Effects of urban expansion on coastal vegetation ecosystems conservation and functioning in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
- Olatoye, Tolulope Ayodeji https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2249-9258
- Authors: Olatoye, Tolulope Ayodeji https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2249-9258
- Date: 2021-07
- Subjects: Sustainable development , City planning -- Environmental aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21556 , vital:48885
- Description: Coastal urban expansion is on an upward trajectory, which poses serious threats to ecosystem functioning, human wellbeing and the general environment across the globe. It is on this premise that this study brings to the fore the growing complexity of environmental sustainability problems in a former apartheid space, as characterized by coastal urbanization and the intricacies of vegetation conservation. Consequently, literature utilized for this study reveals that urban expansion has led to an uncontrolled threat to the coastal ecosystem, culminating in soil erosion, environmental pollution through illegal dumping of solid waste, loss of coastal vegetation to other land use types, among others. Therefore, constant monitoring of these spaces is needed due to their fragility, as they are pivotal in the earth-atmosphere processes to the benefit of the entire humanity. To this end, the current study offers critical analysis and insights about the South African coastal ecological space. The essence of using BCMM in its consideration as an ecological space and former apartheid territory brings to the fore a scientific explanation of the spatial configuration and changes in the CVEs of the study area during the post-colonial era. In the course of investigating this study, the Urban Green Sustainability (UGS) theory was adopted in the course of selecting the review of literature, methodological approach and analysis of results. A mixed methodological approach (qualitative, quantitative and geospatial techniques) was explored in data collection and analysis. 254 copies of the questionnaire were returned and analysed for this research. Results generated revealed by the BCMM respondents confirms the occurrence of uncontrolled urbanization, deforestation and crop cultivation as major causes of coastal vegetation loss. In the same vein, the LULC classification results revealed that about 466 km2 of forest vegetation has been lost in BCMM from 1998-2018. Also, LULC classification results were validated by performing the Normalized Difference Built-Up Index (NDBI), Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI), Kappa’s coefficient (k), coefficient of determination (R2) and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (P) tests. The results also revealed that the built-up area had increased from 194 km2 in 1998 to 814 km2 in 2008. Further, all statistical tests revealed very good and highly correlated overall classification accuracies (of R2=0.89 and P=0.86) during the study period (1998 – 2018). This study makes a clarion call towards the rehabilitation of degraded coastal environments and proffers solutions towards the actualization of environmentally sustainable CVEs which offers optimal ecosystem services. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Olatoye, Tolulope Ayodeji https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2249-9258
- Date: 2021-07
- Subjects: Sustainable development , City planning -- Environmental aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21556 , vital:48885
- Description: Coastal urban expansion is on an upward trajectory, which poses serious threats to ecosystem functioning, human wellbeing and the general environment across the globe. It is on this premise that this study brings to the fore the growing complexity of environmental sustainability problems in a former apartheid space, as characterized by coastal urbanization and the intricacies of vegetation conservation. Consequently, literature utilized for this study reveals that urban expansion has led to an uncontrolled threat to the coastal ecosystem, culminating in soil erosion, environmental pollution through illegal dumping of solid waste, loss of coastal vegetation to other land use types, among others. Therefore, constant monitoring of these spaces is needed due to their fragility, as they are pivotal in the earth-atmosphere processes to the benefit of the entire humanity. To this end, the current study offers critical analysis and insights about the South African coastal ecological space. The essence of using BCMM in its consideration as an ecological space and former apartheid territory brings to the fore a scientific explanation of the spatial configuration and changes in the CVEs of the study area during the post-colonial era. In the course of investigating this study, the Urban Green Sustainability (UGS) theory was adopted in the course of selecting the review of literature, methodological approach and analysis of results. A mixed methodological approach (qualitative, quantitative and geospatial techniques) was explored in data collection and analysis. 254 copies of the questionnaire were returned and analysed for this research. Results generated revealed by the BCMM respondents confirms the occurrence of uncontrolled urbanization, deforestation and crop cultivation as major causes of coastal vegetation loss. In the same vein, the LULC classification results revealed that about 466 km2 of forest vegetation has been lost in BCMM from 1998-2018. Also, LULC classification results were validated by performing the Normalized Difference Built-Up Index (NDBI), Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI), Kappa’s coefficient (k), coefficient of determination (R2) and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (P) tests. The results also revealed that the built-up area had increased from 194 km2 in 1998 to 814 km2 in 2008. Further, all statistical tests revealed very good and highly correlated overall classification accuracies (of R2=0.89 and P=0.86) during the study period (1998 – 2018). This study makes a clarion call towards the rehabilitation of degraded coastal environments and proffers solutions towards the actualization of environmentally sustainable CVEs which offers optimal ecosystem services. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2021
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Dynamics of agricultural micro, small and medium enterprise life-cycle financing and implications for sector development in Zimbabwe
- Kichini, Gilbert https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2972-1023
- Authors: Kichini, Gilbert https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2972-1023
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20296 , vital:45648
- Description: Small, micro and medium-scale enterprises (SMMEs) contribute significantly to economic growth, employment and boosting the livelihoods of the poor in Zimbabwe. In the context of the Fast-track Land Reform and Re-distribution programme, agricultural SMMEs are viewed as the main pillar that anchors the recovery of the agricultural sector. Despite the key role they play, these SMMEs operate in a financially constrained environment in which access to funding is limited. In such a context, the ability of the SMMEs to perform their role depends on the strategic use of limited funding. One way to achieve this is to ensure that the funding used at each of the life-cycle stages of the business is the most suitable in addressing the main threats to business success. Much has been studied about how the supply-side factors have constrained growth and development. However, very limited focus has been placed on how SMME owners use the limited funding secured to address the main operational problems faced. The funding behaviour of the owners has to support the supply-side initiatives if the SMMEs are to survive and fulfil their envisaged role in the economy. This study thus analyses the use of funding by the owners along the business life-cycle based on a six-stage life-cycle model. It further analyses the suitability of such funding given the unique operational needs and challenges per stage as well as best practices. The specific objectives of the study are to identify the level of knowledge that SMME owners have about the financing options available and which ones are mostly used, determine the use and suitability of life-cycle financing focusing on agricultural SMMEs and also determine the most suitable life-cycle funding in terms of best practices for sector development. A cross-sectional survey research design was used given the lack of accurate time-series data and it followed a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. The owners or managers of agricultural SMMEs and the institutions providing funding constituted the two populations studied. A multiple-stage sampling strategy was used to determine a final sample of 320 owners of agricultural SMMEs while purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of 12 main SMME financing institutions. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the owners while an administered semi- structured questionnaire was used for financing institutions. The unit of analysis was the funding used along the business life-cycle. Frequency, binary logistic regression, Chi-Square tests of association and Odds-ratio analysis were used for quantitative data analysis while Qualitative-failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (Q-FMECA) and thematic analysis were used to analyse qualitative data. Results show a persistent rather than transitory reliance on internal funding contrary to theoretical propositions on life-cycle financing. Overall, life-cycle funding used was not in line with best practices for funding SMMEs especially in financially constrained environments where funding should be effectively and efficiently used. The study adds to literature on agricultural SMMEs funding in financially constrained environments and makes offers some policy recommendations to improve financing for development of the key subsector. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kichini, Gilbert https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2972-1023
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20296 , vital:45648
- Description: Small, micro and medium-scale enterprises (SMMEs) contribute significantly to economic growth, employment and boosting the livelihoods of the poor in Zimbabwe. In the context of the Fast-track Land Reform and Re-distribution programme, agricultural SMMEs are viewed as the main pillar that anchors the recovery of the agricultural sector. Despite the key role they play, these SMMEs operate in a financially constrained environment in which access to funding is limited. In such a context, the ability of the SMMEs to perform their role depends on the strategic use of limited funding. One way to achieve this is to ensure that the funding used at each of the life-cycle stages of the business is the most suitable in addressing the main threats to business success. Much has been studied about how the supply-side factors have constrained growth and development. However, very limited focus has been placed on how SMME owners use the limited funding secured to address the main operational problems faced. The funding behaviour of the owners has to support the supply-side initiatives if the SMMEs are to survive and fulfil their envisaged role in the economy. This study thus analyses the use of funding by the owners along the business life-cycle based on a six-stage life-cycle model. It further analyses the suitability of such funding given the unique operational needs and challenges per stage as well as best practices. The specific objectives of the study are to identify the level of knowledge that SMME owners have about the financing options available and which ones are mostly used, determine the use and suitability of life-cycle financing focusing on agricultural SMMEs and also determine the most suitable life-cycle funding in terms of best practices for sector development. A cross-sectional survey research design was used given the lack of accurate time-series data and it followed a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. The owners or managers of agricultural SMMEs and the institutions providing funding constituted the two populations studied. A multiple-stage sampling strategy was used to determine a final sample of 320 owners of agricultural SMMEs while purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of 12 main SMME financing institutions. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the owners while an administered semi- structured questionnaire was used for financing institutions. The unit of analysis was the funding used along the business life-cycle. Frequency, binary logistic regression, Chi-Square tests of association and Odds-ratio analysis were used for quantitative data analysis while Qualitative-failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (Q-FMECA) and thematic analysis were used to analyse qualitative data. Results show a persistent rather than transitory reliance on internal funding contrary to theoretical propositions on life-cycle financing. Overall, life-cycle funding used was not in line with best practices for funding SMMEs especially in financially constrained environments where funding should be effectively and efficiently used. The study adds to literature on agricultural SMMEs funding in financially constrained environments and makes offers some policy recommendations to improve financing for development of the key subsector. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
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Agricultural co-operative societies and challenges of sustainability: The case of vegetable cooperative societies in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province
- Sohuma, Anathi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6260-6428
- Authors: Sohuma, Anathi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6260-6428
- Date: 2020-06
- Subjects: Agriculture, Cooperative , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21422 , vital:48601
- Description: The government has initiated various support programmes to assist agricultural co-operative societies to remain viable; however, many cooperatives continue to flounder while some have collapsed. This dissertation assesses the challenges of sustainability facing agricultural co-operative societies gushing vegetable co-operative societies in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province as a point of departure. The study used the corporate sustainability theory to investigate the extent to which co-operative societies are able to operate sustainably. The data for this study were collected through document reviews and non-scheduled structured interviews which were conducted through a questionnaire. The board of directors were sampled purposively. The research adopted stratified sampling to select co-operative members that participated in the study. This research made use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 software to analyse data. The outcomes provide an understanding of the sustainability challenges that face vegetable co-operative societies. The results show that most of the co-operative societies rely on members for daily farm management. With regards to management, co-operative societies reveal that they keep sales, production and meeting record books. Furthermore, most co-operatives specified that they received training for financial and production record-keeping. It was found that some cooperatives have had training only once since their establishment. However, fewer co-operatives reported that keeping records is still challenging for them due to lack of training and little profit made from sales. The findings suggest that co-operative societies can function well and become sustainable when there is good management and cooperation amongst members. Based on the findings of this research, it is recommended that the government and co-operative stakeholders should play a greater part in ensuring co-operative societies are developed and managed in a way that will make them sustainable without relying solely on government support. For example, the government and stakeholders can establish and enforce policies that encourage co-operatives to invest in member capability programmes that would equip farmers understanding, adoption and use of co-operative values and principles. This would help in reducing challenges that occur within co-operatives and promote cohesion and commitment within co-operatives. The role of extension services towards the sustainability of the co-operatives is crucial. The majority of the co-operatives indicated that there is some level of interaction between the co-operatives and extension personnel albeit, there is a need to improve the frequency of extension visits, training and follow-up appointments. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2020
- Full Text:
- Authors: Sohuma, Anathi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6260-6428
- Date: 2020-06
- Subjects: Agriculture, Cooperative , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21422 , vital:48601
- Description: The government has initiated various support programmes to assist agricultural co-operative societies to remain viable; however, many cooperatives continue to flounder while some have collapsed. This dissertation assesses the challenges of sustainability facing agricultural co-operative societies gushing vegetable co-operative societies in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province as a point of departure. The study used the corporate sustainability theory to investigate the extent to which co-operative societies are able to operate sustainably. The data for this study were collected through document reviews and non-scheduled structured interviews which were conducted through a questionnaire. The board of directors were sampled purposively. The research adopted stratified sampling to select co-operative members that participated in the study. This research made use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 software to analyse data. The outcomes provide an understanding of the sustainability challenges that face vegetable co-operative societies. The results show that most of the co-operative societies rely on members for daily farm management. With regards to management, co-operative societies reveal that they keep sales, production and meeting record books. Furthermore, most co-operatives specified that they received training for financial and production record-keeping. It was found that some cooperatives have had training only once since their establishment. However, fewer co-operatives reported that keeping records is still challenging for them due to lack of training and little profit made from sales. The findings suggest that co-operative societies can function well and become sustainable when there is good management and cooperation amongst members. Based on the findings of this research, it is recommended that the government and co-operative stakeholders should play a greater part in ensuring co-operative societies are developed and managed in a way that will make them sustainable without relying solely on government support. For example, the government and stakeholders can establish and enforce policies that encourage co-operatives to invest in member capability programmes that would equip farmers understanding, adoption and use of co-operative values and principles. This would help in reducing challenges that occur within co-operatives and promote cohesion and commitment within co-operatives. The role of extension services towards the sustainability of the co-operatives is crucial. The majority of the co-operatives indicated that there is some level of interaction between the co-operatives and extension personnel albeit, there is a need to improve the frequency of extension visits, training and follow-up appointments. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2020
- Full Text:
An investigation of the impact of the funding strategy of government on the sustainability of NGO work in them health sector: a case of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa
- Authors: Vhutuzah,Miriam.
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Non-governmental organization , Health services administration , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25926 , vital:64564
- Description: Under the apartheid regime the blacks suffered from social exclusion whereby the state sought to provide social services to the white community. Blacks used NGOs to fight the apartheid regime after the banning of political parties by the government. The government tried to quell the social unrest by instituting restrictive legislation to the NGOs. However, the NGOs managed to survive by getting funds from external sources that were anti-apartheid and the funding was camouflaged. While the blacks used the NGOs as frontiers to fight apartheid, they also provided services like health, education and others. The white NGOs managed to thrive unabated. After the fall of apartheid, many leaders left the NGO sector to join the government. It has been of great concern to note that after the apartheid, NGOs failed to assume the position that they used to possess during apartheid. The major objective of the study was to assess the funding strategy of the government in relation to the sustainability of the work of NGOs. This was achieved through analysing the guiding principles and prerequisites of the government in terms of procedures of disbursing funds to NGOs and how this affects NGO operations. The research made use of one major approach in the social sciences which is qualitative. The use of a qualitative technique reflects an attempt to ensure an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon in question. This is what was needed by the question under study, to understand the institutional environment of NGOs by looking into their operational experiences and holding in-depth interviews with NGOs and government officials in order to understand their views about the existing funding strategy. The study found out that the pre-requisites of the funding organisations can be met by NGOs which previously thrived under the apartheid government. Due to their more sophisticated nature, it is these types of NGOs that interface most effectively with the donor community and are major beneficiaries of the bulk of donor funding. It also discovered that the rural-based NGOs are not networked and only rely on government funding which is short-lived. Some of the well established NGOs manipulate the existing opportunities to pursue private interests. Moreover, donors are mainly interested in funding popular activities like AIDS but they target well established organisations. In view of the above findings, the study recommends that the pre-requisites for NGOs must be streamlined to the rural-based NGOs and communication from the government should be improved especially for the rural-based NGOs where forms of communication are limited. There is need to establish an independent body, mandated by the government to carry out NGO issues .The government should also introduce incentives to the donors that fund rural-based NGOs and also encourage donors to fund TB activities by introducing incentives. Moreover, there is need for the government to adopt institutional development principles which emphasises on internal organizational development by training NGO members in order to improve their skills. Externally, the institutional impediments like inherited legal instruments that were pro-apartheid should be addressed. Lastly, there is need for the government to engage NGOs in the policy making process. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2010
- Full Text:
- Authors: Vhutuzah,Miriam.
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Non-governmental organization , Health services administration , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25926 , vital:64564
- Description: Under the apartheid regime the blacks suffered from social exclusion whereby the state sought to provide social services to the white community. Blacks used NGOs to fight the apartheid regime after the banning of political parties by the government. The government tried to quell the social unrest by instituting restrictive legislation to the NGOs. However, the NGOs managed to survive by getting funds from external sources that were anti-apartheid and the funding was camouflaged. While the blacks used the NGOs as frontiers to fight apartheid, they also provided services like health, education and others. The white NGOs managed to thrive unabated. After the fall of apartheid, many leaders left the NGO sector to join the government. It has been of great concern to note that after the apartheid, NGOs failed to assume the position that they used to possess during apartheid. The major objective of the study was to assess the funding strategy of the government in relation to the sustainability of the work of NGOs. This was achieved through analysing the guiding principles and prerequisites of the government in terms of procedures of disbursing funds to NGOs and how this affects NGO operations. The research made use of one major approach in the social sciences which is qualitative. The use of a qualitative technique reflects an attempt to ensure an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon in question. This is what was needed by the question under study, to understand the institutional environment of NGOs by looking into their operational experiences and holding in-depth interviews with NGOs and government officials in order to understand their views about the existing funding strategy. The study found out that the pre-requisites of the funding organisations can be met by NGOs which previously thrived under the apartheid government. Due to their more sophisticated nature, it is these types of NGOs that interface most effectively with the donor community and are major beneficiaries of the bulk of donor funding. It also discovered that the rural-based NGOs are not networked and only rely on government funding which is short-lived. Some of the well established NGOs manipulate the existing opportunities to pursue private interests. Moreover, donors are mainly interested in funding popular activities like AIDS but they target well established organisations. In view of the above findings, the study recommends that the pre-requisites for NGOs must be streamlined to the rural-based NGOs and communication from the government should be improved especially for the rural-based NGOs where forms of communication are limited. There is need to establish an independent body, mandated by the government to carry out NGO issues .The government should also introduce incentives to the donors that fund rural-based NGOs and also encourage donors to fund TB activities by introducing incentives. Moreover, there is need for the government to adopt institutional development principles which emphasises on internal organizational development by training NGO members in order to improve their skills. Externally, the institutional impediments like inherited legal instruments that were pro-apartheid should be addressed. Lastly, there is need for the government to engage NGOs in the policy making process. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2010
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