Abstract
The hydrological functioning of water ecosystems in urban areas has been altered due to past planning practices, fragmentation and the disconnection of open green spaces. Moreover, the frequency and severity of flood events has increased in Eswatini’s capital city, Mbabane’s residential areas and in the Central Business District due to climate variability, rapid urbanization, poor stormwater infrastructure and the loss of green open spaces. This continued development along rivers and wetlands in Mbabane provided the rationale for selecting the city as the study area. Furthermore, there has been disregard by developers for the required 100 feet buffer, and weak enforcement of existing legislation protecting against development on water bodies, setting a bad precedent. The main research question therefore was; “What drives private landowners’ decision-making process when developing or purchasing land adjacent to water resources and do the existing governance structures allow for a more collaborative role in environmental risk management?”. A case study design was adopted, and a qualitative research approach used. Data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, field observations and document analysis. Fourteen landowners were purposively sampled based on their property’s proximity to a water resource.
The results show that inconsistency in legislation application is triggering the increase of ecosystem disservices such as flooding, alien invasives and pest infestation in properties located near water ecosystems. Landowners’ perceived benefits from water ecosystems were more pronounced when the individual had a situated experience of the ecosystem and the surroundings. The main perceived benefits from water resources in the city were provisioning, cultural and regulating ecosystem services. The study’s primary assumption about the role of landowners in environmental risk management for sensitive areas was that the power for real change in ecosystem management rests with landowners. Nevertheless, it was found that the degree of control landowners have in their decision-making is influenced by the institutional context and individual’s attitudes and knowledge towards environmental management in the city.
The role of the landowners to effect change is under-utilized by the existing governance system. As a major interested and affected party in the urban area, the landowner’s awareness and knowledge is important for their ability to effectively collaborate on climate action programs or in vulnerable ecosystem management. Therefore, developing a culture of communication, education, participation and awareness in the city’s environmental management and protection of its water resources should be a high priority.
Keywords: Landowners, Mbabane, Ecosystems, Wetlands, Environmental Governance, Pro-environmental