A reconstruction of the history of land degradation in relation to land use change and land tenure in Peddie district, former Ciskei
- Authors: Kakembo, Vincent
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land degradation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4847 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005523 , Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land degradation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: A history of land degradation is reconstructed in a part of the dividing ridge between the Great Fish and Keiskamma rivers, in Peddie District, former Ciskei. The study entails a comparative investigation of the progressive changes in land use, vegetation and soil erosion in three tenure units, namely: former commercial farms, traditional and betterment villages. Analysis of the sequential aerial photography of the area for 1938,1954, 1965, 1975 and 1988 is employed. This is backed by groundtruthing exercises. Data thus obtained are quantified, and linkages between degradation, anthropogenic and physical factors are derived using PC ARC/INFO GIS. Differences in land tenure systems emerge as the main controlling factor to variations in land degradation. Confinement of vegetation diminution and erosion to traditional and betterment villages is observed at all dates. Scantily vegetated surfaces and riparian vegetation removal are a characteristic feature of both areas throughout the study period. 'Betterment,' introduced in the early 1960s to curb land degradation is, instead observed to exacerbate it, particularly soil erosion. Trends in land use change are characterised by the abandonment of cultivated land, which is noted to coincide with a sharp rise in population. Erosion intensification into severe forms particularly between 1965 and 1975, coincident with a period of extreme rainfall events, emerges as the most significant degradation trend. A close spatial correlation between abandoned cultivated land and intricate gullies is identified. So is the case between grazing land and severe sheet erosion. Within the grazing lands, an examination of erosion and categories of vegetated surfaces reveals that erosion occurs predominantly on the scanty vegetation category. Such erosion-vegetation interaction largely explains the non-recovery of the scanty vegetation category, even during periods of intense rainfall. Extensive channel degradation is evident along stream courses with scanty riparian vegetation. Physical factors are noted to have a significant bearing on erosion. The high prevalence of erosion on the Ecca group of rocks confirms its erosion-prone nature. Pockets of colluvium and alluvium accumulation in the steep bottomlands are identified as the sites of the most severe gully erosion. Field surveys at some of the sites indicate that a dolerite sill through the area forms a boundary of colluvium accumulation and the upslope limit to gully incision. That these sites are recognised as formerly cultivated land, portrays the interaction between physical and anthropogenic variables with regard to inducing degradation in the area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Kakembo, Vincent
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land degradation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4847 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005523 , Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land degradation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: A history of land degradation is reconstructed in a part of the dividing ridge between the Great Fish and Keiskamma rivers, in Peddie District, former Ciskei. The study entails a comparative investigation of the progressive changes in land use, vegetation and soil erosion in three tenure units, namely: former commercial farms, traditional and betterment villages. Analysis of the sequential aerial photography of the area for 1938,1954, 1965, 1975 and 1988 is employed. This is backed by groundtruthing exercises. Data thus obtained are quantified, and linkages between degradation, anthropogenic and physical factors are derived using PC ARC/INFO GIS. Differences in land tenure systems emerge as the main controlling factor to variations in land degradation. Confinement of vegetation diminution and erosion to traditional and betterment villages is observed at all dates. Scantily vegetated surfaces and riparian vegetation removal are a characteristic feature of both areas throughout the study period. 'Betterment,' introduced in the early 1960s to curb land degradation is, instead observed to exacerbate it, particularly soil erosion. Trends in land use change are characterised by the abandonment of cultivated land, which is noted to coincide with a sharp rise in population. Erosion intensification into severe forms particularly between 1965 and 1975, coincident with a period of extreme rainfall events, emerges as the most significant degradation trend. A close spatial correlation between abandoned cultivated land and intricate gullies is identified. So is the case between grazing land and severe sheet erosion. Within the grazing lands, an examination of erosion and categories of vegetated surfaces reveals that erosion occurs predominantly on the scanty vegetation category. Such erosion-vegetation interaction largely explains the non-recovery of the scanty vegetation category, even during periods of intense rainfall. Extensive channel degradation is evident along stream courses with scanty riparian vegetation. Physical factors are noted to have a significant bearing on erosion. The high prevalence of erosion on the Ecca group of rocks confirms its erosion-prone nature. Pockets of colluvium and alluvium accumulation in the steep bottomlands are identified as the sites of the most severe gully erosion. Field surveys at some of the sites indicate that a dolerite sill through the area forms a boundary of colluvium accumulation and the upslope limit to gully incision. That these sites are recognised as formerly cultivated land, portrays the interaction between physical and anthropogenic variables with regard to inducing degradation in the area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
The role of property rights to land and water resources in smallholder development: the case of Kat River Valley
- Authors: Rantlo, Montoeli
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Right of property -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rivers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11189 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/386 , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Right of property -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rivers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Property rights are social institutions that define and delimit the range of privileges granted to individuals of specific resources, such as land and water. They are the authority to determine different forms of control over resources thus determining the use, benefits and costs resulting from resource use. That is, they clearly specify who can use the resources, who can capture the benefits from the resources, and who should incur costs of any socially harmful impact resulting from the use of a resource. In order to be efficient property rights must be clearly defined by the administering institution whether formal or informal and must be accepted, understood and respected by all the involved individuals and should be enforceable. These institutions influence the behaviour of individuals hence the impact on economic performance and development. The thesis has attempted to determine how the situation of property rights to land and water affects the development of smallholders in the Kat River Valley. Data was collected from 96 households who were selected using random sampling. To capture data, a questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews. Institutional analysis and ANOVA were used for descriptive analysis to describe the property rights situation, security of property rights and the impact of property rights on the development of smallholder farming. The results show that individual land rights holders have secure rights to land and water resources while communal smallholders and farmers on the invaded state land have insecure rights to land and water resources. The results from institutional analysis show that the situation of property rights negatively affects development of all smallholder farmers in the Kat River Valley. There are various institutional factors that negatively affect development of smallholder farmers in the Kat River Valley. Based on the research findings, some policy recommendations are made. These include consideration of the local context and strengthening of the protection of property rights.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Rantlo, Montoeli
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Right of property -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rivers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11189 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/386 , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Right of property -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rivers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Property rights are social institutions that define and delimit the range of privileges granted to individuals of specific resources, such as land and water. They are the authority to determine different forms of control over resources thus determining the use, benefits and costs resulting from resource use. That is, they clearly specify who can use the resources, who can capture the benefits from the resources, and who should incur costs of any socially harmful impact resulting from the use of a resource. In order to be efficient property rights must be clearly defined by the administering institution whether formal or informal and must be accepted, understood and respected by all the involved individuals and should be enforceable. These institutions influence the behaviour of individuals hence the impact on economic performance and development. The thesis has attempted to determine how the situation of property rights to land and water affects the development of smallholders in the Kat River Valley. Data was collected from 96 households who were selected using random sampling. To capture data, a questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews. Institutional analysis and ANOVA were used for descriptive analysis to describe the property rights situation, security of property rights and the impact of property rights on the development of smallholder farming. The results show that individual land rights holders have secure rights to land and water resources while communal smallholders and farmers on the invaded state land have insecure rights to land and water resources. The results from institutional analysis show that the situation of property rights negatively affects development of all smallholder farmers in the Kat River Valley. There are various institutional factors that negatively affect development of smallholder farmers in the Kat River Valley. Based on the research findings, some policy recommendations are made. These include consideration of the local context and strengthening of the protection of property rights.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
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