Hydrological modelling of water allocation, ecosystem services and poverty alleviation in the Pongola floodplain, South Africa

Lankford, Bruce, Pringle, Catherine, Dickens, Chris, Lewis, Fonda, Mander, Myles, Chhotray, Vasudha, Goulden, Marisa, Nxele, Zibonele and Quayle, Leo (2011) Hydrological modelling of water allocation, ecosystem services and poverty alleviation in the Pongola floodplain, South Africa. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 54 (9). pp. 1237-1260. ISSN 0964-0568

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Abstract

The Pongola River Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (PRESPA) project quantified the economic benefits accuring to different livelihood sectors from the water resources of the Pongola floodplain, South Africa. The floodplain carries a diverse economy and ecology which is supported by flood events that once occured naturally but are now regulated by an upstream dam. PRESPA modelled the eco-hydrology which underpins various ecosystem services to determine how this might be managed to alleviate poverty. A model was used to quantify the economic value of the available water, especially the value accruing to the poor. This model linked to three development scenarios to explore trade-offs and outcomes of (1) a status quo, 'unstructured' economy; (2) a structured diverse economy; and (3) a structured 'single sector' agricultural economy. This model gives decision makers ameasure of where water is best used in terms of poverty alleviation and enables them to examine future economic and ecosystem trajectories. In summary, poor households on the floodplain currently have a diversity of income and food sources, making them less vulnerable to economic and climatic shocks, while there is a trend towards intensive agriculture which may deliver higher returns but with greater costs and increased vulnerability.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: ecosystem services,floodplain,model,pongola,poverty alleviation,water management,sdg 1 - no poverty,sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/no_poverty
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of International Development
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Water Security Research Centre
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Climate Change
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Global Environmental Justice
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > The State, Governance and Conflict
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 28 Oct 2013 16:18
Last Modified: 17 May 2023 00:54
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/43981
DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2011.567127

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