Research Projects

The MAGIC Project:

Multi-scale adaptations to climate change and social-ecological sustainability in coastal areas

Project Participants: Nelson Mandela University George Sustainability Research Unit, Centre for Environmental Sustainability at University of Exeter (United Kingdom), CIRAD and IRSTEA (France), Resilience Alliance

Study Area: Coastal areas of Eden District Municipality (South Africa), Cornwall (United Kingdom), Languedoc-Rousseilon (France)

Project Duration: 2013 - 2015

Funding: National Research Foundation, Nelson Mandela University George Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University Research Management, Belmont Forum

Links: www.magic.irstea.fr and www.igfagcr.org

Project Objectives:

1. Using a model of “private proactive adaptation to climate change” this project aims to assess the interactions between: a) the actual risk posed by climate change; b) cognitive factors such as perceived risk and perceived adaptive capacity; c) adaptations; and d) situated learning when decisions makers participate in modelling processes.
2. We assess the relationship between these drivers and adaptation plans in coastal areas at three scales: individual decision makers; local communities of practice; and regional planning authorities.
3. Findings will directly inform and support adaptation decision making in coastal areas, add to current knowledge on vulnerability and adaptation, and facilitate learning and appreciation of feedbacks in adaptation responses.

Motivation in ecosystem stewardship and the resilience of biodiversity commons- The case of South Africa’s Garden Route

Student: Lisa Heider

Promoter: Prof. Christo Fabricius

Study Area: Garden Route, Western Cape

Duration: 2014 - 2016

Funding: National Research Foundation

Project objectives: 

My project aims to explore the role of different motivations in ecosystem stewardship and their influence on the social and ecological requirements that build the resilience of a biodiversity common. I target individual members of the public who show a committed and pro-active concern for biodiversity and ecological support systems in the Garden Route.  I am using a mixed-method research approach, including photo-voice, in-depth interviews, informal communication, observations and empirical literature reviews in order to (1) stimulate individual’s reflection of their sense of place and sources of motivation for stewardship, (2) investigate the social-ecological consequences of their behaviours and (3) estimate the impact on resilience.

• Progress: This far 30 research participants, 750 photographs
• Preliminary findings: Intentions and motivations in stewardship are driven by different  identities which emerge along a gradient of scale (ie. from narrow definition of self, to a predominantly social or ecological identity, to a cohesive social-ecological identity and to a holistic spiritual or biospheric identity)
• Preliminary findings: The impact of stewardship on the social-ecological community manifests on a temporal scale (short-term versus long-term) and on a contextual scale (narrow versus holistic), and seems to be explained by the different identities ecosystem stewards hold.
• Preliminary findings: Intentions and motivations for holistic and long-term impacts on the social-ecological community enhance the resilience of the biodiversity common, and are mainly driven by holistic spiritual and biospheric identities. Intentions and motivations for narrow and short-term impacts constrain resilience and are driven by narrow self-definitions of stewards.
• Highlights: field trips with ‘underestimated ecosystem stewards’: subsistence fishing ladies from Sedgefield, Rastafarians from Knysna and leader of Griqua Kranshoek community.
• Highlight: In-depth case study of Precious Tree Project in Wilderness Heights

Linking social networks and social capital to ecological infrastructure

Project Participants: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; Nelson Mandela University George Sustainability Research Unit; World Wide Fund for Nature; South African National Biodiversity Institute

Study Area: Eden District Municipality

Project Duration: 2013 – 2015

Funding: Water Research Commission

Project Objectives:

1. Provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, reflection and learning about the role of ecological infrastructure and social governance amongst the various relevant social and ecological projects, case studies and initiatives in the region.
2. Use these learning interactions and engagement with role-players to identify and map key risk social and ecological hotspots where both the likelihood and consequence of risks are high – including an assessment of capacity to manage them.
3. At a finer scale within selected risk hotspots, identify and quantify the ecological infrastructure most needed to enhance resilience and reduce the associated risks.
4. Explore and pilot mechanisms for enhancing the social governance needed to effectively implement these shared responses.
5. Based on the southern Cape study, make recommendations and raise awareness regarding the utility of linking the concepts of social governance and ecological infrastructure for building resilient landscapes.

Promoting systemic and adaptive governance in conservation: a national protected area expansion project

The aim is to promote learning from theory and practice, to provide insight and promote systemic adaptive landscape scale governance through a network of low-cost expanded PA’s.

Promotor/s: Peter Novellie and Dirk Roux

Study Area: Associated GEF 5 projects in Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape

Duration: 2017 – 2019

Funding: SANParks; GEF 5 programme

Project Objectives:

1. How can the theory on network governance and landscape scale conservation inform effective and sustainable governance for the expanded national network of protected areas, to sustain past the donor funding cycle?
2. What can we learn from past and current South African stewardship initiatives?
3. How can social network analysis and facilitation of common goal setting, develop and influence the governance of the GEF 5-SA project?

Collaborative decision support systems to prioritize invasive plant management in the Garden Route, South Africa.

Student: Current Masunungure

Promotor/s:: Prof. Christo Fabricius, Dr. Anton de Wit

Study Area: Eden District

Duration: 2017 - 2019

Funding: Department of Environmental Affairs

Project Objectives:

1. To identify stakeholders and ecological units (‘peoplescapes’) relevant to invasive plant management in the Garden Route.
2. To characterise the current decision making for IAP management and identify its strength and weaknesses.
3. To design and propose a model based invasive alien plant management decision support system application. (Based on the building blocks of the previous objectives) To identify finer-scaled hotspots within catchments for priority adaptive management activities
4. To identify finer-scaled hotspots within catchments for priority adaptive management activities.

    Social-ecological systems approaches to integrated water management: The Swartkops Estuary as a laboratory

Student: Zanele Hartmann

Promotor/s:: Prof. Christo Fabricius and Dr. Gavin Snow

Study Area: Swartkops Estuary, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Duration: 2017 - 2021

Funding:

Project Objectives:

1. Describe the current management system of the estuary;
2. Assess the views of local stakeholders, and authorities (policy makers ) policy implementers about the management system; 
3. Evaluate the consequences, for human well-being and ecosystem services, of the current management system;
4. and co-develop a novel, transformative management system with stakeholders;
5. and Evaluate its legitimacy acceptability and practicability.

Promotor/s: Prof. Christo Fabricius, Prof. Dirk Roux and Dr Heidi van Deventer (CSIR)

Study Area: Garden Route, Western Cape

Duration: 2 years

Funding: NRF, Nelson Mandela University PGRS & DEA

Project Objectives:

1. To spatially locate invasive tree species in the Garden Route.
2. To formulate prioritisation criteria for the management of invasive tree species.
3. To apply these prioritisation criteria to identify priority areas for invasive tree species management.

Adapting to climate change in South Africa: Dairy farmers' perception of and response to a changing climate

Student: Sibonokuhle Nontongana

Promotor/s: Supervisor: Prof Christo Fabricius Co-supervisor: Bianca Currie

Study area: Tsitsikamma

Duration of the project: 2 years

Objectives:

1. Review the vulnerability of South African dairy farms to climate change, the likely impacts of climate change, and climate-related risks on their farming systems.
2. Investigate the farmer’s perception about potential contribution of dairy farming practices to climate change, and examine how to mitigate these contributions.
3. Develop a framework to evaluate the potential adaptation strategies