Climate change and human security in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Authors: Chilunjika, A. , Gumede, N
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Climate change , Human security , Global warming , Effects
- Language: English
- Type: Journal
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/487159 , uj:44338 , Citation: Chilunjika, A. Gumede, N (2021). Climate change and human security in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Renaissance.1-25.
- Description: Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract
- Full Text:
- Authors: Chilunjika, A. , Gumede, N
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Climate change , Human security , Global warming , Effects
- Language: English
- Type: Journal
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/487159 , uj:44338 , Citation: Chilunjika, A. Gumede, N (2021). Climate change and human security in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Renaissance.1-25.
- Description: Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract
- Full Text:
Modelling of natural fire occurrences : a case of South Africa
- Moyo, T., Musakwa, W., Nyathi, N. A., Mpofu, E., Gumbo, T.
- Authors: Moyo, T. , Musakwa, W. , Nyathi, N. A. , Mpofu, E. , Gumbo, T.
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Natural fire , Global warming , Local Moran
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/437165 , uj:37952 , Citation: Moyo, T. et al. 2020. Modelling of natural fire occurrences : a case of South Africa.
- Description: Abstract: In contemporary literature there have been growing concerns regarding preservations of natural ecosystems. Given the global growth in awareness of global warming, the need for natural fire prediction models has grown rapidly. Using South Africa as a case study, we evaluate the potential of integrating several natural fire prediction models and geographical information system (GIS) platforms. Initially, natural fire prone regions in South Africa were spatially demarcated basing on municipal historical data records. Thereafter, the natural fire prediction models were applied/tested in parallel to identify the best prediction models that give optimum results in predicting natural fires. The models were assessed for accuracy using historical data. Preliminary results reveal locations in the North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo province had the highest recorded potential for natural fires. In conclusion, the work demonstrates huge potential of prediction models in informing the likelihood of natural fire outbreaks. Lastly, the work recommends the adoption of natural fire prediction models and the subsequent formulation and use of relevant future natural fire mitigation policies and techniques to avert disasters in time.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Moyo, T. , Musakwa, W. , Nyathi, N. A. , Mpofu, E. , Gumbo, T.
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Natural fire , Global warming , Local Moran
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/437165 , uj:37952 , Citation: Moyo, T. et al. 2020. Modelling of natural fire occurrences : a case of South Africa.
- Description: Abstract: In contemporary literature there have been growing concerns regarding preservations of natural ecosystems. Given the global growth in awareness of global warming, the need for natural fire prediction models has grown rapidly. Using South Africa as a case study, we evaluate the potential of integrating several natural fire prediction models and geographical information system (GIS) platforms. Initially, natural fire prone regions in South Africa were spatially demarcated basing on municipal historical data records. Thereafter, the natural fire prediction models were applied/tested in parallel to identify the best prediction models that give optimum results in predicting natural fires. The models were assessed for accuracy using historical data. Preliminary results reveal locations in the North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo province had the highest recorded potential for natural fires. In conclusion, the work demonstrates huge potential of prediction models in informing the likelihood of natural fire outbreaks. Lastly, the work recommends the adoption of natural fire prediction models and the subsequent formulation and use of relevant future natural fire mitigation policies and techniques to avert disasters in time.
- Full Text:
Powering Africa using an off-grid, stand-alone, solar photovoltaic model
- Ukoba, Kingsley, Fadare, Olugbenga, Jen, Tien-Chien
- Authors: Ukoba, Kingsley , Fadare, Olugbenga , Jen, Tien-Chien
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Africa , Solar photovoltaic , Global warming
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/404322 , uj:33904 , Citation: Ukoba, K., Fadare, O. & Jen, T.O. 2019. Powering Africa using an off-grid, stand-alone, solar photovoltaic model.
- Description: Abstract: Over 90 % of Sub-Saharan Africa is without electricity access. The rural areas of the few African countries with access lack electricity. Studies have suggested that solar energy systems hold the key to powering the continent. Although, a vast population currently operate fossilfuel powered generators to meet their basic electricity needs. The study is designed for a 2- bedroom flat inhabited by an average Africa family. A residential building in Akure, Ondo State, Southern Nigeria has this model installed in a stable and reliable condition. The proposed solar photovoltaic model is composed of solar panels, Direct Current (D.C) cables, charge controller, solar batteries, solar inverter, solar bulbs and instrumentation gadgets. The model is an optimum size solar Photovoltaic installation with a maximum power input of 1,800 W. The maximum allowable load is 1,000 W and a maximum charging D.C voltage of 28.2 V. The solar-powered system is equipped with a set of six (6) 300 Watts monocrystalline solar panels. A commercial maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller was used for this model. Two (2) units of Deep Cycle AGM Solar Batteries connected in series are installed for the solar photovoltaic system. A pure sine wave solar inverter was used in the developed solar PV model to transform D.C electricity available in the batteries to A.C electricity. Themodel is a flexible one which could be scaled up as may be desired or required. The solar photovoltaic model has a very high prospect for powering Africa. The model has ample potentials to fulfil economic, social and environmental objectives which qualifies it as a sustainable energy option to improve the quality of life. The implementation of this form of sustainable energy will open even development of the continent and end the electricity woes of the populace.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ukoba, Kingsley , Fadare, Olugbenga , Jen, Tien-Chien
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Africa , Solar photovoltaic , Global warming
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/404322 , uj:33904 , Citation: Ukoba, K., Fadare, O. & Jen, T.O. 2019. Powering Africa using an off-grid, stand-alone, solar photovoltaic model.
- Description: Abstract: Over 90 % of Sub-Saharan Africa is without electricity access. The rural areas of the few African countries with access lack electricity. Studies have suggested that solar energy systems hold the key to powering the continent. Although, a vast population currently operate fossilfuel powered generators to meet their basic electricity needs. The study is designed for a 2- bedroom flat inhabited by an average Africa family. A residential building in Akure, Ondo State, Southern Nigeria has this model installed in a stable and reliable condition. The proposed solar photovoltaic model is composed of solar panels, Direct Current (D.C) cables, charge controller, solar batteries, solar inverter, solar bulbs and instrumentation gadgets. The model is an optimum size solar Photovoltaic installation with a maximum power input of 1,800 W. The maximum allowable load is 1,000 W and a maximum charging D.C voltage of 28.2 V. The solar-powered system is equipped with a set of six (6) 300 Watts monocrystalline solar panels. A commercial maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller was used for this model. Two (2) units of Deep Cycle AGM Solar Batteries connected in series are installed for the solar photovoltaic system. A pure sine wave solar inverter was used in the developed solar PV model to transform D.C electricity available in the batteries to A.C electricity. Themodel is a flexible one which could be scaled up as may be desired or required. The solar photovoltaic model has a very high prospect for powering Africa. The model has ample potentials to fulfil economic, social and environmental objectives which qualifies it as a sustainable energy option to improve the quality of life. The implementation of this form of sustainable energy will open even development of the continent and end the electricity woes of the populace.
- Full Text:
Bioenergy; a substitute and cleaner energy option
- Agbenyeku, Emem-Obong Emmanuel, Muzenda, Edison, Msibi, Mandla Innocent
- Authors: Agbenyeku, Emem-Obong Emmanuel , Muzenda, Edison , Msibi, Mandla Innocent
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Anthropogenic , Biomass , Global warming
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/250343 , uj:26085 , Citation: Agbenyeku, E.E., Muzenda, E. & Msibi, M.I. 2017. Bioenergy; a substitute and cleaner energy option. 2nd International Engineering Conference (IEC 2017) Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.
- Description: Abstract: The early man used energy in the form of food as power source for himself. Man further used energy from the sun for warmth and drying processes. With the advent of civilization and advancement, even more energy was needed to meet up with everyday industrialization demands. This led to a persistent pursuit and exploitation of the earth’s resources in the likes of coal and petroleum. Fossil fuels were continually burned and used with little or no mind for sustainability and consequential impacts on the future. Estimates reveal that, at this level of exploitation, petroleum may not last another half century. The unfortunate reality however, remains that our planet is now edged with catastrophic events like global warming, ozone layer depletion and acid rain due to mans’ reckless exploitation of nature. The increased level of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere is mostly anthropogenic, born from the combustion of fossil fuels. Acts of man have not only endangered humans and our habitats but also fostered multitude of environmental impacts causing global climate changes. Energy is one of the most significant resource for any country, and the search for fuels and renewable energy the world over is inevitable. The exploration of forms of renewable energy in present day is often directed towards biomass resources. These energy forms are called ‘renewable’ because they are constantly replenished and inexhaustible. Renewable energy technologies utilize these sources and convert them into usable forms of energy like electricity, heat, or mechanical power. These technologies are often described as ‘clean’ or ‘green’ because they produce little or no pollutants. This paper therefore, sheds light on bioenergy as an area commanding global attention as a source for cleaner energy options. Among the biomass conversion processes addressed herein, methane production from organic wastes could be most economically feasible in South Africa within the limitations of scale and location.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Agbenyeku, Emem-Obong Emmanuel , Muzenda, Edison , Msibi, Mandla Innocent
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Anthropogenic , Biomass , Global warming
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/250343 , uj:26085 , Citation: Agbenyeku, E.E., Muzenda, E. & Msibi, M.I. 2017. Bioenergy; a substitute and cleaner energy option. 2nd International Engineering Conference (IEC 2017) Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.
- Description: Abstract: The early man used energy in the form of food as power source for himself. Man further used energy from the sun for warmth and drying processes. With the advent of civilization and advancement, even more energy was needed to meet up with everyday industrialization demands. This led to a persistent pursuit and exploitation of the earth’s resources in the likes of coal and petroleum. Fossil fuels were continually burned and used with little or no mind for sustainability and consequential impacts on the future. Estimates reveal that, at this level of exploitation, petroleum may not last another half century. The unfortunate reality however, remains that our planet is now edged with catastrophic events like global warming, ozone layer depletion and acid rain due to mans’ reckless exploitation of nature. The increased level of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere is mostly anthropogenic, born from the combustion of fossil fuels. Acts of man have not only endangered humans and our habitats but also fostered multitude of environmental impacts causing global climate changes. Energy is one of the most significant resource for any country, and the search for fuels and renewable energy the world over is inevitable. The exploration of forms of renewable energy in present day is often directed towards biomass resources. These energy forms are called ‘renewable’ because they are constantly replenished and inexhaustible. Renewable energy technologies utilize these sources and convert them into usable forms of energy like electricity, heat, or mechanical power. These technologies are often described as ‘clean’ or ‘green’ because they produce little or no pollutants. This paper therefore, sheds light on bioenergy as an area commanding global attention as a source for cleaner energy options. Among the biomass conversion processes addressed herein, methane production from organic wastes could be most economically feasible in South Africa within the limitations of scale and location.
- Full Text:
Impacts of primary energy constraints in the 21st century
- Authors: Nel, Willem P.
- Date: 2010-03-25T06:25:17Z
- Subjects: Energy conservation , Energy development , Power resources , Fossil fuels , Nuclear energy , Sustainable development , Economic development , Global warming
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6691 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3094
- Description: D.Phil. , Global society has evolved into a complex multi-dimensional system in which it has become increasingly difficult to construct and maintain a systemic model of cause and effect. Specialisation and abstraction in the various disciplines of scientific and societal complexity has led to divergent theories of sustainability. Failure to integrate real life problems across disciplines poses a threat to modern society because the causal links between disciplines are unattended in many instances and events in one dimension could lead to catastrophic unintended consequences in another. In light of the above, this thesis contributes towards the multi-disciplinary integration of some of the most important sustainability concerns of modern society, namely Energy Security, Economic Growth and Global Warming. Analysing these real-life sustainability issues in a multi-disciplinary context leads to conclusions that are controversial in terms of established philosophical worldviews and policy trends. Firstly, the thesis establishes deterministic expectations of an imminent era of declining Energy Security resulting from the exhaustion of non-renewable fossil fuel resources, despite optimistic expectations of technology improvements in alternative energy sources such as renewable and nuclear. Secondly, the exhaustion of non-renewable fossil fuel resources imposes limits to the potential sources of anthropogenic carbon emissions that render the more pessimistic emissions cases considered in the global warming debate irrelevant. The lower level of attainable carbon emissions challenges the merits of the conventional carbon feedback cycle with the result that the predicted global warming is within acceptance limits of the contemporary global warming debate. Thirdly, the consequences of declining Energy Security on socio-economic welfare is a severe divergence from historical trends and demands the reassertion of the role of energy in human development, including Economic Growth theory. The thesis develops a novel economic growth model that treats energy as an explicit and Autonomous Factor of Production, thereby facilitating plausible predictions of future Economic Growth potential. The results challenge the sustainability of the current free-market capitalist economic system and demand strong policy responses to avoid the collapse of modern society.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nel, Willem P.
- Date: 2010-03-25T06:25:17Z
- Subjects: Energy conservation , Energy development , Power resources , Fossil fuels , Nuclear energy , Sustainable development , Economic development , Global warming
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6691 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3094
- Description: D.Phil. , Global society has evolved into a complex multi-dimensional system in which it has become increasingly difficult to construct and maintain a systemic model of cause and effect. Specialisation and abstraction in the various disciplines of scientific and societal complexity has led to divergent theories of sustainability. Failure to integrate real life problems across disciplines poses a threat to modern society because the causal links between disciplines are unattended in many instances and events in one dimension could lead to catastrophic unintended consequences in another. In light of the above, this thesis contributes towards the multi-disciplinary integration of some of the most important sustainability concerns of modern society, namely Energy Security, Economic Growth and Global Warming. Analysing these real-life sustainability issues in a multi-disciplinary context leads to conclusions that are controversial in terms of established philosophical worldviews and policy trends. Firstly, the thesis establishes deterministic expectations of an imminent era of declining Energy Security resulting from the exhaustion of non-renewable fossil fuel resources, despite optimistic expectations of technology improvements in alternative energy sources such as renewable and nuclear. Secondly, the exhaustion of non-renewable fossil fuel resources imposes limits to the potential sources of anthropogenic carbon emissions that render the more pessimistic emissions cases considered in the global warming debate irrelevant. The lower level of attainable carbon emissions challenges the merits of the conventional carbon feedback cycle with the result that the predicted global warming is within acceptance limits of the contemporary global warming debate. Thirdly, the consequences of declining Energy Security on socio-economic welfare is a severe divergence from historical trends and demands the reassertion of the role of energy in human development, including Economic Growth theory. The thesis develops a novel economic growth model that treats energy as an explicit and Autonomous Factor of Production, thereby facilitating plausible predictions of future Economic Growth potential. The results challenge the sustainability of the current free-market capitalist economic system and demand strong policy responses to avoid the collapse of modern society.
- Full Text:
The effects of global warming on maize production : a case study based on climatic data for Vereeniging, Gauteng, South Africa
- Authors: Rudman, Paul James
- Date: 2008-08-25T06:28:17Z
- Subjects: Global warming , Climatic changes , Corn industry , Vereeniging (South Africa)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3719 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/909
- Description: Global Warming (GW) is a recognised fact, the implications of which have far reaching impacts on almost all aspects of existence of life on Earth. The impacts of GW to humans will be felt socially, economically and environmentally. The aim of this research was to understand the probable effects GW will have on maize production in South Africa. This was done by taking climatic data for Vereeniging (situated in a maize growing region) and analysing it to determine climatic trends. These trends were used alongside the critical values1 used to determine NRHA2 for field crop production. The difference between the winter rainfall values (critical and actual) was found to be 238mm (390mm – 152mm) and summer to be 66.4mm, therefore, the summer rainfall period for Vereeniging was found to be more sensitive to change than the winter rainfall period. This has the implication of affecting the sowing and growing period for maize. The sowing period may shift from October (in the summer sowing season) to early March or April (in the winter sowing season). The average was calculated for the maximum temperature and minimum temperature in order to get an average temperature for the summer and winter months (the same as for rainfall discussed earlier) for Vereeniging. The average temperatures of 13.4°C and 20.1°C for winter and summer respectively are close to the critical values3 for maximum NRHA. This indicates that maize is susceptible to marginal changes. It was also concluded that maize is more susceptible to marginal changes in temperature than for rainfall. The results of this paper show only marginal changes in the variables and that the production of field crops is sensitive to such changes. This susceptibility to changes will result in numerous impacts caused by Global Warming. , Professor. J. T. Harmse
- Full Text:
- Authors: Rudman, Paul James
- Date: 2008-08-25T06:28:17Z
- Subjects: Global warming , Climatic changes , Corn industry , Vereeniging (South Africa)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3719 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/909
- Description: Global Warming (GW) is a recognised fact, the implications of which have far reaching impacts on almost all aspects of existence of life on Earth. The impacts of GW to humans will be felt socially, economically and environmentally. The aim of this research was to understand the probable effects GW will have on maize production in South Africa. This was done by taking climatic data for Vereeniging (situated in a maize growing region) and analysing it to determine climatic trends. These trends were used alongside the critical values1 used to determine NRHA2 for field crop production. The difference between the winter rainfall values (critical and actual) was found to be 238mm (390mm – 152mm) and summer to be 66.4mm, therefore, the summer rainfall period for Vereeniging was found to be more sensitive to change than the winter rainfall period. This has the implication of affecting the sowing and growing period for maize. The sowing period may shift from October (in the summer sowing season) to early March or April (in the winter sowing season). The average was calculated for the maximum temperature and minimum temperature in order to get an average temperature for the summer and winter months (the same as for rainfall discussed earlier) for Vereeniging. The average temperatures of 13.4°C and 20.1°C for winter and summer respectively are close to the critical values3 for maximum NRHA. This indicates that maize is susceptible to marginal changes. It was also concluded that maize is more susceptible to marginal changes in temperature than for rainfall. The results of this paper show only marginal changes in the variables and that the production of field crops is sensitive to such changes. This susceptibility to changes will result in numerous impacts caused by Global Warming. , Professor. J. T. Harmse
- Full Text:
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