A participatory sustainability assessment framework for biodiversity conservation in rural areas
| dc.contributor.advisor | Pelser, A. J. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Seaman, M. T. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Letšela, Limpho Malerato Senior | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-09-22T09:09:32Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-09-22T09:09:32Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2008 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2008 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: Biodiversity conservation is critical for the continued supply of ecosystem services to secure the sustainability of livelihoods, especially for poor rural people. Therefore, current rates of biodiversity loss, which threaten human survival, need to be curbed using effective interventions. Implementation and decision-making on interventions require timely information. Undertaking a Sustainability Assessment (SA) and structuring this information within a SA framework of components and objectives is one effective way to aid decision-makers. An effective SA framework addresses key sustainability issues and priorities that are aligned with the regulatory policy and legal framework, as well as stakeholder aspirations. Sustainability Assessment development and application is evolving and is more widespread in developed countries than developing countries. Hence, this study sought to investigate how to apply SA in a participatory manner within rural areas in a developing country. Key objectives of the study focused on: i) identification of key aspects that make a SA framework effective; ii) mechanisms of effectively incorporating participation into SA processes; iii) investigations of the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the ecosystem and human conditions required for the sustainability of biodiversity conservation; and iv) determination of stakeholder perceptions on progress towards sustainability. The study was conducted in Lesotho within a trans-boundary project area. The project is known as the MDTP and is a collaborative initiative between Lesotho and South Africa to conserve globally significant biodiversity. A qualitative case study approach was employed through a combination of techniques including a literature review, field observations, key informant interviews, group discussions and workshops to collect data. Study participants consisted of MDTP partners at the national, district and local levels, and some members of the general community. Two SA tools were applied in a complementary manner during the study, namely the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) SA approach and the Community Sustainability Assessment (CSA) approach, developed by the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN). Experiences of applying sustainability assessment in both developed and developing countries revealed that an overall generic SA tool is not practical. There is a need for a context-specific framework consisting of principles, criteria, generic steps, objectives, indicators, a toolkit and other context-specific components. The SA framework employed in this study had to fit biodiversity conservation conditions in rural areas. The SA process revealed that the MDTP partners were knowledgeable about the conditions of sustainability and threats to biodiversity, while members of the general community were unaware of these threats. Regarding progress towards the sustainability of biodiversity in the study area, the results indicated that current practices are unsustainable, more from the point of view of the socio-ecological components than the socio-cultural and spiritual or the socio-economic components. Consequently, there is a need to raise awareness at the community level and implement action plans to realize changes that support the sustainability of biodiversity in the long-term. Key components for a participatory SA framework depend on whether a SA is a partial assessment or a full one. The components of a partial SA framework also depend on whether the focus is on reflection and learning or data handling. Hence, the main components of a participatory sustainability assessment framework comprise: a comprehensive vision of sustainable development; goals towards attaining the vision; a participatory process engaging various stakeholders; a toolkit of appropriate SA tools used for various tasks; relevant principles of sustainability assessment; and sustainability-led decision criteria. There is no blueprint on how to undertake a SA process and no rigid way of integrating participation within the SA processes. The application of a SA requires adaptability and flexibility in specific circumstances. Therefore, the study presents guidelines, key components of a participatory SA process, and highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for applying a SA for biodiversity conservation in rural areas. Key words: sustainability assessment, stakeholder participation, environmental assessment, biodiversity conservation, rural areas, sustainability assessment framework. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Bewaringsbiodiversiteit is uiters noodsaaklik vir die volgehoue voorsiening van ekostelseldienste ten einde ân volhoubare lewensbestaan te verseker, veral aan arm plattelandse mense. Die huidige tempo van biodiversiteitsverlies bedreig die mens se oorlewing en moet dus gestuit word deur doeltreffende ingrype. Die implementering van en besluitneming oor sodanige ingrype vereis tydige inligting. Om ân volhoubaarheidstudie (VS) te onderneem en die inligting binne ân VS-raamwerk van komponente en doelwitte te struktureer, is ân doeltreffende manier om besluitnemers by te staan. ân Doeltreffende VS-raamwerk sal belangrike volhoubaarheidskwessies en âprioriteite in ag neem wat in ooreenstemming is met die heersende beleid- en wetsraamwerk, asook die strewes van die belanghebbendes. Die ontwikkeling en toepassing van VSâe groei en kom wyer voor in ontwikkelde lande as in ontwikkelende lande. Hierdie studie wou ondersoek instel na hoe VS'e op ân deelnemende wyse kan plaasvind in die plattelandse gebiede van ân ontwikkelende land. Die hoofdoelwitte van die studie was: i) die identifisering van sleutelaspekte wat ân VSraamwerk doeltreffend maak; ii) maniere om doeltreffende deelname aan VS-prosesse te verseker; iii) ân ondersoek na die opvattings van belanghebbendes omtrent die ekostelsel en menslike omstandighede wat vereis word vir die volhoubaarheid van biodiversiteitsbewaring; en iv) die vasstelling van belanghebbendes se opvattings omtrent die vordering na volhoubaarheid. Die studie het binne ân oorgrens-projekgebied in Lesotho plaasgevind. Dié projek staan bekend as die Maloti-Drakensberg-oorgrensprojek (MDOP) en is ân samewerkingsinisiatief tussen Lesotho en Suid-Afrika om biodiversiteit van wêreldbelang te bewaar. Kwalitatiewe gevallestudies en ân samestelling van instrumente is gebruik, insluitend ân literatuuroorsig, veldwaarnemings, onderhoude met sleutelinformante, groepbesprekings en werksessies om inligting te versamel. Deelnemers aan die studie het bestaan uit MDOP-vennote op nasionale, distriks- en plaaslike vlak, asook sommige lede van die plaaslike gemeenskap. Twee VS-instrumente is op ân komplementêre wyse ingespan tydens die studie, naamlik die Wêreldbewaringsunie se VS-benadering en die Gemeenskapsvolhoubaarheidstudie, ân benadering wat ontwikkel is deur die Global Ecovillage-netwerk. Die ervaring wat opgedoen is in die aanwending van volhoubaarheidstudies in sowel ontwikkelde as ontwikkelende lande dui daarop dat ân allesomvattende generiese VSinstrument nie prakties haalbaar is nie. Daar is ân behoefte aan ân konteksspesifieke raamwerk wat sal bestaan uit beginsels, maatstawwe, generiese stappe, doelwitte, aanwysers, ân instrumentestel en ander konteksspesifieke komponente. Die VS-raamwerk wat in hierdie studie aangewend is, moes pas by die biodiversiteitsbewaringstoestande in plattelandse gebiede. Die VS-proses het aangedui dat die MDOP-vennote ingelig was omtrent die voorwaardes vir die volhoubaarheid van en bedreidings vir biodiversiteit, terwyl lede van die plaaslike bevolking onbewus was van sodanige bedreigings. Wat die vordering na die volhoubaarheid van biodiversiteit in die studiegebied betref, het die uitslae getoon dat die huidige praktyke nie volhoubaar is nie, meer vanuit die oogpunt van die sosio-ekologiese komponente as die sosio-kulturele en geestelike of die sosio-ekonomiese komponente. Gevolglik is dit nodig om op gemeenskapsvlak bewusmaking te bevorder en aksieplanne in werking te stel om verandering teweeg te bring wat op die lang duur die volhoubaarheid van die biodiversiteit sal steun. Die sleutelkomponente van ân deelnemende VS-raamwerk sal afhang of die VS ân gedeeltelike studie of ân volledige een is. Die komponente van ân gedeeltelike VSraamwerk hang ook daarvan af of die fokus op nabetragting en kennis is en of dit op die hantering van inligting is. Die hoofkomponente van ân deelnemende VS-raamwerk bestaan dus uit ân alomvattende visie vir volhoubare ontwikkeling; doelwitte vir die bereiking van die visie; ân deelnemende proses waarvan verskeie belanghebbendes deel uitmaak; ân instrumentestel van gepaste VS-instrumente wat vir verskeie take gebruik kan word; toepaslike beginsels vir ân volhoubaarheidstudie; en, volhoubaarheidsgedrewe besluitnemingsmaatstawwe. Daar is geen bloudruk oor hoe ân VS-proses onderneem moet word nie en ook geen vaste manier om deelname aan VS-prosesse te integreer nie. Die toepassing van ân VS kan in spesifieke omstandighede aanpasbaarheid en buigsaamheid vereis. Die studie bied dus riglyne, die sleutelstadiums van ân deelnemende VS-proses en identifiseer die sterkpunte, swakpunte, geleenthede en bedreigings vir die toepassing van ân VS ten opsigte van biodiversiteitsbewaring in plattelandse gebiede. | af |
| dc.description.sponsorship | University of the Free State, Centre for Environmental Management | en_ZA |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Cannon Collins Educational Trust for Southern Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project (MDTP), Lesotho | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1267 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sustainable development -- Lesotho | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Biodiversity conservation -- Lesotho | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Environmental protection -- Lesotho | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Community development, Rural -- Lesotho | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Management))--University of the Free State, 2008 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sustainability assessment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Stakeholder participation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Eenvironmental assessment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Biodiversity conservation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Rural areas | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sustainability assessment framework | en_ZA |
| dc.title | A participatory sustainability assessment framework for biodiversity conservation in rural areas | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |