http://hdl.handle.net/10204/935 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:34:21 GMT 2013-05-22T07:34:21Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6742 Title: Environmental change in Bushbuckridge Authors: Erasmus, BFN; Coetzer, K; Mambo, J; Archer, E; Fisher, JT; Asner, GP Abstract: Bushbuck Ridge is a typical cultural landscape where the interdependency of people and the environment shape the savanna ecosystem goods and services upon which many people are dependent. The forced resettlement of people in the apartheid era, together with Mozambican refugees, have resulted in high human densities. The majority of people rely heavily on the rural rangelands for a variety of natural products, and the ability of these ecosystems to continue delivering these products under conditions of climate change and land cover change is in doubt. Historical trends show that settlements are expanding, with an increasing corresponding footprint around each village, where woodland resources are depleted. People can and do adapt to environmental change, but projecting current trends in the changes that we observe, combined with increased unpredictability of rainfall, threatens to decouple the age-old interdependencies in the this cultural landscape, and present inhabitants with conditions beyond their adaptation capacity. Description: Copyiright: Sun Media Publishing,Stellenbosch, South Africa Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6742 2011-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6741 Title: Sustainable water for rural security - A transdisciplinary approach Authors: Maherry, A; Genthe, B; Steyn, M; Clarke, S; Beukman, E; Audouin, M; Van Wyk, I; Wall, K Abstract: This abstract presents the work conductive by the CSIR project entitled Sustainable Water for Rural Security with the following aims: to link research disciplines within the CSIR which together can provide an appropriate science base to enable the provision of clean water to rural communities; to bridge the knowing-doing gap by carrying out research on integrated implementation in partnership with communities and implementing Agencies; to ensure the sustained and expanded impact of this action-research through effective transfer of knowledge and technologies; and to identify the critical design criteria that ensure sustainability of rural water supply systems in South Africa. The trandisciplinary methodology and approach to water supply and sanitation involves stakeholder engagement and community workshops in order to jointly frame the “problem”. The three case studies are: the Bulungula Incubator project at Nqileni in the Eastern Cape; Giyani local district municipality, Limpopo and the Kamiesberg Municipality in Northern Cape. Assessments of water quality using portable field hydrogen sulphide test kits were carried out at the sites. Water collected from springs and rivers was found to be generally unacceptable for drinking, whereas borehole water was usually not contaminated. Workshops were held with different community groups in the study areas and key issues emerged from the discussions. Ethical clearance was obtained to conduct household surveys and interviews took place with community members, In the E.Cape study area most people rely on natural sources of water such as the river or springs and they are concerned about water quality as pollution from animals is visible at these sources. Community members believe they sometimes get sick from their drinking water. Rainwater harvesting and boreholes with pumps have been introduced in the Eastern Cape site and generally people prefer the quality of this water but when pumps or gutters break there are no resources or skills to fix it and people revert to natural sources of water. Women and children are walking 200 m to 2 km per day to fetch water. There is not sufficient access to water infrastructure to irrigate crops, which is a problem as unemployment is high in the Limpopo case study site, with a high reliance on social grants and subsistence agriculture. Researchers observed that lack of reliable, acceptable quality water is contributing to stalled rural economic development. Other significant contributing factors are low skills, low levels of connection to supporting resources; poor access and distance to markets; and weak local governance evidenced by slow service delivery. The Northern Cape site has a history of CSIR involvement and European donor funded projects involving artificial groundwater research and currently reverse osmosis is taking place to purify the groundwater for drinking purposes. The Kamiesberg study site has a complicated history of water supply projects and provides a good case study of why and how water supply projects succeed or fail in an arid environment. Description: WISA 2012 Biennial Conference and Exhibition. Conference Proceedings, Cape Town International Convention Centre, 6-10 May 2012 Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6741 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6701 Title: O&M of services infrastructure by social franchising partnerships Authors: Wall, K; Bhagwan, J; Ive, O; Kirwan, F Abstract: South African research finds that social franchising partnerships could address many challenges in the operation and maintenance of water services infrastructure. Franchising trains those on-site, and also provides backup off-site skills. The concept is being piloted with considerable success in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Under the guidance and mentorship of a franchisor, trainee franchisees are taking care of the routine maintenance of the sanitation facilities at several hundred schools. Municipalities in the region have also taken interest, and are taking the first steps to adopt the concept where appropriate. Description: International Water Association (IWA) Conference, South Korea, September 2012 Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6701 2012-09-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6692 Title: Energy from wastewater - a feasibility study and guide for: Technology developers and researchers, industry and wastewater generators and policy makers Authors: Burton, S; Cohen, B; Harrison, S; Pather-Elias, S; Stafford, W; Van Hille, R; Von Blottnitz, H Abstract: This guide is based on a study funded by the Water Research Commission with the purpose of determining the feasibility of developing technologies for energy recovery from wastewater. A full technical report is available for further reference (WRC report no 1732/1/09). The availability of clean, renewable fuels is well recognised to be core to sustainable economic growth. The use of wastewater as a renewable energy resource has been poorly exploited to date particularly in developing countries such as South Africa. Wastewaters as renewable sources of energy are valuable to supplement and/or replace non-renewable sources, reduce the environmental burden of conventional power generation and provide the added benefit of enhanced waste processing. The study reviewed the available literature and surveyed international and national practice in energy recovery from wastewater in order to identify the most significant potential for new research and innovation. A survey of potentials for energy from wastewater in South Africa served to identify which types of substrates are available in significant amounts. The project also included a set of case studies that show what factors to consider in developing energy from wastewater projects. Workshops were held to provide opportunities for consultation with stakeholders in the fields of wastewater treatment and technology development, in order to determine areas where technical and application problems might exist (WRC report no1732/1/09). This guide makes recommendations relevant to the R&D sector regarding recovery of energy from wastewater. It also seeks to provide information about directions which would be useful to South Africa’s research community by identifying areas where R&D are needed, and by highlighting areas to which the WRC might direct funding in future. Description: Copyright: 2009 South African Water Resource Commission. This is an ABSTRACT ONLY. The definitive version is published in WRC, Report No. TT 400/09. Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6692 2012-07-01T00:00:00Z