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Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614110495014912 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Muyima, Gracia |
| author2 | Kleynhans, T. E. |
| author_browse | Kleynhans, T. E. Muyima, Gracia |
| author_facet | Kleynhans, T. E. Muyima, Gracia |
| author_sort | Muyima, Gracia |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132564 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:49.940Z |
| 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:10019.1/132564 Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa Muyima, Gracia Kleynhans, T. E. De Lange, W. J. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Agricultural Economics. Fire prevention -- Western Cape (South Africa) Fire ecology -- Western Cape (South Africa) Fynbos -- Management -- Western Cape (South Africa) Forest fires -- Economic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa) Wildfires -- Economic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa) Wildland-urban interface -- Western Cape (South Africa) UCTD Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Muyima, G. 2025. Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning: a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/e7937c6b-71cf-4de2-b50b-9eebec02e8b0 ENGLISH SUMMARY: Wildfires are common in the South African environment. Fires are a natural phenomenon and essential for maintaining several natural ecosystems, such as grasslands and fynbos. They often cause significant damage to property, land, livestock, and plantations, threaten human lives and are expensive to contain. Veldfires are influenced by three main factors: weather, landscape, and available fuels. Available fuels may be considered the most important, as they are the only factor that can be mitigated. Without the reduction of available fuels, there is a build-up of biomass. Prescribed burning provides a means of controlling fuel loads. Otherwise, biomass build-up from suppressed fire can lead to a catastrophic fire as dead plant material burns more quickly and intensifies the fire. There are direct benefits and costs incurred in prescribed burning for fuel reduction. This study determined the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning in the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa. Primary data were sourced through questionnaires. Then, a financial cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was performed to enable the rational and systematic capture and comparison of costs and benefits. The results revealed that the potential benefits that could be derived from prescribed burning far exceeded the costs of burning. The study implied that society would benefit from prescribed burning (this is seen in the potential private farm profits and the cost saving of extinguishing wildfires), however, there are implementation costs involved though the implementation costs are not higher than the possible costs of extinguishing wildfires. The Department of Forestry previously practised a policy of regular prescribed burning to rejuvenate the fire-dependent vegetation and reduce fuel loads. Now the National Veld and Forest Fire Act No. 101 of 1998 uses a “caller pays” principle which states that the landowner or fire implementing agent is liable should prescribed burns on their property spread and damage surrounding properties and they should cover the cost of firefighting resources, putting all responsibilities on the farmers. The Act proved to be a limiting factor to prescribed burning as 69,23% of farmers did not burn the veld due to fear of being financially liable should prescribed burning spread from their property. However, the financial cost-benefit analysis result suggests that prescribed burning should be recommended to farmers and other landowners in the Langeberg Mountain veld area, as benefits exceeded costs. Nonetheless, this does not remove the risk associated with prescribed burning on the farmers' side. Controlled burns can become wildfires causing damage to property and human safety for which the farmer may be held legally liable. Since farmers are risk-averse, more incentives are required to participate in prescribed burning. Still, as it is today, the burden is placed on farmers. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) should meet the farmers midway to give them more incentives by minimising the risk of farmers' partaking in prescribed burning. Such incentives should include the relaxation or softening of the NVFFA and participation of the department in prescribed burning through subsidizing the preparation, maintenance and burning of fire breaks. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Veldbrande is algemeen in die Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing. Brande is 'n natuurlike verskynsel en noodsaaklik vir die instandhouding van verskeie natuurlike ekosisteme, soos grasvelde en fynbos. Hulle veroorsaak dikwels aansienlike skade aan eiendom, grond, vee en plantasies, bedreig menselewens en is duur om in bedwang te hou. Veldbrande word deur drie hooffaktore beinvloed: weer, landskap en beskikbare brandstof. Beskikbare brandstof kan as die belangrikste beskou word, aangesien dit die enigste faktor is wat versag kan word. Sonder die vermindering van beskikbare brandstof is daar 'n opbou van biomassa. Voorgeskrewe verbranding bied 'n manier om brandstofladings te beheer. Andersins kan biomassa-opbou van onderdrukte brand tot 'n katastrofiese brand lei aangesien dooie plantmateriaal vinniger verbrand en die brand vererger. Daar is direkte voordele en koste verbonde aan voorgeskrewe verbranding vir brandstofvermindering. Hierdie studie het die direkte voordele en koste van voorgeskrewe verbranding in die Langebergbergveldgebied, Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika bepaal. Primere data is deur middel van vraelyste verkry. Daarna is 'n finansiele koste-voordeel-analise (KBA) uitgevoer om die rasionele en sistematiese vaslegging en vergelyking van koste en voordele moontlik te maak. Die resultate het aan die lig gebring dat die potensiele voordele wat uit voorgeskrewe verbranding verkry kan word, die koste van verbranding ver oorskry het. Die studie het geimpliseer dat die samelewing baat sou vind by voorgeskrewe verbranding (dit word gesien in die potensiele private plaaswinste en die kostebesparing van die blus van veldbrande), maar daar is implementeringskoste betrokke alhoewel die implementeringskoste nie hoer is as die moontlike koste van die blus van veldbrande nie. Die Departement van Bosbou het voorheen 'n beleid van gereelde voorgeskrewe verbranding toegepas om die brandafhanklike plantegroei te verjong en brandstoflading te verminder. Nou gebruik die Nasionale Veld- en Bosbrandwet No. 101 van 1998 'n "beller betaal"-beginsel wat bepaal dat die grondeienaar of brandimplementeringsagent aanspreeklik is indien voorgeskrewe brandwonde op hul eiendom versprei en omliggende eiendomme beskadig en hulle moet die koste van brandbestrydingshulpbronne dek, wat alle verantwoordelikhede op die boere plaas. Die Wet het geblyk 'n beperkende faktor vir voorgeskrewe brand te wees aangesien 69,23% van boere nie die veld gebrand het nie weens vrees om finansieel aanspreeklik te wees indien voorgeskrewe brand van hul eiendom sou versprei. Die finansiele koste-voordeel-ontledingsresultaat dui egter daarop dat voorgeskrewe verbranding aan boere en ander grondeienaars in die Langebergberg-veldgebied aanbeveel moet word, aangesien voordele die koste oorskry. Dit verwyder nietemin nie die risiko verbonde aan voorgeskrewe brand aan die boere se kant nie. Beheerde brandwonde kan veldbrande word wat skade aan eiendom en menslike veiligheid veroorsaak waarvoor die boer wetlik aanspreeklik gehou kan word. Aangesien boere risiko-sku is, word meer aansporings vereis om deel te neem aan voorgeskrewe verbranding. Steeds, soos dit vandag is, word die las op boere geplaas. Die Departement van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye (DLBV) behoort die boere halfpad te ontmoet om hulle meer aansporings te gee deur die risiko van boere se deelname aan voorgeskrewe verbranding te verminder. Sulke aansporings moet die verslapping of versagting van die NVFFA en deelname van die departement aan voorgeskrewe verbranding insluit deur die voorbereiding, instandhouding en brand van brandbane te subsidieer. Masters 2025-06-11T08:21:57Z 2025-06-11T08:21:57Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132564 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 54 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Fire prevention -- Western Cape (South Africa) Fire ecology -- Western Cape (South Africa) Fynbos -- Management -- Western Cape (South Africa) Forest fires -- Economic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa) Wildfires -- Economic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa) Wildland-urban interface -- Western Cape (South Africa) UCTD Muyima, Gracia Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa |
| title | Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_full | Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_short | Determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning : a case study of the Langeberg Mountain veld area, Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_sort | determining the direct benefits and costs of prescribed burning a case study of the langeberg mountain veld area western cape south africa |
| topic | Fire prevention -- Western Cape (South Africa) Fire ecology -- Western Cape (South Africa) Fynbos -- Management -- Western Cape (South Africa) Forest fires -- Economic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa) Wildfires -- Economic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa) Wildland-urban interface -- Western Cape (South Africa) UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132564 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT muyimagracia determiningthedirectbenefitsandcostsofprescribedburningacasestudyofthelangebergmountainveldareawesterncapesouthafrica |