ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE - POSTGRADUATE STUDENT WELCOME PACK 2018
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ENVIRONMENTAL AND
GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE
POSTGRADUATE
STUDENT WELCOME PACK
2018
WELCOME!
Welcome to the EGS department! This handy booklet has been compiled especially for you, as
postgraduate students, to smooth your transition into UCT life, help you find everything (and
everyone) you need, and help you navigate your way around some of the institutional obstacle
courses. We have tried to include all the information you may need to make life as easy as possible
during your stay at UCT, and with the EGS department.
CONTENTS
About the University of Cape Town........................................................................................................................ 4
Who’s Who in the EGS Department ....................................................................................................................... 8
Sharon Adams and Tanya Basadien/Vathiswa Mzamo ...................................................................................... 8
Merle Sowman.................................................................................................................................................... 8
Pippin Anderson ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Gina Ziervogel ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
Philile Mbatha ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
Shari Daya ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Marieke Norton .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Sayed Hess .......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Academic Staff .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Your Rep ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
The Postgrad Community ................................................................................................................................... 9
Research Units .................................................................................................................................................... 9
African Centre for Cities (ACC) ............................................................................................................................ 9
Climate Systems Analysis Group (CSAG) ............................................................................................................. 9
The African Climate Development Initiative (ACDI)............................................................................................ 9
2018 Postgraduate Calendar ................................................................................................................................ 10
EGS Staff Research and Supervisory Profiles ........................................................................................................ 11
Babatunde Joseph Abiodun .............................................................................................................................. 11
Pippin Anderson ............................................................................................................................................... 11
Shari Daya ......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Frank Eckardt .................................................................................................................................................... 14
Gareth Haysom ................................................................................................................................................. 14
Bruce Hewitson ................................................................................................................................................. 15
Philile Mbatha ................................................................................................................................................... 16
Mike Meadows ................................................................................................................................................. 16
Marieke Norton ................................................................................................................................................ 17
Henrietta Nyamnjoh ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Zarina Patel ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
Maano Ramutsindela ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Suraya Scheba ................................................................................................................................................... 20
Anna Selmeczi ................................................................................................................................................... 20
Nicholas Simpson ............................................................................................................................................. 21
Rike Sitas ........................................................................................................................................................... 21
Merle Sowman.................................................................................................................................................. 22
Jaci Van Niekerk ................................................................................................................................................ 22
Kevin Winter ..................................................................................................................................................... 23
Rachel Wynberg ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Gina Ziervogel ................................................................................................................................................... 24
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EGS Postgrad Modules and Courses on Offer....................................................................................................... 26
Full List of EGS Postgrad Modules and Course Codes ....................................................................................... 26
EGS Postgrad Timetables Semester 1 and 2 ......................................................................................................... 27
Detailed Module Information ............................................................................................................................... 29
EGS4023F/EGS5023F: Research Methods for Natural Scientists...................................................................... 29
EGS4046F/EGS5046F: Water Resource Management ...................................................................................... 29
EGS4045F/EGS5045F: Geomorphology of southern Africa .............................................................................. 29
EGS4038F/EGS5038F: Climate Change and Predictability ................................................................................ 29
EGS4027F/EGS5027F: Quaternary Environmental Change .............................................................................. 30
EGS 4011F/EGS5011F: Theory And Practice Of Environmental Assessment And Management ...................... 30
EGS5031F: Introduction to Climate Change and Sustainable Development .................................................... 30
EGS5032F: Adaptation and Mitigation ............................................................................................................. 30
EGS4041F/EGS5041F: Migration and Transnationalism .................................................................... 31
EGS4057F/EGS5057S Urban Political Ecology .................................................................................................. 31
EGS4039F/EGS5039F: Urban Food Security ..................................................................................................... 31
EGS4024S/EGS5030S: Climate Modelling ......................................................................................................... 32
EGS5024S: Managing Complex Human-Ecological Systems ............................................................................. 32
EGS4056S/EGS5056S: Imagining Southern Cities ............................................................................................. 32
EGS4033S/EGS5033S: Space and Politics.......................................................................................................... 33
EGS4044S/EGS5044S: Urban Ecology ............................................................................................................... 33
EGS4041S/EGS5041S: Critical Perspectives On The Bio-Economy ................................................................... 33
Modules on offer outside the EGS Department ............................................................................................... 34
ECO4052S: Environmental Economics .............................................................................................................. 34
HST4016F: African Environmental History........................................................................................................ 34
PBL5045S: Environmental Law For Non-Lawyers ............................................................................................. 35
SAN4000F: Ethnographic Research Methods and Methodology ..................................................................... 35
SAN5024S: Tradition, Science and Environment .............................................................................................. 35
Getting Connected ................................................................................................................................................ 36
Student Cards ................................................................................................................................................... 36
Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) .......................................................................... 36
Vula ................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Email Account ................................................................................................................................................... 36
Eduroam ........................................................................................................................................................... 36
Internet Log-In .................................................................................................................................................. 37
Student Lab Facilities ........................................................................................................................................ 37
Policies and Rules ............................................................................................................................................. 37
UCT Libraries and Research Tools......................................................................................................................... 37
Access and Membership ................................................................................................................................... 38
Off-Campus Access ........................................................................................................................................... 38
The UCT Libraries’ Research Portal ................................................................................................................... 38
RefWorks .......................................................................................................................................................... 38
Research Commons .......................................................................................................................................... 38
Referencing and Plagiarism .............................................................................................................................. 38
Research Tools and Events in the EGS Department ............................................................................................. 39
J.W. Talbot Library (EGS Department) .............................................................................................................. 39
Seminars ........................................................................................................................................................... 39
Postgraduate Research Colloquium.................................................................................................................. 39
Supervision ........................................................................................................................................................... 39
Finding a Supervisor.......................................................................................................................................... 39
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Selecting a Topic for your Research .................................................................................................................. 39
Completing the Memorandum of Understanding ............................................................................................ 40
Submission of Theses ........................................................................................................................................ 40
Troubleshooting Supervision or Academic Problems ....................................................................................... 40
Writing Assistance at UCT..................................................................................................................................... 40
EGS Writing Initiative ........................................................................................................................................ 40
UCT Writing Centre - The Postgraduate Writing Project .................................................................................. 40
Fees, Funding and Finances .................................................................................................................................. 41
The Postgraduate Centre and Funding Office................................................................................................... 41
Employment ..................................................................................................................................................... 42
Transformation at UCT .............................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Transformation in the EGS Department ............................................................................................................... 42
Green Campus Initiative ....................................................................................................................................... 43
Transport and Parking .......................................................................................................................................... 44
Jammie Shuttle (Transport) .............................................................................................................................. 44
Parking on Campus ........................................................................................................................................... 44
Ridelink and Jammiebike .................................................................................................................................. 44
Public Transport ................................................................................................................................................ 44
Walking ............................................................................................................................................................. 45
Safety .................................................................................................................................................................... 45
Social Life .............................................................................................................................................................. 46
In the EGS Department ..................................................................................................................................... 46
Clubs and Societies ........................................................................................................................................... 46
Sports ................................................................................................................................................................ 46
UCT Gym and Swimming Pool .......................................................................................................................... 46
In and Around Cape Town ................................................................................................................................ 46
Support Structures, Services and Facilities at UCT ............................................................................................... 46
Campus Protection Services (CPS) .................................................................................................................... 46
UCT Bookshop................................................................................................................................................... 47
Post Office (Rhodes Gift) .................................................................................................................................. 47
ATMs (Cash Machines) ..................................................................................................................................... 47
Restaurants, Cafés, and Food Outlets on Campus ............................................................................................ 47
EMERGENCY Contact Numbers ............................................................................................................................ 47
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ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
The University of Cape Town is the oldest University in South Africa. It was founded in 1829 as the
South African College, a high school for boys. The College had a small tertiary-education facility that
grew substantially after 1880, when the discovery of gold and diamonds in the north – and the
resulting demand for skills in mining – gave it the financial boost it needed to grow. The College
developed into a fully fledged university during the period 1880 to 1900, thanks to increased funding
from private sources and the government. In 1886 the Professor of Chemistry, Paul Daniel Hahn,
convinced the Council to admit four women into his chemistry class on a trial basis. Owing to the
exceptional standard of work by the women students, the College decided to admit women students
permanently in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1887. UCT was formally established
as a university in 1918. Ten years later, in 1928, the university was able to move the bulk of its
facilities to the spectacular Groote Schuur campus on the slopes of Devil’s Peak.
UCT has a proud tradition of academic excellence and effecting social change and development
through its pioneering scholarship, faculty and students. It is also renowned for its striking beauty
and panoramic views of much of Cape Town. UCT’s staff and students come from over 100 countries
in Africa and the rest of the world. The university has also built links, partnerships and exchange
agreements with leading African and international institutions that further enrich the academic,
social and cultural diversity of the campus.
UCT’s success can be measured by the scope of study it offers and the calibre of its graduates. The
university has six faculties – Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Law, Health
Sciences, Humanities, and Science – which are supported by UCT’s Centre for Higher Education
Development (CHED), which addresses students’ teaching and learning needs. UCT has more than 60
specialist research units that provide supervision for postgraduate work and is home to more than a
quarter of South Africa’s A-rated researchers – academics who are considered world leaders in their
fields. UCT continues to work towards its goal to be Africa’s leading research university.
Geography has been taught at the University of Cape Town since 1936 when Professor Bill Talbot
established a department of that name. The Department of Environmental & Geographical Science
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was established in 1985 with the formal merger of that department (then under the leadership of
Professor Ron Davies) and the School of Environmental Studies chaired by Professor Richard Fuggle.
Originally housed in the Beattie Building, the department moved to its own premises in 1990 and has
its own library, computer, sediment and water laboratories as well as numerous well-equipped
seminar and lecture rooms. Diversification of its research and academic programme has been a
characteristic of the last two decades and there are several associated research groupings including
the formally established research units associated with Climate Systems Analysis, African Climate
and Development and the African Centre for Cities. The number of people calling the building home
has grown substantially; the department now has 18 academic staff, up to 20 postdoctoral
researchers, more than 15 technical support and secretarial staff and a community of around 100
postgraduate students. Environmental & Geographical Science enjoys an excellent reputation as the
top department in this discipline in the country for research, including applied research. Research
publication output has increased consistently and the department is ranked in the top 50 globally
according to the 2016 QS University rankings (placing seventh among southern hemisphere
University).
Members of the Department have, over many years, played important leadership roles, both within
South Africa and beyond. Besides Davies, Meadows (2002-2005) and Oldfield (2011-2014) have
been President of the Society of South African Geographers and Fuggle, Winter and Abiodun sat on
its Council Meadows (1999), Ramutsindela (2012) and Parnell (2014) have all been awarded
Fellowships of the Society, while Meadows (1994-2004) and Ramutsindela (2001-2011) have served
as editors of The South African Geographical Journal. Fuggle served on the Executive Committee of
the South African Society of Geographers (1973-79; 1983-89) and as its chair (1987-88). The
department played co-host to the biennial conference of the Society on two occasions (1987 and
2013), as well as the annual Student Geographical Conference in 1976, 1986 and 2012. Fuggle and
others in the Department co-hosted the 1995 International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA)
Congress (held in Durban). Meadows was Chair of the Scientific Programme Committee for the
Regional Conference of the International Geographical Union (IGU) in 2002 and was in 2015 elected
as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, only the second South African geographer to be so.
Several academics have held high office in major international organisations: Fuggle was President of
the IAIA and Meadows was Vice-President and now Secretary-General and Treasurer on the IGU.
Hewitson, an NRF ‘A-rated’ scientists, has been lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 and both Abiodun and Ziervogel
have been members of IPCC working groups. Dr Jane Battersby-Lennard of the Department of
Environmental & Geographical Science's African Centre for Cities won the 2017 international Premio
Daniel Carasso prize, which rewards and encourages outstanding scientific research into sustainable
food systems and diets for long-term health. Dr Serge Raemaekers received the Netexplo-Unesco
Award in Paris for his work on ABALOBI, UCT’s fisher empowerment project, which was also rated in
among the top 10 of 2000 global social change innovations in 2017. Clearly, the intellectual influence
of the Department extends well beyond the University campus.
For more info on the early history of the University, visit http://www.uct.ac.za/main/about/history
For a downloadable campus map, visit: http://www.uct.ac.za/main/contacts/campus-maps
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EGS Staff Contact Details
NAME POSITION ROOM NO TEL EXT. EMAIL
ENVIRONMENTAL & GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE
Abiodun, Babatunde Associate Professor 4.10 5737 babiodun@csag.uct.ac.za
Adams, Sharon HOD Secretary 4.07 2873 sharon.adams@uct.ac.za
Anderson, Pippin Postgraduate Coordinator 4.04 5749 pippin.anderson@uct.ac.za
Basadien, Tanya Senior Secretary 4.07 2874 Tanya.Basadien@uct.ac.za
Vathiswa Mzamo Senior Secretary 4.07 2874 Vathiswa.mzamo@uct.ac.za
Daya, Shari Senior Lecturer 4.13 2880 shari.daya@uct.ac.za
Eckardt, Frank Associate Professor 4.05 4117 frank.eckardt@uct.ac.za
Geomorphology Lab 5.01 3798
Hess, Sayed Lab. Assistant 3.03.1 2682 sayed.hess@uct.ac.za
Mbatha, Philile Lecturer 4.15 phililembatha87@gmail.com
Meadows, Mike Professor 4.12 2863 michael.meadows@uct.ac.za
Mukwenha, Phillip IT Support Staff 6.03 2684 Phillip.mukwenha@uct.ac.za
Nyamnjoh, Henrietta Postdoc fellow henrietta.nyamnjoh@uct.ac.za
Patel, Zarina Senior Lecturer 4.09 4306 zarina.patel@uct.ac.za
Raemaekers, Serge Lecturer 2.21 2879 Serge.raemaekers@gmail.com
Ramutsindela, Maano Professor 4.14 2783 maano.ramutsindela@uct.ac.za
Selmeczi, Anna Postdoc fellow anna.selmeczi@uct.ac.za
Scheba, Suraya Lecturer 4.11 Suraya.Scheba@uct.ac.za
Simpson, Nick Lecturer 2.23 nick.simpson@uct.ac.za
Sowman, Merle Head of Department (HOD) 4.06.1 4740 merle.sowman@uct.ac.za
Van Niekerk, Jaci Researcher 2.24 2872 jaci.vn@gmail.com
Winter, Kevin Senior Lecturer 4.08 2875 kevin.winter@uct.ac.za
Wynberg, Rachel Associate Professor 2.25 2865 Rachel@iafrica.com
Ziervogel, Gina Associate Professor 4.03.1 4796 gina.ziervogel@uct.ac.za
AFRICAN CENTRE FOR CITIES (ACC)
Battersby Jane Researcher 5.06.2 5749 jane.battersby.lennard@uct.ac.za
Brown-Luthango, Mercy Researcher 2.08.1 2785 mercy.brown-luthango@uct.ac.za
Haysom, Gareth Lecturer 5.06.4 5903 gareth.haysom@uct.ac.za
Joubert, Marlene Administrator 2.07.1 2784 marlene.joubert@uct.ac.za
Marrengane, Ntombini Researcher 5.06.3 2881 cn.marrengane@uct.ac.za
Najaar, Ithra Sen. Research Finance Officer 2.07.1 2864 ithra.najaar@uct.ac.za
Oldfield, Sophie Professor 2.17 2876 sophie.oldfield@uct.ac.za
Pieterse, Edgar Director 2.1 2367 edgar.pieterse@uct.ac.za
Tomas, Antonio Mphil Urban Studies Convenor 2.18 antonio.tomas@uct.ac.za
Sitas, Rike Researcher 5.06.5 2042 rike.sitas@uct.ac.za
Smit, Warren Researcher Manager 2.15 5384 warren.smit@uct.ac.za
Waglay, Maryam Research Admin. Assistant 2.11 5903 maryam.waglay@uct.ac.za
Watson, Vanessa Head of Planning School 2.26 2360 vanessa.watson@uct.ac.za
CSAG
Barnard, Sharon Administrator 4.03 2784 barnard@csag.uct.ac.za
Climatology students 2.01 5774
Coop, Lisa Researcher 6.01 2748 lcoop@csag.uct.ac.za
Crespo, Olivier Researcher 4.03 2748 olivier@csag.uct.ac.za
Hewitson, Bruce CSAG Director 4.02.1 2878 hewitson@csag.uct.ac.za
Jack, Chris Technical Officer 6.03 2684 cjack@egs.uct.ac.za
Johnston, Peter Researcher 6.03 2884 Johnston@csag.uct.ac.za
Postdoctoral students (CSAG) 2.01 3164
Steynor, Anna Researcher 4.03 2867 asteynor@csag.uct.ac.za
Tadross, Mark Researcher 6.03 2884 mtadross@csag.uct.ac.za
ACDI
New, Mark ACDI Director 2.22 4054/ 2920 mark.new@acdi.uct.ac.za
Norton, Marieke ACDI MPhil convenor marieke.norton@uct.ac.za
See details on other ACDI affiliated
staff on the ACDI website http://acdi.uct.ac.za/core-team
WHO’S WHO IN THE EGS DEPARTMENT SHARON ADAMS AND TANYA BASADIEN/VATHISWA MZAMO Departmental / Administrative Officer and Senior Secretary respectively: Throughout the world the real power in institutions is held by the support staff. This department is no different. If there is anything you need to know, Sharon and Tanya are the people to see. They are not only very helpful, but also very approachable. If they can’t help you, they will be sure to point you in the right direction. Please see Tanya for any postgrad matters. Vathiswa will be assisting Tanya, while she is on maternity leave until March 2018. MERLE SOWMAN Head of Department: Merle Sowman heads up the various committees in the department and has the final say on all matters academic and financial. Merle is a busy woman, so if you need to see her it’s probably best to make an appointment through Sharon or Tanya/Vathiswa. PIPPIN ANDERSON Director of Graduate Studies and MPhil Convenor: Pippin has the task of coordinating postgrad life in the department. Pippin is therefore your port of call for any queries after contacting your co- ordinator. She is very friendly, but also very busy. She has consultation times posted on her door, so please respect those. GINA ZIERVOGEL Honours Co-ordinator: Gina handles the administrative side of the Honours programme and therefore should be able to answer questions about the course and any more general Honours queries. She is the first person you should contact with any queries related to Honours. PHILILE MBATHA Environment, Society and Sustainability (ESS) Masters Co-ordinator & Convenor Chair of the Departmental Transformation Working Group: Philile convenes the ESS Masters programme. She is therefore your first port of call for any queries. She is very friendly and always willing to assist. She has consultation times posted on her door, so please respect those. She is also the Chair of the EGS Transformation Working Group (TWG) which is a dynamic assemblage of diverse EGS staff and students. Throughout the year, the TWG hosts various conversations, events and other forms of engagement at departmental level in order to facilitate transformative processes within the EGS department. Should anyone be interested in participating in TWG activities, please contact Philile. SHARI DAYA Masters by dissertation and PhD Convenor: Shari convenes the Masters by dissertation and PhD programmes. She’s the person to contact with any Masters or PhD admin-related queries. Shari Daya will be on sabbatical for the first half of 2017 and Pippin Anderson will be taking over her role convening our dissertation students for this period. MARIEKE NORTON ACDI MPhil Convenor: Marieke is the course convenor for the Masters in Climate Change and Development. Any questions related to this course, or the ACDI, can be directed to her. SAYED HESS Laboratory Administrator: Sayed is responsible for the labs and therefore responsible for your use of the labs. He is the person to contact with any technical questions. ACADEMIC STAFF The EGS department houses a diverse group of people. Profiles of all the staff can be found on the EGS website (http://www.egs.uct.ac.za/egs/staff/academic/meadows), as well as the respective research unit websites.
YOUR REP
You need to elect a rep who will fight your corner in staff meetings and keep you informed of
departmental issues. Any grievances should be addressed to them. Staff meetings are held monthly
and reps must liaise with Sharon Adams so that they are alerted to these meetings.
THE POSTGRAD COMMUNITY
Your fellow students will be one of the most useful sources of knowledge and support. When you
have a crisis, someone will have had a similar experience and be able to help you out. And when you
want to celebrate it all going right, they’ll want to celebrate with you!
RESEARCH UNITS
Within the department there are different research groupings: the African Centre for Cities (ACC)
and the Climate Systems Analysis Group (CSAG). Although the ACDI isn’t housed in the EGS
department itself, we also have very close ties with them and their MPhil students are registered in
our department. EGS enjoys a close working relationship with these research units, through joint
research, supervision and teaching.
AFRICAN CENTRE FOR CITIES (ACC)
The ACC was established in 2007 to serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research on
urban issues. The primary focus is on applied research to address complex and
intractable urban problems and challenges, but this is undertaken in a manner that also
advances novel ways of thinking about and understanding urbanism across the global
South, but rooted in the realities of African urban spaces. The ACC’s central mission is to
facilitate critical urban research and policy discourses for the promotion of vibrant, democratic and
sustainable urban development in the global South from an African perspective. For more info on
ACC, access to their publications, papers, and events calendar, visit www.africancentreforcities.net
CLIMATE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS GROUP (CSAG)
CSAG is a dynamic group of multi-disciplinary scientists with research projects linked to
all aspects of the climate system. CSAG focuses mainly on Global Climate Model (GCM)
applications, global climate change, and South African climate processes. The materials
they make available are primarily developed to support the climatology teaching at
UCT, but also include current weather forecast and satellite information, and past climatological
data for a broader public audience. The CSAG territory is mainly on Level 4 and level 6 in the
geological sciences building. For more info on CSAG, access to their forecasts and very active blog, as
well as advice about studying climatology, visit: http://www.csag.uct.ac.za/
THE AFRICAN CLIMATE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (ACDI)
The African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) has been established at UCT
to facilitate, stimulate and coordinate partnerships and knowledge across
disciplines on climate and development issues. With a strong African and Global
South perspective, the ACDI’s work is focused on research, teaching at post-
graduate level, public awareness and close interaction with policy makers, business
and civil society. Its interdisciplinary focus provides a multi-layered perspective on climate change
and development, bringing both interdisciplinary breadth and specialist depth to problems and
solutions. http://www.acdi.uct.ac.za/2018 POSTGRADUATE CALENDAR
EGS STAFF RESEARCH AND SUPERVISORY PROFILES
BABATUNDE JOSEPH ABIODUN
My research interest is in development, evaluation, and application
of dynamic atmospheric models. I work with various types of
atmospheric models (i.e. boundary layer models, meso-scale
models, regional climate models, global climate models, and air
pollution models) but focus on a model that has capability for
horizontal grid adaptation (called CAM-EULAG). I evaluate
atmospheric models and use them to study atmospheric systems
(or conditions) that induce extreme events (like droughts, extreme
rainfall, heat waves, and air-pollution episodes) in Africa. I also
apply these models for predicting seasonal climates, projecting
future climates under different emission scenarios, and
understanding potential impacts of land-cover changes on regional
climates. I will be on sabbatical in the first half of 2018.
I would welcome the following types of projects at Honours, Masters or PhD Level:
• How well do regional climate models simulate the characteristics heatwaves in Southern Africa?
• Simulating the characteristic of Urban Heat Island in Africa cities and the roles of urban trees.
• Potential Impacts of climate change on widespread extreme events in Western Cape
• Understanding the characteristics of sea breeze and how it influences weather and air-quality in
Cape Town.
• I am also willing to discuss with the students on their choice of research.
To effectively work with me at any level, you would need to take the following modules: Research
Methods in Natural Science (EGS4023F) and Climate Modelling (EGS4024S).
PIPPIN ANDERSON
My training is in the areas of ecology and conservation biology. My
interest is in both pure ecology and the ecology of peopled
landscapes. My current geographic focus is on the urban ecology of
the City of Cape Town, and in the realm of restoration ecology.
Within this context I am interested the following conceptual areas:
plant ecology, land degradation, plant functional types, phenology,
ecosystem services, environmental history, restoration, and
multifunctional landscapes. I would welcome suggestions from
students of their own project ideas, but some suggestions (and for a
sense of what I would be happy to supervise) are presented below.
Some of these might be appropriate to specific degrees. This is
something that could be discussed.
Some project ideas for 2018:
• What is the current status of St Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum) in the Groote Schuur Estate.
Unpacking its history on this site, and current ecological status. Invader or happy visitor?
• A possible project around suburban lawns and their associated ecologies. Perhaps some basic
exclosures in some gardens to explore ecologies around mowing and not-mowing. There is a big
literature on this to draw on.
• How permeable is the City of Cape Town? A map, and ground-truthed, understanding of the City
of Cape Town with respect to understanding infiltration and other ecosystem services associated
with variable cover (for someone looking to hone their GIS skills).• What would make the perfect urban tree in Cape Town given management, ecosystem services,
and biodiversity considerations? An overview of trees in the City – histories, management,
preferences etc.
• Rural to urban biodiversity gradients are a common measure in urban ecology, but have not
been carried out for Cape Town. What would a biodiversity gradient look like for the City of Cape
Town?
• Restoration in renosterveld: seed biology experiments.
Students interested in approaching me with a research topic of their own would need to provide me
with a page outlining the topic (Master’s and PhD), making clear the proposed research question,
and indicating appropriate areas of literature (Master’s and PhD).
Examples of projects I have supervised:
Honours Level:
• Mapping ecosystem services through time: the case of the Knysna lagoon
• Urban heat islands: a model for the City of Cape Town
• An examination of the role of a small urban river in informing city bird diversity.
• Land-use change and its drivers: examining the expansion of Rooibos tea cultivation in the
Clanwilliam district, Western Cape, from the 1940s to 2008.
• An Access Analysis Approach to the Wildflower Industry: Determining the Social, Economic and
Environmental Benefits and Losses Realised on the Agulhas Plain.
• Passive restoration following alien plant clearing on Devil’s Peak.
• Determining the ecological drivers of Putterlickia pyracantha expansion at Witsands Aquifer.
• A description of the small mammal community of Devil’s Peak.
• Ecological implications of predicted increased rainfall intensity and drought.
• A plant functional type response to drought.
JANE BATTERSBY
Jane Battersby is an urban geographer with an interest in
all things food related. Her current areas of particular
interest are urban food systems, urban food policies and
the construction of food security theory in Northern and
Southern research contexts. This work has both theoretical
and applied components. Underpinning her food work is
an ongoing interest in the linkages between spatial
transformation and identity transformation in post-
apartheid urban areas – a topic she has addressed through
the lenses of youth identities, education, music and land
restitution.
She has been the Cape Town Partner of the African Food
Security Urban Network (AFSUN) since 2008. She is currently
the Research Coordinator of the ACC’s Consuming Urban Poverty Project, is associated with the
Hungry Cities Programme, and is the PI of the Nourishing Spaces project.
Jane is the Premio Daniel Carasso 2017 laureate. She is actively engaged in international, national,
provincial and local government policy process, having acted in an advisory or consultative position
at these levels, and currently a member of the South African Vulnerability Assessment Committee
(SAVAC). Jane serves on the advisory boards of several international research projects.
Jane will be available to supervise. Two projects are available on the “Mallification” of Cape Town,
one potentially linked to a food garden in Masi, one on food sensitive planning and potential for a
master’s student in participatory mapping in Kimberley.OLIVIER CRESPO
With increasing population on one side and climate changing on the
other, the already complex food production systems are under
unprecedented pressure. I want to take part in facing this
challenge, and this means using my expertise in operations
research in combination with my experience in agricultural systems
and climate science to explore and identify realistic alternatives for
African farming communities.
I am particularly working towards a better understanding of short
and long term climate change issues in connection with agricultural,
and especially small holder community, farming systems in Africa.
Involved in consultancy and research projects, I participate to the
improvement of global agricultural modelling (e.g. with AgMIP), a
better understanding of climate impacts on the agricultural sector (e.g.
with IFAD), and enhance adaptation capacity in developing and developed countries (e.g. with FAO).
Recently I developed stronger focus and engagement with shorter time scales (month to annual)
which is proving to be of high interests and of critical concern to vulnerable farming communities in
Africa.
I would welcome Honours, Masters or PhD Level (pending appropriate funding) dealing with a mix
of climate and agriculture. For instance:
SHARI DAYA
My research interests lie at the intersection of the humanities and
social sciences. Broadly, I am interested in urban identities – race,
class and gender - and experiences of modernity in Africa and South
Asia. Currently, my research explores how identity intersects with
food ethics in the everyday lives of middle-class consumers in three
South African cities. My other, ongoing project is on the
representation of African and South Asian cities in imaginative texts,
particularly novels. I would welcome conversations with students
interested in everyday urbanism in the global South; food, culture and
consumption; race and gender; and/or cultural representations of
urban life in any context.
Examples of projects I have supervised:
I have supervised qualitative research projects on: life and work in informal settlements; alternative
or ethical economies such as cooperatives; experiences of working in the textile industry;
homelessness and alcoholism; and more-than-human geographies. Current and recent supervisions
include:
• Two Thousand and Ten Reasons to Live in a Small Town – Dr Rike Sitas
• The Periphery as the Centre: Trajectories of Responsibility and Community Support in
Contemporary Maputo, Mozambique – Dr Beth Oppenheim-Chan
• Natural Encounters in Everyday Living: an Ethnographic Study of Pro-Environmental Behaviour in
Nyanga – Ms Megan Lukas
• Social Enterprises for Social Inclusion: Are Ethical Markets the Answer? – Ms Vrinda ChopraFRANK ECKARDT
I am first and foremost interested in the physical geography and
geomorphology of Southern Africa. This entails the study of
contemporary processes related to slopes, dryland environments and
land cover change as well as longer term dimensions that may include
tectonic processes as well as aspect related to landscape evolution.
Interpreting the land surface in the context of both climate, past and
present as well as geology, soils, lithology and hydrology helps us
understand the form-process relationship, appreciate the modern
day environment and may point us to future changes. I would
welcome the pursuit of a wide range of topics relevant to physical
geography and the human impact on the landscape in South Africa
and beyond.
Examples of projects I have supervised:
Honours, Masters or PhD Level:
• Mass movement and climate triggers on the Cape Peninsula
• Off road driving, damage and rehabilitation in the Namib Desert
• The history of gully erosion in Western Cape
• Impact of mining on river chemistry in Kwazulu Natal
• Synoptic controls of water chemistry in Marion Island
• Bush encroachment from aerial photography in the Kruger Park
• Remote sensing of oil spills in the Niger Delta
• Ethnobotany and land cover change from remote sensing in Limpopo
• Dust sources and emission processes in Namibia and Botswana
• River long profiles and their response to tectonic processes in Zambia and The Congo
I would welcome any student interested in physical geography and a background including geology,
geography or climatology. Willingness to read widely and synthesise independently is essential. I am
keen among other things, to support any research interest requiring remotely sensed data, including
historic aerial photography, mapping and GIS, water and soil chemistry, grain size analyses as well as
climate data past and present.
GARETH HAYSOM
Research focus and interests: My research interest is in urban food
geographies, specifically considering urban food security, urban food
system governance and how cities in Africa and the Global South are
engaging with (or not) rapid changes in the food system. My research
spans a number of food system activities and outcomes including
urban food insecurity, the nutrition transition, supermarketisation, the
informal food economy and different forms of agency within the urban
food system. These interests feed directly into the projects in which I
work. These projects include: the Hungry Cities Partnership, a
collaboration between researchers in seven Southern cities including
Mexico City, Kingston (Jamaica), Maputo, Nairobi, Bangalore, Nanjing
and Cape Town. The second, the Governing Food Systems to Alleviate
Poverty in Secondary Cities in Africa, uses food as a lens to investigate
urban poverty in Kisumu, Kitwe and Epworth. The third is the Nourishing Spaces programme, a more
qualitative research proejct considering nutrition in urban spaces, with research partners based in
Cape Town and Kimberly, Windhoek and Oshakati, and Nairobi and Kisumu, partnering in this
research. My work considers the accessability and utilisation dimensions of urban food security.
Issues of food safety, urban agriculture and production are generally outside my area of expertise.I would welcome the following types of projects:
Honours and Masters Level:
• Research considering a variety of urban food security issues and responses in African cities.
• Urban food system governance.
• The informal food economy and its impact on food security and/or poverty.
I would expect students to take: EGS4039F - Urban Food Security, convened with Dr. Jane Battersby.
Examples of projects I have supervised (all MPhil):
Food systems and urban food systems:
• 'Ilima', 'Izithebe' and the 'Green Revolution'. A complex agro-ecological approach to
understanding agriculture in Pondoland and what this means for sustainability through the
creation of 'Living Landscapes.
• Reconceptualising urban food security: an analysis of the everyday negotiations of food
access in Lusaka, Zambia.
• An exploration of the competing policy imperatives in the Philippi Horticultural Area.
BRUCE HEWITSON
My interests are wide, ranging around many topics that are
centred on the climate system. Core elements of my work relate
strongly to climate change, variability, extremes, uncertainty,
analysis methods, and climate information for society. Working
with me inevitably will draw you into the broader activities of
CSAG (see www.csag.uct.ac.za for a sense of what we cover, and
the post-doc and post-grad community to engage with), and most
probably alongside one of the post-docs or MSc/PhD students as
co-supervisors. Projects with me will inevitably involve working
with climate data, and so students with good numerical and/or
computing skills are particularly welcome as this significantly
opens the scope of projects.
Top students may have the opportunity to participate in the fieldwork programs in the Eastern Cape
and in Free State, and centre projects on these activities (boundary layer and land-atmosphere
interactions, remote sensing development with drone aircraft). The option exists for good students
to join a 1+2 bursary plan. We will provide an Honours bursary and a commitment for continuation
of the bursary for an MSc (subject to satisfactory Honours results).
I would welcome the following types of projects:
Honours, Masters or PhD Level:
• Multi-decadal oscillations in (southern) African climate, history and future prospects
• Using satellite-measured rainfall data in downscaling of climate change simulations
• Influence of weather forecast uncertainty and hydrological model error on skill and reliability of
seasonal hydrological forecast
• Role of change in daily rainfall on hydrological impact indicators derived from monthly rainfall-
runoff models.
• Assessing the CMIP5 multi-model projections of climate change for southern Africa
• Projected changes in extreme events; relating GCM and observed data
• Evaluating the different data perspectives of historical climate from models, satellites, and
station observations
• A comparison of wind data gathered by SODAR and tower at the Elim Wind Atlas site
• Thirsty work! The relationship between local climate and catchment - a map of minimums
• Climate change as indicated by circulation changes
• Changes in climate teleconnections using climate indicesPHILILE MBATHA
My research interests are mostly within marine and coastal
governance research in the Western Indian Ocean of southern
Africa, particularly focusing on rural contexts along the coast. I
have vast experience in the research field working with rural, as
well as economically poor and marginalized communities focusing
on coastal resource and biodiversity management and governance
issues. Specifically, I have experience in and passionate about
conducting research focusing on fisheries, mining, tourism, coastal
biodiversity as well as broader conservation of coastal resources
along the coast focusing on issues around access, use, benefit
sharing as well as governance of resources across the different
sectors in various areas. I am also interested in human rights
issues connected to marine and coastal governance processes
impacting rural areas in South Africa. In addition, my research also largely focuses on issues
pertaining rural livelihoods, sustainable livelihoods, sustainable and socially responsible natural
resource management, rural development, the role of politics and power in decision-making
processes from local to international levels.
I would be happy to supervise or assist students with the following types of projects:
Interdisciplinary research in these and similar topics
• Environment and rural development
• Interactions between coastal management/governance and rural livelihood strategies
• Coastal governance and land reform
• Plural/multi-level governance and management of the coast
• Agriculture as a livelihood in coastal communities
• Rural livelihoods and natural resource conservation
• The role of tourism in rural development along the coast
• Customary/traditional and statutory governance systems in rural contexts
• Understanding issues surrounding trans-boundary or trans-frontier coastal
resource/biodiversity use, access and governance between South Africa and Mozambique
MIKE MEADOWS
My research focus lies within the broader discipline of Physical
Geography. More specific interests deal with the evolution of late
Quaternary environments and the relative roles of natural and
anthropogenic climate change. The main methodology for
palaeoenvironmental reconstruction has been fossil pollen analysis but
I have interests in a wide range of other proxies, including sediment
characteristics, geomorphology, geochemistry and other
palaeoecological tools. I am also interested in using remote sensing
and GIS to explore the dynamics of the physical landscape in response
to climate change, human impact etc. I have a major project funded
jointly by South Africa and China which is aimed at exploring contrasts
in hydrodynamics and sediment characteristics of the Knysna and
Yangtze estuaries.
I would welcome the following types of projects:
Honours, Masters and PhD Levels:
• Quaternary palaeoecology and palaeoenvironmental studies, in particular involving pollen or
diatoms as proxies in sedimentary archives but also including the physical and geochemical
characteristics of the sediments themselves (we have a new laser particle size analyser in the
lab).• Sediment studies dealing with physical or geochemical characteristics of wetland and other
sediments (existing cores or new sites)
• Coastal sediment dynamics (Pringle Bay)
• Land use and cover change using remote sensing and GIS
Students interested in approaching me with a research topic of their own would need to provide me
with a page outlining the topic (Honours, Masters and PhD), making clear the proposed research
question (Masters and PhD), and indicating appropriate areas of literature (Masters and PhD).
Examples of recent projects I have supervised recently:
• Land use changes in the Princess Vlei catchment and its implications for water quality.
• Land use change in the Swartland, 1837-2010.
• Soil-vegetation relationships on the Tygerberg
• Small mammal-vegetation relationships on the Tygerberg
• Debris flows on Table Mountain
• Modern diatom distribution and environments of Verlorenvlei
• Late Quaternary palaeoenvironments of the Wilderness Lakes
• Radiocarbon reservoir correction for the southern and eastern coasts of South Africa
MARIEKE NORTON
I currently coordinate the ACDI MSc/MPhil Specialising in
Climate Change and Sustainable Development. I am an
environmental anthropologist, having completed my PhD in
UCT’s Department of Social Anthropology. My doctoral research
was a transdisciplinary project between Social Anthropology and
the Ma-Re Institute, looking at the state of marine resource law
enforcement in the Western Cape. My personal and research
interests are on the interactions between humanity and the
environment, and the relations between these spheres that
sustain, shape and change each other. My research and
publications have been specifically geared towards re-thinking
the relations between the natural and social sciences, in order to
establish modes of collaboration that reframe the issues of climate
change and sustainable development as interdisciplinary projects that support and innovate human
and non-human well-being. I also hold a Masters in Social Anthropology on the topic of marine
resource policy implementation and a degree in Media and Film Studies.
I would welcome the following types of projects (Honours or Masters level):
• Environmental law enforcement (terrestrial and marine)
• Ethnographic case-studies
• Multi-species ethnographies in the context of environmental change and adaptation
• Social adaptations to resource scarcity
• Impact of climate change information on publics
Examples of previous environmental projects I have supervised or am currently supervising:
• Fracking and race in the Karoo
• Urban water scarcity in Harare, Zimbabwe
• Social activism and inshore ocean pollutionYou can also read
