois, T J , Harvey, E S
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6971 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1014566
- Description: [From introduction] Subtidal research presents numerous challenges that restrict the ability to answer fundamental ecological questions related to reef systems. These challenges are closely associated with traditional monitoring methods and include depth restrictions (e.g. safe diving depths for underwater visual census), habitat destruction (e.g. trawling), mortality of target species (e.g. controlled angling and fish traps), and high operating costs (e.g. remotely operated vehicles and large research vessels. Whereas many of these challenges do not apply or are avoidable in the shallow subtidal environment, the difficulties grow as one attempts to sample deeper benthic habitats. This situation has resulted in a paucity of knowledge on the structure and ecology of deep water reef habitats around the coast of South Africa and in most marine areas around the world. Furthermore, the inability to effectively survey deep water benthic environments has limited the capacity of researchers to investigate connectivity between shallow and deep water habitats in a standardised and comparable fashion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Bernard, Anthony T F , Gotz, A , Parker, Daniel M , Heyns, Elodie R , Halse, S J , Riddin, N A , Smith, M K S , Paterson, Angus W , Winker, A Henning , Fullwood, L , Langlois, T J , Harvey, E S
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6971 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1014566
- Description: [From introduction] Subtidal research presents numerous challenges that restrict the ability to answer fundamental ecological questions related to reef systems. These challenges are closely associated with traditional monitoring methods and include depth restrictions (e.g. safe diving depths for underwater visual census), habitat destruction (e.g. trawling), mortality of target species (e.g. controlled angling and fish traps), and high operating costs (e.g. remotely operated vehicles and large research vessels. Whereas many of these challenges do not apply or are avoidable in the shallow subtidal environment, the difficulties grow as one attempts to sample deeper benthic habitats. This situation has resulted in a paucity of knowledge on the structure and ecology of deep water reef habitats around the coast of South Africa and in most marine areas around the world. Furthermore, the inability to effectively survey deep water benthic environments has limited the capacity of researchers to investigate connectivity between shallow and deep water habitats in a standardised and comparable fashion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Ocean warming hotspots provide early warning laboratories for climate change impacts
- Pecl, Gretta T, Hobday, Alistair J, Frusher, Stewart, Sauer, Warwick H H, Bates, Amanda E
- Authors: Pecl, Gretta T , Hobday, Alistair J , Frusher, Stewart , Sauer, Warwick H H , Bates, Amanda E
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125363 , vital:35776 , https://doi.10.1007/s11160-014-9355-9
- Description: A growing literature describes a wide range of negative impacts of climate change on marine resources and the people and communities they support, including species range changes, changes in productivity of fisheries and declines in economic performance (Doney et al. 2012; Poloczanska et al. 2013). These impacts, many of which are projected to increase in future, are compounded by growing pressures on marine resources (Halpern et al. 2008; Maxwell et al. 2013). An estimated 260 million people are involved directly or indirectly in global marine fisheries (Teh and Sumaila 2013) with many of the resources for capture fisheries already fully (&57 % in 2009) or over exploited (30 %) (FAO 2012). Nevertheless, production of marine resources will need to increase to accommodate the demands of a growing population, and the impacts of climate change on food security will need to be minimised (FAO 2009). Identifying opportunities and threats, and developing adaptation options in response to climate change impacts in the marine realm, is essential for optimising the benefits that society can continue to derive from the goods and services provided by marine resources.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Pecl, Gretta T , Hobday, Alistair J , Frusher, Stewart , Sauer, Warwick H H , Bates, Amanda E
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125363 , vital:35776 , https://doi.10.1007/s11160-014-9355-9
- Description: A growing literature describes a wide range of negative impacts of climate change on marine resources and the people and communities they support, including species range changes, changes in productivity of fisheries and declines in economic performance (Doney et al. 2012; Poloczanska et al. 2013). These impacts, many of which are projected to increase in future, are compounded by growing pressures on marine resources (Halpern et al. 2008; Maxwell et al. 2013). An estimated 260 million people are involved directly or indirectly in global marine fisheries (Teh and Sumaila 2013) with many of the resources for capture fisheries already fully (&57 % in 2009) or over exploited (30 %) (FAO 2012). Nevertheless, production of marine resources will need to increase to accommodate the demands of a growing population, and the impacts of climate change on food security will need to be minimised (FAO 2009). Identifying opportunities and threats, and developing adaptation options in response to climate change impacts in the marine realm, is essential for optimising the benefits that society can continue to derive from the goods and services provided by marine resources.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
The rooting system of Leptophloeum Dawson: New material from the upper Devonian, Famennian Witpoort Formation of South Africa
- Prestianni, Cyrille, Gess, Robert W
- Authors: Prestianni, Cyrille , Gess, Robert W
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/72732 , vital:30104 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.05.007
- Description: The rhizomorphs of Early (Devonian and Early Carboniferous) arborescent lycopsids are known from only a handful of taxa. That of Leptophloeum is previously described from a single fragmentary specimen from China that, in our opinion, has been incorrectly interpreted. Here we describe several relatively well-preserved examples of Leptophloeumrhizomorphs from the Famennian aged Waterloo Farm Lägerstatte of South Africa. We demonstrate an unlobed cormose morphology separated from the microphyll bearing axis by a smooth transition zone. This provides one of the few known examples of a cormose lycopsid rhizomorph dating back to the Devonian. We assign this material and all previously published South African Leptophloeum material to Leptophloeum rhombicum.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Prestianni, Cyrille , Gess, Robert W
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/72732 , vital:30104 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.05.007
- Description: The rhizomorphs of Early (Devonian and Early Carboniferous) arborescent lycopsids are known from only a handful of taxa. That of Leptophloeum is previously described from a single fragmentary specimen from China that, in our opinion, has been incorrectly interpreted. Here we describe several relatively well-preserved examples of Leptophloeumrhizomorphs from the Famennian aged Waterloo Farm Lägerstatte of South Africa. We demonstrate an unlobed cormose morphology separated from the microphyll bearing axis by a smooth transition zone. This provides one of the few known examples of a cormose lycopsid rhizomorph dating back to the Devonian. We assign this material and all previously published South African Leptophloeum material to Leptophloeum rhombicum.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2014
Thinking Africa Newsletter: (June 2014)
- Authors: Matthews, Sally
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:38065 , http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12137/23
- Description: Thinking Africa Newsletter (June 2014).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Matthews, Sally
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:38065 , http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12137/23
- Description: Thinking Africa Newsletter (June 2014).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Thinking Africa Newsletter: (March 2014)
- Authors: Matthews, Sally
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:38067 , http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12137/22
- Description: Thinking Africa Newsletter (March 2014).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Matthews, Sally
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:38067 , http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12137/22
- Description: Thinking Africa Newsletter (March 2014).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
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