Influence of land cover, proximity to streams and household topographical location on flooding impact in informal settlements in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Dalu, Mwazvita T B, Shackleton, Charlie M, Dalu, Tatenda
- Authors: Dalu, Mwazvita T B , Shackleton, Charlie M , Dalu, Tatenda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182089 , vital:43799 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.12.009"
- Description: Patterns of land use, household topographical location and state of natural vegetation influence the spatial distribution of flooding impact. Using field observations and GIS mapping techniques, we investigated how landscape factors influenced structural flooding impact in informal settlements. This study was carried out in the informal settlements of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, after the October 2012 floods. Increasing slope significantly raised the probability and level of damage by at least 30% in five of the seven sites, whereas proximity to river and wetlands (more than 100 m) was significant in only two of the sites and at lower levels. Multi-regression analysis highlighted that land cover, proximity to streams and household topographical location influenced the impact of flooding on housing structures. We found that the impact on housing structures in informal settlements during the floods were significantly influenced by their proximity to water bodies, slope factor and patterns of land cover.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dalu, Mwazvita T B , Shackleton, Charlie M , Dalu, Tatenda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182089 , vital:43799 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.12.009"
- Description: Patterns of land use, household topographical location and state of natural vegetation influence the spatial distribution of flooding impact. Using field observations and GIS mapping techniques, we investigated how landscape factors influenced structural flooding impact in informal settlements. This study was carried out in the informal settlements of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, after the October 2012 floods. Increasing slope significantly raised the probability and level of damage by at least 30% in five of the seven sites, whereas proximity to river and wetlands (more than 100 m) was significant in only two of the sites and at lower levels. Multi-regression analysis highlighted that land cover, proximity to streams and household topographical location influenced the impact of flooding on housing structures. We found that the impact on housing structures in informal settlements during the floods were significantly influenced by their proximity to water bodies, slope factor and patterns of land cover.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A call to halt destructive, illegal mining in Zimbabwe
- Dalu, Mwazvita T B, Wasserman, Ryan J, Dalu, Tatenda
- Authors: Dalu, Mwazvita T B , Wasserman, Ryan J , Dalu, Tatenda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480355 , vital:78434 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-b45d9ad6
- Description: Amidst the socio-economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, increased illegal mining activities on recently discovered diamond and gold deposits have given local people a source of livelihood. The problem of illegal gold mining is fast spreading through the Eastern Highlands and other parts of the country, as hundreds of artisanal gold miners swarm to the area, tearing up natural forests and plantations. Illegal mining operations are now rampant in the Chimanimani Mountains, a narrow belt located on the eastern Zimbabwean/western Mozambican border. The hilly and generally inaccessible nature of these mountains has preserved much of the native flora and fauna, including some endemic or near endemic animals and plants, and thus they are an important habitat. The highlands are also a crucial international catchment and a major water source for thousands of families dependent on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods. However, with an estimated 400 000 miners now operating illegally in Zimbabwe, the cumulative mining activities represent a major threat to people’s livelihood security and to the integrity of this crucial catchment, habitat and associated river systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Dalu, Mwazvita T B , Wasserman, Ryan J , Dalu, Tatenda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480355 , vital:78434 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-b45d9ad6
- Description: Amidst the socio-economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, increased illegal mining activities on recently discovered diamond and gold deposits have given local people a source of livelihood. The problem of illegal gold mining is fast spreading through the Eastern Highlands and other parts of the country, as hundreds of artisanal gold miners swarm to the area, tearing up natural forests and plantations. Illegal mining operations are now rampant in the Chimanimani Mountains, a narrow belt located on the eastern Zimbabwean/western Mozambican border. The hilly and generally inaccessible nature of these mountains has preserved much of the native flora and fauna, including some endemic or near endemic animals and plants, and thus they are an important habitat. The highlands are also a crucial international catchment and a major water source for thousands of families dependent on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods. However, with an estimated 400 000 miners now operating illegally in Zimbabwe, the cumulative mining activities represent a major threat to people’s livelihood security and to the integrity of this crucial catchment, habitat and associated river systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
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