Search

As the concept of social-ecological resilience gains increasing policy attention, there is growing demand for approaches that operationalise it. Amongst these demands is the need to empirically assess absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacities that underpin resilience to better understand the ways in which social-ecological systems can navigate change and uncertainty. We explore the application of a capitals approach for assessing resilience capacities, using an example of deciduous fruit farming operations in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, thematically coded, and analysed using causal loop diagrams and co-occurrence analyses to identify changes experienced by farming operations, their responses to these changes, and the effects of both on capital resources. We then apply the criteria developed for the classification of resilience capacities. A variety of changes affect farming operations at multiple points across the value chain, and have effects across capital resources. Most significant to farmers are changes which impact the amount of water available and the cashflow they require to sustain their operations. The most common responses employed by farmers consisted of activities which either increase the availability of an affected resource, or decrease its demand in order to maintain the same functions (adaptive capacity). In fewer cases, farming operations were able to absorb the depletion of their capital resources due to pre-emptive management (absorptive capacity). In similarly few cases, the potential or realised resource deficiencies caused by changes were either corrected or decoupled from the farming operation through structural reorganisation towards a different or additional function and types of output being delivered (transformative capacity). Evidence of changes being anticipated prior to their onset were also identified, leading to responses which are used in conjunction with the preceding three capacities. Our findings suggest that the criteria we developed for classifying resilience capacities offer a useful means of operationalising resilience. In particular, the approach we pilot in this paper enables the application of a systems perspective to identify interactions between changes and responses, which broadens the options for identifying management strategies and interventions. The approach we propose can be used to identify key leverage points to strengthen the capacities of vulnerable farmers. Further work is required to integrate consideration of cross-scale effects of farm-scale resilience strategies on the broader social-ecological system. [Display omitted] • Empirical examples of studies which operationalise social-ecological resilience are in high demand. • We assess resilience identifying the capital effects of change and responses in farming operations. • The interaction between changes and responses are used to infer capacities of resilience. • Most response strategies reveal adaptive capacity, with other capacities utilised to a lesser extent. • The criteria employs a systemic outlook which broadens considerations for responses and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the decision-making process of patients with pregnancies affected by serious congenital abnormalities. The study design was an exploratory qualitative study. The sample for this study was pregnant individuals who had a prenatal diagnosis of a serious congenital abnormality and were offered termination of pregnancy. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with closed and open-ended questions, recorded and transcribed verbatim, were used to collect the data; this was then analyzed using a thematic data analysis approach. Five topics were developed: "Health care services", "Home", "Being a mother", "Finding meaning", and "The aftermath". The first four topics describe the decision-making process where the participants filtered through multiple factors to reach their final decision. Although the participants consulted with their families, partners, and community, they made the final decision themselves. The final topics describes activities which were necessary for closure and coping. This study has provided valuable insight into the decision-making process, which can be used to improve services offered to patients. Information should be communicated clearly with follow-up appointments to discuss further. Healthcare professional should show empathy and assure the participants that their decision is supported. • There are limited qualitative data on termination of pregnancy decision-making for serious congenital abnormalities in the African setting. • This paper provides insight into the decision-making process of pregnant individuals from the Western Cape, South Africa. • Decision-making for terminating pregnancy affected by congenital abnormality is multifaceted but with one deciding factor. • Contrary to what is anecdotally expected, in this study the participants made the final decision. • Tragic optimism was necessary for the participants to carry on with their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses key findings of a study which sought to assess the impact of the Reading to Learn (RtL) literacy intervention on individual student performance as applied to senior secondary school students at two schools in the Western Cape of South Africa. The RtL intervention was implemented against a backdrop of serious concerns about the state of literacy development in schools in South Africa, especially amongst non-native English-speaking students from low socioeconomic communities as well as migrant communities. By taking each student's written pieces of work, submitted at various stages throughout the academic school year, each piece of writing was assessed and codified, which allowed for a detailed examination of various patterns using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The salient finding was that students, who were shown to be academically weaker pre-intervention, generally exhibited a greater overall improvement in their respective English writing skills throughout the intervention. Thus, with an appropriately targeted intervention (like RtL) a convergence or ‘catch-up’ effect might likely occur for classes with large cohorts of non-native English-speaking students, who are immersed in English medium-of-instruction schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expected electrification of Sub-Sahara Africa's urban paratransit with an electric minibus taxi (eMBT) has received increased attention in energy research and expenditure analyses. In this paper, several long-distance routes between the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape in South Africa are assessed for electrification. To mitigate the long charging time of eMBTs, we propose a battery swapping approach in which a trailer acts as a mobile battery bank to the vehicle (eMBT+T); which is to be charged from a solar charging station to reduce emissions. Compared to the current MBTs, the proposed model results in only a 6% trip time increase. Crucially, emissions are reduced by 75%, where a 20% increase is seen when using an eMBT. The results show that a trailer battery enables viable long-distance electrical paratransit, and with the integration of solar power charging, this transition can also be sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The reproductive phenology of SHB cultivars '8-42' and '9-02' was documented for the first time in such depth and per whole plant. • The timing and peaks of the phenological stages quantified on individual plant basis were similar between the two locations - for both cultivars. • The duration of the phenological stages was influenced by micro climate. • The intensity of bud development was accurately illustrated per cultivar and location. • The differences in the intensity of phenological development on bud and plant level will serve as baseline for further studies on carbohydrate allocation to explain the differences in yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the timing and duration of selected flower bud phenological stages of two southern highbush blueberry (SHB) cultivars in a Mediterranean climate to optimize the management of commercial production systems. The experiment was conducted in commercial orchards during the 2020 growing season, in the Hex River and Wolseley production areas, Western Cape, South Africa. The timing (date) and duration (days) of selected flower bud stages were recorded on individual plants, from April to November 2020 for bud swell, bud break, tight cluster, closed flower, open flower, petal fall, green fruit, colouring fruit, and fruit harvest respectively. Standard commercial management practices were followed on both sites. Cultivar 8-42 flowered from April to mid-October, with a peak during early August. Cropping occurred from early August to mid-November, and volumes peaked in October, at both sites. Cultivar 9-02 flowered from April to late October, with a peak during early August at the Wolseley site, whereas flowering for this cultivar only peaked during late September, at the Hex River site, indicating a possible climate related response. Subsequently, harvest started two weeks later at the Hex River site for '9-02', while the highest yield volumes were obtained during October to early November, at both sites. This paper provides a first report on the phenological categorization of the reproductive development of commercial SHB blueberry cultivars, as produced in the Western Cape, South Africa. As all major management decisions in blueberry cultivation depend on the phenological phases of the crop, this information will contribute towards decision making regarding production, but also via quantifying the progression of each stage in addition to the peaks, allowing for additional logistical management. The influence of growing conditions on the phenological development of these cultivars was also explored and indicated the need for supplemental research considering the influence of micro-environmental conditions in driving evergreen production blueberry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The operating curve parameters of a wind turbine should match the local wind regime optimally to ensure maximum exploitation of available energy in a mass of moving air. This paper provides estimates of the capacity factor of 20 commercially available wind turbines, based on the local wind characteristics of ten different sites located in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Ten-min average time series wind-speed data for a period of 1 year are used for the study. First, the wind distribution that best models the local wind regime of the sites is determined. This is based on root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R 2) which are used to test goodness of fit. First, annual, seasonal, diurnal and peak period-capacity factor are estimated analytically. Then, the influence of turbine power curve parameters on the capacity factor is investigated. Some of the key results show that the wind distribution of the entire site can best be modelled statistically using the Weibull distribution. Site WM05 (Napier) presents the highest capacity factor for all the turbines. This indicates that this site has the highest wind power potential of all the available sites. Site WM02 (Calvinia) has the lowest capacity factor i.e. lowest wind power potential. This paper can assist in the planning and development of large-scale wind power-generating sites in South Africa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Smallholder farmers are vulnerable and hardest hit by droughts in Africa. One of the main causes of the increased vulnerability is limited access to resources resulting in limited drought preparedness. The heterogeneous nature of smallholder farmers means that they deal with droughts differently. Responses to drought are context-specific depending on the socio-economic, political, and cultural dimensions, which make it difficult to generalize. However, information on smallholder farmer drought perceptions, impacts on livelihoods, and the way droughts are dealt with at farm-level is scarce and mostly site-specific. This paper presents the findings from a study conducted in the Western Cape Province, in South Africa. The main objective of the study was to assess the impacts of the 2015-18 drought on the smallholder farmer livelihoods, and the coping and adaptation strategies adopted. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach was used to frame questions on the coping mechanisms used by farmers, and any other strategies developed to adapt to future droughts. The study adopted the qualitative research design and focused on 112 smallholder farmers in two districts. Face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data, which was analysed using Atlas. ti 8.1 for Windows. The results showed that ownership of assets and support from private and public organisations facilitates better coping and adaptation to drought. There were social networks in farmer groups, but their benefits did not go beyond the members. Further research is required to determine the best models of support to smallholder farmers to empower them for adaption to future droughts. • Perceptions of drought by smallholder farmers did not translate into strategies for drought coping or adaptation. • Drought support was mainly through fodder for livestock. • Livelihood capitals can enhance smallholder farmer adaptation to drought. • Smallholder farmers were limited in their adaptation strategies mainly because of limited resources. • There was limited social networking beyond the farmer groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Abalone have been cultured in South Africa for seventeen years. The growing industry has led to increased intensification. Farms are concentrated in certain areas, notably Hermanus on the South coast, and may be close to wild abalone populations and processing facilities. These factors contribute to increased risk of disease emergence. Data on parasite prevalence generated from the abalone health management program between 2000 and 2004 was analysed for trends. Abalone were sampled systematically from participating farms and subjected to gross and histological examination. Data on age, size, gonad development, diet and type of system were recorded. This paper presents the most significant results for gut protozoa, digestive gland protozoa and rickettsia like prokaryotes, which are all gut associated. Prevalence was found to increase with increasing age and size. Higher parasite prevalences were found on the West coast than on the South coast, and outside Hermanus compared to within Hermanus, suggesting that concentration of farms is not leading to increased prevalence. Gut associated parasites were significantly more prevalent in animals fed on kelp than artificial feed. It was found that animals younger than 24months are more at risk of infection when fed kelp than older animals. The results indicate that separation of age groups, removal of poor performers and use of artificial feed, especially in younger animals, are likely to reduce risk of infection with gut associated parasites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper addresses phenotypic variation among Paterson''s Curse (Echium plantagineum L.) populations in four different habitat types (tar road verges, dirt road verges, abandoned fields and natural areas) in the Western Cape region of South Africa. The species showed significant differences in plant height, seed size and seed weight with varying habitats. The reproductive index (Ri), comprising a ratio of total number of seeds to the height of the plant, demonstrated the plastic behavior of E. plantagineum in the various habitats. Results indicate that plastic responses to different habitat types contribute to E. plantagineum invasiveness, allowing range expansion and establishment through production of lighter and heavier seeds, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Informal settlements, which have little or no legal status and no official planning remit, such as slums, shacks and favelas, are exposed to an extensive risk of fire. Due to flammable construction materials of the dwellings, the combustibility and flammability of the materials of dwelling furnishings and the proximity and density of these settlements, fires can readily develop and spread to neighbouring dwellings. To understand the hazards related to fire development and spread, a database of material properties is required, however, the materials found within the informal settlement homes vary and are sometimes hard to define. Therefore, an accurate assessment of the common materials found in informal settlements, and their comparison to literature data, is required. This paper presents a total of 345 cone calorimeter tests used to develop a database of combustible materials found in informal settlements of the Western Cape in South Africa. Thirty-two different typical materials were collected from one South African informal settlement and heated by an electronic cone calorimeter. The critical heat flux for ignition was determined by decreasing the incident heat flux until no ignition occurrence. The materials were also heated under different heat fluxes of 30 kW/m2, 50 kW/m2 and 75 kW/m2 to simulate their burning behaviour under different fire conditions. Other important parameters were obtained including ignition time, burning time, maximum heat release rate and flame height. Different materials contribute to fire development/spread/severity in different ways and phases: for the fire development inside the shack, PU foam, carpets and clothing are most important; for fire spread between dwelling: clothing, shade netting and tyre play a key role; meanwhile for fire severity, tyre, PU foam, carpets and Masonite timber need most notice. The experimental results can provide basic data for theoretical and numerical analysis of compartment fire development and spread in informal settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]