http://hdl.handle.net/10204/939 Thu, 23 May 2013 01:28:59 GMT 2013-05-23T01:28:59Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6712 Title: The marginal product value of irrigation water for potato and vine cultivation in the Sandveld region, South Africa Authors: De Lange, WJ; Mahumani, BK Abstract: The advent of grid electrification in the Sandveld region of South Africa in the 1980s increased the utilisation of groundwater resources for commercial irrigation purposes. In the wake of the consequent increased pressure on the resource, it behooves landowners to use water more productively and responsibly. This paper calculated the marginal product value (MPV) of irrigation water for potatoes and vine production in this region to assess and to allow the comparison of the productivity of irrigation water with other commodities and regions. However, the results suggested that the scope for leveraging changes to water use behaviour in the Sandveld solely through water pricing is limited. Given that electricity is a critical input for the utilization of groundwater, we suspect that the price of electricity would be a suitable lever to influence irrigation behaviour. In light of the imminent Government electricity price hikes, we advise some further investigation on the impacts these impending hikes will have on irrigation farming in the study area. We suspect that pumping costs (as opposed to the price of water itself) will become the most limiting factor for irrigation water use in the Sandveld in the foreseeable future. A mixture of water and energy pricing strategies therefore lends itself as a more pragmatic policy approach to follow in order to influence irrigation behaviour, as opposed to a sole focus on water pricing. Description: Copyright: 2012 Taylor & Francis. This is an ABSTRACT ONLY. The definitive version is published in Agrekon: Agricultural Economics Research, Policy and Practice in Southern Africa, vol. 51(4), pp 129-143 Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6712 2012-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6699 Title: An overview of the role of social capital in development processes Authors: Marais, MA Abstract: The sustainability of ICT for Development (ICT4D) initiatives, and indeed any development initiative, depends on many different factors that has been summarised in terms of financial, social, institutional, technological, and environmental sustainability. This complexity has led to researchers suggesting bricolage approaches that try to make do with the resources at hand, improvise and muddle through to develop local and contextual solutions. An important factor in this kind of approach is the role of relationships, particularly as evidenced in social networks of contact consisting of strong and weak ties, that has been called social capital and linking or bridging capital. The concept of social capital has been shown to influence many different processes in development. In the use of resources the capability approach refers to the influence of social capital on the conversion of commodities, technologies and resources by a person into situated use. The adoption of an innovation is also influenced by social capital, especially via the important role that is played by trust. In the design of development interventions, various types of theories of change have been articulated and the role of social capital in some of these theories is investigated. This paper aims to summarise and analyse the influence of social capital on development processes as seen from the different perspectives mentioned. In terms of development, a fundamental insight is that social capital plays a role in mediating development outcomes through embedded and autonomous social relations that can resolve social problems at macro and micro levels. Social capital also consists in crucial cross-level linkages that need to exist to enable top-down initiatives to meet bottom-up development. Description: CIRN 2012 Community Informatics Conference: 'Ideals meet Reality', Monash Centre Prato Italy, 7-9 Nov 2012. Published in The Academia Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6699 2012-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6694 Title: Africa's technology options for renewable energy production and distribution Authors: Amigun, B; Kaggwa, M; Musango, J; Mutanga, S; Simelane, T; Stafford, W Abstract: This chapter presents a critical appraisal of Africa's modern energy technologies for renewable energy. It highlights issues of scale and location-specific attributes. A critical review of different renewable energies is presented, the state of renewable energy technologies in Africa is discussed and country-specific examples and classifications are listed. Description: Copyright: Africa Institute of South Africa Publishing: Johannesburg, South Africa Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6694 2011-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6647 Title: Operating cost analysis of an annexed ethanol distillery in a rural, landlocked African country Authors: Amigun, B; Von Blottnitz, H Abstract: Given the high cost of crude oil, uncertainties regarding future reserves as well as the phenomenon of global warming, alternative fuels such as bioethanol need to be developed and deployed. This work presents an economic analysis (operating cost analysis) of one annexed African distillery operating in a landlocked and rural location. Specifically, the study attempts to analyze the impacts that some of the critical factors influencing bioethanol production will have on its viability and also present an analysis of the breakdown of the operating costs of the distillery, in an equation format to enable easier and more rapid use of the data in numerical and economic models, and in the preliminary design and optimization of bioethanol plants. The cost of ethanol production was estimated at $19.57/HL with cost of feedstock (molasses ‘‘type C’’) constituting about one third of the production cost. The study also identified other major, intermediate, and minor input factors, which can provide insights to both the possible barriers to implementation that should be overcome, and on the technological improvement options that should be stimulated by research and development in ethanol industry. Finally, from the operating cost analysis of the annexed distillery, it emerged that the factorial approach to estimation is principally a sound one, with no indication of untypical cost items. Some of the typical cost items do however display ratios to the base cost that are outside of previously reported limits. Description: Copyright: 2011 Wiley-Blackwell. This is an ABSTRACT ONLY. The definitive version is published in Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, vol. 30(3), pp 500-515 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ep.10489/pdf Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6647 2011-10-01T00:00:00Z