Efd Initiative Center Report 2010: South Africa
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1 CENTER REPORTEf 2010: SODUTH AFRICA Environment for Development EFD INITIATIVE CENTER REPORT 2010: SOUTH AFRICA The Environmental Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU) is a collaborative association of academic researchers specializing in environmental and natural resource issues. EPRU works to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction in Southern Africa. BY PROVIDING POLICY INSTRUMENTS TO MANAGE SCARCE NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMISTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 2 CENTER REPORT 2010: SOUTH AFRICA REPORT HIS T This report presents EfD South Africa, its members and work during 2010. The South African node of the Environment for Development initiative is based at: Cover photo by Francisco Alpízar: Elephants in Addo Elephant Environmental-Economics Policy Research Unit (EPRU) National Park, South African National Parks University of Cape Town Other photos: Cape Town, South Africa Gunnar Köhlin, Jane Turpie, Karin Backteman, Karin Jonson, Johnny Coordinator: Dr Mare Sarr Cohen, Kerri Brick, Francisco Alpízar, Stephanie Giamporcaro, Helena Emai: [email protected] Ekbom, Kuyasa CDM Pilot Project, Maria Damon and Rolf Hallin Tel. +27 (0)21 650 2982 Graphic design: Anders Wennerström, Spiro Kommunikation www.efdinitiative.org/centers/south-africa Layout: Karin Backteman BY PROVIDING POLICY INSTRUMENTS TO MANAGE SCARCE NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMISTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE 3 Hout Bay sentinel in Cape Town, South Africa. The sentinel is the mountain peak that guards the entrance to the Hout Bay harbour. It is situated west of the “harbour village”, comprising of Hout Bay heights and Hangberg at the base of the Sentinel. Adjacent to the sentinel is the Karbonkelberg marine sanctuary which forms part of the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area. The main purpose of the establishment of the sanctuary was the preservation of the West Coast Rock Lobster (WCRL ). An Honours student of University of Cape Town, Timothy Harrison, under the supervision of EfD research fellow Edwin Muchapondwa, quantified the amount of illegal WCRL harvest by the Hangberg community from the sanctuary and gave evidence of its street value. S CONTENT P.5 P.6 P.8 P.12 Message from The EfD Annual Research Policy Research 2010: coordinator Meeting 2010 in Interaction Publications Ethiopia P.14 P.15 P.17 P.18 Projects Research Academic capacity Spreading the word Presentations at building Workshops, Meetings & Conferences P.20 P.22 P.26 P.27 Website visitors and The South Africa node The EfD initiative in EfD Centers Number of downloads in the EfD network brief THE ENVIRONMENTAL-ECONOMICS POLICY RESEARCH UNIT (EPRU) IS THE SOUTH AFRICAN BRANCH OF EFD. 4 CENTER REPORT 2010: SOUTH AFRICA A small South African wetland. In a case study from the Western Cape, South Africa, EfD fellow Jane Turpie and her research colleagues did an estimation of the water quality amelioration value of wetlands, see EfD Discussion papers, page 10-11. “Wetlands are among the most threatened habitats globally, and continue to be replaced or degraded by human activities. A major factor contributing to this is that their value is poorly understood. A study conducted in the Western Cape, South Africa, shows that small wetlands can play a significant cumulative role in the amelioration of the quality of water emanating from their catchment areas, and that the value of this service is high enough to warrant their protection.” From the research brief description Water quality amelioration value of wetlands, on page 11. BY PROVIDING POLICY INSTRUMENTS TO MANAGE SCARCE NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMISTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE 5 Mare Sarr MESSAGE FROM OUR COORDINATOR 2010 has been a great year but not just be- research, we have also offered supply-driven students who would like to pursue further cause of the successful World Cup in South and innovative research to local policy makers. research in our fields of interest. Africa. It has been full of great achievements A good example of this is the ongoing project for EPRU (EfD South Africa) too. Over the involving the role of social norms in lowering 2010 has seen EPRU start diversifying its past four years, EPRU has strived to produce household electricity consumption under- sources of funds. In addition to Sida’s invalu- policy-relevant research in areas that are of taken by Martine Visser, and Grant Smith, in able contribution, we have relied on the sup- great importance for the country: community- collaboration with various departments of the port of the African Climate and Development based wildlife conservation and poverty mitiga- City of Cape Town. The results have shown Initiative and the UCT Vice Chancellor Strategic tion, climate change, marine protected areas that providing such information to a treatment fund. In the coming year, we plan to diversify and coastal management, sustainable and sample influenced their electricity consumption even further our sources of funding by bidding responsible investment. In 2010, a great deal significantly. The experiment will be extended for larger research projects that will enhance of the research EPRU has undertaken during to pre-paid electricity meters as well. Our collaboration among EPRU research fellows, these years has turned into a number of actual fellows have also obtained funding from the with other researchers and, importantly, with peer reviewed publications, both in local and Water Research Commission to extend the key stakeholders. international journals. This is a very encourag- study to water consumption. ing development and is testimony of the quality Finally, I would like to thank Sida for its con- of our research EPRU has produced in all our EPRU continues to be strongly involved in tinued support. The recent signature of the fields of interest. In addition, it is exciting to see the teaching of Environmental and Resource 2011-2014 agreement between Sida and EfD that our promising junior research fellows, who Economics both at the undergraduate and is a breath of air that will help us to meet the have been trained and supervised patiently by graduate level at the University of Cape Town challenges of establishing a long lasting centre the senior fellows, have actively contributed to (UCT). In 2010, we have also participated in that strives for excellence and serves the our publications. This indicates that the effort the teaching of the Collaborative Masters community by producing and disseminating of local capacity building in which EPRU is fully Programme at the African Economic Research research in natural resource management that committed is showing clear signs of success. Consortium. This involvement provides us helps fight poverty. a platform to expose students from various EPRU has also been active on the policy African countries to resource economics within Mare Sarr front. In addition to the usual demand-driven the African setting, and attract talented African Coordinator EfD South Africa/EPRU THE ENVIRONMENTAL-ECONOMICS POLICY RESEARCH UNIT (EPRU) IS THE SOUTH AFRICAN BRANCH OF EFD. 6 CENTER REPORT 2010: SOUTH AFRICA FOURTH EFD ANNuaL MEETING COMPLETED HE EfD ANNUAL MEETING 2010 IN ETHIOPIA, October The Policy Day was hosted by UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN- 28-31, started with one day at UN Economic Commission for ECA) together with the Ethiopian EfD Center (Environmental Economics TAfrica focusing on how to make the most use of environmental Policy Forum for Ethiopia which is hosted by the Ethiopian Development economics research for development. Three days of research presenta- Research Institute). tions and discussions followed together with key note speeches and a lecture on a multi-disciplinary approach to analyze Social Ecological Among the speakers were Desalegn Mesfin, Deputy Director General, Systems, designed by Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom and applicable for Federal Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia, who opened the EfD´s planned thematic research collaboration. meeting. Anders Ekbom, EfD Research Fellow and policy analyst at the University of Gothenburg, spoke about research-policy interactions: mod- ”Our objectives of the Policy Day was to disseminate selected work of els, approaches and lessons learned. Chantal Line Carpentier, Sustain- EfD’s research and its potential contributions to a key policy institution, able Development Officer, Division for Sustainable Development United UNECA, and other key stakeholders present at the meeting. We also Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, spoke about needs wanted to share information across EfD centers on successful research- and opportunities to strengthen policy-research links on the economics of policy interactions, as well as increase our learning on how to translate environment and climate change – perspectives from UNDESA. research to policy more in general”, says EfD Director Gunnar Köhlin. Successful cases of EfD research-policy interactions were presented BY PROVIDING POLICY INSTRUMENTS TO MANAGE SCARCE NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMISTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE 7 The EfD Annual Meeting 2010 in Ethiopia was held at UNECA, UN Economic Commission for Africa, in Addis Abeba, and in Debrezeit. In the photo spread (page 6-7) from the left: Rahel Deribe, (lunch break in Africa Hall), Francisco Alpizar, Precious Zikhali and Wilfred Nyangena, group: Lunyu Xie, Edwin Muchapondwa, Ping Qin, and Razack Lokina.