Ocean governance for sustainable development: an analysis of the governance of South Africa’s marine protected areas

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dc.contributor.advisorLambrechts, Dericaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMarais, Danielle Jayneen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-26T09:49:26Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T16:33:36Z
dc.date.available2024-02-26T09:49:26Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T16:33:36Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need to conserve oceans has become increasingly apparent in the age of climate change and overly extractive human activities. At the same time, the ocean has been recognised as a site for economic growth, as it is an important source of livelihoods, and holds opportunities for industries like fishing, shipping, and energy generation. This has led to the popularisation of the blue economy, or sustainable oceans economy, which encourages the use of oceans for economic growth and job creation, while ensuring that these activities are sustainable in the long term. Furthermore, international agreements such as the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (and its Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs) have highlighted sustainable development in all realms, including in the ocean space. South Africa, as a developing country, has put more emphasis on the blue economy since its 2014 implementation of its blue economy strategy, Operation Phakisa. At the same time, South Africa puts great focus on ocean biodiversity conservation, particularly through its marine protected area (MPA) network. This study analyses how effectively South Africa governs its MPA network to achieve the SDGs. MPAs are recognised as an important strategy for environmental sustainability, but in South Africa, they contribute to social and economic exclusion, particularly of small-scale coastal communities. The study utilises a qualitative methodology, using a case-study research design, utilising a social sciences perspective. To analyse the research question, the study utilises the framework set out by Haas et al. (2022) to analyse how effectively the country governs its MPAs to obtain the SDGs. This framework sets out three major risks to ocean sustainability, namely the overexploitation of marine resources, the inequity of marine ecosystem services, and the inadequate adaptation to changing oceans. Each risk is analysed using the context of MPAs in South Africa, to determine if South Africa has taken effective actions to reduce the impacts of these risks. Overall, the study finds that South Africa’s actions in governing its MPA network are largely ineffective. While actions taken to reduce each risk vary in effectiveness, South Africa has various weaknesses, and faces many obstacles to ensure effective MPA governance for the SDGs. These weaknesses include poor policy implementation, lack of funding, a lack of integration of indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in the MPA planning process, inefficient stakeholder engagement, insufficient implementation of co-management committees, little capacity-building efforts, and few benefit-sharing mechanisms. The study argues that continued socio-economic inequalities at a large level will continue to hinder effective MPA governance, and therefore South Africa’s achievement of the SDGs.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die behoefte om oseane te bewaar het toenemend belangrik geword in die era van klimaatsverandering en oormatige ontginning as gevolg van menslike aktiwiteite. Terselfdertyd word oseane herken as ‘n oorsprong van ekonomiese groei, aangesien dit ‘n belangrike bron vir lewensbestaan is, en geleenthede inhou vir nywerhede soos visvang, skeepvaart en energie opwekking. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot die bevording van die blou ekonomie, of volhoubare oseane ekonomie, wat die gebruik van oseane vir ekonomiese groei en werkskepping aanmoedig, met die versekering dat die aktiwiteiete in die langtermyn volhoubaar bly. Verder het internasionale ooreenkomste soos die Verenigde Nasies (VN) 2030 Agenda vir Volhoubare Groei (en sy Volhoubare Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte, of SDGs), volhoubare groei in alle areas beklemtoon, insluitend oseane. Suid-Afrika, as ‘n ontwikkelende land, het meer klem geplaas op die blou ekonomie sedert die 2014 implementering van sy blou ekonomie strategie, Operasie Phakisa. Terselfdertyd, plaas Suid-Afrika ‘n groot fokus op die bewaring van seebiodiversiteit, spesifiek deur sy netwerk van beskermde mariene gebiede (MPA). Hierdie studie ontleed hoe effektief die MPA netwerk in Suid-Afrika bestuur word om die SDGs te bereik. MPAs word herken as ‘n belangrike strategie vir omgewingsvolhoubaarheid, maar in Suid-Afrika lei dit tot sosiale en ekonomie uitsluiting, veral van kleinskaalse kusgemeenskappe. Vanuit ‘n sosiale wetenskappe perspektief, gebruik hierdie studie ‘n kwalitatiewe metodologie deur ‘n gevallestudie navorsingsontwerp. Ten einde die navorsingsvraag te beantword, maak die studie gebruik van die raamwerk uiteengesit deur Haas et al. (2022), om te ontleed hoe effektief die land sy MPAs bestuur om die SDGs te bereik. Die raamwerk sit drie groot risiko’s vir oseaanvolhoubaarheid uiteen, naamlik die oorbenutting van mariene hulpbronne, die ongelykheid van mariene ekosisteem dienste, en die onvoldoende aanpassing tot veranderende oseane. Elke risiko word ontleed teen die konteks van die MPAs in Suid-Afrika, om vas te stel of Suid-Afrika effektief stappe geneem het om die impak van hierdie risiko’s te verminder. Oor die algeheel, bevind hierdie studie dat Suid-Afrika se optrede om sy MPA netwerk te beheer grootliks oneffektief is. Terwyl optredes om elke risiko te verminder verskil in doeltreffendheid, het Suid-Afrika verskeie swakhede en staar verskeie struikelblokke in die gesig, wat die effektiewe bestuur van MPAs om SDGs te bereik verhinder. Hierdie swakhede sluit in: swak beleidsimplementering, ‘n gebrek aan befondsing, ‘n gebrek van integrasie van inheemse of plaaslike kennis (ILK) in die MPA beplanningsproses, ondoeltreffende betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes, onvoldoende implementering van mede-bestuurskommitees, te min kapasiteitsboupogings, en te min meganismes vir die deel van voordele. Hierdie studie voer aan dat voortgesette sosio-ekonomiese ongelykhede grootliks sal voortgaan om effektiewe MPA beheer te verhinder, en die bereiking van Suid-Afrika se SDGs sal belemmer.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxii, 124 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130409
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCoastal zone management -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshMarine resources conservation -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshClimatic changes -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshMarine resources development -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSustainable development -- Marine resources -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleOcean governance for sustainable development: an analysis of the governance of South Africa’s marine protected areasen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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