Unpacking the link between adaptive capacity, assets and responses of rural livelihoods facing multiple stressors in the Eastern Cape
- Dalu, Mwazvita Tapiwa Beatrice
- Authors: Dalu, Mwazvita Tapiwa Beatrice
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Climatic changes , Adaptive capacity , Kat River Valley (South Africa) , Multiple stressors , Sustainable livelihood , Vulnerability , Asset
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , Ph.D
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147103 , vital:38593 , doi:10.21504/10962/147103
- Description: Southern Africa has been plagued by multiple interacting shocks and stressors in the past decades, which have rendered this region even more socially vulnerable, which in turn affects their adaptive capacity. The continuing perpetual state of lack of assets, compounded by high sensitivity to climate change driven shocks and stressors, such as food insecurity, therefore, leaves many households’ livelihoods vulnerable. Thus, there is a need to identify ways to implement adaptation initiatives; or to find means to improve the adaptive capacity of rural households and communities in Southern Africa, including those in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. However, despite recent work in other parts of the world regarding adaptive capacity, our understanding of adaptive capacity and adaptive needs in specific regions or communities is still limited. Furthermore, heterogeneity (inter- and intra-households), is often not accounted for in many studies, limiting our understanding on how differentiated household compositions affect and/or are affected by assets, agency and capabilities; and how this impacts upon adaptive capacity and responses of these households. Thus, greater attention needs to be paid to the social inequalities of vulnerability amidst multiple stressors. This study therefore explored; i) variations in vulnerability across heterogeneous household characteristics as influenced and reflected by assets and responses both at the single household and community levels; ii) how household and community level assets and responses interacted with institutions and organisations at various scales (as barriers and enablers (toadaptive responses which affect adaptive capacity)), and; Page ii iii) how pre-existing vulnerabilities in heterogeneous households influenced current adaptive capacities and how institutions and organisations influence current and future adaptive capacity. In addition to the conceptual framework used in this research, structural transformations, asset functions and multiple stressors, the Local Adaptive Capacity and the Sustainable Livelihood Frameworks were also considered. The main findings of this research showed a considerable prevalence of liquid asset poverty in rural households in the Eastern Cape, being more pronounced in female-headed households, households with an elderly head and in small sized households. Livestock were found to be the dominant asset type. However, as land management is under communal arrangement, issues of power, access and control need to be considered with respect to how they can better accommodate vulnerable societal groups. Findings revealed a prevalence of erosive coping strategies at the household levels. Collective responses were also found to be greatly affected by a lack of knowledge and conflicts, whilst also displaying exclusionary tendencies towards women. Overall, the adaptive capacity of households in the study area showed a need for better policy and contextspecific intervention in education, equal rights and opportunity creation. , Thesis (PhD.)--Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Dalu, Mwazvita Tapiwa Beatrice
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Climatic changes , Adaptive capacity , Kat River Valley (South Africa) , Multiple stressors , Sustainable livelihood , Vulnerability , Asset
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , Ph.D
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147103 , vital:38593 , doi:10.21504/10962/147103
- Description: Southern Africa has been plagued by multiple interacting shocks and stressors in the past decades, which have rendered this region even more socially vulnerable, which in turn affects their adaptive capacity. The continuing perpetual state of lack of assets, compounded by high sensitivity to climate change driven shocks and stressors, such as food insecurity, therefore, leaves many households’ livelihoods vulnerable. Thus, there is a need to identify ways to implement adaptation initiatives; or to find means to improve the adaptive capacity of rural households and communities in Southern Africa, including those in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. However, despite recent work in other parts of the world regarding adaptive capacity, our understanding of adaptive capacity and adaptive needs in specific regions or communities is still limited. Furthermore, heterogeneity (inter- and intra-households), is often not accounted for in many studies, limiting our understanding on how differentiated household compositions affect and/or are affected by assets, agency and capabilities; and how this impacts upon adaptive capacity and responses of these households. Thus, greater attention needs to be paid to the social inequalities of vulnerability amidst multiple stressors. This study therefore explored; i) variations in vulnerability across heterogeneous household characteristics as influenced and reflected by assets and responses both at the single household and community levels; ii) how household and community level assets and responses interacted with institutions and organisations at various scales (as barriers and enablers (toadaptive responses which affect adaptive capacity)), and; Page ii iii) how pre-existing vulnerabilities in heterogeneous households influenced current adaptive capacities and how institutions and organisations influence current and future adaptive capacity. In addition to the conceptual framework used in this research, structural transformations, asset functions and multiple stressors, the Local Adaptive Capacity and the Sustainable Livelihood Frameworks were also considered. The main findings of this research showed a considerable prevalence of liquid asset poverty in rural households in the Eastern Cape, being more pronounced in female-headed households, households with an elderly head and in small sized households. Livestock were found to be the dominant asset type. However, as land management is under communal arrangement, issues of power, access and control need to be considered with respect to how they can better accommodate vulnerable societal groups. Findings revealed a prevalence of erosive coping strategies at the household levels. Collective responses were also found to be greatly affected by a lack of knowledge and conflicts, whilst also displaying exclusionary tendencies towards women. Overall, the adaptive capacity of households in the study area showed a need for better policy and contextspecific intervention in education, equal rights and opportunity creation. , Thesis (PhD.)--Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
The role of anthropogenic disturbance in the creation of a socio-ecological landscape
- Authors: Fox, Helen Elizabeth
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Human ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Land use -- Environmental aspects-- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscapes -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscape ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Vegetation and climate -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Xhosa (African people) -- Folklore , Kat River Valley (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4772 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008061 , Human ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Land use -- Environmental aspects-- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscapes -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscape ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Vegetation and climate -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Xhosa (African people) -- Folklore , Kat River Valley (South Africa)
- Description: The aim of this thesis is to examine the role of anthropogenic disturbance in the creation of a socio-ecological landscape. Three key questions were answered: what impact has past anthropogenic disturbance had on present vegetative characteristics; what value did this disturbed landscape have to local people; how did the local peoples' worldviews and eco-cosmologies influence how they perceived, valued and managed their landscape? Research was based in a rural, predominantly amaXhosa village in the Kat River valley, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Four major landscape components characterised the environment, namely dense forests, former grazing lands, abandoned fields and old settlements. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted, consisting of a vegetation and soil survey and social science methods including semistructured interviews, focus groups, transect walks and participant observation. The key finding was that anthropogenic disturbance is necessary to enhance the potential of the area to support human habitation. However, anthropogenic disturbance can have positive or negative effects for both local people and the environment. An intermediate level of disturbance is a key factor leading to a resilient socio-ecological system. Various anthropogenic disturbances have had significant affects on vegetation characteristics in terms of species richness, and a change in vegetation composition and species heights. Of the three anthropogenic landscapes examined, former grazing lands were the least intensively disturbed. They were also more species rich and structurally diverse than areas that were under agricultural production or used as a settlement. Dense forests, although the least desirable landscape to local people were, together with sacred pools, sources of ecosystem renewal and played a critical role during times of disturbance. Anthropogenic disturbance has added value to local people's livelihoods; this disturbance has resulted in a patchy landscape that supplies a wide variety of resources to local people. Local people are dependent on their environment for their basic needs; this has encouraged sustainable management practices. The local AmaXhosa still retain many elements of their traditional worldview, which has many characteristics of Animism. The environment is an integral component of their belief system and certain sites and species have significant cultural value and are protected.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Fox, Helen Elizabeth
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Human ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Land use -- Environmental aspects-- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscapes -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscape ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Vegetation and climate -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Xhosa (African people) -- Folklore , Kat River Valley (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4772 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008061 , Human ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Land use -- Environmental aspects-- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscapes -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Landscape ecology -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Vegetation and climate -- South Africa -- Kat River Valley , Xhosa (African people) -- Folklore , Kat River Valley (South Africa)
- Description: The aim of this thesis is to examine the role of anthropogenic disturbance in the creation of a socio-ecological landscape. Three key questions were answered: what impact has past anthropogenic disturbance had on present vegetative characteristics; what value did this disturbed landscape have to local people; how did the local peoples' worldviews and eco-cosmologies influence how they perceived, valued and managed their landscape? Research was based in a rural, predominantly amaXhosa village in the Kat River valley, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Four major landscape components characterised the environment, namely dense forests, former grazing lands, abandoned fields and old settlements. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted, consisting of a vegetation and soil survey and social science methods including semistructured interviews, focus groups, transect walks and participant observation. The key finding was that anthropogenic disturbance is necessary to enhance the potential of the area to support human habitation. However, anthropogenic disturbance can have positive or negative effects for both local people and the environment. An intermediate level of disturbance is a key factor leading to a resilient socio-ecological system. Various anthropogenic disturbances have had significant affects on vegetation characteristics in terms of species richness, and a change in vegetation composition and species heights. Of the three anthropogenic landscapes examined, former grazing lands were the least intensively disturbed. They were also more species rich and structurally diverse than areas that were under agricultural production or used as a settlement. Dense forests, although the least desirable landscape to local people were, together with sacred pools, sources of ecosystem renewal and played a critical role during times of disturbance. Anthropogenic disturbance has added value to local people's livelihoods; this disturbance has resulted in a patchy landscape that supplies a wide variety of resources to local people. Local people are dependent on their environment for their basic needs; this has encouraged sustainable management practices. The local AmaXhosa still retain many elements of their traditional worldview, which has many characteristics of Animism. The environment is an integral component of their belief system and certain sites and species have significant cultural value and are protected.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
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