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This study investigates the impact, recovery and resilience of COVID-19 on South Africa's Limpopo Province's tourism industry. The study utilises surveys (n = 115) and interviews (n = 50) to examine the impact, recovery, resilience, success and challenges of various tourism-related businesses, including national parks, restaurants, and hotels. Despite minimal government support and significant challenges like erratic utilities, high inflation, and a global economic downturn, the sector showed resilience, with few business failures. While some businesses in the accommodation sector diversified into areas like student accommodation, some survived by cutting the number of staff, tapping into savings, borrowing and adopting various cost containment measures to survive the pandemic. Post the pandemic, the sector faces issues like decreased demand due to technological changes in meetings and conferences and employee mental health concerns. The study underscores the need for strategic management and specific policy interventions to ensure the sector's resilience and survival post-pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change's effects, protected areas, particularly national parks, face conservation challenges, negatively impacting tourism. Sustainable tourism requires understanding the climate and conservation challenges in national parks and their implications for tourism. Marakele National Park in South Africa faces climatic and conservation challenges. A purposive and snowball sampling strategy was used to select study participants. An in-depth interview was conducted with the employees of South African National Parks, including top managers, scientists, field, section, honorary rangers, conservationists, and hospitality staff. A perception survey involving 871 tourists was conducted along with field observations, archival data, and an analysis of archival data. The study results indicate that rainfall levels in the national park vary greatly from season to season and are declining. A warm climate and high rainfall were also observed, and increased drought episodes. The observed climatic extremes led to several ecological challenges, including bush thickening and encroachment, intense soil erosion, wetland degradation and an increased frequency of wildfires. The environmental challenges impact the park's aesthetic value, affect tourist comfort and perceptions, and cause employee discomfort. The paper recommends that the park develops anticipatory action plans for the identified climatic and tourist attraction risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2020 will be synonymous with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for many global citizens. Millions have died from and tens of millions more have been infected globally by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to an urgent search for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments by the scientific and political communities and civil society. Through elements of events study and document and critical discourse analysis, this paper investigates the COVID-19 vaccines' regulatory emergency use authorisation and/or conditional marketing authorisation (regulatory authorisation) regimes and the contestations thereof. The key finding is that there was a regulatory authorisation rush, with at least 62, mostly high-income countries, doing so in 40 days from 2 December 2020–10 January 2021. This has led to one senior USA official describing the United Kingdom pioneer regulatory authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as 'too quick'. Regulatory authorisation regimes took place amid severe civil society contestations and appropriate political pressure. The paper recommends that as the COVID-19 vaccines' regulatory authorisation continue in 2021, national vaccines and treatments regulatory bodies must be informed by science, with governments, civil society, politicians and other key stakeholders taking responsibility to educate the masses and continue taking the necessary precautions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 17th Sustainable Development Goal seeks to promote partnerships at various levels. To this end, COVID-19 vaccines development partnerships in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are inevitable in facilitating ethical access to affordable and safe vaccines the world over. With South Africa being part of the BRICS, its presence can assist in leveraging the partnership to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines developed by the BRICS are efficiently deployed in Africa. Through the tracking of announcements, documents and critical discourse analysis, and Geographical Information Systems, this paper investigates COVID-19 vaccines development collaboration in the BRICS and its implication for Africa. It emerges that there is an inherent discord in the BRICS, with bilateral arrangements both within and outside the forum being evident. This has resulted in advance breakthrough COVID-19 vaccines from China and Russia not widely tried across the BRICS. The paper notes that these developments weaken the global south and affect its potential to develop COVID 19 vaccines. The work recommends a reconsideration in terms of COVID-19 vaccines development and future proofing of collaboration within the BRICS and finding a way of having South Africa continue to lobby for affordable and accessible vaccines for Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Victoria Falls town and the treatment of sustainability issues thereof. Making use of a survey, interviews and field observations for data generation, the results show that Victoria Falls town hosts a wide range of GHG emitting and ecologically sensitive hospitality infrastructure, including hotels and tour operators. The primary sources of GHG emissions come from the hospitality subsector, followed by the use of road transport, which is dominated by old Japanese vehicles. The study recommends a raft of measures to curb carbon emissions, including the use of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restaurant and hospitality industries are crucial socio-economic sectors that contribute immensely to the global economy. However, these sectors are vulnerable and sensitive to natural hazards such as the COVID-19 pandemic and any resultant economic downturns. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the global restaurant industry using data from OpenTable and other sources. The study found that sit-in guests dropped to zero in many countries as governments across the world instituted social distancing initiatives, movement restrictions and lockdowns. COVID-19 also led to an unprecedented loss of employment and revenue, resulting in millions of jobs and billions of dollars in potential revenue lost. The work recommends extra-ordinary financial and other support measures for the sector. It further recommends a raft of safety and health protocols as the industry gradually reopens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (AfSD) has the vision to leave no one behind, particularly low-income countries. Yet COVID-19 seems to have brought up new rules and approaches. Through document and critical discourse analysis, it emerges that there has been a surge in COVID-19 vaccines and treatments nationalism. Global solidarity is threatened, with the USA, United Kingdom, European Union and Japan having secured 1.3 billion doses of potential vaccines as of August 2020. Vaccines ran out even before their approval with three candidates from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca having shown good Phase III results in November 2020. Rich countries have gone years ahead in advance vaccines and treatments purchases. This is a testimony that the 2030 AfSD, especially SDG 3 focusing on health will be difficult to achieve. Low-income countries are left gasping for survival as the COVID-19 pandemic relegates them further into extreme poverty and deeper inequality. The paper recommends the continued mobilisation by the World Health Organisation and other key stakeholders in supporting the GAVI vaccine alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (COVAX) global vaccines initiative that seeks to make two billion vaccine doses available to 92 low and middle-income countries by December 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestication of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been progressing in various countries across the world. Five years into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that embraces 17 inseparable SDGs, this study documents how South Africa has been domesticating the SDGs. The study uses a mixed-method approach that includes a survey and interviews as well as critical discourse and document analysis. It emerges that South Africa has taken reasonable steps to domesticate and implement the SDGs with the hope of meeting many of the targets in 2030. The study demonstrates that there are SDG-aligned initiatives based on the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030, some of which were in existence prior to the 2030 Agenda. The intersection between the NDP Vision 2030 and the SDGs saw South Africa continuing with many existing initiatives while seeking to enhance alignment of those initiatives with the 2030 Agenda. At the same time, the study also reveals that South Africa has put in place institutional mechanisms to implement the SDGs, although these have taken longer than planned to be finalised. Even now, there remains uncertainty regarding separate funding for the SDGs, as currently funding is provided mainly through the NDP Vision 2030 government programming. This article recommends continued alignment and further domestication of the SDGs, especially at the provincial and local government levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sub-Saharan Africa, farmers face the pressing challenge of climate change that affects crop production. To cushion themselves against climate change, farmers need to invest in appropriate adaptation measures. This study investigates and reviews adaptation measures in the crop sector of 21 African countries. The main source of data are National Communications under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. To obtain the latest data and information the Second and Third National Communications were retrieved. Using a grounded theory approach, 33 categories of adaptation measures emerged, which were later collapsed into six thematic adaptation areas. Then an in-depth analysis of relevant documents and a systematic literature review were conducted. From the adaptation categories, conservation agriculture; water, irrigation and flood management; crop diversification; inputs and subsidies; disease and pest management; and weather-based index insurance emerged. The findings show that African governments have identified many adaptation measures and have claimed some success. However, it was evident that some limiting factors remain in building a climate-resilient crop sector. The research concludes that although governments claim success in adaptation measures that have been put in place, additional studies should be conducted to verify and confirm the success of such adaptation approaches being applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing climate is expected to affect the demand for and availability of water resources. The African continent is known to be water scarce with highly temporal and spatially variable rainfall. This paper explores climate-induced challenges faced in the water sector and recommends sustainable adaptation options emerging from 21 African countries. This paper combines a literature review and grounded theory approaches with data obtained from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) second and third National Communication reports. Among key adaptation measures that are emerging are sustainable management of water resources, water conservation and putting in place appropriate policies. The study concludes that there should be a shift towards a more balanced and integrated approach on water management through the implementation of adaptation measures. The findings highlight the need for policy approaches that use adaptive management approaches in water resources management including scaling up rainwater harvesting; water efficiency across all sectors of the economy, especially agriculture; desalination and groundwater recharging. Such should be the new approaches for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Talanoa Dialogue on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change focuses on taking stock of progress towards the long-term goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement, including refining (intended) nationally determined contributions [(I)NDCs]. The Talanoa Dialogue focuses on three questions, namely: Where are we? Where do we want to go? And, how do we get there? Given the resentment regarding the manner in which some (I)NDCs have been crafted and continued allegations on mitigation bias, this paper audits selected African (I)NDCs to determine the extent to which agriculture and adaptation issues are addressed. It emerged that while some address agriculture and adaptation, others do not. Agriculture and climate adaptation must continue to be placed at the centre of the (I)NDCs. Likewise, if Africa is to fulfil Agenda 2063’s commitment to prioritise climate adaptation, effort must be redoubled to enact a COP26 Decision on Agriculture addressing adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What gets measured gets done! This saying implies that without quantifying what needs to be done, doing it may not be possible. This term is relevant to how African countries will implement the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, particularly in tracking progress on SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. During the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), governments failed to establish baselines for measuring progress in meeting the goals. To ensure that no country is left behind, the UN came up with a list of indicators (Tiers 1-3) for tracking progress in achieving SDGs targets. Tier 1 indicators fall in conventional data sets and almost all countries have these data. The process for implementation, through domestication and localisation by countries, includes the responsibilities of reporting, tracking and monitoring. The article highlights the importance of attempts to establish a broad baseline of data on women in Africa. An Afro-barometer, drawing from UN Tier 1 indicators and using a composite index and data drawn from the World Development Indicators (WDI), is a tentative step towards a baseline for tracking progress towards achieving SDG 5 in Africa. The research established data for 52 of the 54 African countries on women for three indicators, namely: women’s political representation, maternal mortality rates and women’s labour force participation. The gaps in the available data, places a question mark over the capacity and will to measure key indicators of gender inequality by countries. Implementation and reporting is integral to the achievement of the SDGs as well as the African Agenda 2063 and call for political will and resources on the continent to move from the merely aspirational, towards the transformation that the agendas propose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the vulnerability of Swaziland’s sugarcane small scale farmer associations (SSFAs) to climate change through the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. From a survey of 45 SSFAs, representing +2700 farmers, drought emerged as the most significant stress. Droughts result in failed cane germination, increased pests and increased diseases. Farmers indicated that there had no land title deeds and were concerned about the poor state of infield and feeder roads damaged during heavy rainfall and floods. It emerged that the bulk of the SSFAs irrigate during the day, a scenario that leaves them vulnerable to high temperatures leading to high evapotranspiration. In addition, 97% of the SSFAs sampled did not have drought preparedness plans and likewise, all did not have a flood management plan. About 76% of SSFAs operation costs goes to crop upkeep and harvesting, with labour cost increases attributed to extreme weather events. All sampled SSFAs had no insurance against loss from extreme weather events. Given the foregone, the paper recommends that the government fast tracks the 1999 Draft Land Policy intended to address the issue of title deeds. The paper further suggest that extension officers and farmers be trained to sharpen skills on understanding climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate policy documents are more interesting for what they leave out than what they contain. Using the COP21 negotiating texts, this article analyses the Paris Agreement to determine the good, the bad and the ugly of this ‘landmark’ document regarding loss and damage (L&D), adaptation and finance. The article establishes that among the good is that we have a universal deal in place that speaks to L&D and adaptation. the bad remains that developing and weaker nations are still vulnerable, in negotiations and to climate change. Among the ugly is the emerging unholy alliance between the referees (national governments) and key players (business and industry) that resulted in a quasi-legally binding deal. Furthermore, we continue to have endless financial promises. Since Gleneagles in 2005, when $50 billion in aid was promised by the G8, $100 billion per annum was promised from Copenhagen’s COP15 in 2009, to the scale-up promises of $100 billion annually from 2015 – developing countries are still waiting for these promises to be met. Drawing from Africa’s adaptation funding needs of $15 billion annually, as estimated by the United Nations environment Programme to 2020, and the $50+ billion annually thereafter to 2050, the article concludes that the global adaptation funding gap remains huge. We therefore recommend that domestic mobilisation of financial and other resources remain a viable option. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the perceptions of sugarcane farmers on climate change impacts and their potential alternative livelihoods in the Lowveld of Swaziland with the objective of informing research and policy initiatives. The study obtained data mainly from a survey involving supervisor respondents who had 10 years or more practical farming experience in the study area. In addition, historical climate data on rainfall and temperature patterns were generated to triangulate responses on perceptions. Farmer respondents and the historical data confirmed the perceptions on increased drought and flood incidences, severe temperature fluctuations, decreased water availability, increased pests and diseases that have been observed from as far back as 1975. As for alternative livelihoods in the event that sugarcane farming significantly fails, the farmers indicated that they would and were already engaged in diversification systems that include: livestock farming, and growing food and other cash crops. The study concludes that farmers’ perceptions are indeed aligned to emerging global trends on climate change impacts on the agricultural sector in general and the sugarcane industry in particular. Drawing from historical data on rainfall and temperature, we recommend that the government puts in place necessary adaptation measures to minimize foreseeable negative impacts on farmers, especially those engaged in medium- to small-scale operations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article analyses the 2015 Paris Agreement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, with a focus on mitigation. The history of climate negotiations and the mitigation agenda shows the divide between developed and developing countries, with the latter insisting that the former, having caused the problem, need to do more to reduce carbon emissions to address climate change. However, as some emerging economies had continued to emit more carbon, there were calls to treat these as developed countries, requiring increased mitigation measures. The article examines the record of these emerging economies, and establishes that there was some convergence in Paris, a positive element that resulted in a single global climate treaty. However, the Paris negotiations also witnessed contestations, with the final agreement insufficient to keep global warming within advised limits, and in any case only partly legally binding, leaving its implementation success to good will. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Biodiesel is produced from a range of feedstock including oil seeds (canola/rape and soya beans), as well as used cooking oil. This is done by converting the oil to methyl esters in a transesterification process that yields glycerine as one of the by-products. Biodiesel production is largely dependent on the policy and the institutional framework put in place by host economies. This paper examines the institutional and regulatory frameworks established in leading biodiesel producing countries and compares them to the situation in South Africa. It also analyses the interactions of biodiesel industry players at government and producer levels to ascertain the degree of economic viability of proposed and current projects against legislation. There are two broad findings that the paper brings to the fore. Firstly, policy regime and regulatory frameworks have been essential ingredients in the promulgation of biodiesel in the energy mix. Biodiesel policies have been driven by market expansion and technological change. Secondly, functional institutions are key enablers in the production and distribution of biodiesel. A key lesson for South Africa is that it has to make a clear choice on which form of renewable energy to use, as uptake of the technology is mainly driven by subsidies and incentives which require huge capital injections. If South Africa embraces the subsidy route it needs to come up with a policy that can survive the post-subsidy era. More importantly, South Africa needs to find a way that will make the costs of biodiesel competitive when compared to fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From sustainable development (SD) through green growth to sustainable development plus (SD+)! Does the ‘+’ really matter? This is the question that brings life to this article and the answer is: YES, it does. The ‘+’ makes a huge difference especially for developing countries such as those from Africa that for a long time have not been fully brought on board in shaping global discourses and the preferred future global development agenda. This article argues that the time has come for globally privileged countries of the North to realise that operationalising ‘The Future We Want’ after Rio+20 demands that developing countries be accorded unpolluted space to contribute to providing answers to difficult and elusive questions on the unsustainable ways of the past development paradigms. Among such questions are: When will the issue of resource intensive development and overconsumption be finally answered? Can green growth transition be part of the solution? How will a post 2015 framework best address the needs of developing countries? The conclusion is that SD+ signals a deeper, wider and knowledge-based understanding of global (un) sustainable perspectives that result in global citizens understandingThe Future We Do Not Want. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ThisArticleresponds to claims in the literature that gender mainstreaming is lacking in international and national climate change policy regimes. A scan of climate change policies from selected east and southern African countries was conducted to assess whether climate change policies include gender and women. The focus on women is deliberate given women's greater vulnerability to climate change impacts than men. The research analysis used a framework modified from the United Nations Environment Programme's (2011) recommendations on women's needs in climate change. The main finding is that although the national policies reviewed are in their infancy, with the oldest, the National Policy on Climate Change for Namibia having been put in place only in 2010, the mainstreaming of women's needs in climate change has gained momentum. However, the empowerment of women by climate change policy varies significantly from country to country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Readiness! This is a concept interchanged with preparedness and, many assume, adequate knowledge. Simple as it may be, readiness denotes a complex interaction of parameters and conditionalities required for an uptake of a phenomenon – in the context of this article, green economy transition. Following deliberations to and from Rio + 20, there is no doubt the world is set to undertake green economy as a means to attaining sustainable development, poverty eradication, job creation and equity evermore. At the heart of the green economy is the need to address negative impacts associated with one of the key global challenges of our epoch, climate change. The question this article seeks to address is: To what extent is South Africa green economy ready? Focusing on the national sphere of government, the article concludes that this country has moved swiftly in addressing key readiness parameters, including high-level commitment and stakeholder buy-in, enhancing institutional set-up, developing the necessary legislation, establishing funding mechanisms and having programmes running on the ground. However, more work is still needed in areas such as continued domestication of the understanding on green economy, addressing weak individual and institutional capacity, increasing funding, proliferation of policies, matching national to global interests on green economy, and the role of higher (including further) education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to developments in Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun in 2010, global climate policy negotiations seldom culminated in concrete decisions concerning ways in which Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) could be linked to sustainable development and carbon markets in developing countries, such as those in some parts of Africa.That changed with the expansion of the REDD initiative, to REDD+. Key arguments in the discussions have concerned contested methodologies for measuring, reporting and verifying carbon stocks; ensuring adequate technology transfer; and rectifying the shortage of local experts to deal with REDD+. However, there has been no contestation on the fact that REDD+ creates financial value for carbon stored in forests, an aspect that would encourage developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation of forested lands and to invest in low-carbon growth paths. This article sheds light on how REDD+ has developed in global climate negotiations and how African governments have and should engage with REDD+. The conclusion is that since the Bali Action Plan of 2007, there has been significant progress in creating enabling global architecture with regard to REDD+, and African governments should now grasp the opportunities offered by REDD+ while advocating for a fair, legally binding and ethical arrangement to engage over the forests which are so key to many of their economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa surprised many when it pledged to reduce emissions by 34 per cent in 2020 and 42 per cent in 2025 a day before the Copenhagen Climate Summit of December 2009 (COP15). The position taken by South Africa was in conflict with that of the Africa Group. South Africa was also involved in crafting the Copenhagen Accord, a political agreement concluded outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to address the interests of a few countries, including Brazil, China, India and the USA. Leading to COP16 in Cancún 2010, South Africa forged a tripartite alliance with Denmark and Mexico in order to push for a solid foundation for COP17, that took place in Durban in 2011. To tease out the thinking with regard to expectations for COP17, South Africa called for a wish list from negotiating parties that were meeting in Bonn in June 2011. The views that emerged from the Bonn meeting show that South Africa has a big challenge in bridging the gap between the developed and developing countries. This article analyses South Africa's role in climate negotiations with a view to presenting the challenges – from Copenhagen 2009, via Cancún 2010, to Durban 2011. The work also argues that being the host of COP17 implies that South Africa's role in climate negotiations was more focused on facilitation. The world expected a breakthrough in Durban, especially regarding the second Kyoto Protocol commitment period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new climate order was confirmed at the end of the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December 2009. The new climate order ushered in collaborative frameworks among the USA and the BASIC Group made up of Brazil, South Africa, India and China. Collaboration among the identified countries resulted in three sets of partnerships, namely: the USA-India-China (UIC Group); the BASIC Group; and IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum). The UIC partnership presents a triangle bringing together top global greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters committing to address climate change. As of 2007, the UIC Group accounted for about 47% of total global GHG emissions. The USA + BASIC Group crafted the Copenhagen Accord architecture. Although not binding, the Copenhagen Accord was the major outcome from COP15. The IBSA collaboration brings further insights to the new climate order as it draws India into the centre of proceedings from the three sets of collaborative frameworks under deliberation. This paper focuses on what this new climate order means for climate leadership in general and the climate negotiation road leading to Mexico in December 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate change (CC) discourse has moved from the dominance of science into other contesting spaces that include politics, economics, religion, social justice and the business arena. Two questions are addressed in this paper: (1) which actors (human), actants (non-human) and networks have been and are shaping the CC narrative? (2) Who could be the appropriate leaders and leadership models to address the challenges associated with CC in our times? Powerful scientific, political and economic groupings spearheading the CC agenda have emerged. To this end, co-leadership might be an appropriate model for addressing CC in this century. A co-leadership model recognizes the existence and interface of leaders and co-leaders. In CC co-leadership places this narrative at the centre, driving various kinds of leaders and co-leaders as well as leadership and co-leadership tied to numerous CC leadership zones. Among some of the leadership zones are mitigation, adaptation, financing, technology, social dynamics, and policy framework. The entire work is informed by an analytical framework that permits documentation, understanding and tracing of actors, actants and networks, thus, the Actor/Actant Network Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African governments face increasing pressure from major export destinations, primarily former colonial and slave-owning countries, to be climate change compliant. This will certainly be on display at the upcoming December 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which will seek to strengthen climate change rules agreed on in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, and adopt new protocols on global climate change regulation. Climate change is a double-edged sword: on one side it is hitting Africa's agricultural sector with increased droughts, floods, extreme frost and wildfires; and on the other, African governments are being forced to respond to stringent regulatory regimes imposed by international export destinations. Currently, the per capita greenhouse gas emissions from the highly industrialised nations - the North - is estimated to be four times that of Africa and the rest of the developing world. Twin research questions were investigated in this article: (1) to what extent does climate change impact on African trade and development, and (2) how can African governments stay on a path of sustained trade and development in this era of climate change? The article argues that Africa's survival in these times of climate change compliance rests on a shift to greater intra-African trade, as individual nations move towards cleaner and more organic technologies to become full-fledged partners in the international climate change regulatory regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]