Theses and Dissertations (Geography)
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Item Flood susceptibility analysis in Oshakati and Ongwediva within the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (CEB), north-central Namibia, using remote sensing and GIS techniques(2024-10) Shakela, Tuhafeni Shiwovanhu; Schmitz, Peter Michael, 1949-; Schoeman, R.C.Floods are a major problem affecting many parts of the world. Generally, the Cuvelai Etosha Basin (CEB) of north-central Namibia and specifically Oshakati and Ongwediva towns are no exceptions to this problem. Floods have ravaged the study area throughout the past and continue to do so in present times. Flood analysis in Oshakati and Ongwediva was carried out to map and determine drainage patterns, inundated zones and flood susceptibility. The research relied on collected geographic datasets of satellite images, YXZ survey points of the study area from which the DEM was created, cadastral data and participants' perceptions through a participatory GIS questionnaire. Remote sensing and GIS were used in the research. ArcGIS, Model Maker and Microsoft Excel were used in this research. Remote sensing techniques through the use of onscreen digitising was used to map shallow depressions, streams and inundated zones. Flood susceptibility was generated in ArcGIS after classifying the DEM into five elevation categories, from which flood susceptibility classes were deduced. Participatory GIS was used to further determine flood impact and rank flood susceptibility in Oshakati and Ongwediva towns. Parts of the study area were found to fall within shallow depressions and streams. Using onscreen digitisation, it was found that 18.60% of the entire towns of Oshakati and Ongwediva was situated within shallow depressions and streams, leaving 81.40% of Oshakati and Ongwediva shallow depressions and stream free. Considering the two towns individually, 21.0% of Oshakati town is in shallow depressions and streams, while 15.40% of Ongwediva town is situated in shallow depressions and streams. Shallow depressions features are primarily found in the town of Oshakati, degenerating into streams towards the southern part of the town as they flow towards Etosha pan in the south. Stream features are concentrated in the Ongwediva town, mainly in the eastern part of the town running through settlements such as the Sky location. An inundation map showed that 23% of Oshakati and Ongwediva towns was inundated during the 2009 flood season. The towns of Oshakati and Ongwediva is subjected to different flood susceptibility classes ranging from very high to very low. The very high flood susceptibility class occupied 6.54% of the two towns, while 24.48% of the Oshakati and Ongwediva towns is situated in high flood susceptible zones. Further, 32.70%, 24.52% and 11.76% of Oshakati and Ongwediva are respectively located in moderate, low, and very low flood-susceptible zones. Looking at the individual towns, Oshakati town is more susceptible to flooding than Ongwediva town, given that more of its land is situated in very high and high flood susceptible zones compared to Ongwediva town. Several institutions, businesses, public places and critical infrastructure fell into very high and high flood-susceptible zones, especially in Oshakati. In Ongwediva town, most institutions, businesses, and public places did not fall into flood-susceptible zones; they were used to being surrounded by flood water, which restricted access to them. Of all the participants in participatory GIS, 16% were never affected by floods, while 84% reported being affected by floods. Oshoopala, Uupindi and Oneshila are the most flood affected settlements in Oshakati, whereas Efidi location, Sky location and western extensions of 12-17&20 are the most flood affected in Ongwediva town based on participatory GIS data. Ekuku location in Oshakati town and the CBD and the suburbs for both towns are the least affected by floods based on participants, perceptions. Results of data analysis has indicated that Oshakati town is more prone to flooding than Ongwediva town. This is evident from very high and high flood susceptibility classes that occupies a larger area in Oshakati town than in Ongwediva town. Moreover, Oshakati town has more of its land falling within shallow depressions, streams and inundation in comparison to Ongwediva town.Item A GIS-based approach to analyse potable water acccessibility in Langeloop Village in Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Mpumalanga(2024-01) Mathaba, K. M.; Schmitz, P. M. U.Potable water accessibility is fundamentally a human right, crucial for sustaining life and ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. However, in rural areas, people struggle to find enough clean water to cook and drink; they travel or walk long distances to access potable water. Langeloop settlement is a rural area that struggles to access potable water. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse potable water accessibility to the Langeloop community using a GIS-based approach. Langeloop settlement consists of 11 sections/extensions used in this study. The mixed method research approach was used, and potable water sources such as standpipes were captured using a GPS, while observations and a questionnaire were used to conduct a survey. Spatial service area network analysis was performed. The findings of the study are that water accessibility is below average, and many households still do not have access to potable water. This study also found that water availability is a more prominent problem than water proximity. The recommendations of the study include 140 proposed standpipes in the areas where potable water is not accessible. However, it reflects the importance of resource allocation and targeted interventions to improve water access for communities in need.Item A strategy for the improvement of spatial thinking in undergraduate Geography at South African universities(2024-01) Carow, Sanet Patricia; Pretorius, Rudi W.Spatial thinking allows a person to use space to structure problems, model the real world, and identify and communicate possible solutions to challenges. Research proved a strong correlation between students studying Geography modules and their ability to think spatially. This research aims to develop a strategy for improving the teaching and learning of spatial thinking in undergraduate Geography modules presented at South African universities. The first objective was to determine the extent and nature of the incorporation of spatial thinking into the syllabi of undergraduate modules. The second objective was to critically assess the methods used by lecturers to convey module content to students and their disposition towards teaching spatial thinking. The third objective critically reflects on the spatiality of the assessment questions and the students’ spatial thinking capabilities. The last objective was to develop a strategy for improving spatial thinking in undergraduate Geography modules. The AQAL model of Integral theory was used to deal with the complexity of this research, which involves multiple perspectives and various data collection methods. Purposive sampling was used to identify geography departments that would participate in this research. The taxonomy of spatial thinking was used to evaluate the spatiality of module outcomes and assessments. In-depth interviews were conducted with lecturers, and their disposition to teach spatial thinking was determined through a questionnaire. The students’ spatial thinking capabilities were gauged by completing the spatial thinking ability test (STAT). The results indicate that the outcomes and assessments of the selected modules may not contribute towards developing students’ spatial thinking skills. Encouraging is that the lectures employ various teaching methods that should contribute towards developing students’ spatial thinking skills and demonstrate a positive disposition to do so. Although the sample size was small, the results of the STAT indicated that students have relatively poor spatial thinking skills. The strategy for spatial thinking allows for the inclusion of spatial thinking in module outcomes, conveying content to students, the lecturers’ disposition and improving the spatiality of assessment questions. This research calls on universities to implement the strategy for improved spatial thinking as part of undergraduate Geography curricula and recommit to teaching spatial thinking to undergraduate students.Item 'Borrowing' Parks : an analysis of organised events and attachment to Urban Parks, Johannesburg(2024-05) Van Vuuren, Leani; Gunter, A. W.Since the start of planned park developments, parks have been considered the spatial and social ‘fixes’ to the cultural, political, economic, and environmental challenges of cities. This is even more pronounced in dynamic cities of the global South. Steering away from romanticised ‘lungs of the city’ and ‘city escape’ conceptualizations, parks are also productive and dynamic spaces in which a variety of ideals, expectations and needs are enacted and negotiated daily by different ‘park actors’ and practices. One such ‘park practice’ is the set of organised events hosted in public parks. This research employs the ever-popular parkrun ‘move-ment’ as its case study. The parkrun has since its inception in 2004 in the UK, ‘borrowed’ parks and park-like venues to accommodate thousands of avid participants and volunteers weekly on Saturday mornings for a five-kilometre walk, jog or run. Today, it takes place across 22 countries globally. Contextualized within the city of Johannesburg and during the Covid-19 pandemic, this mixed-methods research draws on primary and secondary data from online questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, social media and online desktop research to unpack three unique parkrun case studies, namely the younger and smaller Mapetla parkrun and the older and larger Roodepoort and Delta parkruns. The research explores how the parkrun ‘move-ment’ has ‘event-tualised’ and resulted in an indirect (re)discovery and (re)appreciation of parks through the creation of a temporary event space, as a ‘third place’ and ‘communitas’. For participants and volunteers, the event carries immense significance, with a strong attachment underpinned mostly by social and community-related benefits. The ‘borrowed’ park is synonymous with the parkrun, while park attachment and sense of belonging relate mostly to the fostered attachment to the event and community. This is especially the case for the Mapetla and Roodepoort parkruns. For the Delta parkrun, the park itself provides a wider variety of alternative core functions. Event and park attachment are also directly enhanced by event loyalty. However, both a positive event and park attachment, as facilitated by the parkrun, do not necessarily translate into an investment in park maintenance and positive environmental behaviours for purposes and at times outside of the parkrun. Active environmental care is motivated mostly by the need to ensure the sustainability of the event. Nevertheless, the ‘borrowed’ parks benefit from the subsequent knock-on effects of the weekly parkrun influx that include but are not limited to donation drives, community celebrations, positive park marketing and clean-ups.Item Determining the uptake of ICT, GIS, RS, and 4IR technologies in improving food security in the agricultural sector in Gauteng Province, South Africa(2024-01-27) Mafenya, Khathutshelo; Schmitz, P. M. U.; Mafanya, M.Food insecurity has long been a problem in South Africa, with 6.5 million people (11% of the population) suffering from hunger in 2019. South Africa should, due to rising demands for food in urban areas, notably in Gauteng, the most populated province, enhance its efforts for food production. The aim of the study was to evaluate the uptake of ICT, GIS, RS, and 4IR technologies by the agricultural sector in improving food security in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study objectives were to investigate the uptake of ICT, GIS, RS, and 4IR technologies by agricultural support divisions in government, assess and map the uptake of these technologies by smallholder and commercial farmers, assess the implementation of GIS and RS in local farms including available government support, as well as to assess and map underlying conditions that promote or discourage the uptake of these technologies in Gauteng. The literature review underscores the transformative impact of advanced technologies, such as ICT, GIS, RS, and 4IR, on agriculture, significantly enhancing productivity and sustainability. Precision farming, AI, robotics, UAVs, IoT, and big data have transformed agricultural practices, enabling efficient resource management and improved yields. Nevertheless, poverty and inadequate resources hinder the adoption of technology by smallholder farmers in South Africa. There is a digital divide between commercial and smallholder farmers in terms of the uptake of ICT, GIS, RS, and other 4IR technologies. Food security and agricultural productivity can be improved in Gauteng Province through the adoption of these digital technologies. A mixed methods approach, through a concurrent triangulation data collection design, was employed in the study. This means both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed simultaneously. The study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey of N=150 farmers, N=60 GDARD personnel, and face-to-face interviewing of N=26 DALRRD personnel as well as researcher observations of N=6 farms. Research findings show that many commercial farmers have adopted 4IR technologies, although the uptake by smallholder farmers remains low. Results suggest that the high 4IR adoption by commercial farmers can be attributed to affordability, whereas low uptake by smallholder farmers can be due to a lack of funds and level of education. It is recommended that DALRRD and GDARD do not neglect smallholder farms and provide advanced ICT, GIS, RS, and 4IR training to smallholder and commercial farmers. This research work only focused on the Gauteng province so future research work could focus on adapting and improving the methods presented in this study for investigating the uptake of these technologies in other provinces to better understand the general status quo for the whole country.