Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

eThekwini’s green and ecological infrastructure policy landscape: research paradigms, theories and epistocrats

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to indicate how dominant research paradigms, social theories, and an epistocracy influence the governance of green and ecological infrastructures within a South African local government context. Paradigms and theories play an important constituting role that (local) government actors and institutions actively and subconsciously promote within the green and ecological infrastructure policy landscape. Research conducted by the author indicates that epistemic actors within the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa, use paradigms and theories to promote green and ecological infrastructures, as materialities, coupled with climate change adaptation and mitigation and water governance and security aspirations. I conclude that an epistocracy is active in the municipality and that it promotes the development and implementation of the infrastructure types through a positivist paradigm and accompanied theories. In this article, I will report on a two-year study that investigated eThekwini’s green and ecological infrastructure policy landscape.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. I would like to thank one of the anonymous reviewers for this idea.

  2. At the time of my research in 2018, Gumede as the Vice President of C40, a global network of the world’s mega-cities that is closely linked to matters pertaining to climate change. C40’s mandate is to support cities to collaborate, share knowledge and drive action on climate change (C40, 2020).

  3. In May 2021, Gumede agreed to step down in accordance with the ANC's 'step-aside resolution'. This means that she could not act in any ANC leadership position but could remain in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature after her ousting from the municipality (Harper, 2021; Kotzé, 2021).

References

  • Andreotti, V. (2006). Theory without practice is idle, practice without theory is blind’: the potential contributions of post-colonial theory to development education. The Development Education Journal 12(3), 7–10.

  • Booysen, S. (2015). Dominance and decline: The ANC in the time of Zuma. Wits University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, J. (2019). Giving epistocracy a fair hearing. Inquiry 1–15.

  • Brennan, J. (2018). Does the demographic objection to epistocracy succeed? Res Republica 24:53–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C40. (2020). About C40. C40 group. New York. Retrieved March 30, 2020 from https://www.c40.org/about

  • Corbella, S., & Stretch, D. D. (2012). Coastal defences on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of South Africa: A review with particular reference to geotextiles. Journal of South African Institution of Civil Engineering, 54(2), 55–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Block, G. (2016). Ecological infrastructure in a critical-historical perspective: From engineering ‘social’ territory to encoding ‘natural’ topography. Environment and Planning A, 48(2), 367–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Visser, J. (2005). Developmental local government: A case study of South Africa. Stellenbosch Law Review, 21(1), 90–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Douwes, J., Mullins, G., Nkosi, S., Roberts, D., Ralfe, K., Wilkinson, R., Dlamini, Z., Mungwe, O., Macfarlane, D. (2018) Innovative responses to biodiversity offsets in Durban. In IAIA18 conference proceedings, environmental justice in societies ibn transition, 38th annual conference of the international association for impact assessment. Durban, South Africa.

  • Douwes, J. (2018). Exploring transformation in local government in a time of environmental change and thresholds: a case study of eThekwini Municipality. Thesis. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

  • Douwes, E., Crouch, N. R., Edwards, T. J., & Mulholland, D. A. (2008). Regression analyses of southern African ethnomedicinal plants: Informing the targeted selection of bioprospecting and pharmacological screening subjects. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 119(3), 356–364.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Du Plessis, A. (2010). ‘Local environmental governance’ and the role of local government in realising Section 24 of the South African Constitution. Stellenbosch Law Review, 21(2), 265–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estlund, D. (2003). Why not epistocracy? In: Reshotko, N. (ed), Desire, identity and existence: essays in honour of T.M. Penner. Academic Printing and Publishing, Canada.

  • eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (eMM). (2007). Sustainability best practice portfolio. Special Edition: Water 2007/08. eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality Environmental Management Department.

  • eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (eMM). (2013). New solutions explored for water security and service delivery: investments in ecological infrastructure in the greater uMngeni Catchment. Joint Media release, February 28, 2013.

  • Finewood, M. H., Matsler, A. M., & Zivkovich, J. (2019). Green infrastructure and the hidden politics of urban storm-water governance in a post-industrial city. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 109(3), 909–925.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gay, G. (1979). The continuing quest for rationality in curriculum practice. Educational Leadership, 37(2), 178–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill, S. E., Handley, J. F., Ennos, A. R., & Pauliet, S. (2007). Adapting cities for climate change: The role of green infrastructure. Built Environment, 33(1), 115–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harper, P. (2021). Corruption accused Zandile Gumede agrees to step aside. Mail and Guardian, May 25, 2021.

  • Hobson, J. M. & Seabrooke, L. (2007). Everyday IPE: revealing everyday forms of change in the world economy. In: Hobson, J.M. and L. Seabrooke (eds), Everyday politics of the world economy. Cambridge University Press.

  • Hobson, J. M. & Seabrooke, L. (2009). Everyday international political economy. In: Blyth, M. (ed), Routledge handbook of international political economy (IPE): IPE as a global.

  • Holst, C. (2012). What is epistocracy? Dimensions of knowledge-based rule. In: Øyen S. A., Lund-Olsen T., Vaage N. S. (eds), Sacred science? On science and its interrelations with religious worldviews. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

  • Jewitt, G., Zunckel, K., Dini, J., Hughes, C., de Winnaar, G. Mander, M., Hay, D., Pringle, C., McCosh, J., & Bredin, I. (2015). Investing in ecological infrastructure to enhance water security in the uMngeni River catchment. Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria.

  • Khalid, KMd., & Adibin, M. Z. (2014). Technocracy in economic policy-making in Malaysia. Southeast Asian Studies, 3(2), 383–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjaer, A. M. (2004). Governance. Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Klaveren, E. S. (2018). The allure of green infrastructure: a constructivist case analysis. Unpublished MSc. Dissertation, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

  • Kotzé, D. (2021). Personal communication. 12 August 2021.

  • Kotzé, P. (2013). Investing in ecological infrastructure for our future water security. The Water Wheel, 12(1), 24–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langton, T. E. S. (2015). A history of small animal road ecology. In: Andrews, K. M., Nanjappa, P., & Riley, S. P. D. (eds.), Roads and ecological infrastructure: Concepts and applications for small animals. Johns Hopkins University Press.

  • Lincoln, Y. S., Lynham, S. A., & Guba, E. G. (2011). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences, revisited. In: Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (eds), The SAGE handbook of qualitative research, 4th edn. Sage Publications.

  • Lincoln, Y. S., Lynham, S. A., & Guba, E. G. (2018). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences, revisited. In: Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (eds). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research, 5th edition. Sage Publications.

  • Lucky, M. C. (2019). Flawed wisdom: the challenge of knowledge systems in epistocracy and democracy. In: Paper presented at the western political science association conference, April 20, 2019.

  • Mather, A. A. (2008). Sea level rise and it’s likely financial impacts. IMFO: Official Journal of the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers, 8(3), 8–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R. (2014). A critical analysis of research paradigms in a subset of marine and maritime scholarly thought. In, Funke, N., Claassen, M., Meissner, R., & Nortje, K. (eds.), Reflections on the state of research and technology in South Africa’s Marine and Maritime sectors. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

  • Meissner, R., Stuart-Hill, S. Nakhooda, Z. (2017b). The establishment of catchment management agencies in South Africa with reference to the Flussgebietsgemeinschaft Elbe: some practical considerations. In: Karar, E. (ed), Freshwater governance for the twenty-first century. Springer.

  • Meissner, R. L., Jovanovic & Petersen, C. (2017a). What one knows is unknown to others: a sediment transport study and its policy implications. International Journal of Water Governance 5(1),1–18.

  • Meissner, R., Steyn, M., Jacobs-Mata, I., Moyo, E., Shadung, J., Nohayi, N., & Mngadi, T. (2019). The perceived state of water security in the Sekhukhune District Municipality and the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. In: Meissner, R., Funke, N., Nortje, K., & Steyn, M. (eds), Understanding water security at local government level in South Africa. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R. (2021b). State capture’s impact on South African water sector reform. Water Alternatives Forum, 15 April. Retrieved August 11, 2021 from https://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/blog/sa

  • Meissner, R. (2015a). The relevance of social theory in the practice of environmental management. Science and Engineering Ethics, 22(5), 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R. (2015b). The governance of urban wastewater treatment infrastructure in the greater Sekhukhune District Municipality and the application of analytic eclecticism. International Journal of Water Governance, 2, 79–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R. (2016). Paradigms and theories in water governance: The case of South Africa’s National Water Resource Strategy. Water SA, 42(1), 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R. (2017). Paradigms and theories influencing water policies in the South African and international water sectors: PULSE3, a framework for policy analysis. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R. (2021a). eThekwini’s green and ecological infrastructure policy landscape—Towards a deeper understanding. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, R., Steyn, M., Moyo, E., Shadung, J., Masangane, W., & Jacobs-Mata, I. (2018). South African local government perceptions of the state of water security. Environmental Science Policy, 87, 112–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, J. (2005). Rationality and psychology in international politics. International Organization, 59, 77–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Min, J. B. (2015). Epistocracy and democratic epistemology. Politics in Central Europe, 11(1), 91–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moraro, P. (2018). Against epistocracy. Social Theory and Practice, 44(2), 199–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulligan, T. (2015). On the compatibility of epistocracy and public reason. Social Theory and Practice, 41(3), 458–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musango, J. K., Currie, P., & Robinson, B. (2017). Urban metabolism for resource efficient cities: From theory to implementation. UN Environment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mutombo, K. (2014). Port infrastructure: a holistic framework for adaptation to climate change. In: Funke, N. M., Claassen, R., Meissner, & Nortje, K. K. (eds), Reflections on the state of research and technology in South Africa’s marine and maritime sectors. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria.

  • Namugize, J. N., Jewitt, G., & Graham, M. (2018). Effects of land use and land cover changes on water quality in the uMngeni river catchment, South Africa. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts a/b/c, 105, 247–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell, P., et al. (2019). Towards resilient African cities: Shared challenges and opportunities towards the retention and maintenance of ecological infrastructure. Global Sustainability, 2(e19), 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pederson, D. B. (2014). The political epistemology of science-based policy making. Society 51(5), 547–551.

  • Possingham, H. P., & Wilson, K. A. (2005). Turning up the heat on hotspots. Nature, 436, 919–920.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pringle, K. (2020). Personal communication. Independent consultant, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, April 7, 2020.

  • Pringle, C., Bredin, I., McCosh, J., Dini, J., Zunckel, K., Jewitt, G., Hughes, C., de Winnaar, G., & Mander, M. (2015). An investment plan for securing ecological infrastructure to enhance water security in the uMngeni River Catchment. Development Bank of Southern Africa, Midrand.

  • Republic of South Africa (RSA). (1996). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa No. 108 of 1996. Government Printer, Pretoria.

  • Republic of South Africa (RSA). (1998). Water Services Act, No. 108 of 1997. Pretoria: Government Printer.

  • Republic of South Africa (RSA). (2000). Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, No. 32 of 2000. Pretoria: Government Printer.

  • Revi, A., Satterthwaite, D., Aragón-Durand, F., Corfee-Morlot, J., Kiunsi, R. B. R., Pelling, M., Roberts, D., & Solecki, W. (2014). Chapter 8: Urban areas. In: IPCC, climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press.

  • Rhodes, R. A. W. (1996). The new governance: Governing without government. Political Studies, XLIV, 652–667.

  • Roberts, D., Boon, R., Diederichs, N., Douwes, E., Govender, N., Mcinnes, A., Mclean, C., O’Donoghue, S., & Spires, M. M. (2012). Exploring ecosystem-based adaptation in Durban, South Africa: “learning-by-doing” at the local government coal face. Environment and Urbanization, 24(1), 167–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, D., & O’Donoghue, S. (2013). Urban environmental challenges and climate change action in Durban, South Africa. Environment and Urbanization, 25(2), 299–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenau, J. N. (2006). The study of world politics: Theoretical and methodological challenges. Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Schalkwijk, N., Tifflin, W., & Kohler, K. (2017). KwaZulu-Natal visitor book project report. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.

  • Scholes, R. J., & Biggs, R. (2005). A biodiversity inactness index. Nature, 434, 45–49.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Slootweg, R. (2005). Biodiversity assessment framework: Making biodiversity part of corporate social responsibility. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 23(1), 37–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solecki, W., Ramos, G. C. D., Roberts, D., Rosenzweig, C., & Walsh, B. (2021). Accelerating climate research and action in cities through advanced science-policy-practice partnerships. Urban Sustainability, 1(3), 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Songer, D. R. (1984). Government closest to the people: Constituent knowledge in state and national politics. Polity, 17(2), 387–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). (2019). Ecological infrastructure. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. https://www.sanbi.org/biodiversity/science-into-policy-action/mainstreaming-biodiversity/ecological-infrastructure/. Accessed 5 March 2019.

  • Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). (2021). Quarterly labour force survey: Quarter 4: 2020. Statistics South Africa, Pretoria.

  • Stuart-Hill, S. (2020). Personal communication centre for water resources research, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, April 7, 2020.

  • Tempelhoff, J. W. N., Jaka, H., Mahabir, S., Ginster, M., Kruger, A., Mthembu, N., & Nkomo, L. (2019). The Anthropocene and the hydrosphere: A case study of sanitation governance in Emfuleni Local Municipality (2018–19). Vanderbijlpark, South Africa: North-West University. CuDyWat Report No. 2/2019.

  • The Nature Conservancy (TNC). 2019b. Water funds: a natural solution for water security in Sub- Saharan Africa. Retrieved March 7, 2019 from https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/water-funds-a-natural-solution-for-water-security-in-sub-saharan-africa/

  • The Nature Conservancy (TNC). 2019a. How we work. Retrieved March 7, 2019 from https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/

  • Tremmel, J. (2018). The Anthropocene concept as a wake-up call for reforming democracy. In: Hickmann T., Partzsch, L., Pattberg, H. P., & Weiland, S. (eds), The Anthropocene debate and political science. Routledge.

  • Van de Meene, S. J., Brown, R. R., & Farrelly, M. A. (2011). Towards understanding for sustainable urban water management. Global Environmental Change, 21, 1117–1127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vargas, M., & Nichols, S. (2007). Psychopaths and moral knowledge. Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology, 14(2), 157–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viehoff, D. (2016). Authority. And expertise. Journal of Political Philosophy, 24(4), 406–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vincent, A. (1995). Modern political ideologies (2nd ed.). Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warner, J. F., Wesselink, A. J., & Geldof, G. D. (2018). The politics of adaptive climate change: Scientific recipes and lived reality. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 9(3), e515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, M. J. T., O’Keefe, J., Hamer, N., & C.G. and Palmer. (2017). Water service delivery challenges in a small South African municipality: Identifying and exploring key elements and relationships in a complex social-ecological system. Water SA, 43(3), 398–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber, R. (2004). The rhetoric of positivism versus interpretivism: A personal view. MIS Quarterly, 28(1), iii–xii.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, N. J., Harris, L. M., Nelson, J., & Shah, S. H. (2019). Re-theorizing politics in water governance. Water, 11(7), 1470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wissenburg, M. (2019). The Anthropocene and the republic. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2019.1698152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zais, R. (1976). Curriculum: Principles and foundations. Thomas Y. Crowell.

  • Zybrands, W. (2011). Local government. In: Venter, A., & Landsberg, C. (eds), Government and politics in South Africa, 4th editon, Van Schaik Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

National Research Foundation, South Africa.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Sciences, University of South Africa, Preller Street, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    Richard Meissner

Authors
  1. Richard Meissner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Meissner.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Meissner, R. eThekwini’s green and ecological infrastructure policy landscape: research paradigms, theories and epistocrats. Int Environ Agreements 22, 543–560 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-021-09557-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-021-09557-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation