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Due to their high vulnerability, mountain communities are adversely affected by climate change and variability causing significant challenges to their livelihood strategies. The objective of this paper is to examine the perceptions of local households in the Eastern Free State Region of South Africa regarding how climate change impacts their livelihoods. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 400 respondents on whom a semi-structured household questionnaire survey was administered to gather information about the impacts of climate change on rural livelihoods. Sixty-seven percent of the agriculture-based mountain households reported declining water quality and quantity as the most significant impact, while 48%, 33%, 38% and 68% considered crop loss, reduced crop yields, animal diseases, and livestock mortality as the most significant impacts, respectively. Agriculture-based mountain households also cited climate-related socio-economic impacts- higher prices, farm and non-farm income loss, and increased labour as impacts of climate change. These findings reveal that the impacts of climate change effects on on-farm and off-farm activities can be contextualised according to households' primary livelihood activities. The paper concludes that understanding the mountain communities' perceptions about climate change impacts on their livelihoods could be useful for identifying context-specific adaptation strategies applicable to these communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a key socioeconomic and environmental concern in South Africa. The South African government introduced several climate change initiatives to address the impacts of climate change, resulting in the proliferation of climate adaptation policies across spheres of government. This paper studies different climate change adaptation policies and climate policy paradigms (CPP) to understand the adaptation landscape; it explains and compares the changes in CPP in South Africa over time. We mapped 40 policy documents from 2004 to 2022, which shows 12 national policies, 12 provincial (sub-national) policy documents and 14 metropolitan city policy documents. We then used 12 national policy documents to illustrate and understand the CPP. The research shows that different stakeholders have shaped climate change adaptation policy, both private and public firms advised on climate change policy and there are a number of different funding partners supporting the adaptation policy like GEF, C40 and GIZ. The changing policy environment has introduced new frameworks, objectives and processes. Therefore, more efforts will be needed going forward to guide adaptation policy across national, provincial and local governments. We find that several CPPs have emerged, that is different paradigms encompassing a range of policy goals, framings and instruments. The present National CC Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) mandates adaptation across all levels of government and allows all important stakeholders to address climate change consequences. This NCCAS increases the number and ambition of adaptation policy, encourages integrated approaches, policy coherence and clear direction on how to handle climate risks and impacts in varied South Africa and its global commitment. Changes in policy paradigm enable the use of new policy instruments, including funding and budget mechanisms. Finally, climate adaptation policy has become more ambitious and stringent, requiring all levels of government to plan for climate change. The climate change policy landscape in South Africa has grown over the past 18 years, with policy development across different spheres of government (national, sectoral, provincial and metros), New CPPs have emerged, supported by new policy frames, goals and instruments. The NCCAS provides a clear policy goal, which also provides new policy instruments to implement climate actions and acts to enhance integrated approaches, The lack of domestic budget allocation remains a challenge for national government, but external partnerships have begun to provide support for policy development. Notably, a shift from a flexible to stringent approach to climate policy is needed to deliver effective climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present paper is to examine a selection of macro- and micro-linguistic features (at text and sentence/word level respectively) of the South-African Green Paper 'National Climate Change Response' from 2010. Our overarching assumption is that the Green Paper needs to handle competing interests, beliefs and voices in a narrative structure favouring specific courses of action. How does the government portray the complex natural and societal phenomenon of climate change, and how does it take into account the many and often competing national and international views and interests which come into play? Our hypothesis is that the Green Paper constructs a narrative and that it relates to a number of voices other than that of the authors, through linguistic markers of polyphony, such as negation, sentence connectives, adverbs and reported speech. Thus we propose a narrative and polyphonic analysis of the Green Paper, at the level of the text as a whole (macro-level) but also with attention to linguistic constructions of polyphony or 'multi-voicedness' (micro-level). We find that the narrative-polyphonic properties of the Green Paper contribute to a strategy for building consensus on climate change policy. The South African government assumes the role of main hero in its own climate change 'story', and there are subtle forms of interaction with different and typically non-identified voices, such as concessive constructions and presuppositions. These results support our overarching interpretation of the whole document as striving to impose a South African consensus on the issue of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change continues to exacerbate social and economic development challenges in local communities the world over. This paper advances a human development approach to climate resilience innovations, showing how local innovation initiatives can be conduits for increased equity, agency, efficiency and sustainability vis-à-vis effective responses to climate impacts. Based on a scoping review of literature (journal articles, books, theses, occasional papers etc.), and through a discussion of four case studies focused on technological and institutional innovations in selected rural South African communities, a major finding is that local innovation initiatives vis-à-vis livelihoods are laden with opportunities for improved social, economic and ecological well-being. Appreciating and supporting these local innovations will open up viable and transformative pathways towards effectively responding to the impacts of climate change and variability. The paper contributes to an interdisciplinary integration of innovation and climate change research by exploring climate resilience through a transformative human development lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by Karen Barad's agential realism and Donna Haraway's use of the Chthulucene, our paper profoundly troubles and unsettles the humanist subject that has been the cause of so much trouble. Re-turning to a government primary school in Cape Town as the "research site," we adopt temporal and spatial diffraction as a postqualitative research methodology. The colonial practices related to land ownership, are not in the past, but remain in its be(com)ing. Land "use" in South Africa during Apartheid, was, and still is, a form of violence. Thinking-with Neimanis and McLauchlan, we understand a school as not separate from the phenomenon of climate change, but as one of its sites and as a feminist project. A diffractive image articulates aesthetically and politically how the land as the more-than-human is a significant part of the phenomenon and queers school as a concept and "research site." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a participatory approach to assess the level of understanding of the Water-Energy-Climate Change (WECC) nexus in South Africa. The aim is to initiate the development of well-coordinated, systematic, and holistic strategies to promote efficient management of the WECC and its implications in the country. The assessment follows the learnings from the Integrated Water Resource Management framework, which promotes a participatory approach in the administration of water resources. The paper reveals that, despite the reasonable level of understanding of WECC, it is still insufficient to promote an integrated approach mainly in policy development and planning for water and energy resources while averting climate impacts. This is exacerbated by limited coordination and consultation among various stakeholders. However, minimal efforts to promote an integrated approach in the management of the WECC sectors is observed. Despite these developments, the paper proposes that the participatory approach is feasible to promote holistic strategies and collaboration among stakeholders mandated to manage WECC sectors. Until approaches such as this are adopted within the institutional framework, this nexus will continue to impede the country's sustainable development endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented rate of urbanisation has changed the South African urban landscape. The densification of the population in cities has resulted in high consumption of electricity, waste production, a reduction of greenery, and traffic congestion, all of which contribute to climate change. South Africa promulgated legislations and acts such as the Spatial Planning and Land-Use Management Act (SPLUMA), the National Urban Development Framework (NUDF), and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to guide climate change adaptation and mitigation aspirations. These frameworks and plans are important for the management of urbanisation, which potentially contributes to climate change. Complexity theory is a lens for reviewing complex systems like urbanisation and cities. Complexity theory gives a thorough account of cities, urbanisation, and urban planning. The method that was adopted for the paper is a mixed-method approach. The data were collected by interviewing and administering questionnaires to municipal officials and residents of four urban areas (Legae la Batho, Emdo Park, Serala View, and Flora Park). Results show that the local municipality continues to be plagued with a lack of qualified personnel to implement policies that affect programme implementation, such as energy mix. Additionally, the City of Polokwane has been experiencing a reduction of green spaces, which has a negative impact on the climate change aspiration. The paper concludes that there are still challenges to a fully capacitated workforce within the Polokwane Local Municipality. The inability to implement policies has deleterious effects on climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research on mining and climate change and associated impacts on water resources particularly for the developing world has been limitedly explored. Climate change is expected to make water insecurity in rural areas more severe as weather patterns become unfavourable. The extent to which the mining sector is able to reduce its impact on water resources and adapt to climate change will have implications for host communities. This paper explores the relationship between climate change, mining development and water security and how this places rural communities in a position of risk from mining development and climate change for water security. This paper focuses on the Fuleni and Somkhele rural communities located within the uMkhanyakude District Municipality in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, a climate change-induced water scarce area. Despite drought, mining operations continue. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from key social actors in the Fuleni community (i.e. residents opposing mining development) and with Somkhele residents (already burdening with mining operations). Additionally for Somkhele, a questionnaire was used to ascertain 424 household views on the impacts of climate variability and mining impacts on livelihoods and water. Results indicated an interplay between climate change, mining impacts and water (and food) security. Development must be implemented in an integrated and holistic manner that contributes to sustainable development and does not impact on water resources. Technological innovations related to water and energy and inter-sectoral collaborations must be prioritised between mining, the government, and civil society, to achieve water security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that archives can play an important role in historical climatological research. Major projects in Europe, such as CLIWOC, examine ship logbooks from the era of sail. These sources provide critical weather-related data from the era before scientific climatological measurements and surveys after World War I. Ship logbooks have proved to be crucial sources that have been identified and digitised in major projects such as the CLIWOC project. While CLIWOC has concentrated on the ships concerned of the European maritime powers, their information is of worldwide relevance. This paper then looks at the research that has been undertaken in South Africa and at the sources that have been uncovered by local scientists. The paper also suggests further potential sources within South Africa. Thereafter, the potential sources within the ESARBICA region are suggested with a focus on the African Great Lakes. Finally, an ESARBICA-wide project similar to the CLIWOC and TANAP projects is suggested, and it is proposed that ESARBICA approach IORA for endorsement and funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a growing global population and shift to embrace the blue economy, a need for marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged in South Africa to sustainably resolve the rising conflicts over the use of marine and seabed resources and services. A well-developed marine spatial plan yields numerous ecological, social and economic benefits. These are achieved through mediating between spatially conflicting economic drivers' interests (e.g. commercial fishing, tourism, mining), preventing their activities from compromising thresholds of an environment's sustainability. Within the MSP framework, high-resolution geospatial datasets are required to document and describe the seabed in the highest possible detail. At any scale, integrated analysis of seabed geomorphology and habitats is anticipated to greatly improve the understanding of ecosystem functioning from a multidisciplinary perspective, whilst improving MSP procedures and management of marine space. South Africa is the first of few African countries to have an approved and implemented MSP framework, but is still somewhat behind globally in implementing large-scale regional hydroacoustic surveys to cover the country's vast offshore territory. The deficiency of hydroacoustic surveys is perhaps due to a relative lack of funds and poor communication about the value of multibeam echo-sounder (MBES) derived data, whilst marine geoscience remains a scarce skill in the country. This review paper presents a geological perspective of MSP and explores (1) the value that seabed mapping offers MSP specifically and (2) the need to increase seabed mapping with MBES, using a recently initiated project from the South African east coast as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is progressing faster than previously envisioned. Efforts to mitigate the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions by countries through the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has resulted in continuous environmental improvements in the energy efficiency and carbon emission signatures of products. In this paper, an energy–carbon emissions nexus causal model was applied using the Leontief Input–Output mathematical model for low-carbon products in future transport-manufacturing industries., The relationship between energy savings, energy efficiency, and the carbon intensity of products for the carbon emissions signature of the future transport manufacturing in South Africa was established. The interrelationship between the variables resulted in a 29% improvement in the total energy intensity of the vehicle body part products, 7.22% in the cumulative energy savings, and 16.25% in the energy efficiency. The scope that has been examined in this paper will be interesting to agencies of government, researchers, policymakers, business owners, and practicing engineers in future transport manufacturing and could serve as a fundamental guideline for future studies in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of landfills on the environment has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years due to the confounding effects of climate change and water scarcity. There is an urgent need to reduce from landfills the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, and to provide effective treatment solutions for waste, thereby diverting it from landfills. With an estimated 80 million tonnes of plastic waste entering the world's oceans annually, the accumulation of marine plastic has become a global crisis. Plastic pollution threatens food safety and quality, human health and coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change. For these reasons, there is an urgent need to explore a bioplastic biorefinery process. This review paper examines the potential of organic waste as an alternative carbon source in the efficient and feasible microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), which are precursors for bioplastic. More specifically, this paper presents a concept for a bioplastic biorefinery from a technological perspective, based on data from previous studies. Biofuel production processes are also assessed with the aim of integrating these processes to construct a bioplastic waste biorefinery. Garden refuse and food waste have been shown to be feasible feedstocks for the production of PHA and PHB in singular processes. Diverting these wastes away from landfills will significantly ease the environmental impacts currently associated with their disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has a coal‐based energy system and extractive economy, largely responsible for its high emission levels relative to countries with similar GDP. This extractive, coal‐based economy began during British colonisation and today shows few signs of transitioning rapidly to limit climate change. This paper interrogates the role of coloniality in climate delay, given that colonisation is responsible for establishing fossil fuel dependence in South Africa. Combining theory on decolonisation, specifically colonial hierarchies of power, with a critical discourse analysis, this research uses interview and policy data to show how colonial power hierarchies can lead to climate delay in South Africa, through normalising emissions intensive development and silencing alternatives. In doing so, it highlights the need to recognise the colonial foundations of climate change and the potential for a coalition between decolonisation and climate action to motivate for radical change both in South Africa and at a global level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of stock assessment is to provide managers with an understanding of the biomass and age-/size-composition of a stock, stock status (ideally relative to target and reference points), and to support management decision making, often through projections and application of harvest control rules. Stock assessments are increasingly being used to form the basis for the operating models used to evaluate the ability of management strategies to achieve the goals of fisheries management. Stock assessments for rock lobsters were among the first to adopt size-structured population models as the basis for stock assessment, and population model-based stock assessments have been used extensively to evaluate management strategies for rock lobster stocks in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This paper identifies how closely population model-based stock assessments for rock lobsters satisfy the guidelines identified for best practices for conducting stock assessments during meetings of, for example, the Center for the Advancement of Population Assessment Methodology and papers identifying best practice guidelines for stock assessment. The paper highlights some key directions for stock assessment science for rock lobsters, including considerations related to environmental variation and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and global warming have led to an increased incidence of flooding across the world. Against the backdrop of the recent devastating floods in the Kwazulu-Natal province of South Africa, this paper explores psychotraumatology of natural disasters. In particular, we explore the impact of internal migration in South Africa, as well as apartheid spatial planning and inequality on the consequences of the flooding. We also focus on the psychotraumatology resulting from flooding, in general, and in particular on the victims of the flooding in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. We conclude that the psychopathological consequences of such natural disasters are ignored even though they seriously affect the people concerned. The development of specific trainings for psychologists in psychotraumatology and the care of victims should be a priority in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon tax has attracted attention as an instrument of climate action for transiting towards the objective of stabilising global temperatures below 2 °C. Its significance as a response to climate change is, however, disputed. Also, its possible implications on key fundamental human rights of poor populations are rarely discussed. South Africa enacted a Carbon Tax Act in 2019 amid the challenge of poverty and its commitments to both climate actions and human rights. This paper interrogates the significance of the Carbon Tax Act and clarifies the potential implications that it may have on key human rights of poor populations. It recommends the need to channel the revenue generated from the implementation of the Carbon Tax Act to address its potential adverse impact on human rights of poor populations in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper my thought experiment leads me to posit that South Africa's environmental governance often results in what I term "hollow environmentalism". This term describes the inevitable long-term outcome of promulgating laws and policies that are idealistic and seem symbolic and that at times fail to achieve their intended objectives or environmental promise. On a narrower scale, hollow environmentalism can also manifest when such symbolic environmental laws and policies lead to judicial decisions that lack substantive ecological justifications, perhaps even resembling symbolic judgments. I substantiate this argument through four key considerations. I commence with a reality check on environmental governance, emphasising that the state is not a neutral actor, necessitating closer scrutiny of state decisions. This leads me to the conclusion that governance stands at a critical juncture. I argue that the symbolic nature of our environmental laws, broadly speaking, often makes it challenging for the state to fully meet the lofty ideals it presents, thereby also complicating court decisions in these matters. Next, I align my thoughts with recent literature on adjudication in the context of the climate crisis. This literature stresses the need for courts to be bold and innovative in their judicial roles, given the precarious nature of stabilising environmental disputes. In the penultimate section I bring the discussion to a close by suggesting two interconnected possibilities to address hollowness in the face of climate change: "sunsetting" and "substitution". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global climate change, droughts are likely to become more frequent and more severe in many regions such as in South Africa. In Limpopo, observed high climate variability and projected future climate change will likely increase future maize production risks. This paper evaluates drought patterns in Limpopo at two representative sites. We studied how drought patterns are projected to change under future climatic conditions as an important step in identifying adaptation measures (e.g., breeding maize ideotypes resilient to future conditions). Thirty-year time horizons were analyzed, considering three emission scenarios and five global climate models. We applied the WOFOST crop model to simulate maize crop growth and yield formation over South Africa's summer season. We considered three different crop emergence dates. Drought indices indicated that mainly in the scenario SSP5-8.5 (2051–2080), Univen and Syferkuil will experience worsened drought conditions (DC) in the future. Maize yield tends to decline and future changes in the emergence date seem to impact yield significantly. A possible alternative is to delay sowing date to November or December to reduce the potential yield losses. The grain filling period tends to decrease in the future, and a decrease in the duration of the growth cycle is very likely. Combinations of changed sowing time with more drought tolerant maize cultivars having a longer post-anthesis phase will likely reduce the potential negative impact of climate change on maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass degradation in the western Indian Ocean is of serious concerns with numerous severe climate events that has impacted Mozambique, as well as South Africa in recent time, highlighting the need for re‐establishing these critical habitats. The following paper present a field experiment from Mozambique concerning disturbance‐and‐recovery effects of Zostera capensis, a highly impacted seagrass species in the region. We undertook trials mimicking disturbance of meadows in terms of digging to collect clams, a common practice in Maputo Bay. Our results indicated that once such anthropogenic impacts are halted, Z. capensis meadows restore itself after 12 months of impact exclusion. In addition, we also conducted seagrass restoration experiment using a manual method, the so‐called plug method which, demonstrated to improve the survival rate with 75%, which has large implications for seagrass transplantation projects that are both time consuming and financially costly. The results from this study will further guide the appropriate management to build the best practice in seagrasses meadows restoration and awareness. It is clear from this study that a combination of both impact exclusions and active restoration is bound for best results of seagrass management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In striving to achieve the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, governments have the opportunity to implement their climate and sustainability goals more coherently. Such coherence requires the coordination of interdependent policies across different policy fields, sectors and actors. This paper explores how governments design and implement synergic solutions to concomitantly achieve both international agendas. With the empirical cases of Germany and South Africa, we investigate two independent approaches to the synergic solution of a just energy transition, whereby countries aim to phase out coal as a means to tackle climate change while also ensuring that the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not hindered. Methodologically, we apply a deductive qualitative approach consisting of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis. To that end, we examine relevant policies and institutional arrangements by applying a combined conceptual framework of energy justice and just transition in both countries. We find major challenges in overcoming environmental, economic and social burdens of the coal phase-out, especially related to jobs and inequality (SDGs 8, 10) and the Water-Energy-Food-Land nexus (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 15). Through the selection of Germany and South Africa, we illustrate how countries with different political, social and economic backgrounds strive to manage such a transition. Our developed framework and case-studies' findings point towards important considerations when designing just energy transition pathways, such as ensuring inclusiveness in decision-making, thoroughly assessing social, economic and environmental impacts, and adequately coordinating across different actors and the local, provincial and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a developing country, South Africa relies on electricity as the most critical amenity needed for development. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is one of the nine provinces in South Africa that faces an energy supply challenge. KZN is also the warmest province among them all due to its location. As one of the warmest provinces, solar power could be utilised to assist in dealing with the energy crisis. This paper focuses on the cost uncertainties attributed to the implementation of solar power which will assist in meeting the demand of energy in the region. The unsustainability of energy has led to a near collapse of the region's economy. This study also contributes to improving the scientific implementation of solar power in the region to deal with the unsustainability criteria observed. The employment of Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) revealed solar power as one of the most reliable renewable energies for planned implementation bases. With the development of the Economical, Methodological and Environmental (EME) strategic framework which addresses all social cohesion of solar power, the early turn around has been seen through the use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in the region of KZN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have cumulatively altered natural thermal regimes, with impacts and occurrences of extreme events amplified and exacerbated by global climate change. This leads to cascading ecological impacts in river systems. This paper translates knowledge generated over more than ten years of thermal research in South Africa into a protocol for establishing environmental water temperature guidelines for perennial rivers in South Africa. Tools and protocols for generating thermal guidelines reflecting seasonal variation and daily ranges, setting ecologically relevant thermal targets, and approaches for incorporating water temperature into management plans are presented. Tools include a spatial (thermal) framework within which air-water temperature models are applied and reference thermographs are generated; national maps of system resilience and air-water temperature model accuracy; a database of variables likely to indicate system resilience and model accuracy; innovative tools for generating thermal metrics and thermographs; a screening process to assess thermal risk; and an evaluation process to assess thermal change based on deviation from reference or expected thermal conditions. The importance and value of thermal data was recognised by the freshwater community and collection of water temperature data strongly endorsed. Future rollout of a water temperature-monitoring programme for South Africa needs to be prioritised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change (CC), warming at 'double the global average rate'. The southern African region is already a CC hotspot with climate variability exposing stark societal and biophysical ecosystem vulnerabilities. South African and southern African youth are beginning to claim their place at various CC negotiation tables adding to the voices of government and various civil society groups. In this paper, written by a group of youth activists, civil society organisation leaders, educators and climate scientists, we track the journey that a group of young change-makers and local government officials (in the age range 15–24) have taken in securing a seat at the policy table. The challenges, caveats and course corrections that have been taken in the Johannesburg Youth Climate Action Plan (YCAP) process and the wider country, are interrogated. This YCAP Johannesburg experiment provides a useful learning exercise for subsequent CC policy and practice engagements in the country and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores relationships between water and well‐being in the Leliefontein Pastoral Area, Namaqualand, South Africa. Despite its geographical focus, it nonetheless articulates with broader regional and national debates around water in the Anthropocene. As a positive response to calls for water justice in South Africa, the paper argues for the need for water justice that is attuned to the particularities of South Africa's complex social‐ecologies. In order to make this case, the paper explores a regional literature rich in works in the disciplines of environmental history, anthropology and ecology that demonstrates deep entanglements between water, dispossession of land, and oppressive power in the Leliefontein Pastoral Area, and Namaqualand more generally. Because of the histories and ways of life it describes, the literature underscores the need to consider wellbeing as it relates to water in varying forms—as that which flows through pipes and taps, but also that which cycles through the air, falls on the ground, is taken up by plants, and eaten by stock animals. A consideration of Leliefontein's water history also surfaces the historically delimited nature of water that is primarily known as a natural resource, measured in liters and assessed in terms of its microbial and chemical contents. Other kinds of waters exist and persist in the area and are also vital to how many people experience and think about their own wellbeing. This becomes especially significant in the face of expected effects of climate change in the region. This article is categorized under:Human Water > Human Water [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for transformative adaptation to climate change require attention to the type of capacity building that can support it. Community-level capacity building can help to ensure ownership and legitimacy of longer-term interventions. Given that marginalized communities are highly vulnerable to climate risk, it is important to build their capacity to adapt locally and to integrate their perspectives into higher-level adaptation measures. Current adaptation policy does not pay sufficient attention to this. Using a Cape Town-based project on water governance in low-income urban settlements, this paper explores how a transdisciplinary research project supported capacity building. Our findings suggest that knowledge co-creation at the community level is central to the capacity building that is needed in order to inform transformative adaptation. The collaborative methodology used is also important; we illustrate how a transdisciplinary approach can contribute to transformative adaptation where knowledge is co-produced to empower community-level actors and organizations to assert their perspectives with greater confidence and legitimacy. We argue that if capacity building processes shift from the top-down transferal of existing knowledge to the co-creation of contextual understandings, they have the potential to deliver more transformative adaptation. By considering diverse sources of knowledge and knowledge systems, capacity building can start to confront inequalities and shift dominant power dynamics. Adaptation policy could provide more guidance and support for community-level transdisciplinary processes that can enable this type of transformative adaptation. Key policy insights To address equity and justice issues as well as climate risk, adaptation policy needs to better support transformative adaptation. Community-level capacity building, called for by developing countries, will benefit from more attention to bottom-up approaches as a complement to top-down ones. Community-led research that draws on a diversity of knowledge systems can effectively inform the development of transformative adaptation interventions. Transdisciplinary research methods present a promising pedagogical approach to building transformative adaptation capacity. Adaptation policy for capacity building would benefit from a broader understanding of governance that includes local participation and values bottom-up contributions. A priority for capacity building is getting previously excluded actors a spot at the negotiating table as well as skills to substantiate their arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses upon the role that science-based interventions allied to effective regulatory regimes can play in reducing the threat posed by inappropriate harvesting of wild flora. A Vulnerability Index (VI) has been developed for 150 natural fynbos species that exist on South Africa's Agulhas Plain, where intensive wildflower harvesting occurs. The methodology underpinning the generation of the VI is outlined and justified in this paper. The VI comprises a range of characteristics relating to species distribution and biology that are likely to influence vulnerability to harvesting. The VI is proving to be an important tool for regulating the harvesting of wild fynbos and maintaining the resilience of natural ecosystems threatened by climate change. Furthermore, economic development and livelihood stability are promoted by protecting the resource base of marketable species. The paper discusses issues that have arisen relating to the application and rollout of the VI in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a scarcity of long-term groundwater hydrographs from sub-Saharan Africa to investigate groundwater sustainability, processes and controls. This paper presents an analysis of 21 hydrographs from semi-arid South Africa. Hydrographs from 1980 to 2000 were converted to standardised groundwater level indices and rationalised into four types (C1–C4) using hierarchical cluster analysis. Mean hydrographs for each type were cross-correlated with standardised precipitation and streamflow indices. Relationships with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were also investigated. The four hydrograph types show a transition of autocorrelation over increasing timescales and increasingly subdued responses to rainfall. Type C1 strongly relates to rainfall, responding in most years, whereas C4 notably responds to only a single extreme event in 2000 and has limited relationship with rainfall. Types C2, C3 and C4 have stronger statistical relationships with standardised streamflow than standardised rainfall. C3 and C4 changes are significantly (p < 0.05) correlated to the mean wet season ENSO anomaly, indicating a tendency for substantial or minimal recharge to occur during extreme negative and positive ENSO years, respectively. The range of different hydrograph types, sometimes within only a few kilometres of each other, appears to be a result of abstraction interference and cannot be confidently attributed to variations in climate or hydrogeological setting. It is possible that high groundwater abstraction near C3/C4 sites masks frequent small-scale recharge events observed at C1/C2 sites, resulting in extreme events associated with negative ENSO years being more visible in the time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify chronostratigraphic palaeo-climatic boundaries based on proxy indications from mountainand coastal wetlands in eastern South Africa and Lesotho. Phase boundaries were identified from timing of climate change inferred by proxies, as well as regime shifts in climate variability. Sometimes magnitude and/or frequency of change was also considered. Summarizing the common palaeo-climatic indications suggest the following chronostratigraphic climate phases: 25 to 18 ka, 18 to 15 ka, 15 to 11.5, 11.5 to 8 ka, 8 to 5.5 ka, 5.5 to 2 ka and 2 to 0 ka. The most robust boundaries were identified at 18 ka, 15 ka and 2 ka, i.e. these boundaries were supported by several proxies/sites. The other boundaries were less clearly detected from available proxies/sites and should be regarded tentative. The timing of a climate shift often coincides at coast and mountain sites. However, the climate conditions within each chronostratigraphic phase sometimes vary between coast and inland sites. The 25 to 18 ka phase was cool and dry with strong and frequent storms, followed by the ca. 18 to 15 ka period when conditions were less severe but still generally cool and dry. At ca. 15 to 11.5 ka several proxies infer warmer climate, with less winter rains. During 11.5 to 8 ka a general increase in wetness is inferred, followed by warming over the 8 to 5.5 ka phase. Between 5.5 and 2 ka a successive change towards wetter is indicated, although timing differ between sites. After 2 ka generally a more variable climate is seen, often with high magnitude shifts between dry and wet. The data resolution, i.e. the number of available wetland records, increases with time from very low during glacial times, to highest resolution during late Holocene. Geographically, sites in the mountain region are overrepresented compared to coastal sites. A comparison with coastal lake records suggests a more variable climate at coastal sites compared to mountain sites during mid- and late Holocene, although different proxy resolution and methodology cannot be ruled out as an explanation. A case study compares multiproxy records from Drakensberg (Sekhokong, Ntsikeni) and the coast (Mfabeni), discussing advantages and problems associated with proxy-comparisons within and between sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security is threatened in Southern Africa, because of unpredictable droughts and higher summer temperatures brought on by climate change and global warming. Durable and hardy plants that grow easily and quickly in such conditions must be adopted to ensure sustainable and reliable food supplies. The young cladodes (nopalitos) from the cactus pear plant, which adapts to hot and dry climates, is an underutilised alternative food source that can serve as a healthy vegetable. It thrives in many environments such as deserts, below sea level, high altitude regions and tropical regions with temperatures above 50°C. Nopalitos are a traditional staple vegetable and have been consumed in Mexico for over 9000 years. However, it is underutilised and unknown as an alternative vegetable in Africa. Research on the physiochemical and nutritional content has been conducted. However, the information on harvesting nopalitos from cultivars available in South Africa for optimal edible quality is not available. Good quality nopalitos are young, thin, bright green, soft, fresh and not too sour or slimy. This paper aims to identify the effect of and the interaction between size, cultivar and harvesting season to obtain optimal eating quality. Data were obtained for two cultivars (Morado and Fusicaulis) at 9 cm, 12 cm, 15 cm, 18 cm, 21 cm and 24 cm, which were harvested in spring (October) and autumn (March) over two years. The quality characteristics were translated into the measurable attributes of morphology (weight, width, diameter, volume and surface area), texture (firmness and compressibility), colour (L*, a*, b*, C*and h°), turgidity (moisture content, mucilage yield and viscosity) and gustatory (percentage titratable acidity, pH and total soluble solids). ANOVA and Principal Component Analyses were performed to determine significant differences and interactions between the length groups, two cultivars and two seasons. The results showed that the size, cultivar and season influenced the edible characteristics. Both cultivars were most tender at 15 cm and presented the best edible qualities in spring. Morado showed better colour, turgidity and gustatory qualities. Morado was thinner, a brighter green colour, less sour and less slimy compared to Fusicaulis nopalitos. • Nopalito quality is highly influenced by harvest size, cultivar and season. • At 15 cm, nopalitos from both Morado and Fusicaulis were the most tender. • Morado nopalitos was the preferred cultivar, but Fusicaulis also performed satisfactorily. • Spring harvest was preferable, but autumn harvest nopalitos were acceptable. • Morado was thinner, a brighter green colour, less sour and less slimy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Some invasive plant species, like Pontederia crassipes , could be possibly affected by climate change. • Megamelus scutellaris is one of the most commonly used biocontrol agents for P. crassipes. • As other planthoppers, M. scutellaris is expected to host obligate mutualistic organisms, known as Yeast-like symbiotes (YLS). • YLS are first reported in M. scutellaris species and their numbers are positively correlated with their host's weight. • YLS numbers increased under elevated CO 2 , in heavier females. Water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes , is a highly invasive plant native to South America and one of the most invasive aquatic plants in the world. For its control, the planthopper Megamelus scutellaris Berg (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a phloem feeder also native to South America has been introduced to the USA and South Africa. Considering predicted climate change scenarios, understanding their impacts on biological control agents is crucial. An intriguing yet scarcely explored subject, is the effect of climatic changes on the obligate endosymbionts associated with sap-sucking feeders. Planthoppers establish an obligate relationship with yeast-like symbiotes (YLS), unicellular fungal microorganisms that play an important role in their development, providing missing nutrients in their diet. Considering that increased atmospheric CO 2 affects plant chemical composition, this might have a direct impact on their insect host and on their number of YLS. We evaluated the effect of two different CO 2 environments: current (cCO 2 − 400 ppm) and elevated (eCO 2 − 800 ppm) on the abundance of YLS (number of YLS cells/insect) of M. scutellaris , as well as the, age structure, sex, and weight of insects. Heavier females harbored more YLS under eCO 2 which underscores the importance of the interaction of CO 2 levels and insects' weight in shaping the abundance of YLS. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the total abundance of insects for instars III to V and adults under eCO 2 conditions. However, male number significantly exceeded that of females under both CO 2 conditions. Our results suggest a potential positive impact of eCO 2 on M. scutellaris populations, which could, in turn, enhance the control of P. crassipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents continuous, high resolution fossil pollen and microcharcoal records from Bo Langvlei, a lake in the Wilderness Embayment on South Africa's southern Cape coast. Spanning the past ~1300 years and encompassing the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; c. AD 950–1250) and the Little Ice Age (LIA; c. AD 1300–1850), these records provide a rare southern African perspective on past temperature, moisture and vegetation change during these much debated periods of the recent geological past. Considered together with other records from the Wilderness Embayment, we conclude that conditions in the region during the MCA chronozone were – in the context of the last 1300 years – likely relatively dry (reduced levels of Afrotemperate forest pollen) and perhaps slightly cooler (increased percentages of Stoebe -type pollen) than present. The most significant phase of forest expansion, and more humid conditions, occurred during the transition between the MCA and the most prominent cooling phase of the LIA. The LIA is clearly identified at this locality as a period of cool, dry conditions between c. AD 1600 and 1850. The mechanisms driving the changes observed in the Bo Langvlei pollen record appear to be generally linked to changes in temperature, and changes in the influence of tropical circulation systems. During warmer periods, moisture availability was higher at Bo Langvlei, and rainfall was perhaps less seasonal. During colder periods, precipitation resulting from tropical disturbances was more restricted, resulting in drier conditions. While increased precipitation has been reported during the LIA from Verlorenvlei in the Western Cape as a result of an equatorward displacement of the westerly storm-track at this time, the opposing response at Bo Langvlei suggests that any increased influence of westerlies was insufficient to compensate for the concurrent reduction in tropical/local rainfall in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, greater acknowledgement has been given to climate change as a cultural phenomenon. This paper takes a cultural lens to the topic of climate change, in which climate-relevant understandings are grounded in wider cultural, political and material contexts. We approach climate-relevant accounts at the level of the everyday, understood as a theoretically problematic and politically contested space This is in contrast to simply being the backdrop to mundane, repetitive actions contributing to environmental degradation and the site of mitigative actions. Taking discourse as a form of practice in which fragments of cultural knowledge are drawn on to construct our environmental problems, we investigate citizens' accounts of climate-relevant issues in three culturally diverse emerging economies: Brazil, South Africa and China. These settings are important because greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are predicted to significantly increase in these countries in the future. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a range of citizens in each country using a narrative approach to contextualise climate-relevant issues as part of people's lifestyle narratives. Participants overwhelmingly framed their accounts in the context of locally-salient issues, and few accounts explicitly referred to the phenomenon of climate change. Instead, elements of climate changes were conflated with other environmental issues and related to a wide range of cultural assumptions that influenced understandings and implied particular ways of responding to environmental problems. We conclude that climate change scholars should address locally relevant understandings and develop dialogues that can wider meanings that construct climate-relevant issues in vernacular ways at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is a semi-arid country that increasingly relies on groundwater as a freshwater source for both socio-economic and environmental systems. Groundwater resources are, however, limited and fragile due to factors such as climate change, exploitation and pollution. This renders the groundwater regulatory framework essential. Yet in South Africa, groundwater governance is not strongly emphasised in the novel regulatory framework instated by the National Water Act 38 of 1998 (the NWA). Naturally, uncertainties and challenges arise as to, inter alia, the appropriate allocation and effective protection of the country's groundwater resources. This paper traces established groundwater governance practices and critically reflects on how the concept of public trusteeship, as introduced by the NWA, changes and informs the country's groundwater governance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is arguably one of the biggest challenges globally. In order for countries to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement, climate investments need to be scaled up for adaptation and mitigation strategies. Green bonds are one of the most emerging climate finance mechanisms for large-scale climate projects and offer investment opportunities for many developing countries. Most developing countries are heavily reliant on climate funds which are insufficient. Hence, the urgent need to tap into emerging climate finances such as green bonds. Out of all the regions, Africa is expected to be the worst impacted by climate change and green bonds can contribute to the much needed climate finances. The growth of the green bond market has been observed in the economic hubs of the continent with countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa demonstrating huge potential in being active and contributing to the growth of the market. However, this paper recommends that for the green bond market to further expand in these countries and rest of the continent, there needs to be public–private partnerships fostered, integrated policies, political will as well as effective institutional frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2011 Durban Adaptation Charter for Local Governments calls on local governments, worldwide, to institutionalise climate response, with the aim of minimising the impacts of climate change on local livelihoods and vulnerable communities. This paper, through the use of case studies, in-depth interviews and document review, assesses how three non-metropolitan municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, a district municipality, and two local municipalities under its jurisdiction, are responding to this call. The results suggest that while the municipalities have adopted measures to institutionalise climate responses, the responses are relatively new and implementation is slow, complex and fraught with limitations and competing demands. Furthermore, there appears to be a lack of co-ordination of responses between the two levels of government, which has the potential to lead to duplication. Given the multi-scalar nature of climate change, emphasis on co-ordination and the inclusion of all municipal departments in the development and implementation of responses is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Urban decision-makers in South Africa face growing challenges related to rapidly expanding populations and a changing climate. To help target limited resources, municipalities have begun to conduct climate change vulnerability assessments. Many of these assessments take a holistic approach that combines both physical hazard exposure and the underlying socio-economic conditions that predispose populations to harm (i.e., social vulnerability). Given the increasing use of socio-economic conditions in climate change vulnerability analyses, this paper seeks to explore two key research questions: 1) can the spatial distribution of relative social vulnerability be estimated in six mostly urban South African municipalities, and if so, 2) how sensitive are the results to a range of subjective methodological choices often required when implementing this type of analysis. Here, social vulnerability is estimated using socio-economic and demographic data from the 2001 and 2011 South African censuses. In all six municipalities, social vulnerability varies spatially, driven primarily by differences in income, assets, wealth, employment and education, and secondarily by differences in access to services and demographics. Even though social vulnerability is estimated from a wide array of population characteristics, the spatial distribution is surprising similar to that of the percent of working-age individuals making less than 800 rand per month. Areas with high percentages of previously disadvantaged, extended family, and informal households tend to display relatively higher levels of social vulnerability. In fact, demographics (e.g., race, language, age) are often highly correlated with other characteristics that have direct ties to social vulnerability (e.g., income, employment, education). The spatial patterns of relative social vulnerability are similar in 2001 and 2011. However, there is some evidence social vulnerability is relatively lower in 2011. While the choice of input data and aggregation method can affect the spatial distribution of social vulnerability, the general spatial patterns appear to be fairly robust across a number of subjective choices related to methodological and aggregation approach, spatial resolution, and input data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change mitigation action is hampered by systematic under-assessment of national ‘fair shares’, largely on the basis of perceived national interests. This paper aims to inform discussions centred on South Africa’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) by estimating (1) emissions reduction pathways for the country using the Climate Equity Reference Calculator (CERC) assuming a maximum 2°C aggregate warming target and (2) the likely economy-wide net mitigation costs or savings associated with reaching these pathways if known lower-cost mitigation measures, identified through the national mitigation potential analysis, are prioritised. The cumulative net savings associated with achieving the CERC ‘fair share’ emissions pathway, assuming the moderate use of low carbon power generation measures, would reach $5.3 billion by 2030. Net savings could be substantially greater reaching $46.8 billion by 2030 assuming power generation focuses on moving towards full decarbonisation. An unconditional commitment to the mitigation action implied by the ‘fair share’ emissions pathway therefore seems reasonable and prudent purely from the point of view of net country-wide savings. Only if power generation moves towards full decarbonisation would there be a reasonable chance of achieving the more ambitious CERC domestic emissions pathway. However, the significant additional cost associated with achieving the domestic emissions pathway should be conditional on international assistance. Key policy insights South Africa can only achieve its ‘fair share’ of the global mitigation effort if greater use is made of renewable energy options, and can realise significant net savings if it does so. Further emissions reductions would incur costs and require significant upscaling of the share of renewable energy and full implementation of all non-power generation mitigation measures available. Committing to this further mitigation action contingent on international finance would both strengthen the nation’s position in climate negotiations and support the provision of finance for those vulnerable developing nations that bear little or no responsibility for climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study report of the development of data networks and initial connectivity in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region and how that development evolved into the formation of research and education (R & E) networks that enable new collaborations and curriculum potential. Design/methodology/approach – This case study is presented through the past 20 year’s operations and field activities of the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) at the University of Oregon, who in partnership with the National Science Foundation has worked together to significantly train network engineers in Africa on how to develop regional R & E networks that can link together the various research universities in SSA. Findings – The author shows how the development of these networks have fostered improved collaboration between African and US scientists, particularly around issues that relate to climate change. This paper contains testimonials from both scientists and on-the-ground key directors in Africa about the value of these improved networks. The expansion of regional R & E networks has allowed the Association of African Universities (AAU) to launch sustainable development as one of its new core programs over the period 2013-2017. Within this new core AAU program are four sub-themes: agriculture and food security, water resources management, climate change and energy. All of these themes will benefit directly from these new, network-enabled, data-sharing abilities. Practical implications – The current state of network-driven curriculum and curriculum exchange between African universities is assessed and compared that to that in the early days of academic network penetration (1990-2000) in the USA to find similar rates of evolution. Since 2015, SSA has sufficient network access and connectivity to now enable a wide variety of new collaborative research and collaborative academic programs. Originality/value – The experience and operational competence of the NSRC at the University of Oregon needs to be detailed and espoused. No other American university has had such an impact on Africa in terms of improving its overall network infrastructure enabling new kinds of collaborative research on real-world problems, such as climate change and resource depletion in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a demand-driven growth model is used to explore climate change scenarios faced by the South African economy. The focus is on key macroeconomic variables including employment, productivity, income distribution, trade, and fiscal balances. Results show that emission reduction alone will not put South Africa on a sustainable and equitable growth path. Expansionary macroeconomic policies are necessary. We show that, under sufficient global mitigation, expansionary fiscal and monetary policies lead to faster output and productivity growth, higher employment, and lower inequality. By contrast, macroeconomic tightening or "free riding" on global emission reduction lead to inferior outcomes, putting sustainable development out of reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the political economy of energy transition in South Africa. An economic model based around a powerful ‘minerals-energy complex’ that has previously been able to provide domestic and foreign capital with cheap and plentiful coal-generated electricity is no longer economically or environmentally sustainable. The paper analyses the struggle over competing energy visions, infrastructures and political agendas in order to generate insights into the governance and financing of clean energy transitions in South Africa. It provides both a rich empirical account of key policy developments aimed at enabling such a transition and provides reflections on how best to theorise the contested politics of energy transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in South Africa is still considered to be a neglected component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), but the perspectives of the practitioners on the status and practice of SIA have never been probed, despite their key role in SIA. This paper explores those perspectives by means of a two-part survey conducted with an availability sample of 11 SIA practitioners in 2012 and 13 practitioners in 2016 following a qualitative Action Research Approach. Four themes emerged (i.e. SIA in practice, Problems in SIA, Effectiveness of SIA and the Future of SIA). It is evident that the practitioners generally agree about the nature and purpose of SIA, that SIA has problems but is healthy and will benefit from some regulation, that SIA is an important and valuable tool, although with limited effectiveness, and the practitioners are optimistic about the future of SIA. The perspectives of the practitioners are aligned with international trends towards enhancement and sustainability assessment, but they must remain committed to best practice in SIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much debate on climate change has emerged around food, forest and land politics, the fisheries sector has only recently become more visibly implicated in these discussions. Similarly, in comparison to food and agrarian movements, fishers' resistance to intensified mitigation efforts and resource exclusion is still significantly understudied academically, and receives little attention in political spheres. This highlights a critical gap in both food and climate politics literature, which this paper aims to present a framework for addressing. To do so, it contextualises the emergence of overlapping processes of exclusion in global fisheries, and explores the implications global food system transformations have had in the fisheries sector, and the reactions this has spurred from South African fishers. It then traces the convergence of fishers' movements with other resource justice movements, and how this has contributed to the rise of 'fisheries justice'. Finally, it presents four interlinked propositions - highlighting food sovereignty, resource access and conflict, climate change and mitigation, convergences between movements, and alternatives proposed by fishers - as a framework for how incorporating fisheries and fishers' movements can broaden our understanding of transnational social movements, and expand the depth and scope of food and climate politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negligible levels of energy-related GHG emissions attributable to the Southern African subregion translates into the sub-region contributing relatively little towards global climate change. Notwithstanding, the member states comprising the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are among the most vulnerable to the trans boundary effects of global climate change. Existing SADC climate change policy documents highlight the important role of the energy sector in climate change mitigation. Furthermore, various international, African Union and SADC legal instruments stress the crucial role of harmonised law and policy as climate change adaptive measure. It is the central hypothesis of this paper that harmonised subregional law and policy aimed at regulating SADC member states' mitigation efforts in the energy sector is a crucial climate change adaptive strategy. This hypothesis is based on the mandates for the formulation of a SADC climate change action plan and for mitigation in the energy sector. These mandates are contained in the texts of the SADC-CNGO Climate Change Agenda, 2012 and the Southern Africa Sub - Regional Framework on Climate Change, 2010 respectively. It is the main aim of this paper to investigate recent developments in the formulation of harmonised SADC law and policy on climate change in general and law and policy pertaining to mitigation in the energy sector specifically. In achieving the stated aim, themes to be investigated by means of a literature study are those of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change and harmonised sub-regional policy on mitigation in the energy sector as adaptive measure in the SADC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clean development mechanism (CDM) is intended to serve as a market-based incentive that is both efficient and cost-effective for eligible developing countries. The analysis contained in this article explores why, in theory, such an attractive incentive opportunity has been so under-utilised in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper compares the experience of the CDM in South Africa and Zambia. These two Southern African countries were selected because of their varying levels of statehood, South Africa being an emerging, middle-income economy while Zambia is classified as a least developed country. General challenges affecting the CDM were identified in the literature to be awareness, capacity, eligibility and access to finance. The paper then compares how these overarching issues specifically impact the CDM experience in South Africa and Zambia. The paper finds that common complexities relating to the CDM have varying implications for eligible host countries at different levels of statehood. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

South Africa holds some of the world’s significant uranium deposits. There has, however, been a constant decline in uranium production due to a low demand. A recent increase in the energy demand in South Africa and increased concerns regarding climate change have rejuvenated the interest in uranium and the processing of uranium. South Africa depends on coal for the generation of its electricity and additionally the government of South Africa has prioritised nuclear and renewable energy sources to supplement the national based energy grid. There are growing global concerns regarding the environmental impacts associated with uranium mining and processing and legacy sites. This paper identifies the sources of uranium contamination and their impacts on the environment and provides the best strategies for preventing a negative legacy from future sites of uranium mining and processing. It gives an international perspective on the economic, social and environmental impacts of the legacy of uranium mining and processing. It examines the examples, guidelines and best practices that could improve the governance of uranium mining and exploration in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato processing is becoming particularly popular in developing countries and French fries are the main product being developed. This paper describes the South African frozen French fry industry, identifying aspects for improvements for further growth. Although South Africa produces over two million tonnes of potatoes per year, only 17 to 20% are processed, mainly as frozen French fries. While this is a larger production achievement than in the past, trends in consumption show that the frozen French fry industry has potential for further growth. Industry expansion is limited by the shortage of suitable raw potato stock linked to cultivar and potato production capacity constraints for frozen French fry processing. The country relies mainly on two processing cultivars produced in localized areas, for which yields are also threatened by unpredictably detrimental weather conditions. Produce shortages often lead to subsequent importation of products from other countries. The lack of cultivar-specific information on the amount of land used, production tonnages and yield achievements restricts diagnosis of specific factors contributing to this shortage. Based on the overall crop performance, a region-based approach is suggested to improve yield achievements of the few cultivars used for frozen French fry processing in the country. This could be achieved by optimizing natural resource management, particularly irrigation, fertilizer and land use, in the four agro-climatic regions contributing to the processing industry. Furthermore, the number of French fry processing cultivars can be increased by increasing financial investment on local breeding efforts to develop new cultivars and by focusing foreign cultivar adoption on processing needs to increase the genetic diversity and safeguard against the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the role of the BASIC countries — Brazil, South Africa, India, and China — in UN climate change negotiations. The paper explores the formation and evolution of the group, and focuses on how the four major developing countries of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa have coordinated their positions and acted jointly to achieve an agreed outcome with other players in the recent UN Climate Change Conferences in Copenhagen and Cancun, based on an analysis of their country profiles and negotiation positions on a wide range of climate issues. The paper argues that the emergence of the BASIC Group is a reflection of the ongoing power shift from EU–US agreement to BASIC–US compromise in UN climate negotiations since the early 1990s. The rise of BASIC also has its roots in recent global market dynamics and further reflects the power transformation in the economic dimension of the international system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning for current and future climate risks depends on more than early warning signals and technical climate information. The management and enabling of effective risk approaches, we argue, is shaped by complex contextual settings. These contexts are shaped by decisions including: What climate risks are prioritised? Who makes decisions about risk response interventions and how do they make these decisions? This preliminary study uses observed changes in storm events in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and the City's Climate Change Adaptation Plan as a lens through which the scope of such contexts and decisions can be interrogated. The study is used as a springboard from which to begin a dialogue on interactive approaches to adaptation and response planning for current and future climate change. We suggest that this dialogue may be required for a more proactive disaster-risk approach in the city. The major focus of the paper includes a statistical analysis of historical weather data from the OR Tambo Weather Station, located in close proximity to the city. Significant trends are identified in the frequency and intensity of thunderstorms for the period 1960-2009. This preliminary assessment shows some similarities with emerging climate change projections that suggest that heavy rainfall events may become more frequent and intense. The preliminary results presented here also concur with the recent findings contained in the CoJ's Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2009). While the study is in no way substantive and few wider generalisations and strong conclusions can be drawn from it, the study does provide a useful starting point for considering possible planning interventions. The potential value of using science and information from studies, such as this, is highlighted along with the possible ways in which such science can interact with and help inform a comprehensive planning agenda in the City. Finally, the paper calls for more attention to be paid to the contributions and perceptions of community awareness and understanding of climate risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]