Protected areas and environmental conservation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: on HEIs, livelihoods and sustainable development

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inocent Moyo ◽  
Hlengiwe Marvelous Sweetness Cele
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Micro Level

Purpose The paper aims to advocate for innovative approaches in terms of the involvement of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the conservation of the environment, which fully considers and includes the developmental needs of indigenous communities while at the same time protecting the environment. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative study of indigenous communities and protected area (PA) authorities in Okhahlamba-Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, this paper explores the potential of the engagement of HEIs in capacitating indigenous communities to unleash their development potential towards reducing poverty and, thus accelerating the implementation of sustainable development goal one (SDG 1). Findings The paper shows that the enforcement of stringently protectionist policies in environmental conservation in PAs does very little to address issues of poverty because it leads to the marginalisation of indigenous communities and thereby their exclusion from using resources, which should benefit them. This undermines sustainable development, particularly the attainment of SDGs such as Goal 1, which targets ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. Originality/value Using the case of environmental management and governance of a PA in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, this paper highlights the fact that the attainment of SDG 1 can start at a micro-level and HEIs have a role to play in terms of collaborating with and understanding the needs of the rural communities so that research and innovation are geared towards meeting such needs. In this way, the paper advances the case of how the HEI-rural community-SDG 1 nexus can be established.

Cyberbullying a desecration of information ethics

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lancelord Siphamandla Ncube ◽  
Luyanda Dube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Rural Context ◽  
Modern Technologies

Purpose Cyberbullying occurs when a minor is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child. Given that cyberbullying entails defamation or spreading false information or portfolios about someone, it is regarded as a violation of the ethical code of information use. The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions, experiences and challenges of post-high school youth with regards to cyberbullying. This is a quantitative study that used a survey approach to gather data using a self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed to 60 youth from the KwaZulu-Natal computer literacy community engagement project. The findings attest that youth recognise that cyberbullying might have detrimental effects on victims, such as alcohol and drugs abuse, low self-esteem, high level of absenteeism, poor grades and depression and suicidal thoughts. There is a low percentage of victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying in rural contexts in South Africa. It is hoped that findings may will a positive impact in the rural communities and enable the youth to interact with the modern technologies and handle them in an ethical manner. The study recommends that parents need to take cognisance of the probable possible dangers of the various technologies so that they could be instrumental in educating their children about children cyberbullying. Further, the schools and the Department of Education can play a fundamental role in educating children about cyberbullying and cyber ethics. Design/methodology/approach This survey was conducted to explore youth perceptions and experiences, as well as violations, of ethics through cyberbullying as experienced by the rural community at Mbazwana in the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Convenience sampling was used, because although the questionnaire was distributed to all 60 participants in the project, not all of them completed the instrument, as participation was voluntary. Only 43 were completed, which is equal to 72 per cent response rate. The validity of the data collection instrument used was enhanced by the fact that questions were derived from the main objective of the study. Some themes of the instrument were self-designed and others were adapted from a similar study by Dehue et al. (2008), who looked at cyberbullying experiences of youth. The instrument was tried out in a pilot study in grade 12 classes in two high schools at Mbazwana in a bid to find out whether the learners would understand the questionnaire. Post-high school learners were considered to be at a similar level as the grade 12 learners polled. The pilot study proved its own importance: students who filled in the questionnaire indicated that they were not familiar with some terms and the researchers had to simplify the language to make it more understandable. Findings A large portion of the youth studied (45 per cent) indicated that they used their smartphones to access the internet, 25 per cent identified libraries as their source of access to the internet and 13 per cent reported accessing the internet from community laboratories (usually found in Department of Education centres). In total, 13 per cent of respondents reported accessing the internet from friends’ computers. Last, the smallest proportion at 4 per cent reported having internet access via their home desktop computers. The South African Mobile Report (2014) reveals that a great majority of South Africans access the internet via their own smartphones. These findings might indicate that many people nowadays do indeed have internet access in their regions. Research limitations/implications The results of this study indicate that not all households own a desktop computer, as some people rely on community laboratories and others rely on friends who own desktop or laptop computers. Practical implications The study results reveal that most students who did the computer literacy course consider themselves at an “intermediate” level. It was noted that cellphones/smartphones play a significant role in gaining access to the internet and to social networking applications in rural communities. The social media applications most visited by youth in this study were shown to be Facebook and WhatsApp. Only a relatively low percentage of the respondents in this study in a rural context in South Africa reported being either victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying. Social implications Social media give people ample opportunities to interact and socialise with other people in global context. Only a relatively low percentage of the respondents in this study in a rural context in South Africa reported being either victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying. It is hoped that insights gained from these findings may have a positive effect in the rural communities if awareness programmes are put in place to enable the youth to interact with the modern technologies and handle them in an ethical manner. Originality/value The contribution to the world of knowledge is that this study gives a clear indication of experiences and perceptions of cyberbullying in rural areas in South Africa. This will inform other scholars who want to engage in similar studies in different contexts that can be compared with the results of this study. It is notable that one cannot predict one’s own knowledge of a certain aspect of a community until one has fully engaged in research. Prior to this study, the researchers did not know whether the rural community youth participated in cyberbullying.

scholarly journals A serological survey of leptospirosis in cattle of rural communities in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2009 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
U.W. Hesterberg ◽  
R. Bagnall ◽  
B. Bosch ◽  
K. Perrett ◽  
R. Horner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Agglutination Test ◽  
District Level ◽  
Sampling Point ◽  
Serological Survey ◽  
Test Sensitivity ◽  
Apparent Prevalence ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Leptospira Interrogans Serovar Pomona

A serological survey of leptospirosis in cattle originating from rural communities of the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa was carried out between March 2001 and December 2003. The survey was designed as a 2-stage survey, using the local dip tank as the primary sampling point. In total, 2021 animals from 379 dip tanks in 33 magisterial districts were sampled and tested with the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The apparent prevalence at district level was adjusted for clustering and diagnostic test sensitivity and specificity and displayed in maps. The prevalence of leptospirosis in cattle originating from communal grazing areas of KZN was found to be 19.4% with a 95% confidence interval of 14.8-24.1 %. At district level the prevalence of leptospirosis varied from 0 to 63 % of cattle. Bovine leptospirosis was found to occur in communal grazing areas throughout the province with the exception of 2 districts. The southeastern regions showed a higher prevalence than other areas of the province; while in some of the northern and western districts a lower prevalence was noted. Several serovars were detected by the MAT and although Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona occurred most frequently, serovars tarrasovi, bratislava, hardjo, canicola and icterohaemorrhagica were also frequently identified. The findings of the survey are discussed.

Evaluating conditions for successful co-management of subsistence fisheries in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
VICTORIA R. NAPIER ◽  
GEORGE M. BRANCH ◽  
JEAN M. HARRIS
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
National Government ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Local Institutions ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Subsistence Fisheries ◽  
Perceived Success ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

Conditions important for the success of co-management have repeatedly been identified, but their relative influence has not been quantitatively evaluated. To investigate the implementation of co-management in 11 subsistence fisheries within seven rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, perceptions of the responsible authorities and the fishing communities were surveyed. Of 16 conditions often considered important for the success of co-management, only nine were correlated with perceived success, the most strongly correlated being (1) benefits of co-management must exceed costs of participation, (2) training and empowerment, and (3) existence of a long-term ‘champion’ to drive the process. The perceptions of the authorities concurred with those of the communities with regards to the attainment of conditions, but views on the success of co-management differed significantly owing to disagreements that were specific to three particular fisheries. Both groups agreed that co-management is a viable improvement on top-down authoritarian imposition of regulations. However, it takes time to become effective; perceived success was directly correlated with how long individual programmes had been operating. Failure to devolve power from national government to local institutions, and delays in awarding subsistence permits, remain the major stumbling blocks to full realization of co-management.

A multi-level analysis of sustainability practices in Ghana: examining the timber, cocoa, and gold mining industries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Hess
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Timber Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The United Nations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the macro-, meso- and micro-level approaches to building sustainability in Ghana's timber, cocoa and goldmining industries s Ghana works to align sustainability efforts with the sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative content analysis, a synthesis of contemporary literature on Ghana's timber, cocoa and gold mining industries was conducted to provide a descriptive evaluation of sustainability efforts in those industries. Findings At the macro-level, Ghana continues to invest in infrastructure, privatize industries and develop an urban development agenda to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI); improved forest management and green building policies and reduction of galamsey are also implemented. At the meso-level, the timber industry encourages land reclamation and green building technologies; the cocoa industry works to replenish lost trees, develop supply-chain partnerships, and encourage certifications; the goldmining industry works to regulate informal mining and reduce galamsey and the use of toxins in exploration. At the micro-level, alignment has developed between the micro- and meso-levels in the timber and cocoa industries, whereas micro-level players in the timber industry are less successful, given its large, unregulated informal sector. Originality/value Existing literature is missing discussion on the alignment of macro-, meso- and micro-level approaches to sustainability in Ghana's timber, cocoa and gold mining industries with attention to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as the premise for the work.

Assessment of a ground-based lightning detection and near real-time warning system in the rural community of Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maqsooda Mahomed ◽  
Alistair D. Clulow ◽  
Sheldon Strydom ◽  
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi ◽  
Michael J. Savage
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Lightning Activity ◽  
Lightning Flash ◽  
Short Message ◽  
Remote Server ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Education And Awareness ◽  
Multiple Network

AbstractClimate change projections of increases in lightning activity are an added concern for lightning-prone countries such as South Africa. South Africa’s high levels of poverty, lack of education and awareness, as well as a poorly developed infrastructure increases the vulnerability of rural communities to the threat of lightning. Despite the existence of national lightning networks, lightning alerts and warnings are not disseminated well to such rural communities. We therefore developed a community-based early warning system (EWS) to detect and disseminate lightning threats and alerts in a timeous and comprehensible manner within Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The system comprised of an electrical field meter and a lightning flash sensor with warnings disseminated via audible and visible alarms on-site and with a remote server issuing short message services (SMSs) and email alerts. Twelve months of data (February 2018-February 2019) were utilized to evaluate the performance of the EWS’s detection and warning capabilities. Diurnal variations in lightning activity indicated the influence of solar radiation, causing convective conditions with peaks in lightning activity occurring during the late afternoon and early evening (between 14h00 and 21h00) coinciding with learners being released from school and when most workers return home. In addition to detecting the threat of lightning, the EWS was beneficial in identifying periods that exhibited above-normal lightning activity with two specific lightning events examined in detail. Poor network signals in rural communities was an initial challenge delaying data transmission to the central server until rectified using multiple network providers. Overall, the EWS was found to disseminate reliable warnings timeously.

CSR disclosure in developing and developed countries: a comparative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aparna Bhatia ◽  
Binny Makkar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Developed Nations ◽  
Developing And Developed Countries

Purpose This paper aims to examine and compare the nature and extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices of companies in developing (BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa]) and developed (the USA and the UK) countries. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis is conducted on the annual reports and websites of 325 companies listed on stock exchanges of developing markets and of developed markets (Brazil – IBrX 100, 46 companies; Russia – Broad Market Index, 50 companies; India – BSE 100, 50 companies; China – SSE 180, 29 companies; South Africa – FTSE/JSE All Share index, 50 companies; the USA – NYSE 100, 50 companies; the UK – FTSE 100, 50 companies). Descriptives are used to calculate company wise and item wise scores. T-test analysis is applied to check for significant differences between mean scores of developing and developed countries. Findings The findings of the study reflect that developed countries have higher CSR disclosure scores than developing countries. Overall, mean CSR disclosure score of developed countries is 53.5%, followed by that of the developing countries at 49.4%. Developed countries take lead in CSR disclosure for all the five categories, namely, human resources, community, environment, customer and product and others. The results of independent sample T-test suggest that mean disclosure score of developing nations is significantly different from developed nations. Practical implications As suggested by the results, the gap in the CSR disclosure scores between developing and developed group of countries is not an alarming one. However, developing countries should practice CSR in spirit and not just in letter. Focus should not be on just filling the pages in black and white, rather the essence of CSR should be attained for balanced development of the country. For instance, though developing country like India has high score of CSR disclosure in contrast to each of the developed country taken in the sample, yet the country is still battling with several issues such as poverty, over-population, corruption, poor standard of working conditions for the employees and environmental conservation. Sustenance should focus upon renewable sources of energy; efforts of employees should be acknowledged offering flexible working hours; consumer trust should be built by communicating authentic and accurate information about the product. As developing countries encounter several social and environmental problems, companies must endeavor to build a healthy nation keeping in mind the welfare of all stakeholders by practicing CSR. Originality/value This study overcomes the limitations of prior cross-country studies by taking a better representative sample with greater number of countries belonging to identifiable group of “developing” and “developed” nations and thus attempts to improve generalization and authenticity of results.

Open laboratories for social innovation: A strategy for research and innovation in education for peace and sustainable developmentSustainable development is an issue of high relevance for all countries, and universities play a fundamental role in promotin

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Georgina Gómez Zermeño ◽  
Lorena Yadira Alemán de la Garza
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Innovation In Education ◽  
The Social ◽  
Innovation Space

Purpose Sustainable development is an issue of high relevance for all countries and universities play a fundamental role in promoting the participation of society members in achieving this objective. This study aims to conduct an open laboratory of social innovation (OPENLAB_SI) inside a university with society stakeholders, as a research and innovation tool that facilitates addressing the complexity of social problems through the principles of openness, experimentation, inclusion, diversity, participation and collaboration. The aim was to encompass innovation with the active participation of citizens in processes of experimentation, exchange and creativity to impact their social reality through collective designs for more sustainable futures done by and for communities. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case study conducted during an OPENLAB_SI, which applied innovative, socio-educational strategies intending to promote the social appropriation of renewable energies to help the sustainable development of urban, rural and marginalized areas. In our open lab, a total of 67 participants attended, including university students from various public and private institutions of higher education. Also, civil organizations participated, as well as consultants, teachers, government representatives and university professors. Experts from various disciplines who work in businesses, foundations, universities and government spoke on the topics that were addressed. Findings Among the notable principal findings is the collaborative work done voluntarily by all the participants who, instead of working with a proposal designed beforehand by one group or another, recognized that an OPENLAB_SI leads to the creation of links between society, academia, business and government. Originality/value In the OPENLAB_SI through the exchange of experiences and best practices, aimed at more robust networking and improvement in the acquisition of scientific and technological skills and abilities, the participants became actively involved in the generation of collective knowledge. The main contribution of this paper is to present an open laboratory into the social innovation space that can be replicated such a living lab model in other contexts to contribute to pursuit the sustainable development goals with education for sustainable development as a key catalyst for transformation.

Sustainable development and spirituality: a critical analysis of GNH index

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1919-1939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanupriya Gupta ◽  
Rajat Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Cultural Preservation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Spiritual Values ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between sustainable development (SD) and spirituality. Bhutan, a country believing deeply in Buddhist spiritual values has created a model of Gross National Happiness (GNH) where it is believed that the holistic evolution of human being can take place with a balance of material as well as non-material aspects of spiritual, cultural, societal and environmental. The paper critically analyzes GNH to establish the role of spirituality in SD. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses the GNH concept using literature review. Further, personal meetings with authorities in Bhutan and interaction with citizens of Bhutan used to gather primary data. A critical approach has been applied to understand the practical implication of the concept. Findings Good governance, sustainable socioeconomic development, cultural preservation and environmental conservation formed the four basic pillars of the GNH index, further elaborated into 9 domains and 33 clustered indicators. The concept has been commendable in giving new direction to the understanding of SD. Nevertheless, certain discrepancies create ambiguity and limitations around the validity of adoption of the concept in other countries. Research limitations/implications A balanced and holistic, yet practical model of SD is necessitated. Bhutan has been a pioneer to suggest the different dimensions that can be acted upon to produce a more honest and sustainable path of being in concord with nature, community and other-related surroundings. Practical implications The paper provides insights to researchers and practitioners in understanding the basic essentials required for the SD agenda. The paper derives the learnings from the GNH model which can help in understanding the areas where the western three-pillar model of development needs more refinement. At the same time, the paper also helps in creating the insights for Bhutanese practitioners and policymakers about the areas where the GNH model still needs to be worked upon to improve its efficacy. Originality/value The paper proposes that SD can only be achieved through spirituality.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document