Your search found 20 records
1 Nhamo, L.; Mabhaudhi, T.; Mpandeli, S.; Dickens, Chris; Nhemachena, C.; Senzanje, A.; Naidoo, D.; Liphadzi, S.; Modi, A. T. 2020. An integrative analytical model for the water-energy-food nexus: South Africa case study. Environmental Science and Policy, 109:15-24. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.010]
Decision support systems ; Water availability ; Energy ; Food security ; Nexus ; Water productivity ; Climate change adaptation ; Resilience ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; Living standards ; Agricultural productivity ; Cereals ; Models ; Performance evaluation ; Case studies / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049710)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901119315618/pdfft?md5=6a58952488ffee2f1221f91a0beb1156&pid=1-s2.0-S1462901119315618-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049710.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049710.pdf
(0.89 MB) (912 KB)
The missing link between cross-sectoral resource management and full-scale adoption of the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus has been the lack of analytical tools that provide evidence for policy and decision-making. This study defined WEF nexus sustainability indicators, from where an analytical model was developed to manage WEF resources in an integrated manner using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The model established quantitative relationships among WEF sectors, simplifying the intricate interlinkages among resources, using South Africa as a case study. A spider graph was used to illustrate sector performance as related to others, whose management is viewed either as sustainable or unsustainable. The model was then applied to assess progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in South Africa. The estimated integrated indices of 0.155 and 0.203 for 2015 and 2018, respectively, classify South Africa’s management of resources as marginally sustainable. The model is a decision support tool that highlights priority areas for intervention.
2 Magidi, J.; van Koppen, Barbara; Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Slotow, R.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2021. Informing equitable water and food policies through accurate spatial information on irrigated areas in smallholder farming systems. Water, 13(24):3627. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w13243627]
Smallholders ; Farming systems ; Irrigated farming ; Water policies ; Food policies ; Food security ; Water security ; Spatial distribution ; Rainfed farming ; Irrigated land ; Cultivated land ; Catchment areas ; Crop production ; Farmers ; Sustainable development ; Datasets ; Normalized difference vegetation index / South Africa / Usuthu Sub-Catchment / Crocodile Sub-Catchment / Sabie Sub-Catchment / Komati Sub-Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050853)
(5.03 MB) (5.03 MB)
Accurate information on irrigated areas’ spatial distribution and extent are crucial in enhancing agricultural water productivity, water resources management, and formulating strategic policies that enhance water and food security and ecologically sustainable development. However, data are typically limited for smallholder irrigated areas, which is key to achieving social equity and equal distribution of financial resources. This study addressed this gap by delineating disaggregated smallholder and commercial irrigated areas through the random forest algorithm, a non-parametric machine learning classifier. Location within or outside former apartheid “homelands” was taken as a proxy for smallholder, and commercial irrigation. Being in a medium rainfall area, the huge irrigation potential of the Inkomati-Usuthu Water Management Area (UWMA) is already well developed for commercial crop production outside former homelands. However, information about the spatial distribution and extent of irrigated areas within former homelands, which is largely informal, was missing. Therefore, we first classified cultivated lands in 2019 and 2020 as a baseline, from where the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to distinguish irrigated from rainfed, focusing on the dry winter period when crops are predominately irrigated. The mapping accuracy of 84.9% improved the efficacy in defining the actual spatial extent of current irrigated areas at both smallholder and commercial spatial scales. The proportion of irrigated areas was high for both commercial (92.5%) and smallholder (96.2%) irrigation. Moreover, smallholder irrigation increased by over 19% between 2019 and 2020, compared to slightly over 7% in the commercial sector. Such information is critical for policy formulation regarding equitable and inclusive water allocation, irrigation expansion, land reform, and food and water security in smallholder farming systems.
3 Goldin, J.; Nhamo, L.; Ncube, B.; Zvimba, J. N.; Petja, B.; Mpandeli, S.; Nomquphu, W.; Hlophe-Ginindza, S.; Greeff-Laubscher, M. R.; Molose, V.; Lottering, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Naidoo, D.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Resilience and sustainability of the water sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 14(3):1482. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031482]
Water security ; COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Resilience ; Sustainability ; Sanitation ; Public health ; Research projects ; Stakeholders ; Case studies / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050969)
(5.37 MB) (5.37 MB)
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented socio-economic changes, ushering in a “new (ab)normal” way of living and human interaction. The water sector was not spared from the effects of the pandemic, a period in which the sector had to adapt rapidly and continue providing innovative water and sanitation solutions. This study unpacks and interrogates approaches, products, and services adopted by the water sector in response to the unprecedented lockdowns, heralding novel terrains, and fundamental paradigm shifts, both at the community and the workplace. The study highlights the wider societal perspective regarding the water and sanitation challenges that grappled society before, during, after, and beyond the pandemic. The premise is to provide plausible transitional pathways towards a new (ab)normal in adopting new models, as evidenced by the dismantling of the normal way of conducting business at the workplace and human interaction in an era inundated with social media, virtual communication, and disruptive technologies, which have transitioned absolutely everything into a virtual way of life. As such, the novel approaches have fast-tracked a transition into the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), with significant trade-offs to traditional business models and human interactions.
4 Mpandeli, S.; Nhamo, L.; Senzanje, A.; Jewitt, G.; Modi, A.; Massawe, F.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. The water-energy-food nexus: its transition into a transformative approach. In Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Senzanje, A.; Modi, A.; Jewitt, G.; Massawe, F. (Eds.). Water - energy - food nexus narratives and resource securities: a global south perspective. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. pp.1-13. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91223-5.00004-6]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051169)
(0.30 MB)
Water, energy, and food are vital resources for human wellbeing. Yet, they are under increased pressure to meet demand from a growing population at a time of worsening insecurity due to depletion and degradation of reserves. These challenges prompted the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. All the 17 SDGs are connected. They recognize that developments in one sector will impact other sectors and that any proposed development must balance socioeconomic and environmental sustainability. Also, as the three resources are the most impacted by climate change, they provide a close link between adaptation, climate system, human society, and the environment. The intricate interlinkages between water, energy, and food resources with the related relationships with socioeconomic development, healthy ecosystems, human development, and sustainable development caused the rapid growth of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus concept since the United Nations General Assembly of September 2015. Although the concept existed before 2015, its progression increased after the World Economic Forum of 2011 after a presentation by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in anticipation of the SDGs. This chapter discusses the evolution of the WEF nexus before and after 2015. The emphasis is on the importance of the concept in establishing the interconnectedness of resources and as a guide for coherent policy decisions that lead to sustainable development.
5 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Nhamo, S. P.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Enhancing sustainable human and environmental health through nexus planning. In Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Senzanje, A.; Modi, A.; Jewitt, G.; Massawe, F. (Eds.). Water - energy - food nexus narratives and resource securities: a global south perspective. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. pp.199-222. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91223-5.00012-5]
Water availability ; Environmental health ; Nutrition ; Nexus ; Planning ; Sustainability ; Indicators ; Public health ; Vulnerability ; Resilience ; Water quality ; Modelling / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051172)
(0.39 MB)
A combination of climate change and accelerated population growth is instigating some of the worst challenges that humankind faces today that include resource depletion and degradation. Both built environment and ecological infrastructure have been modified and are creating novel socioecological interactions posing the risk of novel infectious diseases transmission to humans. The experiences of the COVID-19 exposed the vulnerability of human health from wildlife and the risk of novel socioecological interactions on livelihoods. This chapter enhances the preparedness and improves the resilience against novel pathogens by assessing vulnerability and the available options to reduce risk through the water–health–ecosystem–nutrition nexus. As a transformative, nexus planning provides integrated pathways toward resilience and preparedness to reduce health risks on humans posed by novel pathogens. A systematic review of literature facilitated an understanding of the trends of novel infectious diseases and the available options to improve sanitation, nutrition, and adaptative capacity in the advent of novel socioecological interactions. The aim is to guide policy formulations to achieve Sustainable Development Goals such as 3 (good health and wellbeing), 6 (clean water and sanitation), and 13 (climate action). Risk reduction framing in the health sector through nexus planning provides pathways toward healthy environments and mutual socioecological interactions.
6 Chitakira, M.; Nhamo, L.; Torquebiau, E.; Magidi, J.; Ferguson, W.; Mpandeli, S.; Mearns, K.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Opportunities to improve eco-agriculture through transboundary governance in transfrontier conservation areas. Diversity, 14(6):461. (Special issue: The Human Dimension of Biodiversity Protection) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/d14060461]
Eco-agriculture ; Conservation areas ; Governance ; Biodiversity conservation ; Ecosystems ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Resource conservation ; Poverty alleviation ; Sustainable livelihoods ; Policies ; Legislation ; Landscape approaches ; Local communities / Mozambique / Eswatini / South Africa / Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area / Usuthu-Tembe-Futi Transfrontier Conservation Area
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051227)
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/6/461/pdf?version=1654685762
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051227.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051227.pdf
(0.89 MB) (906 KB)
Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) are critical biodiversity areas for the conservation and sustainable use of biological and cultural resources while promoting regional peace, cooperation, and socio-economic development. Sustainable management of TFCAs is dependent on the availability of an eco-agriculture framework that promotes integrated management of conservation mosaics in terms of food production, environmental protection or the conservation of natural resources, and improved human livelihoods. As a developmental framework, eco-agriculture is significantly influenced by existing legal and governance structures at all levels; this study assessed the impact of existing legal and governance frameworks on eco-agriculture implementation in the Lubombo TFCA that cuts across the borders between Mozambique, Eswatini, and South Africa. The assessment used a mixed research method, including a document review, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Although the three countries have no eco-agriculture policies, biodiversity practices are directly or indirectly affected by some policies related to environmental protection, agriculture improvement, and rural development. The assessment found that South Africa has the most comprehensive policies related to eco-agriculture; Mozambican policies mainly focus on equity and involvement of disadvantaged social groups, while Eswatini is conspicuous for explicitly making it the responsibility of each citizen to protect and safeguard the environment. The protection of conservation areas is critical to preserving natural habitats and ensuring the continued provision of ecosystem services. The lack of transboundary governance structures results in the Lubombo TFCA existing as a treaty on paper, as there are no clear processes for transboundary cooperation and collaboration.
7 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Securing land and water for food production through sustainable land reform: a nexus planning perspective. Land, 11(7):974. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/land11070974]
Sustainable land management ; Land reform ; Water security ; Food security ; Land distribution ; Frameworks ; Nexus ; Planning ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Livelihoods ; Rural development ; Constitution ; Agrarian reform ; Indicators ; Food production ; Agriculture ; Climate change ; Socioeconomic development / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051229)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/7/974/pdf?version=1656239653
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051229.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051229.pdf
(1.93 MB) (1.93 MB)
Land and water are vital resources for sustaining rural livelihoods and are critical for rural development as they form the basis of agriculture, the main economic activity for rural communities. Nevertheless, in most developing countries, land and water resources are unevenly distributed due to historical and socio-economic imbalances, hence the need for land reform policies to address these disparities. However, redistributing land without considering the interconnectedness of land and socio-ecological systems can compound existing food and water insecurity challenges. This study used a mixed research method, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data, to develop a framework to guide policy and decision-makers to formulate coherent strategies towards sustainable land redistribution programmes and achieve the desired outcomes. The approach was vital for integrating the broad and intricate interlinkages between water, land, and environmental resources. Therefore, the framework is based on transformative and circular models for informing strategic policy decisions towards sustainable land redistribution. The focus was on South Africa’s land redistribution plans and the implications on water and food security and rural development. The developed framework is designed to ensure the sustainability of agrarian reform and rural economic development. It is framed to address land and water accessibility inequalities, promote water and food security, and enhance rural development. A sustainable land redistribution increases the adaptive capacity of rural communities to climate change, enhances their resilience, and provides pathways towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
8 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. The power of nexus planning: achieving sustainability entails weighing trade-offs and collaborating among interconnected sectors. American Scientist, 110(4):234-236. (Special issue: Convergence Science) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1511/2022.110.4.232]
Water management ; Energy ; Food production ; Nexus approaches ; Planning ; Sustainability ; Sectoral development ; Resource management ; Collaboration ; Policies ; Sustainable Development Goals
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051299)
https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-power-of-nexus-planning
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051299.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051299.pdf
(1.33 MB)
9 Nhamo, L.; Paterson, G.; van der Walt, M.; Moeletsi, M.; Modi, A.; Kunz, R.; Chimonyo, V.; Masupha, T.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Molwantwa, J.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Optimal production areas of underutilized indigenous crops and their role under climate change: focus on Bambara groundnut. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6:990213. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.990213]
Crop production ; Bambara groundnut ; Vigna subterranea ; Underutilized species ; Indigenous organisms ; Climate change adaptation ; Strategies ; Resilience ; Dryland farming ; Land suitability ; Food security ; Water security ; Rain ; Geographical information systems / South Africa / Limpopo
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051486)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.990213/pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051486.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051486.pdf
(2.66 MB) (2.66 MB)
Food demand in Africa continues to outstrip local supply, and the continent currently spends over US$35 billion annually on food imports to supplement local deficits. With the advances in agronomy and breeding, commercial crops like maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) in the region are under threat from climate change, decreasing rainfall and degraded lands. Unlike commercial crops that are generally adapted from other regions, underutilized indigenous crops are uniquely suited to local environments and are more resilient to climatic variations and tolerant to local pests and diseases. This study, done in Limpopo Province, South Africa, identifies optimal areas for cultivating Bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterannea), an indigenous crop suitable for arid and semi-arid regions. The aim is to promote the production of underutilized indigenous crops at a large scale with fewer resources, while still meeting local demand and reducing the food import budget. Suitability maps are delineated using a multicriteria decision method in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The procedure is important for diversifying farming systems, making them more resilient (to biotic and abiotic stresses and climate change) and more successful at enhancing water, food and nutritional security. With the province’s limited water and land resources for agriculture expansion, promoting indigenous underutilized crops is a pathway to reduce water allocated to agriculture, thereby enhancing drought resilience and ensuring water, food and nutritional security. Large tracts of degraded agricultural land deemed unsuitable for adapted crops, and which may require costly land reclamation practices, can be used to cultivate underutilized crops that are adapted to extreme local conditions.
10 Mugiyo, H.; Chimonyo, V. G. P.; Kunz, R.; Sibanda, M.; Nhamo, L.; Masemola, C. R.; Modi, A. T.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Mapping the spatial distribution of underutilised crop species under climate change using the MaxEnt model: a case of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Climate Services, 28:100330. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2022.100330]
Crop production ; Underutilized species ; Spatial distribution ; Climate change adaptation ; Food security ; Nutrition security ; Sorghum ; Cowpeas ; Amaranthus ; Taro ; Machine learning ; Models ; Forecasting / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051487)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405880722000486/pdfft?md5=6c4991c59d70a740431da7b2b337a330&pid=1-s2.0-S2405880722000486-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051487.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051487.pdf
(9.38 MB) (9.38 MB)
Knowing the spatial and temporal suitability of neglected and underutilised crop species (NUS) is important for fitting them into marginal production areas and cropping systems under climate change. The current study used climate change scenarios to map the future distribution of selected NUS, namely, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), amaranth (Amaranthus) and taro (Colocasia esculenta) in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. The future distribution of NUS was simulated using a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model using regional circulation models (RCMs) from the CORDEX archive, each driven by a different global circulation model (GCM), for the years 2030 to 2070. The study showed an increase of 0.1–11.8% under highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), and marginally suitable (S3) for sorghum, cowpea, and amaranth growing areas from 2030 to 2070 across all RCPs. In contrast, the total highly suitable area for taro production is projected to decrease by 0.3–9.78% across all RCPs. The jack-knife tests of the MaxEnt model performed efficiently, with areas under the curve being more significant than 0.8. The study identified annual precipitation, length of the growing period, and minimum and maximum temperature as variables contributing significantly to model predictions. The developed maps indicate possible changes in the future suitability of NUS within the KZN province. Understanding the future distribution of NUS is useful for developing transformative climate change adaptation strategies that consider future crop distribution. It is recommended to develop regionally differentiated climate-smart agriculture production guidelines matched to spatial and temporal variability in crop suitability.
11 Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Haileslassie, Amare; Magidi, J.; Nhamo, L.. 2022. Irrigation suitability mapping examples from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 52p.
Irrigation management ; Land suitability ; Mapping ; Planning ; Soil texture ; Land use ; Land cover ; Rain ; Surface water ; Groundwater ; Slope ; Diversification ; Socioeconomic aspects / Zimbabwe / Zambia / Malawi / Kenya / Balaka / Nkhotakota / Monze / Chipata / Nakuru / Makueni / Masvingo / Makonde / Murehwa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051676)
(3.07 MB)
The irrigation suitability classification was achieved by using physical factors that include slope, rainfall, landuse, closeness to waterbodies (surface and groundwater) and soil characteristics for selected districts in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Kenya, some of the UU target countries. As cereals form the main food basket of the selected countries, and cereals are not tolerant to saline conditions, the report also provides maps showing high soil salinity areas of Makueni and Nakuru of Kenya, where soils are highly saline. However, soil salinity is insignificant in the other study districts and therefore not mapped. This report provides (a) a conceptual framework and detailed methodology for irrigation suitability mapping, including details of identified boundary maps and geospatial data, and (b) a synthesis model and maps on irrigation suitability mapping for the selected districts in the four target countries.
12 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Hlophe-Ginindza, S.; Kapari, M.; Molwantwa, J.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2023. Advances in water research: enhancing sustainable water use in irrigated agriculture in South Africa. In Ting, D. S.-K.; O’Brien, P. G. (Eds.). Progress in sustainable development: sustainable engineering practices. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. pp.233-248. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-99207-7.00007-5]
Water-use efficiency ; Sustainable use ; Irrigated farming ; Water productivity ; Irrigation water ; Technology ; Innovation ; Water security ; Water management ; Climate change ; Climate-smart agriculture ; Resilience ; Environmental impact ; Sustainable development ; Remote sensing / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051822)
(0.39 MB)
Water scarcity has become one of the greatest challenges facing humankind today. Its scarcity is compounded by climate change and increasing demand from a growing population. In South Africa, over 60% of the available freshwater resources are used in agriculture, mainly in irrigated agriculture. There is an urgent need to promote sustainable irrigation technologies that optimize food production without increasing water applied and with positive environmental spinoffs. Sustainable irrigation technologies and practices could enhance water use efficiency (WUE) and productivity in agriculture and reduce environmental burdens, including energy use. This chapter highlights some of the innovative irrigation practices and technologies that enhance food production and, at the same time, reduce water use in agriculture. The chapter broadly discusses WUE and water productivity (WP) in irrigated agriculture from engineering and agronomic perspectives. The chapter further highlights some of the environmental impacts of irrigation expansion and the possible solutions. We further provide the importance of accurate spatial information on irrigated areas to inform policy on irrigation expansion. The Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa has been spearheading research on the sustainable use of water for the past 50 years as part of its research agenda.
13 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2023. Resilience and sustainability through nexus planning. In UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). SDG Action. SDGs edition 2023: promise in peril. Painswick, UK: Witan Media Ltd. pp.50-52.
Urbanization ; Resilience ; Sustainability ; Nexus approaches ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities ; Circular economy ; Climate change adaptation
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052081)
https://sdg-action.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SDG-Action-2023.pdf#page=50
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052081.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052081.pdf
(0.21 MB) (7.13 MB)
Rapid urbanization is placing unprecedented strain on the life-critical resources of water, energy, and food. We need rapid take-up of coordinated (or “nexus”) approaches to urban development and resource management if we’re to make sustainable cities a reality.
14 Taguta, C.; Nhamo, L.; Kiala, Zolo; Bangira, T.; Dirwai, Tinashe Lindel; Senzanje, A.; Makurira, H.; Jewitt, G. P. W.; Mpandeli, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2023. A geospatial web-based integrative analytical tool for the water-energy-food nexus: the iWEF 1.0. Frontiers in Water, 5:1305373. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2023.1305373]
Water resources ; Energy ; Food resources ; Nexus approaches ; Resilience ; Modelling ; Spatial analysis ; Sustainable development ; Resource management ; Decision making / Southern Africa / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052483)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/water/articles/10.3389/frwa.2023.1305373/pdf?isPublishedV2=false
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052483.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052483.pdf
(1.08 MB) (1.08 MB)
Introduction: The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus has evolved into an important transformative approach for facilitating the timely identification of trade-os and synergies between interlinked sectors for informed intervention and decision-making. However, there is a growing need for a WEF nexus tool to support decision-making on integrated resources management toward sustainable development. Methods: This study developed a geospatial web-based integrative analytical tool for the WEF nexus (the iWEF) to support integrated assessment of WEF resources to support resilience building and adaptation initiatives and strategies. The tool uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to establish numerical correlations among WEF nexus indicators and pillars, mainly availability, productivity, accessibility, and sufficiency. The tool was calibrated and validated with existing tools and data at varying spatio-temporal scales. Results: The results indicate the applicability of the tool at any spatial scale, highlighting the moderate sustainability in the management of WEF resources at various scales. The developed iWEF tool has improved the existing integrative WEF nexus analytical tool in terms of processing time and providing geospatial capabilities. Discussion: The iWEF tool is a digital platform that automatically guides policy and decision-making in managing risk from trade-os and enhancing synergies holistically. It is developed to support policy and decision-making on timely interventions in priority areas that could be showing signs of stress.
15 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. (Eds.) 2024. Circular and transformative economy: advances towards sustainable socio-economic transformation. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. 302p. (Africa Circular Economy Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327615]
Circular economy ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Transformation ; Sustainability ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Environmental engineering ; Water supply ; Resource recovery ; Reuse ; Business models ; Water management ; Energy ; Food systems ; Nexus approaches ; Innovation ; Waste management ; Technology ; Wastewater treatment plants ; Sewage sludge ; Faecal sludge ; Organic wastes ; Composting ; Environmental health ; Human health ; Sanitation ; Infectious diseases ; Awareness ; Climate change adaptation ; Resilience ; Policies ; Gender norms ; Women ; Agriculture ; Production systems ; COVID-19 ; Case studies / Africa / Africa South of Sahara / Sweden / South Africa / Buffalo River Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052573)
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003327615/circular-transformative-economy-sylvester-mpandeli-stanley-liphadzi-tafadzwanashe-mabhaudhi-luxon-nhamo
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052573.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052573.pdf
(10.50 MB) (10.5 MB)
The main aim of this book is to illustrate circular models for sustainable resource management. It highlights the benefits of transformative approaches in integrating, simplifying, and facilitating understanding of complex systems and transforming systems towards greater sustainability while achieving multiple social, economic, and environmental outcomes. It provides pathways towards strategic policy decisions on socio-economic transformation supported by case studies. Features: Discusses exploration of a transitional path to the circular economy, explored from the point of view of waste and technology. Explains transformational change towards sustainable-socio ecological interactions. Reviews provision of pathways towards sustainability through scenario development. Provides assessment of progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. Presents cross-sectoral and multicentric approaches towards circularity. This book is aimed at researchers and professionals in water and environmental engineering, circular economy, sustainability, and environmental studies.
16 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2024. Understanding circularity and transformative approaches and their role in achieving sustainability. In Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. (Eds.). Circular and transformative economy: advances towards sustainable socio-economic transformation. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. pp.1-8. (Africa Circular Economy Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327615-1]
Circular economy ; Sustainability ; Transformation ; Models ; Decision making ; Sustainable development ; Policies
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052574)
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003327615-1/understanding-circularity-transformative-approaches-role-achieving-sustainability-luxon-nhamo-sylvester-mpandeli-stanley-liphadzi-tafadzwanashe-mabhaudhi
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052574.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052574.pdf
(0.27 MB) (276 KB)
Circular and transformative approaches have emerged as alternatives to the current linear system, which has reached its limits, particularly when addressing today’s complex and interlinked challenges. Although linear models have been beneficial for decades, they have reached their threshold. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of linear models in addressing interconnected challenges that cut across sectors. Focusing on one sector during a crisis only aggravates the stresses in other sectors. This is compounded by decision-makers who have often viewed the world linearly, thinking that clicking a button would get the economy and society back to normal. However, the reactive interventions that included the lockdowns implemented during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic later resulted in job losses, company closures, debts, and economic recessions, demonstrating that linear models over-emphasise a limited set of system attributes, mainly efficiency, at the expense of other critical aspects. Compounded by climate change and other grand challenges, pandemics expose how unsustainable linear and sector-based approaches compromise resilience-building initiatives, allowing failure to cascade from one sector to another. Chapters in this book highlight how transformative and circular models contribute towards achieving cleaner production and sustainable development.
17 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Hlophe-Ginindza, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2024. Transitional pathways towards sustainable food systems. In Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. (Eds.). Circular and transformative economy: advances towards sustainable socio-economic transformation. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. pp.60-77. (Africa Circular Economy Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327615-4]
Food systems ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Climate change ; Vulnerability ; Nexus approaches ; Intervention ; Strategies ; Policies ; Indicators
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052575)
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003327615-4/transitional-pathways-towards-sustainable-food-systems-luxon-nhamo-sylvester-mpandeli-stanley-liphadzi-samkelisiwe-hlophe-ginindza-tafadzwanashe-mabhaudhi
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052575.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052575.pdf
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Today’s grand challenges, including climate change, resource depletion and degradation, migration, and the emergence of novel pests and diseases, are somehow linked to food systems. The broad interlinkages among these challenges require transformational planning that brings change, enhances adaptation and reduces human and environmental health risks. This chapter applied nexus planning, a transformative approach, to establish the interconnectedness of food systems and developed a framework to guide strategic policy formulations that enhance resource use efficiency, reduce waste in the environment, and ultimately achieve a circular economy. This was achieved through sustainability indicators to provide quantitative transitional pathways that lead to the circular economy in the food value chain. An outline of the available options is given to enhance sustainable food systems, highlighting priority areas for intervention and balancing socio-ecological interactions. The premise was to achieve sustainable food systems by analysing food system components in an integrated manner. Achieving socio-ecological sustainability reduces the risk posed by global environmental change and ensures the continued provision of ecosystem services. Sustainable food systems are a catalyst for achieving socio-ecological balance, and their success hinges on circular modelling and transformative planning.
18 Mpandeli, S.; Nhamo, L.; Liphadzi, S.; Molwantwa, J.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2024. A WEF nexus–based planning framework to assess progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. In Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. (Eds.). Circular and transformative economy: advances towards sustainable socio-economic transformation. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. pp.207-222. (Africa Circular Economy Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327615-11]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052578)
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003327615-11/wef-nexus%E2%80%93based-planning-framework-assess-progress-towards-sustainable-development-goals-sylvester-mpandeli-luxon-nhamo-stanley-liphadzi-jennifer-molwantwa-tafadzwanashe-mabhaudhi
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052578.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052578.pdf
(0.48 MB) (492 KB)
The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus has transitioned into an important transformative approach for understanding the intricate interlinkages between global resource systems on which humankind depends to achieve and sustain various social, economic, and environmental goals. This chapter discusses a WEF nexus–based framework developed to facilitate this understanding and guide the progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) assessment. Understanding the intricate interlinkages among the WEF resources and the progress towards SDGs is critical for achieving a sustainable and resource-secure future. Since the introduction of the SDGs, the WEF nexus has evolved into an important theoretical, analytical, and conceptual framework for understanding and systematically analysing the intricate socio-ecological interactions and their impact on human health. This has seen the approach becoming a useful decision-support tool for improved spatio-temporal and cross-sectoral coordination, management, and use of natural resources. This has facilitated identifying and managing trade-offs and synergies through informed developmental interventions that allow for more integrated and cost-effective planning, decision-making, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The chapter provides the methodological pathways to strategic policy decisions towards resilience, adaptation and sustainable development.
19 Magidi, J.; Nhamo, L.; Kurwakumire, E.; Gumindoga, W.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2024. Catalysing cleaner production systems: benchmarking with the COVID-19 lockdowns in South Africa. In Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. (Eds.). Circular and transformative economy: advances towards sustainable socio-economic transformation. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. pp.242-259. (Africa Circular Economy Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327615-13]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052580)
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003327615-13/catalysing-cleaner-production-systems-james-magidi-luxon-nhamo-edward-kurwakumire-webster-gumindoga-sylvester-mpandeli-stanley-liphadzi-tafadzwanashe-mabhaudhi
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052580.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052580.pdf
(1.45 MB) (1.45 MB)
Industrial and vehicular emissions are among the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) atmospheric concentration, causing ozone depletion, climate change, and health risks. Reducing air pollution to permissible levels fosters human and environmental health through reduced radiation, stabilised temperatures, and improved air quality. This chapter quantifies the spatio-temporal atmospheric pollution in South Africa using remotely sensed satellite data acquired between April 2019 and April 2020, just before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown. Remotely sensed data are essential for quantifying and monitoring air quality over time by assessing the change in pollution indicators such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) content. An analysis of results reveals that NO2 levels in South Africa reduced by 20.5% during the COVID-19 lockdown period compared to normal economic activity. The findings were used to develop a framework to guide policy and support decision-making to formulate coherent strategies for reducing pollution and alignment towards a low-carbon economy. Developing controlling and monitoring systems that capture episodic pollution events and enhance cleaner production mechanisms is critical for ensuring low carbon emissions and reducing environmental and human health risks. Although most NO2 emissions are generated in urban environments, the effects are felt far beyond, with detrimental effects on the environment and human health.
20 Sobratee-Fajurally, Nafiisa; Nhamo, L.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2024. Summary: creating systems innovation platforms for transformative pathways in circular economy. In Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. (Eds.). Circular and transformative economy: advances towards sustainable socio-economic transformation. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. pp.272-277. (Africa Circular Economy Series) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327615-15]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052581)
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003327615-15/summary-nafiisa-sobratee-fajurally-luxon-nhamo-tafadzwanashe-mabhaudhi
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052581.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052581.pdf
(1.06 MB) (1.06 MB)
The chapters in this book cover multi-dimensional aspects of resource use efficiency framed around the circular economy (CE) and how its intertwined domains enable transformative approaches. Various epistemic standpoints are discussed, ranging from systems optimisation versus systems application challenges in sludge waste management in Sweden, gendered and intersectionality considerations, the efficacy of user interface in WASH initiatives from a socio-technical perspective, integrated strategies for climate change adaptation and pandemic preparedness, and CE implications at multiple governance levels with examples from Sub-Saharan Africa. This leads to the insight that whereas the various resource strategies grouped under the CE’s banner are not new individually, the concept offers a new framing of these strategies by drawing attention to their capacity to prolong resource use and sustain ecosystems as well as to the interrelationships between these strategies. This chapter aims at synthesising the learning outcomes from each chapter. More specifically, it seeks to demonstrate how tension arising between the dichotomy of short-term efficiency versus large-scale transition or mandated sector-specific achievements versus long-term systemic resilience outcomes can be accommodated if we can shift our perspective from seeing these as dichotomies to one where the evolutionary principle of complex systems is envisioned (Siegenfeld & Bar-Yam, 2020). Since transformative approaches to CE are complex, tensions due to competing strategies are inevitable. One of the ways to view the transformative potential of CE is to understand the nature and scale of change that any intervention seeks to address. Considering the topics covered in this work, six leverage points framed around transformative CE are discussed. These are organised as (i) realising that the current equilibrium is outdated and skewed towards linearity such that impacts are additive but non-systemic, (ii) creating a new culture for enabling transformative patterns by connecting actors who share a new set of values, (iii) enabling Community of Practice (CoP) that share a common identity, (iv) connecting resources in novel ways by repurposing existing capacities, that is, extending the ontology of the CE, (v) institutionalising and supporting new networked configurations till normalisation, and (vi) impacts become systemic through synergies, trade-offs and comprise are negotiated and new patterns co-exist and are visible. The theme from each chapter is plotted against these leverage points, as shown in Figure 15.1.
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