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Perspectives on Local Environmental Security, Exemplified by a Rural South African Village

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Abstract

This paper analyzes the human–nature interaction in a village in rural South Africa. It discusses preconditions, perceptions, and consequences of natural resource use, and places these findings into a regional and historical context. Applying an interdisciplinary perspective, the study uses interviews, questionnaires, remote sensing, and participatory mapping to analyze land cover changes and local perceptions of the environment. The study area is located in a former homeland (Transkei), a setting where well-recorded conflicts in the human–nature sphere have previously been triggered by population pressure, apartheid policies, and other historical, political, and social reasons. A small-scale and subjective conceptualization of environmental security is used as an approach to analyze local livelihood strategies in a selected village. The results indicate that the environment is not the highest priority in local survival strategies. Instead, formal and informal jobs and governmental grants are the most important security strategies. There are thus no major conflicts resulting from the interaction between the local population and the natural resources in this specific area. Explanations to this pattern can partly be found in historical contexts, which include apartheid policies, re-localizations, and a system of migrant labor. The study also suggests that general truths about a region such as Transkei might be misleading in specific localities. For relevant and successful environmental management and development planning however, it is crucial that decision-makers be able to get a clear picture of local situations and adjust their plans accordingly.

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Acknowledgments

A number of financial contributors have made this study possible, such as Göransson-Sandvikens stipendiefond (Gästrike-Hälsinge Nation), Uddeholms stipendiefond (Värmlands Nation), The Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography, The Royal Academy of Sciences, and Lars Hiertas Minnesfond. We would also like to thank our supervisors, Professor Lennart Strömquist, Uppsala University, and Professor Anders Hjort af Ornäs, University of Linköping. Most of all though, our gratitude extends to the people of Cutwini and our South African partners, the University of Transkei and the NGO PondoCrop, for their hospitality, help, and cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programme for Applied Environmental Impact Assessment Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University, Box 513, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden

    Fredrik Haag

  2. Department of Water and Environmental Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden

    Flora Hajdu

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  1. Fredrik Haag
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Correspondence to Fredrik Haag.

Appendix: Other Sources

Appendix: Other Sources

Satellite Imagery

Landsat MSS, 1987/02/09, scene id: LM516808 1082087040

Landsat TM+, 2003/01/28, scene id: L716808 2000302850

Aerial Photographs

1937: Job no 117, photos no 55281, 55282, 55289, 55290, 55291, 55295, 55296

1952: Job no 317, photos no 36791, 36792. Job no 315, photos no 36467, 36466, 36500, 36501

1974: Job no 733, photos no 9818, 9819, 9875, 9876, 9882, 9883

1995: Job no 983, strip 23, photos no 695, 697 and strip 30, photo no 468

Chief Directorate of Surveys and Mapping, South Africa.

Maps

Topographic series, 1:50 000, Chief Directorate of Surveys and Mapping, South Africa. Sheets no 3129CB, 3129DA, 3129BC, 3129BD+3130AC

Nautical charts, 1:150 000, Hydrographic Office, South Africa. Sheets no SAN 129 and SAN 130

Geological maps, 1:250 000, Council for Geoscience, South Africa, Sheets no 3128C, 3128E, 3128W

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Haag, F., Hajdu, F. Perspectives on Local Environmental Security, Exemplified by a Rural South African Village. Environmental Management 36, 483–494 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0052-7

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