Department of Environmental Sciences
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/132
2024-03-19T04:15:04ZThe ecological assessment of the influence of anthropogenic activities on Palala River, Limpopo, South Africa
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/30835
The ecological assessment of the influence of anthropogenic activities on Palala River, Limpopo, South Africa
Sibiya, Sifundile
Water quality integrity deterioration is a severe global issue due to urbanisation, population growth, pollution and other anthropogenic activities threatening freshwater integrity. Anthropogenic activities alter freshwater integrity which leads to negative impacts on general ecological functioning of rivers. The current study was conducted along the Palala River in the Waterberg district in Limpopo, South Africa. The study was designed to employ multivariate and multimeric methods to determine relationships between environmental variables and macroinvertebrate communities. Macroinvertebrates were used to assess spatial and temporal changes in water quality using SASS5 (South African Scoring System version 5). The ecological status of the Palala River was clearly revealed through measuring of nutrient concentrations and environmental variables that influence water quality, and the macroinvertebrate communities that are found within the river. The results indicated the water quality was significantly impacted by changes in chloride concentrations at the site which had the most human interactions. The multivariate analysis revealed that macroinvertebrate communities were impacted by changes in the concentrations of chlorides (Cl-), total dissolved solids (TDS), as well as electrical conductivity (EC). Additionally, simple linear regression indicated that the abovementioned environmental variables had an impact on Taxa richness, total abundance and taxa diversity. The river was revealed to be in a natural state as it drains through upstream (P1 and P2) and midstream sampling sites (P3 and P4). Interestingly, there was a massive improvement in water quality as the river drains within Lapalala Wilderness Reserve (sites P3 and P4). Unfortunately, there was a dramatic decrease in water quality as the river exited the reserve draining through downstream sites P5 and P6. The sampling site P5 was highly impacted by human settlements and domesticated livestock increasing nutrient concentrations in the river. The results revealed that an increase in chloride concentrations affected macroinvertebrate abundances at sampling site P5. Sampling site P5 was dominated by highly tolerant taxa at 75%, intermediate 25% and 0% sensitive taxa. The tolerant animals such as Chironomidae, Hydracarina and Ceratopogonidae were found in abundance at this site. The highest recorded SASS5 score was 165 at sampling site P4 and lowest was 80 at sampling site P5. The highest ASPT score was 8,5 at sampling site P3 and lowest was 3.8 at sampling site P6. The scores indicated that the river was severely impaired at sites P5 and P6.
2023-08-01T00:00:00ZThe impact of licensing on selected hazardous waste disposal facilities in South Africa
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/30662
The impact of licensing on selected hazardous waste disposal facilities in South Africa
Dlamini, Zinhle Teresa (Mbili)
This research evaluates the impact of waste licensing conditions on the operations of
three selected hazardous waste disposal facilities, particularly in terms of compliance with
conditions of the issued waste management licences (WML). Furthermore, the costs that
are associated with complying with WML conditions, the difficulties encountered by the
landfill operators when complying with the WML conditions and the impact of licenced
waste disposal on groundwater, was also evaluated.
In South Africa, at the time of this study only seven commercial hazardous waste disposal
facilities were licensed. However, construction at one of these facilities had not
commenced, operations had just commenced at another, and one site was being
decommissioned. Therefore, three waste disposal facilities were selected for this study
when access to the fourth facility was withdrawn.
Qualitative research methods were used to collect data, to evaluate difficulties
encountered by landfill operators while ensuring compliance and the costs that were
incurred while ensuring compliance. An open-ended questionnaire was used to collect
data on difficulties, while a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the
costs that were incurred, and the responses to the questionnaires were provided during
site visits conducted by the researcher. The effects of licenced waste disposal facilities
on groundwater and the evaluation of landfill compliance with waste management licence
conditions were assessed by reviewing external audit reports for the past three years.
The findings of the study revealed that the landfill operators have largely been able to
comply with WML conditions even though there were difficulties with some of the WML conditions. The study revealed that the costs of complying with conditions of a WML for
a hazardous waste disposal site were very high. The study also revealed that the impact
of waste disposal activities on groundwater quality was minimal at all three facilities at the
time when the external auditors conducted the audits. The study recommends that
authorities should work on improving efficiency when processing WML variation
applications and there is an opportunity for future research on how authorities should
improve efficiency in decision making.
2023-02-01T00:00:00ZFactors affecting sustainable water use in South Africa : a case of Cape Town
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/30593
Factors affecting sustainable water use in South Africa : a case of Cape Town
Musariri, Yeukai
Cape Town's water shortages continue unabated, with most residents resorting to unsafe water
sources. The continuation of the water shortages has reached crisis level, which signals
challenges in the provision of clean, potable water in the city and the need for effective strategies
to manage the crisis. To this end, the current study sought to establish the factors affecting
sustainable water use and the causes of the failure of sustainable water use in Cape Town. The
study's main aim was to ascertain the factors affecting sustainable water use in Cape Town,
South Africa. The philosophy adopted in the study was pragmatism, with deductive research
being the preferred approach and a descriptive case study design being used. The study's target
population comprised the total number of Cape Town residents and water management officials
from the municipality who were sampled through a combination of systematic and typical case
purposive sampling. Research instrumentation for the study included 362 semi-structured
research questionnaires and 20 key informant interviews. It was established that the most critical
factors leading to the water crisis in Cape Town include the failure to invest in water services
(mean of 4.36), increased water consumption arising from urbanisation (mean of 4.81) and
increasing demand for water from various user sectors like agriculture, mining, and industry
(4.91 mean response). The findings also suggest that such climate change-related issues as
rainfall variability (mean response of 4.6) and flooding (4.7 means) have negatively contributed
to Cape Town's water crisis. The significant challenges in the sustainable use of water in Cape
Town were found to include the lack of knowledge on the importance of water (mean 4.18), cost
burdens (4.35 mean), political and administrative bottlenecks (4.09 mean) as well as weak
institutional capacities in dealing with the water crisis (mean 4.73). The study also showed that
only the use of boreholes (mean 4.22) and water rationing (mean 4.46) are effective coping
strategies in managing the crisis. The causes of the water crisis significantly and negatively
affected the effectiveness of the coping strategies employed, and there is no significant
relationship between the challenges experienced in sustainable water use and the effectiveness
of the coping strategies employed in Cape Town, as established by the R2 coefficients of 0.748
and 0.068, respectively. Sustainable water use in Cape Town can be achieved through a
multiplicity of strategies which include attending to water networks and pipelines (mean 3.16),
using potable water (mean 3.66), fixing the water reticulation systems (mean 2.78) and
enhancing accountability in water governance (mean 2.79).
2023-01-31T00:00:00ZSustainability of indigenous methods of solid waste management in Sikhunyani Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/30565
Sustainability of indigenous methods of solid waste management in Sikhunyani Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Rabonda, Lethabo Caroline
Most rural areas do not have access to basic amenities such as municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal services and use various indigenous methods of solid waste management and disposal. Most communities in developing countries also lack adequate infrastructure and financial resources to achieve sustainable levels of waste collection and proper disposal. Without these systems in place, the impact on these communities can be devastating. Therefore, it is important to further explore indigenous knowledge (IK) systems as a possible alternative to current MSW management systems and assess the sustainability of their waste management methods. This study seeks to examine the variables of indigenous knowledge (IK) systems, classify waste streams generated, identify indigenous methods of solid waste management, and evaluate the sustainability of the identified indigenous methods of solid waste management.
A mixed method was used to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data from selected households. This study used survey and observation for different research questions. Structured interviews and questionnaires were used to collect the data to answer the research objectives. Observations were used to support the survey by identifying waste streams and methods used by households. This study also included an in-depth review of peer-reviewed journal articles to evaluate the sustainability of indigenous solid waste management methods practised by households. Non-probability sampling was used to select households from non-urban households of Sikhunyani Village. A total of 108 questionnaires were collected from Sikhunyani village. The data were analysed through descriptive and cross-tabulation statistics. Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS were used to analyse the data and establish statistical relationships.
The study brought to the fore the influence of language, cultural practices, and religious beliefs as vital in dispersing IK in Sikhunyani village. The study also established the influence of language (as a proxy for local culture and traditions) on the adoption of traditions and cultures, including language transition and language dominance between the household head, the general household and intercultural marriage dynamics within a household setting. The influence of formal schooling (a proxy of Western knowledge systems) and the resilience of IK sources within the community were also unravelled. This study highlights the significance of IK and shows that any knowledge system is indigenous to a community of its origin, thus neutralizing the strength of the discourse about IK. The study also revealed that for some knowledge to the classified as Indigenous, it must be locally developed; accumulated through experiences; it is a body of knowledge, is influenced by culture; it is unique; encourages socio-ecological interaction, promotes sustainability, and is a practice or skill or technique.
The study unearthed that organic waste is the most common waste stream and hazardous waste is the least common waste stream in Sikhunyani village. Various indigenous waste management practices including selective burning of waste were identified. Selective burning of waste was the most preferred indigenous method for managing various waste streams and it is only performed in the morning and evening to minimize human health risks. Indiscriminate dumping of disposable diapers in open spaces and streams is also prevalent in the study area. However, the empirical study found that most of the implemented indigenous methods adhere to the requirements of sustainability.
2023-02-24T00:00:00Z