Masters Degrees (The Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST))

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Browsing Masters Degrees (The Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST)) by browse.metadata.advisor "Waddell, Joy"

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    Investigating how climate change adaptation can be incorporated into mine closure and rehabilitation strategies to strengthen social-ecological resilience
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Schulze, Megan; Waddell, Joy; Selomane, Odirilwe; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Mines have a set lifespan, which means that their closure is inevitable. However, the research suggests that mining companies, historically, do not plan their operations with closure in mind. This is supported by the fact that mine closure and rehabilitation strategies have not been very successful in South Africa to date, resulting in thousands of abandoned mines across the country. Unsuccessful mine closure perpetuates social-ecological vulnerability within surrounding communities, particularly to climate change impacts. Mine closure presents an opportunity to increase the social-ecological resilience of the surrounding community to projected climate change impacts, post life-of-mine. Although there is a lot of literature on projected climate change impacts in South Africa, there are limited studies exploring the extent to which mine closure and rehabilitation strategies incorporate climate change considerations. This research aims to address this gap in the literature. Using a qualitative approach, this study explores how mining companies in South Africa can strengthen the social-ecological resilience of surrounding communities to climate change impacts through the adoption of climate change adaptation in mine closure and rehabilitation strategies. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews with mining experts, from policy scoping, and from a structured review of mining companies’ annual and sustainability reports. Findings from this research highlight three key aspects to adopting climate change adaptation in mine closure and rehabilitation strategies: (1) best practice guidelines significantly influence mine closure and rehabilitation activities; (2) the South African regulations governing mine closure play a crucial role in guiding the change required in industry; and (3) the mining industry must place an increased focus on the value of stakeholder engagements when planning for closure and rehabilitation. This thesis also assesses the benefits and challenges of incorporating climate change adaptation in mine closure and rehabilitation strategies. Findings highlight how the rise in integrated mine closure and progressive rehabilitation is providing early indications of successful and sustainable mine closure in South Africa, and globally. Finally, the insights gained from this research are used to develop practical recommendations to assist mining companies in adopting and implementing climate adaptation responses as part of their closure and rehabilitation strategies, as well as suggest alternative climate adaptation solutions focused on nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation.
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    The role of food aid during the COVID-19 pandemic in building community resilience to disasters : a case study from Stellenbosch, South Africa
    (2023-03) Milton, Nirvana; Waddell, Joy; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: The restrictions put in place by the South African government in an attempt to contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus has had negative consequences for South Africa’s food security. Civil society and lower-income communities have stepped up to fill the gap left by the government’s lack of planning for food security during the pandemic. Using pre-existing networks and relationships fostered between NGOs and communities in need, food was distributed through to food insecure individuals during the pandemic. Protracted disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic have long-lasting effects that burden communities and governments. There is a need to look at the impact of collaborative community, NGO and government partnered food aid initiatives on the urban poor and if it contributed to community resilience. It would also be helpful to look at the lessons learnt from these projects in preparation for future disasters and even for the ongoing pandemic. This research aims to assess the role of a food aid initiative in Stellenbosch, South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how it contributed to community resilience. This research sought to understand the COVID-19 lockdown impact on communities within the case study and how the communities addressed food insecurity during that time, and the role that the food aid initiative played in terms of strengthening community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research also sought to identify key lessons from the food aid initiative in Stellenbosch to support ongoing or similar collaborative initiatives with the aim of building community resilience to future disasters, particularly protracted disasters. As this research is focused on individuals’ perceptions and experience of the food aid initiative a case study research design was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with community members involved in the food aid initiative in Stellenbosch. It was found that the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic had negative socio-economic consequences for people as the national lockdown prevented citizens from going to work, businesses that could not afford to close their doors for a prolonged period of time had to shut down their businesses completely, and people lost their jobs due to these business closures. For individuals with jobs who were just able to afford to make ends meet, staying out of work or losing their jobs meant they would be in need of food assistance. The food aid initiative under study in this research was created out of this need. Now in 2022, COVID-19 national containment measures have been lifted but there are still individuals who face the lingering effects of the pandemic. NGOs were found to be trusted above the government when it comes to community development in communities in Stellenbosch. Community members trust NGOs more because they have positive reputations and pre-existing relationships with community members. This research found that resilience was seen to be built through the collaboration of private, public, non-governmental and community actors through information sharing, and by strengthening networks.