Over the past five years, the project has explored the conceptual and philosophical basis for investing in Ecological Infrastructure (EI) and through this report, demonstrates how EI can be utilised to secure water for the benefit of society through research focused on selected case studies in the uMngeni Catchment.
There is an interdependent and co-constitutive relationship between EI, society and water security. Through the study, we identify approaches in the uMngeni Catchment where investment into the maintenance and/or rehabilitation of EI can produce long-term and sustainable returns for the delivery of water-related ecosystem services. The study inherently addresses aspects of water quantity and quality, economics, societal interactions, environmental systems and the governance of natural resources. It highlights that ensuring availability and sustainable management of water resources requires both transdisciplinary and detailed biophysical, economic, social and development studies of both formal and informal socio-ecological systems. It also argues that the human resources capacity to support these studies is critical to sustainable and transformative outcomes.
The following are outputs that have resulted from the project:
BOOK CHAPTERS
Martel, P. and Sutherland, C. (2019) in Cobbinah. P.B. and Addaney, M. (eds) Governing River Rehabilitation for Climate Adaptation and Water Security in Durban, South Africa, The Geography of Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Africa, Palgrave MacMillan.
Mazeka, B., Sutherland, C., Buthelezi, S. and Khumalo, D. (2019) Community-Based Mapping Methodology for Climate Change Adaptation: A Case Study of Quarry Road West Informal Settlement, Durban, South Africa, in Cobbinah. P.B. and Addaney, M. (eds) The Geography of Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Africa, Palgrave MacMillan.
Rodina, L., Baker, L.A. Galvin, M., Goldin, J., Harris, L.M., Manungufala, T., Musemwa, M., Sutherland, C., and Ziervogel, G. (2017) 151Water, equity and resilience in Southern Africa: future directions for research and practice, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 26–27:143–151.
Sutherland, C. (forthcoming) Involving people in informal settlements in NHG based on South African experience, in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES
GOKOOL, S. & JEWITT, G. 2019. Identifying hotspots for investment in ecological infrastructure within the uMngeni catchment, South Africa. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2019.11.003.
HUGHES, C., DE WINNAAR, G., SCHULZE, R. E., MANDER, M. & JEWITT, G. P. 2018a. Mapping of water-related ecosystem services in the uMngeni catchment using a daily time-step hydrological model for prioritisation of ecological infrastructure investment – Part 1: Context and modelling approach.Water SA,44.
HUGHES, C. J., DE WINNAAR, G., SCHULZE, R. E., MANDER, M. & JEWITT, G. P. 2018b. Mapping of water-related ecosystem services in the uMngeni catchment using a daily time-step hydrological model for prioritisation of ecological infrastructure investment – Part 2: Outputs. Water SA,44.
MANDER, M., JEWITT, G., DINI, J., GLENDAY, J., BLIGNAUT, J., HUGHES, C., MARAIS, C., MAZE, K., VAN DER WAAL, B. & MILLS, A. 2017. Modelling potential hydrological returns from investing in ecological infrastructure: Case studies from the Baviaanskloof-Tsitsikamma and uMngeni catchments, South Africa. Ecosystem Services,27,261-271.
NAMUGIZE, J. N., JEWITT, G. & GRAHAM, M. 2018. Effects of land use and land cover changes on water quality in the uMngeni river catchment, South Africa. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C,105,247-264.
NAMUGIZE, J. N., JEWITT, G. P. W., CLARK, D. & STRÖMQVIST, J. Under Review. Assessment of the Hype Model for Simulation of Water and Nutrients in the Upper uMngeni River Catchment in South Africa. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions,1‐37.
NAMUGIZE, J. N. & JEWITT, G. P. W. 2018. Sensitivity analysis for water quality monitoring frequency in the application of a water quality index for the uMngeni River and its tributaries, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. WaterSA, 44:4. DOI: 10.4314/wsa.v44i4.01.
SIM, V., SUTHERLAND, C., BUTHELEZI, S., & KHUMALO, D. (2018) Possibilities for a hybrid approach to planning and governance at the interface of the administrative and traditional authority systems in Durban, Urban Forum, 29(4), 351-368.
STRYDOM, S. & JEWITT, G.P.W., SAVAGE, M.J., CLULOW, A.D. (forthcoming) Long-term trends and variability in the microclimates of the uMngeni Catchment, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and potential impacts on water resources. Theoretical and Applied Climatology.
SUTHERLAND, C. & MAZEKA, B. (2019) Ecosystem services in South Africa. In Knight, J. and Rogerson, C. (eds) The Geography of South Africa, World Regional Geography Book Series, Nature New York: Springer.
SUTHERLAND, C. SIM, V., BUTHELEZI, S., KHUMALO, D. (2016) Social constructions of environmental services in a rapidly densifying peri-urban area under dual governance in Durban, South Africa, African Biodiversity and Conservation, 46(2), 1-12.
VOGEL, C., SCOTT, D., CULWICK, C., & SUTHERLAND, C. (2016) Environmental problem solving in South Africa: Harnessing creative imaginaries to address ‘wicked’ challenges and opportunities, South African Geographical Journal, 98(3), 515-530.
WILLIAMS, D.S., Máñez COSTA, M., CELLIERS, L. & SUTHERLAND, C. (2018) Informal Settlements and Flooding: Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses in Local Governance for Water Management, Water, 10, 871.
Williams, D.,Manez Costa, M., Sutherland, C., Cilliers, L. and Scheffran, J. (2019) Vulnerability of informal settlements in the context of rapid urbanization and climate change, Environment and Urbanisation, 31(1), 157-176.
DELIVERABLES
Deliverable 1: Full report on inception workshop and finalized project methodology (pdf)
Deliverable 2: Annual Report (pdf)
Deliverable 3: Report on the water resource quality status from a catchment perspective from Midmar and Baynespruit study sites (pdf)
Deliverable 4: Economic Value – Methodology Report (pdf)
Deliverable 5: Annual Report (pdf)
Deliverable 6: Report on capacity development, popular articles and blog sites (pdf)
Deliverable 7: Literature review and final methodology description to assess water resource connectivity and inter dependency (between surface and ground water, water quality and quantity, water and society, etc) from a landscape perspective (pdf)
Deliverable 8: Annual Report (pdf)
Deliverable 9: Report on synthesis of quantified costs incurred through the use of poor water quality by various stakeholders (pdf)
Deliverable 10: Report on water quality in identified case study sub-catchments of the lower uMngeni catchment and the relationship between catchment and water quality (pdf)
Deliverable 11: Annual Report (pdf)
Deliverable 12: Report based on the tested evidence demonstrating how intact ecological infrastructure could have alleviated the costs resulting from degraded ecosystems (pdf)
Deliverable 13: Report on the water resource quality status from a catchment perspective (pdf)
Deliverable 14: Water resource connectivity, inter-dependency and social relations from a landscape perspective (pdf)
Deliverable 15: Final Report (Report pdf, Ten-Lessons pdf )
STUDENT THESES AND DISSERTATIONS
POST-DOCTORAL STUDENTS
Dr. Shaeden Gokool – Identifying Hotspots for Investment in Ecological Infrastructure within the uMngeni Catchment, South Africa
PHD STUDENTS
Michelle Browne – Economic evaluation of ecosystem restoration with a focus on wetland rehabilitation in South Africa
Matthew Burnett – Managing the Ecological Consequences of Water Quality and Quantity in Real Time Using the FISHTRAC Monitoring System
Indrani (Hazel) Govender – Ecological Risk Assessment of the uMngeni Catchment
Dr. Catherine Hughes – Degradation of Ecological Infrastructure and Its Rehabilitation for Improved Water Security
Patrick Martel – A temporal analysis of changing hydrosocial relationships in Durban, South Africa
Dr. Jean N. Namugize’s – Effects of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Water Quality of the Upper uMngeni River, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Simphiwe Ngcobo – A Climate Risk Index for Commercial Sugarcane in Southern Africa
Susan Risko – Water governance in the Msunduzi Catchment: The politics and construction of the socio-economic and environmental value of the Msunduzi River
MASTERS STUDENTS
Nonthando Buthelezi – Investments in Ecological Infrastructure: An Ex Ante Assessment of the Costs and Benefits of Rehabilitation in the Mthinzima Wetland in KwaZulu-Natal
Londiwe Dlamini – Adapting the Social-Ecological Systems Framework to understand impacts of flooding in the Palmiet River Catchment
Jedine Govender – An Assessment of the Water Quality of the Baynespruit River and Its Linkages to the Health of the Sobantu Community
Sessethu Matta – The Value of Community-Based Water Quality Monitoring Initiatives
Silindile Mtshali – Estimating the Impact of Acacia Mearnsii in the uMngeni Catchment Using Remote Sensing and Hydrological Modelling
Semeshan Naidoo – The Relationship Between the Infrastructure, within the Palmiet Catchment, and the Condition of the Palmiet River Water Quality and Riparian Zone
Theolin Naidoo – An Assessment of Stakeholder Dynamics in Proposed Wetland Rehabilitation Projects: A Case Study of Wetlands in the Baynespruit Catchment, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Hlengiwe Ndlovu* – The Effect of the Lions River Floodplain on Downstream Water Quality
Sanele Ngubane – Assessing Spatial and Temporal Variations in Water Quality of the Upper uMngeni Catchment, KwaZulu – Natal, South Africa: 1989 – 2015
Nantale Nsibirwa – An Assessment of the Critical Source Areas and Transport Pathways of Diffuse Pollution in the uMngeni Catchment, South Africa
Nolwazi Ntini – Dynamics of a Hydrosocial Relationship: a Case Study of the Pinetown/New Germany Industrial Complex and the Palmiet River
Ayanda Sithebe – A Comparative Microbiological Assessment of River Basin Sites to Elucidate Fecal Impact and the Corresponding Risks
Dylan Teasdale – Comparing drought management from 1982/83 and 2015/16 in the uMngeni-Mooi system
Khayelihle Thethwayo – The impacts of rapid peri-urban densification on drainage systems: Case study of uMzinyathi in Durban
HONOURS STUDENTS
Londiwe Dlamini* – 2015/2016 Drought: An Evaluation of the Management Responses on the Water Infrastructure in the uMngeni Catchment
Sheldon Gouws – Water Quality in the Karkloof Catchment
Sizophila Mahlobo♰ – Water quality monitoring of Nguklu and Gqishi streams upstream of Midmar Dam
Nosihle Mkhize* – Using Mini-SASS to Test the Water Quality of Rivers and Testing its Compatibility with Formally Assessed Water Quality Records
Silindile Mtshali* – Estimating Chlorophyll Content in Water Bodies, Using Multispectoral and Hyperspectral Satellite Imagery
Nantale Nsibirwa* – Estimation of Pollution Load for the Mthinzima Catchment, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Thabethe, Eddie – Citizen Science Monitoring: the Case Study of Howick Wastewater Treatment Works in the Umgeni Catchment
Nokulinga ZweZwe – Monitoring of Water Quality of Inflow Into Large Dams in the Upper Umgeni Catchment
* Student progressed onwards to a higher degree.
♰ Deceased