Integrating Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for greater local level resilience: lessons from a multi-stakeholder think-tank
- Pereira, Taryn, Shackleton, Sheona E, Donkor, Felix Kwabena
- Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Sheona E , Donkor, Felix Kwabena
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- South Africa , Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62027 , vital:28097
- Description: The last few years have seen one of the most severe droughts in recent times in the southern African region, and news headlines are increasingly full of warnings about heavy storms, fires and floods. There is no doubt that extreme hydro-meteorological events, and their multiple and potentially disastrous impacts, are at the forefront of the public consciousness at the present time and are one of the key concerns regarding the impacts of climate change in the region. While the links between extreme climate events, disaster risk reduction (DRR - see Box 1) and climate change adaptation (CCA - see Box 2) are recognised in the South African Climate Change White Paper, this is not the case for the whole region. Furthermore, even if there is national recognition of the need to synergise these two spheres of endeavour, this does not always trickle down to effective policy, planning and implementation at the local level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Sheona E , Donkor, Felix Kwabena
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- South Africa , Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62027 , vital:28097
- Description: The last few years have seen one of the most severe droughts in recent times in the southern African region, and news headlines are increasingly full of warnings about heavy storms, fires and floods. There is no doubt that extreme hydro-meteorological events, and their multiple and potentially disastrous impacts, are at the forefront of the public consciousness at the present time and are one of the key concerns regarding the impacts of climate change in the region. While the links between extreme climate events, disaster risk reduction (DRR - see Box 1) and climate change adaptation (CCA - see Box 2) are recognised in the South African Climate Change White Paper, this is not the case for the whole region. Furthermore, even if there is national recognition of the need to synergise these two spheres of endeavour, this does not always trickle down to effective policy, planning and implementation at the local level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: The contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Cousins, Ben
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Cousins, Ben
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181651 , vital:43755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350120097441"
- Description: Shackleton, C.M., Shackleton, S.E. and Cousins, B., 2001. The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 18(5), pp.581-604.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Cousins, Ben
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181651 , vital:43755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350120097441"
- Description: Shackleton, C.M., Shackleton, S.E. and Cousins, B., 2001. The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 18(5), pp.581-604.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
Ameliorating poverty in South Africa through natural resource commercialisation : how can the private sector make a difference?
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6616 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016223
- Description: [From Introduction] Some of the poorest rural people in South Africa are using traditional skills to convert a variety of wild resources into commodities that are sold in the market place. Wood and woven craft, medicines, fresh and processed wild foods, alcoholic beverages, building materials, fuelwood, dried mopane worms, cultural artefacts and brooms are just some examples of the array of natural resource products increasingly seen for sale in local and external markets. The majority of participants in this trade have minimal education, few assets to draw on, and little access to alternative sources of income or jobs. A significant proportion are women, with more than half heading their own households. Many come from households devastated by HIV/AIDS. The cash earned from selling natural resource products, however modest, is of critical importance, preventing producers and their households from slipping deeper into poverty. “Since I have been making brooms my children no longer go to bed crying of hunger,” observed one broom producer. Research across the country has revealed that the private sector can play an important role in making some of the poorest people in our society a little less poor by assisting producers overcome some of the obstacles they face. Two main areas for private sector involvement were identified: securing raw material access and product marketing. , This policy brief is based on the original brief made available for a workshop in August 2006. It draws on, amongst other sources, the results of several case studies of natural resource commercialisation undertaken across South Africa. The project was funded by the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), BP South Africa and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The Center for International Forestry Research, with support from SIDA, provided the funding to share these findings with key stakeholders including government policy and decision makers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6616 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016223
- Description: [From Introduction] Some of the poorest rural people in South Africa are using traditional skills to convert a variety of wild resources into commodities that are sold in the market place. Wood and woven craft, medicines, fresh and processed wild foods, alcoholic beverages, building materials, fuelwood, dried mopane worms, cultural artefacts and brooms are just some examples of the array of natural resource products increasingly seen for sale in local and external markets. The majority of participants in this trade have minimal education, few assets to draw on, and little access to alternative sources of income or jobs. A significant proportion are women, with more than half heading their own households. Many come from households devastated by HIV/AIDS. The cash earned from selling natural resource products, however modest, is of critical importance, preventing producers and their households from slipping deeper into poverty. “Since I have been making brooms my children no longer go to bed crying of hunger,” observed one broom producer. Research across the country has revealed that the private sector can play an important role in making some of the poorest people in our society a little less poor by assisting producers overcome some of the obstacles they face. Two main areas for private sector involvement were identified: securing raw material access and product marketing. , This policy brief is based on the original brief made available for a workshop in August 2006. It draws on, amongst other sources, the results of several case studies of natural resource commercialisation undertaken across South Africa. The project was funded by the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), BP South Africa and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The Center for International Forestry Research, with support from SIDA, provided the funding to share these findings with key stakeholders including government policy and decision makers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
The importance of dry woodlands and forests in rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation in South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Buiten, Erik, Bird, Neil
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Buiten, Erik , Bird, Neil
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6653 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007066
- Description: Indigenous forests and savannas, along with plantation forests, offer numerous benefits to rural communities and society at large. Yet, the role of forests and forestry in contributing to sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation are widely debated. However, much of the debate pertains to lessons from the humid tropics, with little consideration of the widespread dry forests and savannas. This paper considers the role of dry forest types, including savannas, using South Africa as a case example. It concludes that a large proportion of the population makes use of forests and the resources from them. These are vital components of local livelihoods, which probably prevent people from slipping into deeper poverty. Moreover, for a measurable proportion, engagement in informal forest activities, as well as the formal forestry sector, has resulted in them being able to move out of poverty. Additionally, the generally dry nature of forests in South Africa, coupled with the high unemployment rate, limit the extent of alternative locally based livelihood options, thereby magnifying the contributions from forests and forest products. The depressing effects of widespread HIV/AIDS on labour availability, economic activities and livelihoods has exacerbated peoples' dependence on forest products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Buiten, Erik , Bird, Neil
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6653 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007066
- Description: Indigenous forests and savannas, along with plantation forests, offer numerous benefits to rural communities and society at large. Yet, the role of forests and forestry in contributing to sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation are widely debated. However, much of the debate pertains to lessons from the humid tropics, with little consideration of the widespread dry forests and savannas. This paper considers the role of dry forest types, including savannas, using South Africa as a case example. It concludes that a large proportion of the population makes use of forests and the resources from them. These are vital components of local livelihoods, which probably prevent people from slipping into deeper poverty. Moreover, for a measurable proportion, engagement in informal forest activities, as well as the formal forestry sector, has resulted in them being able to move out of poverty. Additionally, the generally dry nature of forests in South Africa, coupled with the high unemployment rate, limit the extent of alternative locally based livelihood options, thereby magnifying the contributions from forests and forest products. The depressing effects of widespread HIV/AIDS on labour availability, economic activities and livelihoods has exacerbated peoples' dependence on forest products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Towards place-based research to support social–ecological stewardship
- Cundill, Georgina, Cockburn, Jessica, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
- Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
- Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Direct use values of secondary resources harvested from communal savannas in the Bushbuckridge lowveld, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182798 , vital:43875 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20000614194"
- Description: This study reports on the direct use value of secondary resources harvested by rural communities in a savanna region of South Africa. Data pertaining to the use, amount and direct use value of 11 secondary resources were presented individually, along with a final composite value. Only five resources (fuelwood, construction wood, edible fruits, edible herbs, and medicinal plants), individually accounted for more than 10% of the total value per hectare (US$ 141), and together they represented over 94% of the total value per hectare. On a per household basis, only 3 of the 11 resources contributed 10% or more to the total direct use value (US$ 386 used at home and US$ 767 traded), and together contributed greater than 71% of the total direct use value per household. Two-thirds of the value per household was traded locally with other households or regionally, rather than consumed at home. The total value per hectare compared favourably with other land uses within the region, except for capital intensive enterprises. The returns to collecting and selling secondary resources were higher than those paid for local agricultural wage labour. The extraction rates of several of the secondary resources are probably sustainable but not for the more important ones such as fuelwood, construction wood and medicinal plants.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182798 , vital:43875 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20000614194"
- Description: This study reports on the direct use value of secondary resources harvested by rural communities in a savanna region of South Africa. Data pertaining to the use, amount and direct use value of 11 secondary resources were presented individually, along with a final composite value. Only five resources (fuelwood, construction wood, edible fruits, edible herbs, and medicinal plants), individually accounted for more than 10% of the total value per hectare (US$ 141), and together they represented over 94% of the total value per hectare. On a per household basis, only 3 of the 11 resources contributed 10% or more to the total direct use value (US$ 386 used at home and US$ 767 traded), and together contributed greater than 71% of the total direct use value per household. Two-thirds of the value per household was traded locally with other households or regionally, rather than consumed at home. The total value per hectare compared favourably with other land uses within the region, except for capital intensive enterprises. The returns to collecting and selling secondary resources were higher than those paid for local agricultural wage labour. The extraction rates of several of the secondary resources are probably sustainable but not for the more important ones such as fuelwood, construction wood and medicinal plants.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
The next decade of environmental science in South Africa: a horizon scan
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Scholes, Robert J, Vogel, Coleen, Wynberg, Rachel, Abrahamse, Tanya, Shackleton, Sheona E, Ellery, William F N, Gambiza, James
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Scholes, Robert J , Vogel, Coleen , Wynberg, Rachel , Abrahamse, Tanya , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ellery, William F N , Gambiza, James
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/157124 , vital:40088 , https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2011.563064
- Description: Environmental systems are in constant flux, with feedbacks and non-linearities catalysed by natural trends and shocks as well as human actions. This poses challenges for sustainable management to promote human well-being. It requires environmental understanding and application that can accommodate such fluxes and pressures, as well as knowledge production systems and institutions that produce graduates with appropriate skills. In this article we consider these challenges in the South African context. Firstly, we summarise six significant environmental realisations from the last decade of environmental science internationally and question what they mean for the teaching of environmental science and research into environmental systems in South Africa in the near future. We then consider these lessons within the context of a horizon scan of near-term pressing environmental issues in South Africa. These include wateruse efficiency, poverty, food security, inequities in land and resource access, urbanisation, agrochemicals and water quality, promoting human well-being and economic adaptability in the face of climate change, and imbuing stronger environmental elements and stewardship into the integrated development planning processes and outcomes. Lastly, we consider the knowledge areas and skills that environmental graduates will require to be able to confront these problems in South Africa and simultaneously contribute to international debates and understandings around the complexity of environmental systems and how to manage them.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Scholes, Robert J , Vogel, Coleen , Wynberg, Rachel , Abrahamse, Tanya , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ellery, William F N , Gambiza, James
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/157124 , vital:40088 , https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2011.563064
- Description: Environmental systems are in constant flux, with feedbacks and non-linearities catalysed by natural trends and shocks as well as human actions. This poses challenges for sustainable management to promote human well-being. It requires environmental understanding and application that can accommodate such fluxes and pressures, as well as knowledge production systems and institutions that produce graduates with appropriate skills. In this article we consider these challenges in the South African context. Firstly, we summarise six significant environmental realisations from the last decade of environmental science internationally and question what they mean for the teaching of environmental science and research into environmental systems in South Africa in the near future. We then consider these lessons within the context of a horizon scan of near-term pressing environmental issues in South Africa. These include wateruse efficiency, poverty, food security, inequities in land and resource access, urbanisation, agrochemicals and water quality, promoting human well-being and economic adaptability in the face of climate change, and imbuing stronger environmental elements and stewardship into the integrated development planning processes and outcomes. Lastly, we consider the knowledge areas and skills that environmental graduates will require to be able to confront these problems in South Africa and simultaneously contribute to international debates and understandings around the complexity of environmental systems and how to manage them.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety nets: a review of evidence from South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007061
- Description: We review and synthesize recent South African work that examines the role and importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the daily lives of rural people in South Africa. The most commonly used such products are wild spinaches, fuelwood, wooden utensils edible fruits, grass hand-brushes, and twig hand-brushes, used by 85% or more of households. More than half the households investigated also make use of edible insects, wood for construction, bushmeat, wild honey and reeds for weaving. Individual households may exploit dozens of animal and plant species. The range in annual, direct-use values is large, from less than R1000 per household per year to over R12 000. The value to rural households is manifest through a daily net function which represents a cost saving to the families involved and to the state, as well as through an emergency net, which serves as an insurance in times of misfortune, such as drought, disease, and unexpected economic hardship. The emergency net function has hardly been quantified in South Africa and internationally. Ad hoc trade in NTFPs is a common emergency net, which in some instances evolves into a permanent way of life. Financial returns from trade are variable, depending on resource type and hours worked, but are typically low. Despite the small cash incomes from trade, they provide an important contribution that complement the diverse livelihood strategies within a household, especially for the poorer sectors of rural society. Moreover, there are non-financial benefits of NTFP trade that are commonly overlooked.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007061
- Description: We review and synthesize recent South African work that examines the role and importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the daily lives of rural people in South Africa. The most commonly used such products are wild spinaches, fuelwood, wooden utensils edible fruits, grass hand-brushes, and twig hand-brushes, used by 85% or more of households. More than half the households investigated also make use of edible insects, wood for construction, bushmeat, wild honey and reeds for weaving. Individual households may exploit dozens of animal and plant species. The range in annual, direct-use values is large, from less than R1000 per household per year to over R12 000. The value to rural households is manifest through a daily net function which represents a cost saving to the families involved and to the state, as well as through an emergency net, which serves as an insurance in times of misfortune, such as drought, disease, and unexpected economic hardship. The emergency net function has hardly been quantified in South Africa and internationally. Ad hoc trade in NTFPs is a common emergency net, which in some instances evolves into a permanent way of life. Financial returns from trade are variable, depending on resource type and hours worked, but are typically low. Despite the small cash incomes from trade, they provide an important contribution that complement the diverse livelihood strategies within a household, especially for the poorer sectors of rural society. Moreover, there are non-financial benefits of NTFP trade that are commonly overlooked.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Linking poverty, HIV/AIDS and climate change to human and ecosystem vulnerability in southern Africa: Consequences for livelihoods and sustainable ecosystem management
- Shackleton, Sheona E, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181081 , vital:43697 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2011.641039"
- Description: People in southern Africa are facing escalating levels of risk, uncertainty and consequently vulnerability as a result of multiple interacting stressors, including HIV/AIDS, poverty, food insecurity, weak governance, climate change and land degradation, to name but a few. Vulnerability or livelihood insecurity emerges when poor people as individuals or social units have to face harmful threats or shocks with inadequate capacity to respond effectively. In such situations, people often have no choice but to turn to their immediate environment for support. Evidence suggests that rising levels of human vulnerability are driving increased dependency on biodiversity and ecosystem services, which in turn, and along with other threats, is rendering ecosystems more vulnerable. This paper explores the dynamic and complex linkages and feedbacks between human vulnerability and ecosystem vulnerability, drawing on data from the southern African region. Human vulnerability is conceptualized as a threat to ecosystem health, as driven by the interplay between a number of current and emerging factors. We focus on poverty, HIV/AIDS and more intense climate extremes as examples of stressors on livelihoods and direct and indirect drivers of ecosystem change. We discuss how some of the responses to increased vulnerability may pose threats to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and sustainable development, whilst considering potential solutions that rely on a thorough understanding of coupled social–ecological systems and the interplay between multiple stressors and responses at different scales.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181081 , vital:43697 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2011.641039"
- Description: People in southern Africa are facing escalating levels of risk, uncertainty and consequently vulnerability as a result of multiple interacting stressors, including HIV/AIDS, poverty, food insecurity, weak governance, climate change and land degradation, to name but a few. Vulnerability or livelihood insecurity emerges when poor people as individuals or social units have to face harmful threats or shocks with inadequate capacity to respond effectively. In such situations, people often have no choice but to turn to their immediate environment for support. Evidence suggests that rising levels of human vulnerability are driving increased dependency on biodiversity and ecosystem services, which in turn, and along with other threats, is rendering ecosystems more vulnerable. This paper explores the dynamic and complex linkages and feedbacks between human vulnerability and ecosystem vulnerability, drawing on data from the southern African region. Human vulnerability is conceptualized as a threat to ecosystem health, as driven by the interplay between a number of current and emerging factors. We focus on poverty, HIV/AIDS and more intense climate extremes as examples of stressors on livelihoods and direct and indirect drivers of ecosystem change. We discuss how some of the responses to increased vulnerability may pose threats to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and sustainable development, whilst considering potential solutions that rely on a thorough understanding of coupled social–ecological systems and the interplay between multiple stressors and responses at different scales.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Cultural values of natural resources among the San people neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
- Thondhlana, Gladman, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67699 , vital:29131 , https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2013.818950
- Description: Publisher version , Globally, cultural values of natural resources are increasingly recognised as important for local natural resource management and conservation in and beyond parks. The tendency has been to focus on the direct-use rather than the cultural values and importance of natural resources. The cultural values underlying natural resources (directly or indirectly used) and various natural resource-based activities, and the implications for conservation, remain little explored. Drawing from household surveys, in-depth qualitative interviews, observations and secondary data, we explore the cultural significance of natural resources and different land-use practices among the San people bordering Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa. Our findings illustrate that though cultural values are inextricably linked to resource use, they are not recognised by all community members. Further, cultural values arise from a diverse and sometimes conflicting array of values that punctuate individuals' lifestyles. A better understanding of context-specific cultural settings and the linkages between the cultural and material dimensions of resource use can lead to the development of interventions that can ensure effective conservation of both natural resources and culture.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67699 , vital:29131 , https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2013.818950
- Description: Publisher version , Globally, cultural values of natural resources are increasingly recognised as important for local natural resource management and conservation in and beyond parks. The tendency has been to focus on the direct-use rather than the cultural values and importance of natural resources. The cultural values underlying natural resources (directly or indirectly used) and various natural resource-based activities, and the implications for conservation, remain little explored. Drawing from household surveys, in-depth qualitative interviews, observations and secondary data, we explore the cultural significance of natural resources and different land-use practices among the San people bordering Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa. Our findings illustrate that though cultural values are inextricably linked to resource use, they are not recognised by all community members. Further, cultural values arise from a diverse and sometimes conflicting array of values that punctuate individuals' lifestyles. A better understanding of context-specific cultural settings and the linkages between the cultural and material dimensions of resource use can lead to the development of interventions that can ensure effective conservation of both natural resources and culture.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
Knowledge on Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra with emphasis on its importance as a non-timber forest product in South and southern Africa, a summary: Part 1 Taxonomy, ecology and role in rural livelihoods
- Shackleton, Sheona E, Shackleton, Charlie M, Cunningham, Tony, Lombard, Cyril, Sullivan, Caroline A, Netshiluvhi, Thiambi
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cunningham, Tony , Lombard, Cyril , Sullivan, Caroline A , Netshiluvhi, Thiambi
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182251 , vital:43815 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/20702620.2002.10434589"
- Description: Sclerocarya birrea (marula) is a widespread species throughout the semi-arid, deciduous savannas of much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is widely used by rural populations in most countries in which it is found. It has multiple uses, including the fruits, kernels, oil, bark, wood and leaves. Because of these multiple uses, and its significance in the landscape, several African cultures have specific beliefs and ceremonies associated with this species, and it is often maintained in homestead and arable plots. Because of the widespread occurrence, potentially high fruit production and use of S. birrea it has frequently been identified as a key species to support the development of rural enterprises based on the fruit, beer, oil or nuts and therefore as a species for potential domestication. Localised breeding and cultivation initiatives commenced in the 1970s and some continue. Interest in this species was renewed after the development of a highly successful liqueur using extracts from the fruit. This has developed further in southern Africa over the last 3 to 5 years, especially commercialisation initiatives orientated towards befitting the rural poor. Recently, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) initiated a project to examine the impacts of commercialisation of non-timber forest products, such as marula, on the livelihood capital of the rural poor. As a first phase, the research team compiled a comprehensive literature review of S. birrea, with emphasis on possible commercialisation. This is to be published in two parts. The first part deals with the taxonomy, ecology and its subsistence use and cultural value to rural households. The second part of the review will focus on issues relating to specific properties of the marula, management, intellectual property and its potential commercialisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cunningham, Tony , Lombard, Cyril , Sullivan, Caroline A , Netshiluvhi, Thiambi
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182251 , vital:43815 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/20702620.2002.10434589"
- Description: Sclerocarya birrea (marula) is a widespread species throughout the semi-arid, deciduous savannas of much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is widely used by rural populations in most countries in which it is found. It has multiple uses, including the fruits, kernels, oil, bark, wood and leaves. Because of these multiple uses, and its significance in the landscape, several African cultures have specific beliefs and ceremonies associated with this species, and it is often maintained in homestead and arable plots. Because of the widespread occurrence, potentially high fruit production and use of S. birrea it has frequently been identified as a key species to support the development of rural enterprises based on the fruit, beer, oil or nuts and therefore as a species for potential domestication. Localised breeding and cultivation initiatives commenced in the 1970s and some continue. Interest in this species was renewed after the development of a highly successful liqueur using extracts from the fruit. This has developed further in southern Africa over the last 3 to 5 years, especially commercialisation initiatives orientated towards befitting the rural poor. Recently, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) initiated a project to examine the impacts of commercialisation of non-timber forest products, such as marula, on the livelihood capital of the rural poor. As a first phase, the research team compiled a comprehensive literature review of S. birrea, with emphasis on possible commercialisation. This is to be published in two parts. The first part deals with the taxonomy, ecology and its subsistence use and cultural value to rural households. The second part of the review will focus on issues relating to specific properties of the marula, management, intellectual property and its potential commercialisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Multiple benefits and values of trees in urban landscapes in two towns in northern South Africa
- Shackleton, Sheona E, Chinyimba, Abby, Hebinck, Paul, Shackleton, Charlie M, Kaoma, Humphrey
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Chinyimba, Abby , Hebinck, Paul , Shackleton, Charlie M , Kaoma, Humphrey
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180874 , vital:43658 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.12.004"
- Description: Cities and towns can be conceptualised as complex social-ecological systems or landscapes that are composed of different spatial elements. Trees in urban landscapes provide a variety of tangible and intangible benefits (ecosystem services) that may be valued differently across diverse households and individuals. Here, we consider how the benefits and values of trees to urban residents vary across public and private spaces in three low income neighbourhoods in two medium-sized towns in northern South Africa. We find that the most asset poor residents in informal settlements derive significant benefits from the provisioning services offered by trees in natural green spaces on the ‘urban periphery’; in particular they value supplies of wood for energy, whilst also recognising the importance of regulating services such as shade. Trees in such spaces help these immigrants cope with a lack of infrastructure, services and disposable income after their move to the city. In new, low-cost housing neighbourhoods, the importance of trees in providing shade and shelter in gardens is emphasised due to the hot and dusty nature of these settlements, while residents in older township neighbourhoods make more mention of the aesthetic value of trees in private spaces as well as the fruits they provide. In all neighbourhoods, attitudes towards trees in public spaces were mixed because of their perceived association with crime, although low income households did make extensive use of tree products from natural areas. The relevance of the results for urban planning and greening in low income areas is discussed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Chinyimba, Abby , Hebinck, Paul , Shackleton, Charlie M , Kaoma, Humphrey
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180874 , vital:43658 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.12.004"
- Description: Cities and towns can be conceptualised as complex social-ecological systems or landscapes that are composed of different spatial elements. Trees in urban landscapes provide a variety of tangible and intangible benefits (ecosystem services) that may be valued differently across diverse households and individuals. Here, we consider how the benefits and values of trees to urban residents vary across public and private spaces in three low income neighbourhoods in two medium-sized towns in northern South Africa. We find that the most asset poor residents in informal settlements derive significant benefits from the provisioning services offered by trees in natural green spaces on the ‘urban periphery’; in particular they value supplies of wood for energy, whilst also recognising the importance of regulating services such as shade. Trees in such spaces help these immigrants cope with a lack of infrastructure, services and disposable income after their move to the city. In new, low-cost housing neighbourhoods, the importance of trees in providing shade and shelter in gardens is emphasised due to the hot and dusty nature of these settlements, while residents in older township neighbourhoods make more mention of the aesthetic value of trees in private spaces as well as the fruits they provide. In all neighbourhoods, attitudes towards trees in public spaces were mixed because of their perceived association with crime, although low income households did make extensive use of tree products from natural areas. The relevance of the results for urban planning and greening in low income areas is discussed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Valuing South Africa's savannas: Methodological Issues
- Ballance, A, Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Geach, B S, Crookes, D, De Wit, M, Evans, J, von Maltitz, G, Willis, C B, Kelatwang, S, Havemann, J
- Authors: Ballance, A , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Geach, B S , Crookes, D , De Wit, M , Evans, J , von Maltitz, G , Willis, C B , Kelatwang, S , Havemann, J
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182262 , vital:43816 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC33860"
- Description: Natural resource valuation techniques have been applied in recent years to savannas and savanna resources in South and southern Africa. Results from these studies have been used to demonstrate the importance of savannas, and to assist in resource-use planning. Because these studies have been conducted to meet different research objectives a large number of disparities exist between studies. This makes comparison of results difficult and identification of underlying drivers of value is problematic. This paper discusses issues which can lead to differences in estimates of resource value, and makes recommendations for future studies to reduce incompatibilities. In particular, this paper recommends that future studies make full descriptions of the objectives of the study, the background characteristics of the study area (including the social, political, economic, cultural, and biophysical characteristics), the methods used, and assumptions made. In this way, the values reported from case studies may be used in other research and decision-making exercises.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
- Authors: Ballance, A , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Geach, B S , Crookes, D , De Wit, M , Evans, J , von Maltitz, G , Willis, C B , Kelatwang, S , Havemann, J
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182262 , vital:43816 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC33860"
- Description: Natural resource valuation techniques have been applied in recent years to savannas and savanna resources in South and southern Africa. Results from these studies have been used to demonstrate the importance of savannas, and to assist in resource-use planning. Because these studies have been conducted to meet different research objectives a large number of disparities exist between studies. This makes comparison of results difficult and identification of underlying drivers of value is problematic. This paper discusses issues which can lead to differences in estimates of resource value, and makes recommendations for future studies to reduce incompatibilities. In particular, this paper recommends that future studies make full descriptions of the objectives of the study, the background characteristics of the study area (including the social, political, economic, cultural, and biophysical characteristics), the methods used, and assumptions made. In this way, the values reported from case studies may be used in other research and decision-making exercises.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
Interaction of multiple stressors: vulnerability, coping and adaptation within the context of climate change and HIV/AIDS in South Africa: Investigating strategies to strengthen livelihoods and food security and build resilience
- Hamer, Nicholas G, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Hamer, Nicholas G , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- Economic aspects -- Eastern Cape (South Africa) Climatic changes -- South Africa Climatic changes -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/50065 , vital:25956
- Description: Government policy development and implementation is often designed to address different sectors of society in isolation, so social, economic and environmental issues are considered as being distinct from one other. Recently it has been acknowledged that 'working in silos' is not conducive for good governance and so efforts have been made for better co-ordination between different government departments and different spheres of government. Our research findings show the knock on effects of one problem into other areas of people's lives, highlighting why it is vital for policies and programmes to be far better co-ordinated. The different challenges and stresses that people face in their lives interact with one another in complex ways, undermining their capacity to cope with and adapt to future changes, such as those expected under climate change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Hamer, Nicholas G , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- Economic aspects -- Eastern Cape (South Africa) Climatic changes -- South Africa Climatic changes -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/50065 , vital:25956
- Description: Government policy development and implementation is often designed to address different sectors of society in isolation, so social, economic and environmental issues are considered as being distinct from one other. Recently it has been acknowledged that 'working in silos' is not conducive for good governance and so efforts have been made for better co-ordination between different government departments and different spheres of government. Our research findings show the knock on effects of one problem into other areas of people's lives, highlighting why it is vital for policies and programmes to be far better co-ordinated. The different challenges and stresses that people face in their lives interact with one another in complex ways, undermining their capacity to cope with and adapt to future changes, such as those expected under climate change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
The role and value of savanna non-timber forest products to rural households in the Kat River Valley, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Ntshudu, M, Ntzebeza, J
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ntshudu, M , Ntzebeza, J
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182820 , vital:43882 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20023145773"
- Description: The majority of South Africans reside in rural areas characterized by limited infrastructure and employment opportunities. Many, therefore, make extensive use of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) as part of their daily livelihoods. However, until recently, there were relatively few quantitative studies on resources used, amounts and frequencies. This is especially so for the savanna biome in South Africa, even though it is the largest biome. This paper presents data from a quantitative study of resource use and value in three villages situated in the savannas of the poorest province of South Africa. The results demonstrated widespread use of a wide variety of NTFPs. There were no households that did not make use of at least one NTFP from the surrounding woodlands. The five contributing most to the total gross value per household were fuelwood, wild herbs, wild fruits, bushmeat and honey beer. The mean gross annual direct-use value at the three villages ranged from US$211 to US$324 per household, averaged across user and non-user households. The direct-use value to user households was approximately double this. The net value differed between specific NTFPs because of differential labour input. The net value represented between 39 and 86% of the gross value, with a mean of 63%. However, the use of opportunity costs of labour in such areas requires examination.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ntshudu, M , Ntzebeza, J
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182820 , vital:43882 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20023145773"
- Description: The majority of South Africans reside in rural areas characterized by limited infrastructure and employment opportunities. Many, therefore, make extensive use of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) as part of their daily livelihoods. However, until recently, there were relatively few quantitative studies on resources used, amounts and frequencies. This is especially so for the savanna biome in South Africa, even though it is the largest biome. This paper presents data from a quantitative study of resource use and value in three villages situated in the savannas of the poorest province of South Africa. The results demonstrated widespread use of a wide variety of NTFPs. There were no households that did not make use of at least one NTFP from the surrounding woodlands. The five contributing most to the total gross value per household were fuelwood, wild herbs, wild fruits, bushmeat and honey beer. The mean gross annual direct-use value at the three villages ranged from US$211 to US$324 per household, averaged across user and non-user households. The direct-use value to user households was approximately double this. The net value differed between specific NTFPs because of differential labour input. The net value represented between 39 and 86% of the gross value, with a mean of 63%. However, the use of opportunity costs of labour in such areas requires examination.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Livelihood benefits from the local level commercialization of savanna resources: a case study of the new and expanding trade in marula (Sclerocarya birrea) beer in Bushbuckridge, South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6649 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007060
- Description: In the face of economic hardship and poverty, rural people in South Africa and globally are increasingly turning to the natural resource base to generate income. One product that has recently entered into local commercial markets is a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea (marula), commonly known as marula beer. It was rarely traded in the past due to customary taboos prohibiting its sale. In Bushbuckridge, Limpopo province, rural women have been selling marula beer in the business centres of the district and along the roadside since 1998. A survey of these markets was undertaken in 2002, to discover the commercialization process involved, from raw material harvesting to marketing, and to assess the importance of the trade for household livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Fifty-one traders were interviewed, who indicated that the sale of marula beer provides a vital source of income to several hundred households from amongst the poorest sector of the Bushbuckridge community. Of particular importance were the low barriers of entry to the trade, as the resource is abundant and freely accessible and there are few costs to produce marula beer. Incomes earned were modest, averaging a net R500 per season, and highly seasonal, but came at a critical point in the household calendar, after the festive season and when cash was required for the new school year. Income bridging, livelihood diversification, and the provision of a safety net for the poorest members of society are some of the key benefits of the beer trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6649 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007060
- Description: In the face of economic hardship and poverty, rural people in South Africa and globally are increasingly turning to the natural resource base to generate income. One product that has recently entered into local commercial markets is a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea (marula), commonly known as marula beer. It was rarely traded in the past due to customary taboos prohibiting its sale. In Bushbuckridge, Limpopo province, rural women have been selling marula beer in the business centres of the district and along the roadside since 1998. A survey of these markets was undertaken in 2002, to discover the commercialization process involved, from raw material harvesting to marketing, and to assess the importance of the trade for household livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Fifty-one traders were interviewed, who indicated that the sale of marula beer provides a vital source of income to several hundred households from amongst the poorest sector of the Bushbuckridge community. Of particular importance were the low barriers of entry to the trade, as the resource is abundant and freely accessible and there are few costs to produce marula beer. Incomes earned were modest, averaging a net R500 per season, and highly seasonal, but came at a critical point in the household calendar, after the festive season and when cash was required for the new school year. Income bridging, livelihood diversification, and the provision of a safety net for the poorest members of society are some of the key benefits of the beer trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Vulnerability, coping and adaptation within the context of climate change and HIV/AIDS in South Africa: Investigating strategies to strengthen livelihoods and food security and build resilience.
- Ndlovu, Patrick, Luckert, Martin K, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Ndlovu, Patrick , Luckert, Martin K , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: vital:6622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016230
- Description: [From Introduction] In South Africa, social grants are a central component of government's efforts to alleviate poverty. The number of people receiving social grants has significantly increased in recent years (from about 10.9 million in 2005 to almost 15.7 million in 2013, and an anticipated 16.8 million recipients by 2015).With social grants playing an increasingly important role, a pressing policy issue is whether or not the current social grant schemes are an effective tool for alleviating poverty. Some studies have shown that social grants improve food security (Case and Deaton, 1998; Samson et al., 2008) and in the long run can promote employment through accumulation of human capital and enhancing productivity of poor households (Edmonds et al., 2006; Samson et al., 2008; Surender et al., 2007). However, other studies have reported that social grants have possible disincentive effects on labor market activity, for example, through the relaxing of household budget constraints which may lead to a reduction in labor supply (Bertrand et al., 2003; Ranchorhod, 2006; Klasen and Woolard, 2009). Our study provides new insights by highlighting two key household characteristics, gender and education, in catalyzing or diminishing the effects of grants on household livelihood outcomes. Our analysis mainly focuses on impacts of pensions on household food security and labor supply of household members.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Ndlovu, Patrick , Luckert, Martin K , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: vital:6622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016230
- Description: [From Introduction] In South Africa, social grants are a central component of government's efforts to alleviate poverty. The number of people receiving social grants has significantly increased in recent years (from about 10.9 million in 2005 to almost 15.7 million in 2013, and an anticipated 16.8 million recipients by 2015).With social grants playing an increasingly important role, a pressing policy issue is whether or not the current social grant schemes are an effective tool for alleviating poverty. Some studies have shown that social grants improve food security (Case and Deaton, 1998; Samson et al., 2008) and in the long run can promote employment through accumulation of human capital and enhancing productivity of poor households (Edmonds et al., 2006; Samson et al., 2008; Surender et al., 2007). However, other studies have reported that social grants have possible disincentive effects on labor market activity, for example, through the relaxing of household budget constraints which may lead to a reduction in labor supply (Bertrand et al., 2003; Ranchorhod, 2006; Klasen and Woolard, 2009). Our study provides new insights by highlighting two key household characteristics, gender and education, in catalyzing or diminishing the effects of grants on household livelihood outcomes. Our analysis mainly focuses on impacts of pensions on household food security and labor supply of household members.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Trade in reed-based craft products in rural villages in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Pereira, Taryn, Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181290 , vital:43716 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350600927235"
- Description: Selling traditional craft products made from fibrous plants is an important source of income for economically vulnerable rural women. In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, Cyperus textilis and Juncus kraussii have been used for centuries to make products of functional and cultural importance, such as sleeping mats and baskets. In the former Transkei village clusters of Mpozolo and Ntubeni, female crafters harvest the raw material and make and sell the products in their communities and in nearby towns. Interviews with 40 of them revealed what the trade contributes to their livelihoods and what enhances or limits their success. The findings show that crafting contributes vital income to vulnerable households, on average 26 ± 4 per cent of annual household cash income, over 40 per cent for the poorest households and 5–15 per cent for wealthier households. Lack of access to non-traditional markets was identified as the main constraint on the trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181290 , vital:43716 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350600927235"
- Description: Selling traditional craft products made from fibrous plants is an important source of income for economically vulnerable rural women. In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, Cyperus textilis and Juncus kraussii have been used for centuries to make products of functional and cultural importance, such as sleeping mats and baskets. In the former Transkei village clusters of Mpozolo and Ntubeni, female crafters harvest the raw material and make and sell the products in their communities and in nearby towns. Interviews with 40 of them revealed what the trade contributes to their livelihoods and what enhances or limits their success. The findings show that crafting contributes vital income to vulnerable households, on average 26 ± 4 per cent of annual household cash income, over 40 per cent for the poorest households and 5–15 per cent for wealthier households. Lack of access to non-traditional markets was identified as the main constraint on the trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
The significance of the local trade in natural resource products for livelihoods and poverty alleviation in South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Poverty -- South Africa Rural poor -- South Africa Natural resources -- South Africa Selling -- Handicraft South Africa -- Commerce
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011731
- Description: What role can the commercialisation of natural resource products play in the efforts to reduce poverty and vulnerability and how can this be enhanced? With poverty alleviation at the top of the global development agenda, this is a question posed by many scholars, practitioners, donor agencies and government departments operating at the environment-development interface. However, recent commentary on this issue is mixed and ambiguous, with some observers being quite optimistic regarding the potential of these products, while others hold a counter view. This thesis explores the livelihood contributions and poverty alleviation potential of four products traded locally in the Bushbuckridge municipality, South Africa; namely traditional brooms, reed mats, woodcraft and a beer made from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea. A common approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, was used to investigate the harvesting, processing and marketing arrangements, sustainability and livelihood contributions of each product. The results illustrate that any inference regarding the potential of the trade to alleviate poverty depends on how poverty is defined and interpreted, and on whether the role of these products is assessed from a holistic livelihood perspective that includes notions of vulnerability, alternatives and choice, diversification and the needs of rural producers themselves. Overall, the products studied were key in enhancing the livelihood security of the poorest members of society, forming an important safety net and assisting in raising household incomes to levels equivalent to the wider population, but generally were unlikely, on their own, to provide a route out of poverty. However, there were notable exceptions, with marked variation evident both within and across products. Incomes often surpassed local wage rates, and a minority of producers were obtaining returns equivalent to or greater than the official minimum wage. Other benefits, such as the opportunity to work from home or to diversify the livelihood portfolio, were also crucial, with the trade representing different livelihood strategies for different households. When viewed within the context of rising unemployment and HIV/AIDS these findings assume greater significance. While the trades were complex and growth limited, livelihood benefits could be improved on a sustainable basis if the sector was given the attention and support it deserves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Poverty -- South Africa Rural poor -- South Africa Natural resources -- South Africa Selling -- Handicraft South Africa -- Commerce
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011731
- Description: What role can the commercialisation of natural resource products play in the efforts to reduce poverty and vulnerability and how can this be enhanced? With poverty alleviation at the top of the global development agenda, this is a question posed by many scholars, practitioners, donor agencies and government departments operating at the environment-development interface. However, recent commentary on this issue is mixed and ambiguous, with some observers being quite optimistic regarding the potential of these products, while others hold a counter view. This thesis explores the livelihood contributions and poverty alleviation potential of four products traded locally in the Bushbuckridge municipality, South Africa; namely traditional brooms, reed mats, woodcraft and a beer made from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea. A common approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, was used to investigate the harvesting, processing and marketing arrangements, sustainability and livelihood contributions of each product. The results illustrate that any inference regarding the potential of the trade to alleviate poverty depends on how poverty is defined and interpreted, and on whether the role of these products is assessed from a holistic livelihood perspective that includes notions of vulnerability, alternatives and choice, diversification and the needs of rural producers themselves. Overall, the products studied were key in enhancing the livelihood security of the poorest members of society, forming an important safety net and assisting in raising household incomes to levels equivalent to the wider population, but generally were unlikely, on their own, to provide a route out of poverty. However, there were notable exceptions, with marked variation evident both within and across products. Incomes often surpassed local wage rates, and a minority of producers were obtaining returns equivalent to or greater than the official minimum wage. Other benefits, such as the opportunity to work from home or to diversify the livelihood portfolio, were also crucial, with the trade representing different livelihood strategies for different households. When viewed within the context of rising unemployment and HIV/AIDS these findings assume greater significance. While the trades were complex and growth limited, livelihood benefits could be improved on a sustainable basis if the sector was given the attention and support it deserves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Local institutions, actors, and natural resource governance in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and surrounds, South Africa
- Thondhlana, Gladman, Shackleton, Sheona E, Blignaut, James
- Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Shackleton, Sheona E , Blignaut, James
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67689 , vital:29130 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.03.013
- Description: Publisher version , Crafting local institutions to allow more effective decision-making in the management of and access to natural resources in and beyond parks has long been considered key to collaborative governance. South Africa, in particular, has vigorously pursued collaborative governance as a desired approach to managing natural resources as evident in the new arrangements for previously restricted parks. However, though the discourse of collaborative governance has occupied conservation thinking and practice globally, few studies have looked at the interplay between local institutions, actors and collaborative governance involving indigenous hunter–gatherer communities in Southern Africa. In response, we assess the local actors and institutions that were put in place to facilitate collaborative governance of natural resources in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and its surrounds in South Africa. Our findings show that though collaborative governance has a practical appeal, it is hampered by lack of participation in decision-making, information dissemination, transparency, trust and accountability, power relations, divergent interests and unequal access to natural resources. The findings also draw our attention to issues of heterogeneity, even within indigenous communities assumed to be homogenous by local conservation authorities as reflected in land settlement agreements in co-managed parks. We argue that collaborative governance arrangements need to reflect and be understood within the broader background of complex local realities.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Shackleton, Sheona E , Blignaut, James
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67689 , vital:29130 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.03.013
- Description: Publisher version , Crafting local institutions to allow more effective decision-making in the management of and access to natural resources in and beyond parks has long been considered key to collaborative governance. South Africa, in particular, has vigorously pursued collaborative governance as a desired approach to managing natural resources as evident in the new arrangements for previously restricted parks. However, though the discourse of collaborative governance has occupied conservation thinking and practice globally, few studies have looked at the interplay between local institutions, actors and collaborative governance involving indigenous hunter–gatherer communities in Southern Africa. In response, we assess the local actors and institutions that were put in place to facilitate collaborative governance of natural resources in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and its surrounds in South Africa. Our findings show that though collaborative governance has a practical appeal, it is hampered by lack of participation in decision-making, information dissemination, transparency, trust and accountability, power relations, divergent interests and unequal access to natural resources. The findings also draw our attention to issues of heterogeneity, even within indigenous communities assumed to be homogenous by local conservation authorities as reflected in land settlement agreements in co-managed parks. We argue that collaborative governance arrangements need to reflect and be understood within the broader background of complex local realities.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2015