Office for Environmental Programs - Theses
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ItemAlternative water management in Pretoria, South Africa: an investigation into public perceptions of water recycling( 2013)Growing water resource challenges posed by urbanisation, population growth and climate change necessitate alternative solutions beyond the traditional `once-through' centralised water management system. These pressures, combined with the need to address ageing infrastructure, have catalysed interest in water recycling and reuse around the world. At a local scale, the level of community acceptance of recycled water and perceptions around elements such as cost, risk, and necessity create substantial opportunities or barriers to implementation of water recycling projects. The city of Pretoria, South Africa offers a rare chance to directly investigate these perceptions and associated implementation opportunities due to the existing water situation and current government responses. While South Africa is facing severe water scarcity and equity issues, the country is equipped with well-articulated, globally recognised water policy frameworks as well as stated government desire to pursue prospects for water recycling. This study utilised an online survey to collect responses from South African university students regarding the acceptability of recycled water for various tasks and under different variables. University students represent the future generation of educated decision-makers, therefore their perceptions are considered valuable insight into the potential for water management in Pretoria. The results showed a high degree of acceptability, especially for watering gardens and toilet flushing, which increased with the assurance that the system would benefit the environment or the individual would personally experience a water shortage without it. It is suggested that university campuses provide a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the implementation of water recycling and reuse among a supportive audience. Each future project offers immense benefit through building familiarity and engagement with water reuse which could be extended and locally tailored to communities throughout South Africa.
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ItemUrban regeneration in South Africa: the role of a story( 2013)This research examines the role of stories in urban regeneration projects through an exploratory study of a redevelopment in the Central Business District (Pretoria) of the City of Tshwane, South Africa. This study posits that when stakeholder groups have different views as to what a space should be used for regeneration cannot occur. This study explores the points of view of street vendors in the redevelopment site and contrasts these with national and local governmental perspectives. This research uses two research approaches: (1) semi-structured interviews with street vendors and (2) document analysis of government development plans and newspaper articles to ascertain the story that the vendors and government. Results from the study indicate that the street vendors view the space predominantly through a business lens, seeing little in the way of direct social attachment to the area through relationships with customers and other vendors. From the governmental perspective the space holds potential for economic regeneration in an effort to achieve a state of excellence of for the city. These two differing views can be reconciled through frameworks such as the Law of Three Forces that allow for a positive path forward. By positively reconciling rather than compromising these differences regenerative outcomes for cities such as Pretoria are possible. These outcomes will potentially allow for governmental priorities for the future to be met without sacrificing the needs of those in the present in a manner that is positive and inclusionary.
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