Trynos Gumbo

Waste Management Threats to Human Health and Urban Aquatic Habitats – A Case Study of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

© 2012 Mazhindu et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Waste Management Threats to Human Health and Urban Aquatic Habitats – A Case Study of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Applicability of R statistics in analyzing landslides spatial patterns in Northern Turkey

Statistical analysis of rainfall-triggered landslides inventory patterns is a key for landslide hazard and risk prediction analysis of susceptible areas. The main objective of the study is to test if the landslides locations are spatially auto correlated, that could either be clustered (spatial attraction), dispersed or randomly distributed (spatially independent). Two categories of spatial distance functions were applied, first using, first-order distance analysis using Quadrat Counts function and kernel density analysis. The second category used second order distance analysis includes Diggles empty space F-function and nearest neighbor distance G-function, and also, more sophisticated Ripleys K-function, which evaluates the distribution of all neighbor distances within the space taking into consideration the edge correction effect. Based on the generated curves by the G, F and K functions, we observed that landslides locations clearly tend to be clustered in certain areas rather than randomly distributed. Eventually, Morans I autocorrelation function used to find where the highest amount of landslides are clustered using four conditioning factors (Elevation, Slope, Land-cover, and Geology). This study tests the landslides distribution pattern in landslide prone area of Trabzon city, northern turkey. The current study aims to facilitate the integration of spatial data and the coding in R environment through using the R extensive research tools and libraries.

African Migrant Traders’ Experiences in Johannesburg Inner City: Towards the Migrant Calculated Risk and Adaptation Framework

ABSTRACT Globally, migrants face numerous socio-economic and institutional impediments that hinder their participation in the labour market of host cities and/or countries. This motivates them to join the informal economic sector to make a living. Applying the concept of tactical cosmopolitanism to understand the social and economic agency of African migrants, this article reports on an explorative analysis of the experiences of informal African migrant street traders (African migrant traders) operating in Johannesburg inner city, Gauteng, South Africa. The study revealed that African migrant traders left their countries of origin to secure better opportunities and to escape hostile conditions in their home countries. Despite the host city turning out to be more hostile and xenophobic, making life and finding formal employment opportunities more challenging, the thought of the more difficult life conditions in their home countries has led them to trading on the streets. Given the risks and challenges, including hostile and xenophobic situations that African migrant traders face in Johannesburg inner city, they have adopted dynamic and agentive strategies to survive and continue operating their businesses. Such findings pointed towards and assisted in the development of the Migrant Calculated Risk and Adaptation Framework.

Migration, Logics of Inclusion and Exclusion and Xenophobia: The Case of African Migrants in Post-apartheid South Africa

This contribution explores xenophobic tendencies in post-apartheid South Africa through historical sketches that revolve around debates of belonging, inclusion and exclusion. Such a historicity has created a legacy of suspicion and stigmatisation of migrants from within and without the country resulting in a fractured society with some implicit or explicit ‘othering’ on the basis of suspicion and fear. This has provided a template for exclusion of African migrants through promotion of indigeneity and/or reconfiguration of an exclusivist South African identity, which relegates migrants from other African countries to the subaltern, second and third classiness—a site for xenophobia. On the other hand, South African authorities are faced with a dilemma: they find it difficult to acknowledge the reality of xenophobic hostilities. Doing so would force them to accept that an underlying and continuing exclusivist narrative exists. If xenophobia contributes to the promotion of an exclusive South African identity, we question the approaches that have been adopted to try and resolve the xenophobic challenge and argue that the first real step towards dealing with xenophobia does not rest in denouncing it. Rather, the solution lies in engaging and investing in concerted efforts that ‘clean up’ the image of the African migrant.

Between Neoliberal Orthodoxy and Securitisation: Prospects and Challenges for a Borderless Southern African Community

This contribution considers the possibility of a borderless Southern Africa—under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This is done against the realities and understandings of migration and contested notions of citizenship and development in Southern Africa. A thorough review of legislative and policy frameworks of different types of migration at the regional and national levels in Southern Africa was conducted. Primary data were obtained through personal interviews with policy-makers, migrants and other non-state actors whilst participant observations were also conducted at border posts, government immigration offices and refugee application centres. The chapter proffers that Southern Africa is characterised by open borders, with substantial formal and informal cross-border movements that have political and socio-economic costs. However, the most preferred destinations by migrants in the region have systematically opposed the establishment of a formal free-movement-of-people regime across the region for over 20 years. Still, regional legislation and the realities of formal and informal movement across national borders in the SADC region show the necessity for member states to establish a migration management regime devoid of borders. This, however, will have to be carefully crafted, fully considering the region’s history and the challenges associated with migration.

Mapping spatial locational trends of informal economic enterprises using mobile geographic information data in the city of in Harare, Zimbabwe

Spatial planning for informal economic enterprises globally and cities of the developing world such Harare in particular is made difficult by the lack of appropriate data. In most cases, informal economic enterprises are discussed descriptively and statistically, leaving out their spatial characteristics. This makes the orderly planning for the enterprises very difficult if not impossible, especially given that the informal economy dominates the economies of most developing countries. This article presents geographic information data that was collected by means of mobile geographic positioning systems over time. In the absence of any other spatial datasets in the City of Harare, this unique data is handy in revealing spatial locational trends of informal economic enterprises and the preferred locational behaviour of informal economic entrepreneurs in the city.

Impact of Urban Policy on Public Transportation in Gauteng, South Africa: Smart or Dumb City Systems Is the Question

Policy on public transport often directs where infrastructure and investment is directed. Currently, the discourse is towards transport infrastructure investments that facilitate the attainment of the so-called smart city and smart mobility status. This status is often seen as the panacea towards all the public transport problems that among others include traffic congestion and unreliability. This chapter grapples with the question; to what extent have the urban planning policies in South Africa and Gauteng province been instrumental in the pursuit of efficient, effective and responsive public transport systems? Have the transport systems led to either smart or dumb city systems. The Gauteng province has put in place policies such as the Gauteng 25 year integrated master plan (ITMP 25) that has a vision to better the lives of Gauteng residents through the establishment of a smart and efficient public transport system. The ITMP 25 also seeks to attract foreign investments and boost tourism through land use densification that supports the use and efficiency of public transport systems. The policy also aims to reinforce the passenger rail-network as the backbone of the public transport system in Gauteng, and to extend the integrated rapid and road-based public transport networks that assist to strengthen freight hubs; thus ensuring effective travel demand management and mainstreaming non-motorized transport. As a result, Gauteng has invested in bus rapid infrastructure (Reya-Vaya within the City of Johannesburg, the Gautrain which is a high-speed rail network that caters for all three metro municipalities) and investments in non-motorized transport lanes in Johannesburg. The study applies smart city and smart mobility indicators to determine the level of smartness of the Reya Vaya, Gautarin and cycling infrastructure. The results indicate a steady uptake in public transport and use of cycling as a means of transport as well as a paradigm shift towards smart mobility by Johannesburg and Gauteng residents. Nevertheless, this has yielded unintended consequences such as the reinforcement of spatial segregation and inadequate use of new transport infrastructure. Parts of the challenges are a direct result of weak policy formulation and implementation strategies at both national and provincial levels as well as a deep culture that prefers private automobiles to public transport. There is therefore need to improve transportation policy and promote evidence based transportation policy.

Interrogating South Africa’s People’s Housing Process: Towards Comprehensive Collaborative and Empowering Aided Self-Help Housing Approaches

This paper provides an overview of the experiences of the people’s housing process(PHP)in South Africa. This is done against the backdrop of mixed outcomes of the government public housing provision initiative, commonly known as the Reconstruction and Development Programme(RDP)that directly produced more than three million subsidized or rather free housing to formerly segregated and disadvantaged black, coloured and Indian populations. Notwithstanding the huge success in providing the much needed accommodation to the previously homeless households, the over-reliance on direct provision has rendered other approaches such as the PHP ostensibly insignificant and less impactful. Besides, the RDP has also started to show clear a sign of distress as the country is increasingly facing financial difficulties and the fiscal space to continue providing free houses. Although successful in some respects, the RDP has not fared well in terms of providing quality and well located houses. Even the quantities of houses delivered have not managed to reduce the backlogs substantially. This article recommends improved support to the PHP through the adoption of innovations that make land and minimal infrastructure available to the urban poor and supporting their initiatives in self-building and control in their housing provision strategies

Scaling-Up Sustainable Renewable Energy Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in the African Continent: Lessons from eThekwini, South Africa

The three processes of urbanization, industrialization and globalization are positively correlated with municipal solid waste generation and energy consumption in global urban centers. Heavy reliance on fossil fuels in most world cities has contributed not only to global warming and climate change, but also to astronomical increases and volatility in the prices of energy sources. Africa has suffered from energy shortages and climate change as well, for it depends on very limited oil reserves and on finite, toxic coal resources. Thus, the need for innovation in renewable energy generation is more urgent now than ever. Africa is home to many renewable energy sources, ranging from sun and water to municipal solid waste and wind. This article discusses the conversion of waste to energy in the eThekwini municipality, a South African metropolis, and describes prospects for implementing a similar model in other African countries. The study unearths cutting-edge work by the Department of Cleansing and Solid Waste of eThekwini municipality, which has adopted modern municipal solid waste management and treatment systems. For almost a decade now, the municipality has demonstrated the potential for African cities to achieve two primary objectives: first, to generate clean renewable energy sources that contribute to economic development, and second, to reduce urban social and environmental problems resulting from improper waste disposal. The municipality’s success also reveals tremendous opportunities to improve waste management, financial investments, technological take-up, and skillsets to support the African green energy revolution.