School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; EnviroHeart Consulting, South Africa.
School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, Saint-Pierre, Reunion Island, France.
J Environ Manage. 2022 Jan 15;302(Pt A):113966. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113966. Epub 2021 Nov 8.
Using an environmental impact assessment (EIA) methodology, we provide a novel approach to identify and assess social-ecological outcomes from civic ecology interventions. We quantified the impact significance of six civic (community led) interventions implemented by the Wise Wayz Water Care (WWWC) local community programme (solid waste management, water quality monitoring, invasive alien plant control, crop production, recycling and community engagement), in two communities, situated in urban to peri-urban/rural environments in Durban, South Africa. Interventions resulted in 37 outcomes, of which 36 were positive and one negative. The resulting significance scores from the impact assessment allowed for interventions and their outcomes to be compared. The socio-economic outcomes were the greatest (21), followed by ecological (11) and health outcomes (6). Outcomes included access to education and training; improved quality of life; improved terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; increase in recreation and cultural uses of natural areas; reduced health risks and increased nutrition. The most significant ecological outcomes resulted from invasive alien plant control, followed by solid waste removal and water quality monitoring. The greatest health outcomes resulted from solid waste removal and vegetable gardens, whereas the greatest social-economic outcomes resulted from the general operation of WWWC, solid waste removal, and invasive alien plant control. We demonstrate that investments in natural areas can deliver not only on enhancements in ecosystems and their services, but also for local community socio-economic and health benefits. This study provides an intervention quantifying tool for practitioners to select optimal local management interventions, that can be aligned with desired outcomes related to specific community challenges and policy requirements. In so doing, this work shows the critical role that civic interventions play to ensure sustainability, and emphasises how social-ecological systems and ecosystem services perspectives can be used in practice towards achieving sustainable outcomes.
我们采用环境影响评估 (EIA) 方法，提供了一种新颖的方法来识别和评估公民生态学干预措施的社会生态结果。我们量化了 Wise Wayz 水关怀 (WWWC) 当地社区方案实施的六项公民（社区主导）干预措施的影响意义，该方案位于南非德班的城市到城郊/农村环境中的两个社区。干预措施产生了 37 个结果，其中 36 个是积极的，一个是消极的。影响评估的结果得分允许对干预措施及其结果进行比较。社会经济结果是最大的（21 个），其次是生态（11 个）和健康结果（6 个）。结果包括获得教育和培训；提高生活质量；改善陆地和水生生态系统；增加娱乐和文化利用自然区域；减少健康风险和增加营养。最显著的生态结果来自外来入侵植物的控制，其次是固体废物的清除和水质监测。最大的健康结果来自固体废物的清除和蔬菜园，而最大的社会经济效益则来自 WWWC 的一般运作、固体废物的清除和外来入侵植物的控制。我们证明，对自然区域的投资不仅可以提高生态系统及其服务的水平，还可以为当地社区的社会经济和健康带来好处。本研究提供了一种干预措施量化工具，供从业者选择最佳的当地管理干预措施，可以与特定社区挑战和政策要求相关的预期结果保持一致。这样，这项工作展示了公民干预措施在确保可持续性方面所起的关键作用，并强调了社会生态系统和生态系统服务观点如何在实践中用于实现可持续成果。
