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Additional file 4. Additional results.

Additional file 1. Theory of Change graphic.

Additional file 6. Data extraction sheet.

Additional file 7. Description of topic and outcome categories.

Additional file 1. Scoping.

The aim of this working paper is to investigate the optimal regulatory routes from a competition and public interest point of view for the South African water industry. The working paper presents the basic conditions of the water sector by outlining the main characteristics of water, providing an historical and international overview of water management in South Africa.

Bibliography: pages 219-229., This thesis covers the constraints, both theoretical and practical, on the growth and evolution of the Zimbabwean informal sector, in particular of informal clothing and footwear production. The aim of the study was to provide a foundation for decision-making in the intersectoral allocation of resources. To this end, a survey was conducted of over one hundred and twenty formal and informal clothing producers in Bulawayo. The questionnaire was administered and completed by the author during the course of an interview, the questions requiring specific, as opposed to open-ended, answers. The production data obtained were analysed using the Kmenta formulation of the Constant Elasticity of Substitution (C.E.S.) production function, with a view to obtaining the production parameters. The data from formal and informal sector interviewees were analysed separately and in aggregate and tested for constancy of variance, significance of parameters and explanatory power. Whilst a number of conclusions are drawn in the course of the thesis, the central finding is that allocation of scarce resources to the informal sector should be based on the standard procedures used by venture capital seeking an outlet in a normal market economy, and in particular on the ability of the entrepreneur, since this appears to be an increasingly crucial variable as firm sizes fell.

Using South Africa’s hake and rock lobster fisheries as examples, this paper argues the need for satellite accounts of South Africa’s commercial fisheries. It stresses the policy role of satellite accounts, particularly where access to fish stocks is contested. Satellite accounts give all interested parties information on the extent of stock depletion, past and present fishing effort, and the returns-to-effort reduction. They can also present the resource rents generated from harvests and the value of the resource stock. Using the United Nations handbook on national accounting for fisheries (SEEAF) to construct physical accounts, the paper indicates the ease with which these could be compiled, albeit with a number of caveats. The paper then extends the results to include monetary accounts, but warns that the current guidelines embody flaws that can yield anomalous results.

This study examines socio-economic issues confronting the chokka squid fishery in South Africa's Eastern Cape, particularly in the towns of St Francis Bay, Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay. It examines the implications of two key issues challenging the industry: the volatility of chokka squid catches, and the government's recent proposal that, to further transformation, 25% of the sector's commercial rights should be reallocated to small-scale fishing cooperatives. It is argued that the socio-economic effects of catch volatility flow from the institutional structure of the fishery and the labour contracts in it, specifically the link between fishers' earnings and their catches. These are further linked to the local economy to which the fishery and its workers are closely tied. This thesis examines the ability of small-scale fishing co-operatives to participate efficiently in the sector and the potential impact of the proposed rights reallocation on the economic viability of existing firms. The primary data used was collected through personal communications with key sector participants. Possible solutions to the two issues examined are proposed. Alternative approaches to transformation and empowerment within the chokka sector are suggested.

The oil shock of 1973 brought newfound wealth to a group of ultraconservative Muslims. This wealth coincided with the growing demand for shariah compliant products. The prohibition against interest is not new but has been around for millennia. This dissertation attempted to ascertain if Shariah compliance came at a cost to investors and if it was possible to be both just and efficient. We illustrate using Stiglitz and Cheung's sharecropping models that a profit and loss sharing contract can be as efficient as its alternatives (or more so), so there is no implicit tax on lenders who prefer a share of profit rather than a fixed return on a loan. The growth in Islamic finance has improved consumer awareness not only amongst Islamic investors, but also among ethical investors. Investors are now offered a chance to gain returns, without having to sacrifice their beliefs. Islamic finance may suffer from learning effects, portfolio managers certainly ‘learn by doing'. But once they have learned it seems that their portfolios need not underperform the market. However, it must be recognized that a lack of standardization and diverse scholar opinions can adversely affect the growth of the industry.

The potential existence of a high-volume asteroid-derived platinum supply is examined from an economic perspective to assess the possible impact on long-term platinum supply. It is hypothesized that space-mined resources will increasingly become available over the next 30 years to 2050, driven by growing human activity in near-Earth space. Forecasted asteroid platinum supply under 3 scenarios is compared to forecasted terrestrial platinum supply. The thesis finds that, depending on the speed at which the size of an asteroid practical to mine up-scales, space-mined platinum has the potential to significantly impact on the terrestrial platinum market.

This study focuses on Zimbabwe's first hyperinflation which began in March 2007 and peaked at 231 million percent in July 2008. Through a comparative pre-post analysis, the study investigates hyperinflation's effects on the well-being of households, its empirical chapters assessing changes in asset poverty, asset inequality and child malnutrition before and after the hyperinflation. The first empirical chapter assesses the shifts in asset poverty. Household holdings of physical assets and recorded access to public utilities are drawn from the 1994, 1999, 2005 (prehyperinflation) and the 2010 and 2015 (post-hyperinflation) Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey datasets. These are used to construct an asset index, with the 20th and 40th percentiles as relative poverty lines. Asset-derived poverty headcount and poverty gaps are measured and compared across the two periods. The national asset poverty headcount ratio decreased by 27 percent largely driven by of the experience of rural households whose asset poverty headcount fell by 31 percent. In contrast urban households experienced a 51 percent increase in asset poverty in this period. The second empirical chapter assesses the shifts in asset inequality during the hyperinflation. Rather than focus on income inequality, it continues using asset holdings and constructs pre- and post-hyperinflation asset Gini coefficients for urban and rural households. These show decreased asset inequality during the hyperinflationary period. At a national level, inequality decreased by 7 percent and in rural areas by 2 percent. The decrease in inequality on a national level was mainly attributable to the increase in private assets among rural households. However, there was a 2 percent increase in inequality among urban households, largely attributable to ownership of private assets. Land and livestock were the main drivers of inequality. The final empirical chapter focuses on the changes in child nutrition during the hyperinflation, and the factors contributing to these changes amongst children under the age of 5. Using Mosley and Chen's (1984) proximate determinants analytic framework, multivariate Logistic regression analyses revealed that wasting and stunting increased with inflation. Other related factors were poor access to electricity, safe drinking water, improved toilets and healthcare, as well as low levels of mother's education and asset wealth.

This thesis examines spatial patterns of effort by fishers in waters adjoining a marine protected area, and their impacts on the reserve’s ability to reduce the impacts of overfishing. The artisanal fisheries operating near Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius, provided case-study data for analysis. Two forms of spatial connectivity were evaluated. The first focused on spillovers of adult and juvenile fish from the MPA. Data on catch and geographical fishing location were collected from a sample of fishers over 12 months. Assessment of spillover gradients using Generalised Linear Models and economic production functions found evidence of spillovers up to 4 km from the MPA. The second connectivity study modelled fishers’ spatial behaviour, using a random utility framework and random parameters logit estimation. Fishers appeared sensitive to the expected catch, its variability, human risk and distance travelled. Expected catch and catch variability were modelled using a Just and Pope production function. The two connectivities were integrated in bioeconomic models to assess the relationship between reserve size, fishing effort and harvests. Using a Beverton and Holt recruitment function, an age-structured bioeconomic model for the dominant target species, Unicorn fish (Naso unicornis), was constructed from the catch data. In the hypothetical case of an initially over-exploited fishery, an inverted-U relationship between fisheries benefits and the Marine Park’s size was observed. No pre-reserve data was available for use as a counterfactual; the model was therefore used to estimate the pre-reserve population. This was then used to assess the performance of the Marine Park in enhancing fish population and biomass. In the light of the findings, the thesis concludes that the extent and magnitude of fishing effort should be considered when debating the placement and size of marine reserve, and proposes a step-wise approach to integrate fishers’ behaviour in the evaluation of existing and new MPAs.

This is an ongoing paper that discusses the socio-economics of three neighbouring small towns (Humansdorp, St. Francis and Jeffreys Bay) in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, each largely dependent on the squid fishery. The paper addresses four issues: (1) the operations of the squid industry in South Africa; (2) the local impacts of its operations; (3) the financial stability of the industry and (4) the manner in which the resource and the industry are managed by the ministry (and the implications of this). The linkages of the squid industry into both the local and provincial economies are estimated using mixed data from existing survey and census statistics, and from qualitative interviews and questionnaires. The paper also describes the roles played by industry participants in the squid value chain. A key element in the debates surrounding the management of marine resources is the benefits they provide for previously disadvantaged populations. The paper unravels some of the complexities underpinning this issue, in particular concerns regarding resource rights, management through closed seasons, and control over value chains. The stability and geographical origins of affected communities are focal issues. The paper also identifies major costs of industry operations and roughly quantifies them as a preliminary to establishing linkages to the local economy. It is noted that although the different vessels in operation vary in size and cost, the basic technology used is similar. The return on capital depends, therefore, on the skills of the fishers and the health of the resource.

Tobacco control policies are credited with contributing to the well-being of society. But for tobacco producers, such polices can present pitfalls, especially in rural contexts where households are dependent on tobacco leaf production. This study focuses on the adjustment strategies open to tobacco-growing households particularly on Article 17 of the FCTC which is a strategic policy guideline that supports economically viable alternatives to the production of tobacco. The central hypothesis of the study is the consideration of farm household decision-making structures as requisites to FCTC supply policies. The study uses the agricultural household framework to examine tobacco supply and relative farm efficiency. This framework is applied to a farm survey dataset collected from the West Nile sub-region of Uganda. The study used a probability sampling method to sample households. A sampling frame was provided by the district agricultural offices from the study area. The study developed a bivariate model to examine economic and noneconomic incentives to tobacco supply. Relative farm efficiencies are examined with data envelopment analysis. A Tobit model is further used to estimate farm inefficiency among tobacco and other farm households. The findings demonstrate that there is a clear variation in profitability between tobacco farms and other farms, with alternative farms posting better farm profits. There is considerable evidence in the data that tobacco farmers are capable of responding to staple food and cash crop prices, production value, and other non-economic incentives, as implicitly expected by economic theory. The tobacco output supply is strongly associated with economic incentives such as an export or cash crop price as opposed to a staple food price. This could be that with a cash crop price, tobacco farmers are able to produce at a point where marginal cost is equal to marginal revenue. Efficiency results reveal that subsistence food crops do not offer a viable alternative to tobacco in West Nile, Uganda. A crop such as coffee can have some potential as a specialised cash crop in West Nile, but none of the grains or pulses do when grown as mono-crops. A balanced mixed of grains and pulses, that includes some coffee, can vii certainly compete with tobacco in West Nile. Vertically integrated farmers are at the mercy of powerful buyers/processors who are generally very prescriptive about quantities while at the same time controlling prices so that farmers have very little room to manoeuvre. Overall, it is important to note that both tobacco leaf and alternative farms are too small, and therefore experience increasing returns to scale. Tobacco-specialised farms are overcapitalised and suffer from inefficient management practices. Relying on agricultural support is beneficial to farm efficiency. Three policy implications are considered. A realistic price strategy in a comprehensive package of government action is required to ensure a sound agricultural base for the development of alternative farming. This would also include a crop diversification strategy to support a broad spectrum of alternative crops. A package of these changes would work well with an improvement in agricultural support, and for this reason the government of Uganda needs to develop an agricultural support framework. The thesis contributes to the empirical, field research and some methodology towards Article 17, and to research on the economics of tobacco production and alternative livelihoods.

Many of Africa’s economies are mineral based. Their sustainability and their macroeconomic vulnerability to market fluctuations are accordingly matters of direct concern. This thesis asks how much of the proceeds of mining in such countries can be safely spent each year. Using El Serafy’s approach to the ‘proper’ definition of National Income, it recomputes Net Domestic Product in 11 mineral-based African economies and tests for their macroeconomic sustainability. The study finds a disturbingly poor level of sustainability in several of them; with aggregate expenditures in excess of the levels posited under efficient resource rent management given the El Serafy User cost approach. The study estimates the budget deficit and national debt as a proportion of net national product adjusted for mineral resource depletion in each country and evaluates the outcome by comparison with standard ‘rules of thumb’ concerning ‘acceptable’ fiscal deficits and national debt levels. The outcome reveals that using GDP as an anchor as opposed to an ‘appropriate’ measure that adjust for mineral resource depletion by policy-makers may lead to the implementation of sub-optimal economic policies which are detrimental for sustainable income growth and development. The findings from the study therefore highlight the need for more efficient resource management as well as the development of a ’properly defined‘ national income which corrects for resource depletion to inform sustainable fiscal policy.

This thesis identifies the gaps in the literature on foreign aid, and tries to fill some of them focusing particularly on Niger, a country that has received aid since its independence in 1960, yet remains one of the world's poorest. The work contributes to the literature in three ways: First, it addresses moral hazard: the relationship between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the country is analysed through a historical case study. Niger's requests for assistance are accompanied by promises to undertake reforms; however, once aid is disbursed, these undertakings rarely materialize. Despite this record of poor (and deteriorating) compliance, IMF aid continues to flow, engendering perverse incentives and moral hazard. Secondly, it analyses whether aid is associated with poverty reduction. Aid is correlated with poverty, which is to be expected due to its pro-poor targeting nature. However, this study found increases in poverty associated with communities which were recipients of aid. To shed more light on this, households receiving aid were compared with those receiving no project assistance at all, and with households who benefited from non-aid based development projects. The results showed that changes in poverty levels among aid recipient households were not statistically different to those among households receiving no assistance. However, households benefiting from aid under-performed those who benefited from other projects. Thirdly, it explores whether aid brings utility to households through the provision of public goods. The results suggest that aid projects do help households. However, other sources of development projects are more efficient at doing so. Information is the key: it is a vital prerequisite for projects to address the needs of the population, and not all donors have the same information. Information can be obtained through co-funding projects with other donors, although there are also coordination costs. The models estimated allow the prediction of the benefits a project could provide to a household. Such predictive abilities could allow policymakers to coordinate donors' initiatives to maximize their effectiveness. However, at present Niger lacks the capacity to achieve such coordination. Furthermore, such an approach would involve having to reduce the least efficient donors to mere providers of finance (i.e. channel their resources through other donor types), a role they might not be willing to accept.

To manage credit risk and improve working capital, many power utility companies have moved consumers from conventional post-payment for electricity to prepayment. Despite the growing use of this prepayment system, the welfare implications of this strategy are unclear and contested. The Zimbabwean utility company, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), introduced prepaid meters in August 2012 and installed over 550,000 prepaid meters by the 31st of December 2015. This thesis' objective was to quantitatively assess the societal costs and benefits of introducing prepaid electricity to Zimbabwe, by calculating the net present value of the estimated annual costs and benefits over time. A qualitative analysis was also conducted, based on a consumer survey of 100 consumers who had switched from the post-paid to the prepaid system. The survey captured consumers' perceptions of the prepaid system's costs and benefits. Results of the study showed that both consumers and the utility company have benefited from the prepaid system. The average net benefit per user under the prepaid system was estimated at US$58.93 per annum. 74% of consumers surveyed confirmed having benefited from the switch to the prepaid system. The main policy recommendation, based on the results of the study, is for ZETDC to continue with its roll out of the prepaid system. However, as the research was limited to the current ZETDC prepaid consumer base of only domestic and small business users, a recommendation for future research would be to evaluate the costs and benefits for larger industrial consumers as well.

In South African cities institutional practices and market forces are seen to reinforce spatial divisions. This dissertation reflects on the relationship between location fixed resources, market forces and state intervention and how the interaction of these factors influence urban spatial outcomes. It first develops the underlying economic theory that could inform good planning practice and then illustrates how state-market relations have had an impact on urban spatial outcomes in South Africa's recent history. These insights are then used to describe the spatial development of Cape Town and identifies ineffective and counterproductive interventions and illustrate how economic theories and concepts can be used to inform good planning practice. It concludes with the direction for further research and collaboration between economists and planners to improve planning and policy making in South Africa's cities.

The offshore demersal hake trawl is the largest sector of the South African hake fishery, which targets shallow-water (Merluccius capensis) and deep-water (M. paradoxus) Cape hakes. Economically, it is the most important fishery in South Africa, generating ZAR ~5 billion in revenue, mainly from exports, and it supports an estimated 30 000 jobs. Whereas there are a number of single-species and ecosystem models that assess hake stock dynamics and examine the food web dynamics of the southern Benguela ecosystem, the human social hake fishery system is less understood. In order to address this need, this study's aims are to i) analyse the structure and dynamics of the economics of the South African offshore demersal hake trawl fishery from empirical data and stakeholder interviews, and ii) produce a prototype economic simulation model of this fishery to better understand the dynamics of the industry and the relative importance of its internal and external drivers, e.g. industrial organization, environmental uncertainty, exchange rate and fuel price. The empirical analyses confirm that the offshore hake trawl fishery is an economically mature and highly vertically integrated industry. That is, most companies control much of the value-chain, catching, processing, marketing and distributing their fish products, with access to economies of scope and scale. Nine company clusters, formed through consolidation of fishing rights and a variety of catch-share agreements, have been identified. Based on their size and operations they have been categorized as small, medium, large and super-cluster types. Fishing vessel numbers have declined since 1978 to streamline operations, with current effort optimising restrictions based on vessel engine power and the ability to catch the full quota. During the observation period (2005-2012), high-value export markets have bought 60-70% of the South African hake total allowable catch (TAC), comprising nine major markets and a number of smaller ones. The lower-value domestic market takes ca. 30% plus imports equivalent to another ca. 15% of TAC. Hake export volumes have shifted from fresh to frozen and increasingly to value-added products, especially after the 2008 banking crisis. This corresponds to an industry-confirmed price-convergence between fresh and frozen hake products. This product displacement trend is largely due to changes in the largest export market, Spain, and is mirrored by an increased reliance on freezer trawling in the industry.

Includes bibliographical references., Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is widely applied as an appraisal technique particularly for use as an input into public decision-making processes. Done properly CBA both helps inform decision-makers and helps hold them accountable for their decisions. While it has the advantage of being systematic and rule-based, CBA has practical limitations regarding what it can reliably show; particularly in situations of limited information, data or resources. Those that commission CBAs may not be aware of these limitations, and CBAs are often requested, or required by regulations in these circumstances. These and other considerations for the use of CBA for local government decision-making in South Africa are illustrated with reference to the case study of the CBA of the proposed development at the Garden Route Dam in George.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references., This thesis argues that at high end ecotourism sites in southern Africa good relationships with local communities are not merely a normative ‘good thing’, but are a likely prerequisite for the long-term viability of both natural resources and the economic ventures that depend on them. Communities are thus active participants in both conservation and tourism. As rising populations increase pressure on conserved land, both conservation and ecotourism will need community support and goodwill. Such rural communities adjacent to protected areas have traditionally enjoyed consumptive use of local resources. Formally set-aside protected areas may help conserve biodiversity, but often impose costs on rural communities, increasing human-wildife conflict and reducing the land available for agriculture and consumptive use. Sustained community support for these areas therefore requires visible benefits. One source of these is ecotourism. Using primary data from over 1800 community interview schedules, collected across six southern African countries (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe), the thesis seeks to establish the incentives that matter most to rural communities in conservation areas, how ecotourism affects household incomes, and the determinants of community attitudes towards conservation and ecotourism.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references., In an attempt to provide much-needed finance for road investments, the government’s national road agency has introduced numerous toll roads over the last three decades. It is currently in the process of introducing open road tolling on a network of Gauteng’s highways. Economic theory provides a rich understanding for pricing road use, particularly with regard to the pricing of externalities. By quantifying these externalities for the South African case, this paper reveals evidence of gross mispricing for road use. Specifically, the magnitude of road freight trucks’ external costs indicates that there is an absolute underpricing of road use for these vehicles. On the grounds of the externalities considered in this paper, passenger cars should, in fact, face a toll negligible in comparison to heavy vehicles. That they do not points to massive cross-subsidisation and that the relative price between light and heavy vehicles should be revisited. Appropriate pricing will improve economic efficiency by reducing cross-subsidisation. It will also rationalise the choice of freight modalities in South Africa, with the likely effect that a greater volume of goods will be carried by rail. Despite the welfare gains that the policy offers, one must be cognisant of the distortions that optimal road pricing may have.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references., This dissertation uses a systems thinking approach to investigate how current health system frameworks conceive of universal coverage schemes and the conditions which led to their implementation and sustainability.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references., This thesis emerged from funded research by ASSET Research, contracted by Water Research Commission. The project is co-funded by the ‘Working for Water’ programme. It forms part of a series of interdisciplinary studies focusing on the restoration of natural capital at nine sites throughout South Africa. The research stems from the hypothesis that restoring degrading landscapes has the potential to provide a quality flow of water, sequester carbon and improve land productivity. The studies will be merged in a meta-analysis using a systems model by a PhD student, drawing generic conclusions on restoration in South Africa.

Includes bibliographical references., This study focuses on the economic rationale for increased electrification in Khayelitsha and for enhanced Free Basic Electricity (FBE) policies. Air quality readings in Khayelitsha have shown high readings of pollution and a particularly high incidence of coarse particulate matter (PM10). These are on average 25 per cent higher than Goodwood and 70 per cent higher than in central Cape Town. PM10s are particularly harmful pollutants and impose an increasing marginal external cost; the health implications of exposure varying directly with exposure levels. Open fires, traditional and paraffin stoves, and flame based lighting are major contributors to respiratory disease and altered lung function. Low birth-weight, nutritional deficiency, tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease and cataracts have also been associated with the prevalence of PM10. It was found in this dissertation that PM10 readings are significantly higher than allowed by national standards and that a 100 per cent increase in Free Basic Electricity, from 50kWh per month to 100kWh, would be appreciably beneficial to health outcomes. Dose-response functions were used to evaluate the effect of a 10 per cubic metre μɡ//m³ decrease in PM10 for lung diseases, Lower Respiratory Illness in children, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and other related symptoms. It was seen that all of these adverse health episodes would decrease to varying extents, for example between 13 and 14 lives could be saved from COPD, cardiovascular mortality could decrease by around 468 deaths and respiratory deaths could decrease by about 2 491. Added to this, between 721 665 and 1 237 140 annual sick days would be saved annually and ambient pollution readings would drop, although the extent to which this would happen is unknown.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references., Growing consumer awareness of animal welfare has co-evolved with increases in intensive farming, particularly of battery chickens. This rise in consumer awareness recently saw bans on battery farming in parts of Europe. This thesis addresses the difficulties that would follow any similar attempt to curtail battery farming in South Africa. It examines the literature on animal rights and the welfare issues generated by intensive animal farming, particularly of battery chickens. Thereafter it summarises the findings of surveys into local consumer preferences and retail strategies regarding chicken products.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references., Poor mine closure policy threatens both society and the environment. Some of the more prominent threats that have manifested are acid mine drainage, slimes dams and toxic dust from dumps. Current legislation requires that new mines set aside funds to cover their rehabilitation costs at closure.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55)., Within a context of political posturing and intimidation it can become difficult for fruitful discussion to emerge and real debate can be stifled. The nationalisation of mines in South Africa is a discussion that has been debated in such an environment. The aim of this dissertation is to cut through the political posturing and get to the fundamental question surrounding nationalisation of mines in South Africa. Would nationalising the South African mining industry enhance its contribution to the achievement of poverty and inequality reducing economic growth? This is the central question to the debate because the twin objectives of the South African government are to eradicate poverty and substantially reduce inequality.

This paper focuses on the hake fishery and investigates to what extent the fishery has been transformed. It then discusses the institutional structure and incentive schemes in the fishery and evaluates the economic, social, and environmental impacts of quota redistribution.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-177)., This dissertation explores the direct and indirect costs of expanding the land area set aside for conservation in the Sunday’s River Valley of the Eastern Cape. While many parks have been located in zones of low commercial value, either deliberately, to cut opportunity cost conservation, or through historic accident, the Greater Addo Elephant National Park (GAENP) is looking to expand in an area with high agricultural potential. It is also an area with high levels of unemployment, extensive land degradation, and unique biological diversity. These factors make achieving a socially optimal use of land particularly pertinent. Data was collected from the Greater Addo Elephant National Park (GAENP), citrus farms and restoration projects in the area. The thesis tests the hypothesis that a combination of carbon farming (restoration) and eco-tourism provides an ecologically superior land use option, and estimates its opportunity costs in terms of the income, employment and multiplier effects of agriculture foregone.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-41)., The Overberg region in the Western Cape is an area rich in conservation value. This region has another distinctive feature in that there are three different landowners adjacent to one another, each boasting land rich in biodiversity value. In the event that the land use practices of the landowners are in conflict with biodiversity conservation on their land, there is a trade-off between net social benefit and landowner welfare. Currently, there is no explicit conservation regulation that governs the way these landowners manage the conservation value of their land. This study investigates the viability of the application of an agglomeration bonus as a voluntary incentive mechanism aimed promoting sound conservation practices at three sites managed within the region. The analysis is unique in its application of both the normal form game theory and spatial mapping approaches to the problem in a three-player context. The primary finding of this work is that in a controlled environment the application of an agglomeration bonus does result in the creation of contiguous reserves between adjacent landowners.

Includes abstract., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-71)., The decline of the WCRL fishery in recent decades has been accompanied by the restructuring of the permit process to a long-term rights allocation process and the increased participation of historically disadvantaged individuals. This paper examines the effects of declining somatic growth rates and stock abundance over the years, increased levels of poaching, and the placement and effectiveness of marine reserves, on the WCRL industry, which incorporates the offshore and nearshore commercial fisheries and the recreational fishery. Small-scale traditional fishermen face access constraints to the fisheries, including lack of skills, limited access to credit and insufficient organisation. Sustainability of both the resource and fishery-based livelihoods must be ensured when examining the social and economic impacts underlying the recent legal issue between MCM and the large rock lobster firms who were contesting the allocation of permits to nearshore fishermen. There is currently an attempt to resolve this ongoing conflict by the drafting of a small-scale fisheries policy. New focuses in the industry include introducing an ecosystem-based management approach by 2012, commitment to co-management, and marine protected areas, particularly a call for increased use of no-take reserves.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-43)., In many of the small communities of South Africa's West Coast, the economic driver has traditionally been the fishing industry. Employment opportunities were largely located either on board the vessels or in a fish-processing factory which in some smaller centres was a monopsonistic employer. The last two decades have seen this system under threat. Fish stocks have declined and fish populations have move southward, while the fishing industry has been restructured to meet BEE imperatives, meaning that old established firms found their quotas even further decreased. To cut costs, fishing companies shed jobs and in extreme cases shut down their smaller operations. As they left the smaller centres they took with them their managerial skills, as well as capital and employment. The fishermen and women in these towns, have found it difficult to fill the vacuum, lacking as they do, organisation, access to credit, administrative and marketing skills, and above all critical information related to the process of issuing fishing rights (Isaacs, 2006, 57), (Amason & Kashorte, 2006, 48). The decline of the West Coast fisheries was latterly accompanied by the extension of the permit process; access to the resource being restructured initially in a 'medium term' and then in a long term rights application process. Those fishermen who were unsuccessful in acquiring access rights were trapped in a cycle of poverty and increasingly forced to fish illegally or 'poach' to survive. The decline of the stock means that there are no simple answers to the problem, I argue however, that it would be beneficial for the South African Government to embark on a co-management programme with these fishing communities.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-48)., There are an increasing number of techniques used in the valuation of environmental services. Contingent valuation is the most frequently used stated preference technique, while hedonic pricing analysis is an alternative revealed preference technique employed for the determination of the value attached to a public good. This paper uses both techniques to study the utility generated by Intaka Island, a 16-hectare nature area situated in a rapidly developing area of Cape Town.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-179)., This thesis analyses the effects of natural resource degradation on production and well-being of rural households in Uganda. In the face of growing concerns about the environment, policy makers in Uganda are finding themselves increasingly pressured to choose between environmental degradation in the long run and the ever-growing needs of the poor populations in the short run. The effects of environmental degradation, such as loss of woody biomass, on household welfare may have been understated and less recognized. Some economists point to the development of alternative (substitute) fuels and new technology, use of fertilizers and controlled population growth as the solutions to rural environmental deterioration and subsequent improvement of rural household welfare.

Bibliography: leaves 53-56., This paper aims to show the role that NRA can play in environmental and economic accounting, and the procedures that need to be followed when carrying out natural resources accounting. The paper first reviews the SNA and its shortcomings regarding the treatment of the environment and natural capital. This is done by looking at the SNA classification of assets and examining how far environmental attributes are accounted for. Then the paper proposes the use of NRA to correct the deficiencies of the SNA Satellite accounts are suggested for resource based sectors in the Botswana economy, in order to augment national accounts. It is stressed that economic growth is only correctly reflected if the accounting prices used reflect full opportunity costs i.e. correct for externalities.