Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614100523057152 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Rademan, Daniel Johannes Rouxan |
| author2 | Visser, Wessel |
| author_browse | Rademan, Daniel Johannes Rouxan Visser, Wessel |
| author_facet | Visser, Wessel Rademan, Daniel Johannes Rouxan |
| author_sort | Rademan, Daniel Johannes Rouxan |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132481 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:40.081Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132481 A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries Rademan, Daniel Johannes Rouxan Visser, Wessel Visser, Wessel (Wessel Pretorius), 1957- Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History. Resilience (Ecology) Droughts -- Western Cape (South Africa) -- Economic aspects Drought management -- Western Cape (South Africa) -- Government policy Drought relief -- Western Cape (South Africa) Adaptive natural resource management UCTD Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Rademan, D. J. R. 2025. A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/e0421e98-9a19-46cc-b6c2-58fbb80e1953 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the impact of socio-economic changes, government drought relief policies and non-governmental drought relief efforts on the development of long-term resilience to drought events in the former districts of Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp over three extreme drought periods: 1924 to 1934, 1960 to 1969 and 2014 to 2020. These periods each lasted longer than three years with precipitation below 80% of the average, qualifying each period as a disaster drought. The regions semi-arid Karoo environment and small, rural population, that relied on livestock agriculture created vulnerability to droughts. Socio-economic change corresponding to each drought period was driven by developments in new infrastructure, technology, governmental policy, and farming methods which increased agricultural productivity, but impacted the local environment negatively. The poor subsistence farmers of both districts for much of its early history relied on avoidance to mitigate the impacts of droughts due to a lack of infrastructure, land tenure and capital, choosing instead to migrate out of drought affected areas. Migration systems were disrupted during the drought of 1924 to 1934 when privatisation of former public lands, the severity of the drought, and economic consequences of the Great Depression, resulted in significant losses. The state and commercial farmers therefore developed an endurance survival strategy which relied on the population remaining stationary whilst combating the impacts of the drought. The endurance aspect was accomplished largely by state provision of feed and loans for livestock farmers, increased access to ground water, easy procurement of credit and selective grazing. Increased government subsidies and improved transportation during the 1950s and 1960s mitigated losses to drought but harmed the local environment due to overgrazing. The growth in farm size, combined with mechanisation and decreased labour requirements caused former rural residents to migrate towards nearby towns in search of employment and better living conditions. The 1960s also witnessed the expansion of irrigation farming along the banks of the Olifants River, with a total 20th century economic development and population growth that exceeded the nearby dryland areas. With the onset of the 2014 to 2020 drought, better educated producers were forced to adapt to changing climatic conditions and environmental degradation, as well as decreased government support by implementing stock reductions and closer monitoring of actual carrying capacities of grazing areas, while increasing farm product diversity. Even with these mitigations, the length and severity of the drought, in addition to the lacklustre provision of assistance by the state, led to severe losses among the vulnerable rural communities. Through this entire period private relief efforts acted to reactively provide immediate relief of distress but ultimately could not replace the state in terms of funding or in building long term resilience. As a result, responses to drought over the 20th century did not contribute to improve resilience due to the reactive and racialised nature of changes, which encouraged over-reliance on the state and disincentivised adaptive behaviour. Resilience did, however, improve in the 21st century due to enhanced farming techniques and state support for vulnerable communities through social grants and infrastructure programmes. However, this study found that more can still be done by the state to implement its existing policies more effectively. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ontleed hoe sosio-ekonomiese veranderinge, die regering se droogteverligtingsbeleid en nie-regerings organisatoriese droogteverligtingspogings die ontwikkeling van langtermyn veerkragtigheid teen droogteverskynsels in die voormalige distrikte van Calvinia en Vanrhynsdorp oor drie ekstreme droogteperiodes beïnvloed het: 1924 tot 1934, 1960 tot 1969 en 2014 tot 2020. Hierdie periodes het elkeen langer as drie jaar geduur met neerslag onder 80% van die jaaarlikse gemiddelde waarvolgens elke periode as ‘n rampdroogte beskou kan word. Die distrikte se semidroë Karoo-omgewing met ‘n klein landelike bevolking wat van veeteeltlandbou afhanklik is, het dit vatbaar vir droogtes gemaak. Sosio-ekonomiese veranderinge ooreenstemmend tot elke droogteperiode is aangevuur deur ontwikkelinge in nuwe infrastruktuur, tegnologie, regeringsbeleid en boerderymetodes wat landbouproduktiwiteit verhoog het, maar ‘n negatiewe impak op die plaaslike omgewing gehad het. Arm bestaansboere in beide distrikte het vir die grootste gedeelte van hulle vroeëre geskiedenis as gevolg van ‘n gebrek aan infrastruktuur, eiendomsreg en kapitaal op vermyding staatgemaak om die impak van droogte te versag. Gevolglik het hulle eerder verkies om uit droogte-geaffekteerde gebiede te migreer. Gedurende die droogte van 1924 tot 1934 toe migrasiepatrone ontwrig was duer die privatisering van voormalige staatsgrond en die felheid van die droogte, tesame met die ekonomiese gevolge van die Groot Depressie, aansienlike lyding veroorsaak het. Dit het veroorsaak dat die staat en kommersiële boere in plaas van vermyding van droogte ‘n uithouoorlewingstrategie ontwikkel het wat geïmpliseer het dat die bevolking eerder op hulle grond gebly het om die impak van droogte te beveg of te versag. Die boere se droogteveerkragtigheid is hoofsaaklik bereik deur staatsvoorsiening van dierevoer en lenings aan veeboere, verhoogde toegang tot grondwater, die maklike verkryging van krediet en deur die toepassing van selektiewe wydingsmetodes. Toenemende regeringsubsidies en verbeterde vervoer gedurende die 1950s en 1960s het verliese aan droogtes versag, maar die plaaslike omgewing beskadig as gevolg van oorbeweiding. Die toename in plaasgroote, tesame met meganisasie, het arbeidsbehoeftes verminder en veroorsaak dat voormalige landelike inwoners na nabygeleë dorpe begin migreer het op soek na werksgeleenthede en beter lewensomstandighede. Die 1960s het ook die uitbreiding van besproeiingsboerdery op die oewers van die Olifantsrivier beteken. Dit het tot toenemende ekonomiese ontwikkeling en bevolkingsgroei gelei wat die bevolkingsaanwas van die nabygeleë droëlandgebiede oorskry het. Met die aanvang van die 2014 tot 2020 droogte is beter opgeleide landbouprodusente gedwing om aan te pas by veranderende klimaatsomstandighede en omgewingsagteruitgang wat as gevolg van oorbeweiding veroorsaak is, asook vermindere regeringsondersteuning deurdat veevermindering toegepas is en deur noukeuriger monitering van die werklike dravermoë van weidingsgebiede en toenemende diversiteit in landbouprodukte. Selfs met hierdie metodes het die langdurigheid en felheid van die droogte en halfhartige droogtehulpvoorsiening deur die staat tot ernstige verliese onder landelike gemeenskappe gelei. Dwarsdeur die hele periode van die 2014–2020 droogte het private droogteverligtingsinisiatiewe daain kon slaag om onmiddellike verligting van droogtenood te bewerkstellig. Hierdie pogings kon uiteindelik egter nie die staat vervang ten opsigte van noodhulpbefondsing of om langtermyn droogteveerkragtigheid te bewerkstellig nie. Reaksies teen droogtes gedurende die 20ste eeu het nie daartoe bygedra om droogtebestandheid te verbeter nie hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die reaktiewe en rasgebaseerde aard van veranderinge wat ‘n oorvertroue op die staat en ontmoedigende aanpassingsverandering bevorder het. Daar was egter ‘n verbetering in droogtebestandheid in die 21ste eeu as gevolg van verbeterde boerderytegnieke en staasondersteuning aan kwesbare gemeenskappe deur middel van welsynstoekenings en infrastruktuurprogramme. Hoewel daar verbetering was, het die studie wel gevind dat veel meer gedoen kan word deur die staat om bestaande beleid meer effektief te implementeer. Doctoral 2025-06-09T13:19:32Z 2025-06-09T13:19:32Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132481 en Stellenbosch University xiv, 270 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Resilience (Ecology) Droughts -- Western Cape (South Africa) -- Economic aspects Drought management -- Western Cape (South Africa) -- Government policy Drought relief -- Western Cape (South Africa) Adaptive natural resource management UCTD Rademan, Daniel Johannes Rouxan A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| title | A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| title_full | A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| title_fullStr | A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| title_short | A comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the Calvinia and Vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| title_sort | comparison on the development of adaptive strategies during three drought events in the calvinia and vanrhynsdorp districts over the 20th and 21st centuries |
| topic | Resilience (Ecology) Droughts -- Western Cape (South Africa) -- Economic aspects Drought management -- Western Cape (South Africa) -- Government policy Drought relief -- Western Cape (South Africa) Adaptive natural resource management UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132481 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rademandanieljohannesrouxan acomparisononthedevelopmentofadaptivestrategiesduringthreedroughteventsinthecalviniaandvanrhynsdorpdistrictsoverthe20thand21stcenturies AT rademandanieljohannesrouxan comparisononthedevelopmentofadaptivestrategiesduringthreedroughteventsinthecalviniaandvanrhynsdorpdistrictsoverthe20thand21stcenturies |