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Purpose: Carbon dioxide emission is one of the key causes of global warming and climate change. This study investigates the effects of domestic credit and manufacturing indicators on the emission of carbon dioxide in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: The paper relied on time series data from 1975 to 2014 and employed regression and variance decomposition methods to analyze the data. Findings: In the long run, manufacturing output increases total carbon emissions and emissions from solid fuel; manufactures trade reduces carbon emissions and domestic credit reduces emissions from the manufacturing industries and construction. The long-run effect of the changing technical characteristics of the manufacturing sector is sensitive to the estimation technique used. In the short run, however, changing technical characteristics of the manufacturing sector affect the level of carbon emissions. Income increases emissions from manufacturing industries and construction and urbanization increases total carbon emissions. Research limitations/implications: Policymakers have to initiate effective policies to promote energy-efficient technologies among manufacturing firms. Originality/value: The paper examines the effect of manufacturing on carbon dioxide emissions in South Africa. It also examines the possible effect of manufactures trade on carbon emissions. Moreover, the possible effect of the changing characteristics of the manufacturing sector on carbon emissions is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of climate change on South Africa's Mpumalanga Provincial Archives (MPA) and related records management activities. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach/method was used to collect data from the source, including purposive sampling and expert knowledge solicited through semi-structured interviews. A review was undertaken to source climate data and related archival sector literature. Findings: Recent extreme weather events in Mpumalanga seem to bear out climate change projections. The current absence of relevant strategies and plans implies that the MPA and provincial departments are not yet prepared for emergencies. The lack of a plan, an implementation strategy and related training may increase the impact of disasters on the provincial archives' environment. Without disaster plans and robust preparedness, the question of how the MPA is going to preserve archives for future generations is raised. In addition, due to a lack of guidance for registry staff, appraisal is not allowing for identification and processing of archival materials, so combined with a lack of disaster management strategies and plans contributes to the loss of archives. Research limitations/implications: This research is limited to the MPA; however, the findings may be extended to other South Africa provincial archives and parts of the world experiencing similar issues. There is a need to conduct similar research on a larger scale so as to explore the impact of climate change in other provincial archives to provide a wider context of the problem within South Africa. Practical implications: When archivists accept holdings into their repositories, they take the responsibility for their archival custody. But, these efforts may come to nothing if the archives are lost. Disaster management is the key to the protection of the archives. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature on the impact of climate change on archives. The results achieved should be seen as a first step towards identification of the issue. [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]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of extreme weather on tourism events through the perceptions of participants, using the case of the 2017 Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT). Design/methodology/approach: This study utilized a survey method to collect data. Questionnaires were distributed online to would-be participants in the cancelled 2017 CTCT. The questionnaire included both fixed-response and open-ended questions. Findings: The results show that participants experienced mixed emotions to event cancellation. Most felt that the weather conditions warranted cancellation, but some concerns emerged as to how the cancellation was managed. In addition, many felt that the organization of the race needs to be rethought due to numerous negative weather experiences in recent years. Research limitations/implications: The findings in this study are exploratory. They focus on a single event in one city. However, they provide important initial insight into how sporting event participants react to the negative impacts of extreme weather. Practical implications: These results have important management implications in addressing the impact of weather on the events sector. They are significant in understanding best practice with regard to managing participants in the case of weather impacts on an event. They also demonstrate interesting results with regard to participant loyalty among active sport events tourists. Originality/value: The originality of this study is in its extension of the broad discussion of the impact of extreme weather and climate change on tourism to the events sector. The implications of changing weather and climatic patterns on events, particularly mass-participation sporting events, are clear and need to be considered in order to effectively manage future impacts on this important economic sector. This is done by providing insight into how participants respond to these types of circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study documented adaptation strategies employed by rural women in Vhembe district as they reel with climate change impacts. Women are heavily plagued by climate change impacts than any other genders worldwide. This is attributed to their high dependence on the natural resources for survival, low adaptive capacity, illiteracy, social ascribed roles that limit their participation in climate change initiatives like men and high poverty levels. Despite the daunting fact of women's vulnerability to climate change and its vagary impacts, women are agents of social change who have not remained passive victims to climate change and its impacts. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted a qualitative methodology guided by multi-case study design. A sample of 25 participants was selected through simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using Focus Group Discussions and individual interviews and analysed thematically. Rural women and traditional leaders served as key informants and participated in the study. Findings: The study established that the effects of climate change on rural women are real; however, there is a cocktail of strategies employed by women in Vhembe district in response to these effects. The strategies include livelihood and crop diversification, use of indigenous knowledge systems and harnessing of social capital among other household-based adaptation strategies. Originality/value: The study recommends that the best way of assisting rural women in adapting to climate change is through the amelioration of poverty, enhancing capacity building for women and elimination of all systems that serve as barriers to effective adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites a study on the threat of climatic changes to the culture and nature based heritage sites in several countries, conducted by researchers from across the world. The study showed that Charles Darwin's favourite barrier reef in Belize, West Coast National Park in South Africa, and archaeological sites in Scotland are under threat from the changes in their local climatic condition. Rising sea-levels, flooding, and other natural calamities are posing as a threat to these historical sites.