In the last few decades South Africa has experienced a very severe drought which has resulted in various consequences. This blog post deals with the environmental concern of drought in the form of two sections. The first section relates to the following (Holm 2015:985-986):
- The drivers of change
- What is happening
- What can be done
- How can this be done
- Through which means
The second section deals specifically with the drivers of change related to the Great Acceleration, and how this is relevant to the three chosen articles. In conjunction with this, is the analysis into various solutions and the people or companies that can be involved in forming these solutions into a sustainable reality. My chosen articles relate to an environmental concern that has been affecting South Africa greatly, especially over the last few decades. This issue is drought, and more so its primary driver, climate change.
Drivers of Change:
According to the article “South Africa Grapples with worst drought in 30 years”, the drivers include El Nino and climate change, as well as pollution (BCC News,2015). For the second article, “Farmers Bear Brunt of South Africa’s Severe Drought”, drivers relate to a lack of rain and a surplus of high temperatures (Allison,2015) , and the third article also includes flash floods (Brophy,20).
What is Happening:
The first article speaks of severe drought, price increases and death of livestock where small farmers lose their business and water shortages come into effect (BBC News,2014). This is related to the second article where no crops lead to no income, and which leads to no employment and meat shortages (Allison,2015). Drought can occur in some areas where flooding occurs in others. Initiatives like Operation Hydrate who send water out to these drought-stricken areas (Brophy,2016).
What can be done:
Citizens must use water sparingly and farmers need to be provided with fodder and funding (BBC News,2015). Government funding and stakeholder sponsorships are necessary as well as outside source funding (Allison,2015). Initiatives, awareness and smart irrigation to reduce water usage are aspects that need consideration as well as staff awareness and new technologies (Brophy,2016).
How to get it done:
Citizens and government must make a collaborative effort in order to create a plausible solution. As shown in the BBC News article, the farmers prayed and had faith that it will rain (BCC News,2015). Another solution are more sensible agricultural strategies in areas with better climate zones (out of South Africa) (Allison,2015). Harvesting rainwater and creating programmes to spread awareness are also a valid method, as well as new tap heads that save water (Brophy,2016).
Available Means:
The means will be supplied via the government with funding and sponsors (BCC News,2015). Cooperation and collaboration throughout the region acts as a source point and available means to assist in aiding farmers who are being affected by the drought (Allison,2015). Social responsibility and the cooperation of hospitality industry and tourism industry play major roles in conserving water (Brophy, 2016).
To Summarise:
To summarise the table above, here are the key points to take into consideration. The main drivers that seem to be present in each of the three articles are climate change and El Nino. These both result into what is happening now, which is a lack of rain and a surplus of severely high temperatures. This affect the business world, as prices increase and food shortages come into effect. Water restrictions also seem to be a consequence as well as socio-economic consequences like a lack of job employment, where local farmers lose their business and all their income due to the weather conditions. The solutions provided mainly focus on conserving water, creating awareness and gaining government (or other) funding and sponsorship. The only way to make this a success is for the public and the government to join forces in order to create sustainable, long-term solutions for drought and continuing them into the future generations.
Environmental Humanities Analysis and Critique
Before moving on to the critique and analysis of these articles, I would like to give a definition of what environmental humanities encompasses, as I feel it is important to know what the basis of my analysis will be.
Environmental Humanities refers to a study which encompasses a very wide research sphere that functions on a global level, including various disciplines in art, literature and philosophy which is specifically related to the environment (Holms 2015:978).
The Drivers of Change in Relation to the Great Acceleration:
The drivers mentioned in the three articles do relate to the Great Acceleration. The Great Acceleration refers to human technologies, powers and consumption (Holm 2015:980) that lead to the drivers mentioned in the articles. This basically comes down to what acts as a catalyst of change. Climate Change and El’Nino are both results of greenhouse gases (Holm 2015:980) and pollution which has corrupted our weather to such an extent, that extreme conditions of dryness and heat erupt out of the earth having an adverse effect on the environment, and consequently, on us as humans. Due to the advancement of technology and even consumption (which dates back as far as the Industrial Era), certain weather changes and conditions have become the reality we live in today, specifically one that has made South Africa more vulnerable environmentally, socially and economically in the form of drought. Drought however, is just the symptom. What lies at the root of the problem is the lack of knowledge, awareness and action on the side of humans.
The Political, Institutional, Cultural and Societal Factors that drive the change:
At core of the factors that drive the change, lie human behaviour, motives and choices which so often take place unconsciously (Holm 2015:981). Where science fails to enact any change in human behaviour, human sciences can provide a fresh perspective into how people think and function, and why (Holm 2015:981). The human condition to have a weak will regarding being catalysts of change is a key issue that needs to be explored (Holm 2015:981). As seen in the articles above, there seems to be a sort of domino effect where human choices (consumption) leads to climate change, and climate change leads to drought, and drought leads to severe economic and social consequences, which all lead up to the choices made at the beginning, and the consequences we are sitting with at the end. Cultural diversity is also a key factor to take into consideration, as different cultural (languages, practises, perspectives) do not all think in the same way towards the environment.
How the absence of solutions relates to “The New Human Condition”
The “New Human Condition” refers to how human beings will face and have to cope with the consequences and responsibilities of being the catalysts behind the major environmental changes surrounding them (Holm 2015:983). The main aspect focused on is “Human Intelligence” (Holm 2015:983). Various people responds to this is various way. Some will deny that there is a problem, where others will take a different approach, one of belief (Holm 2015:983). This can also be notes in two of the above articles where the farmers said that all they could do was pray, they had faith. Where in other cases there was an urgency to employ water restrictions and other measures to fix the problem. The absence of solutions create and urgency or a denial leading to “The New Human Condition”. How humans cope with global change will ultimately depict what we will do about it (Holm 2015:984).
Engagement with business sector
The proposed solutions engage with the corporate sector in various ways: the main ones being (as mentioned in the table above) awareness and funding. Many businesses and corporate entities today have taken up a green mantel in becoming stewards and fundraisers for the environment, this not excluding the government as well.
Businesses partnering with communities
The company Agri SA put together an initiative called “Project Hope Grass” to take grass and feed to farmers in areas of severe drought. Companies involved were Pick ‘n Pay, Senwes and various other business who donated a large amount of funds to helping the farmers battling with the drought (Burger,2016).
Collaboration
The proposed solutions and means both stem from and result in farmers, communities, public, stakeholders, researchers and government cooperating together to make a difference. As the articles have pointed out, the government sought to find funding in order to aid the farmers who needed feed and other necessities. The public participated in providing water and conserving water to these farmers.
Practicality
There are many practical ways provided to the public in order to aid in the drought. Some of these were:
- Use water conservatively
- Harvest rainwater
- Install new taps that use less water
- Create and spread awareness of drought
- Make an active effort to collaborate and make a difference
In Conclusion:
This blog post was not only intended to be informative, but also to really make one think about the role we as humans play in driving global and environmental change, and how it is out social and societal responsibility to be catalysts of change. The current drought that has been affecting South Africa can be combated if we work together and do our due diligence in conserving our water resources, making virtuous decisions. Instead of being catalysts for destruction, we can be the catalysts for the sustainability of our natural resources.
The Arete Generation 