Browsing by Author "De Wit, Martin"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Another look at economic approaches to environmental management and policy with reference to developments in South Africa
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2016) De Wit, Martin
    The wide acceptance of economic approaches to environmental management and policy, masks increasing heterogeneity in the field. This editorial addresses the question whether the economic approach is still warranted and under which conditions. A broad outline of the trends in both orthodox and heterodox economic approaches is also presented. The traditional split between environmental and ecological economics is not doing justice to recent developments in the field. Instead it is proposed to rather refer to Environmental, Resource and Ecological Economics (EREE), Ecological-Economic Systems (EES) and Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) approaches as well as Heterodox approaches to Environment and Sustainability (HEES). The contributions made to this special issue are placed within their respective subfields of influence. It is concluded that a deeper, self-critical exposition of moral philosophies and values as well as models of reality are needed. A strategy of engagement in an attitude of self-criticism, humility and in participation with others is proposed as a viable way forward. For such a process to be successful two conditions are required, namely valuing the human person and accepting the reality of a nondeterminate world full of meaning.
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    Improved decision-making on irrigation farming in arid zones using a system dynamics model
    (Academy of Science of South Africa, 2013-11-27) De Wit, Martin; Crookes, Douglas J.
    The Sandveld region in the Western Cape is a low rainfall area dominated by agricultural production using groundwater resources. The rise in agricultural production in the Sandveld has led to questions regarding the region’s ecological sustainability. We developed a system dynamics model for the Sandveld system which captures land-use change, agricultural production, and groundwater abstraction and recharge. Using this model, we find little evidence that pressures on livelihoods result, either currently or in the immediate future, from ecological feedback effects. The model does indicate that the highest risks are associated with the financial viability of agriculture, in its present form, in the region. With lower margins, a drive towards economies of scale in agricultural production is more likely in the future. This process has had severe implications in some sectors already, with a 39% decrease in the number of potato producers in the Sandveld region between 2003 and 2009. These results highlight that an integrated approach to agricultural, economic and environmental management and planning is needed to capture the economic and ecological complexity and dynamics of the Sandveld system.
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    Omgewingsregeerkunde, die menslike persoon en die sosiale orde : 'n hervertolking
    (LitNet, 2019) De Wit, Martin
    Die teorie van omgewingsregeerkunde berus op kernaannames oor wat orde beteken en hoe mense besluite neem. Die dissipline van omgewingsregeerkunde maak egter toenemend van die moderne ekonomiese benadering van aansporings en instellings gebruik en rolspelers konsentreer hoofsaaklik op optrede wat ekonomiese doeltreffendheid en uiteindelik ook oorlewing verseker. Met so ‟n onderwerping aan die totaliteit van die mark ontstaan die vraag egter oor waar die menslike persoon hom bevind. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die al hoe meer dominante ekonomiese benadering tot omgewingsregeerkunde te hervertolk. Hierdie doel word bereik deur op drie onderling verbonde faktore te konsentreer, naamlik die belang van die menslike persoon in omgewingsregeerkunde, die begrippe van sosiale en morele orde, en die implikasies vir menslike gedrag en besluitneming. Die benadering is om die geskiedenis van moderne filosofiese denke oor sosiale orde en die menslike self te ondersoek met behulp van geselekteerde kerntekste op die interdissiplinêre gebiede van die filosofie en teologie. Vertolking ontken nie hoërordewaarhede nie en is nie noodwendig relativisties van aard nie, maar vervul ‟n belangrike rol as blootlegger van die geneigdheid om sekere gedagtes en aksies in ‟n absolute te verander. Die vorm van die menslike self word voorgestel as ‟n persoon wat in verhouding tot ander staan. Die self kan hom nie van aksie onttrek nie; die persoon kan nie terugstaan en hom onderdanig verklaar aan die wêreld as ‟n unitêre proses of aan sosiale ordes nie. Die toekoms bly onderhewig aan menslike optrede. Versuim om as persoon op te tree is ‟n toestand van relasionele wanorde. Die artikel toon aan dat regeerkunde ag moet slaan op die vorm van die persoonlike. Die sosiale orde bestaan uit persone wat in verhouding tot ander staan. Verdere ondersoek vra noukeurige aandag vir die intellektuele vorm van die persoonlike op die gebied van omgewingsregeerkunde.
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    An overview of salient factors, relationships and values to support integrated energy-economic system dynamics modelling
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town, 2018) De Wit, Martin; Heun, Matthew; Crookes, Douglas
    Integrated energy-economic modelling is needed to support the development of energy and climate policies. This study asserts that it is important to consider a system dynamics modelling approach that includes dynamics, endogenous treatment of uncertainty and risks, and both aggregate economic and disaggregate technical or engineering levels of analysis. The study examined the economic growth and the factors of production, elasticities, macro- and technical substitutability; energy cost shares, heat engine efficiencies and energy services efficiencies. Emphasis was laid on the support of the future development of integrated energy-economic models covering (a) the key factors or components; (b) the relationships among these components; (c) a quantification of parameters; and (d) the implications for the development of an integrated energy-economic system dynamics model. The study suggested the following: a non-linear relationship in production and consumption; large variations among price and income elasticity values across time frames, across countries and regions, and across energy goods; a far from perfect substitution among factors of production and among energy goods on a macro-level; technical/engineering limits to substitution on a micro-level; and engineering and behavioural limits on what can be achieved with increased efficiencies. The study argues that integrated energy-economic modelling intensifies the accounting for the factors, relationships, quantifications, and implications, and that this practice allows for such models to describe a complex, emergent energy-economic reality that informs better energy policy.