GGH3701 - State of the Environment in Southern Africa (GGH3701)
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
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GGH3701 - State of the Environment in Southern Africa (GGH3701)
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UNISA
GGH3701 – State of the
Environment in Southern Africa
SUMMARY
IMPORTANT
- This is a summary of UNISA’s semester 1 2019 GGH3701 syllabus
- READ THROUGH YOUR UNISA STUDY GUIDE FIRST!
- While the UNISA Study Guide and the relevant text book have been used to create this summary, this
summary is a broad outline of the syllabus.
- Get an overview of the module and then study each topic individually
- Use this guide in conjunction with the UNISA study guide and text book – it is not a substitute
- Ensure you understand the content of this module in order to pass.
,Learning Unit 1 – Environmental Change & Resources in Southern Africa
1.0 Introduction
- Environmental processes include all phenomena, concepts and technology which are essential for maintaining the
quality of the air-land-water environment.
o Env. is composed of numerous elements & organisms which are all functionally interdependently.
- Interdependence of elements & organisms – one change may lead to another.
1.1 What do we investigate
- Your worldview determines how you think the world works, what you believe your role should be, and what you
consider to be right or wrong behaviour with regard to the environment.
o E.g. Cornucopian, Malthusian etc.
- The two main ways of thinking to take note of are Newtonian thinking and systems thinking
o Newtonian – Mechanistic (clockwork), based in reductionism, determinism, materialism etc. Ignored or
denies human agency, values, creativity & evolution
o Systems thinking – a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a systems parts interrelate and
how that system works over time and within the context of larger systems
- Thinking with regards to the Value of Resources:
o Historical
o Cost-benefit
o Ecological
o Human/ ethnological
1.2 How do we investigate
- People view the world and its resources differently.
o With the same environmental problems, the overall outlook on these identified problems will differ.
o Some suggest we can view these individually ( in isolation), others that we need to understand them in the
complex system that they fall in
- The problems that we face cannot be faced in isolation as the environment and all its elements are interrelated,
interconnected and of a complex nature.
o we need to move away from the Newtonian way of thinking
o Geographic perspective -: views and investigates problems holistically and acknowledges the
interrelation and interconnectivity between various elements.
1.3 What is environmental change
What is it and who is to blame?
- Environmental Change -: any change or disturbance of the environment by natural ecological processes
o Not new – has always occurred on the earth’s surface
o Historically people were nomadic and would move to a different area when faced with flood/ drought
o Population growth & occupation of territory means that the nomadic lifestyle has fallen away
- The earth’s resources are not limitless, nature does not have the ability to cleanse itself from all the waste & by-products
that are produced.
- Depletion of essential resources e.g. water / fossil fuels, and the deterioration and destruction of natural process that
sustain life have led to an overall env. deterioration / negative change
- It is important that we establish what the CAUSES are and what the ecological processes are to ADDRESS the problems
What and where are these problems?
- An environment is considered to be degraded if its resources such as air, water, soil, biodiversity and ecosystems are
depleted or destroyed.
o Can be caused by natural or human actions – or a combination
o Human actions are the main culprit
- MAIN DRIVING FORCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION:
o Population growth
o Employment
o Equity
o Economic growth
- The current imbalance between population density and available resources with lack of planning – causes either
wastage OR overall quality loss
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
1 No poverty 1 To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2 Zero hunger 2 To achieve universal primary education
3 Good health & well being 3 To promote gender equality and empower women
4 Quality education 4 To reduce child mortality
5 Gender equality 5 To improve maternal health
6 Clean water & sanitation 6 To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7 Affordable & clean energy 7 To ensure environmental sustainability[1]
8 Decent work & economic growth 8 To develop a global partnership for development[2]
GGH3701 1
, 9 Industry, innovation & infrastructure
10 Reduced inequalities
11 Sustainable cities & communities
12 Responsible consumption & production
13 Climate action
14 Life below water
15 Life on land
16 Peace, Justice & strong institutions
17 Partnerships for the goals
123
1.4 Aiming for Sustainability
Looking at sustainable development
- Southern African region has many different env. problems – each with their own unique causes/ impacts.
- What we are facing is therefore supply & demand – population demands a supply from the limited resources further
degradation
What has been done to address this relationship?
- The modern environmental movement commenced in the 1960s – various steps include:
o Montreal Protocol, the Kyoto Protocol
o Sustainable development as published in the Brundtland Report in 1987.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
- Definition:
o “Economic development that is conducted without depletion of natural resources.”
o “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs." Our Common Future
- Ultimate Aim: to conserve the earth
- Main aim : Balance between population, resources & environment (social [people], economic [development] &
environmental)
- Principles:
Conservation of ecosystem Sustainable development of society Conservation of biodiversity
Population control Conservation of human resource Increase in Peoples’ participation
Conservation of cultural heritage Included within the carrying capacity of earth
.
1.5 Actions at our disposal
Approaching and managing change
- Increase in awareness = more consciousness of our actions effects on the env.
o Result = awareness of the conducting actions with optimization of benefits & minimal costs
o Desires to achieve sustainable development
- Environmental Management = a planning tool which ensures that the quality of the env. is not compromised by our
actions
o Interconnectedness & interrelatedness means we approach in a holistic manner with a geographical
perspective
o Ensures minimal degradation through our actions and activities – leading to the development of international
conventions, treaties, national legislation & policies.
Environmental conventions & legislation
CITES The convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – 1963,
Ramsar Convention Wetlands – 1971
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Biodiversity – From Earth Summit in Rio – 1992
Agenda 21 (UN) Sustainable Development – signed in Rio - 1992
Kyoto Protocol UN Frameworks on Climate Change - 1997
Montreal Protocol Ozone layer - 1989
UN convention to combat Desertification Desertification in countries experiencing drought/ desertification - 1996
National Environmental Management Act, NEMA – environmental management acti
2006
.
1.6 Last Thoughts
- A holistic geographical perspective needs to be applied in order to investigate the various systems within the env.
Learning Unit 2 – Atmosphere, Weather & Climate
2.0 Introduction
- Air is essential for life on earth, but it is undervalued and our atmosphere is treated as a dumping ground for waste
products.
- The atmosphere is used for many things – travel, recreation, manufacture of nitrogen-containing fertilizers etc.
GGH3701 2
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