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Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613763113320448 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Smith, Janis Suzanne |
| author2 | O’Farrell, Patrick |
| author_browse | O’Farrell, Patrick Smith, Janis Suzanne |
| author_facet | O’Farrell, Patrick Smith, Janis Suzanne |
| author_sort | Smith, Janis Suzanne |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132425 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:18.607Z |
| 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:10019.1/132425 Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services Smith, Janis Suzanne O’Farrell, Patrick Roux, Dirk Esler, Karen J. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology & Entomology. Protected areas -- South Africa -- Management National parks and reserves -- South Africa Freshwater biodiversity conservation Nature conservation Water-supply -- South African National Parks Freshwater biodiversity conservation Ecosystem services -- Social aspects UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Smith, J. S. 2025. Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/14c56f22-9727-45a6-9681-15d4b77b190f ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Protected areas have been viewed for decades as the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation. Traditionally focussed on terrestrial and marine biodiversity protection, freshwater ecosystems have seldom been given explicit consideration in the design of protected areas. Furthermore, the traditional means of protecting biodiversity by excluding people has had the effect of polarising people and nature. Several advances in policy and science in recent years hold promise in addressing these issues. Over the last few decades, conservation has shifted its goals and purpose and has evolved from an island management approach to a social-ecological systems management approach. The purpose and framing of conservation has shifted to a more defined link between people and nature. Advances emerging in policy and science all point to working both within and outside protected area boundaries, viewing protected areas as embedded within a social-ecological landscape. In response to this, this study explores how protected areas can be re-imagined within the social-ecological landscape using freshwater ecosystems and freshwater ecosystem services as lenses. The research focuses on advancing conservation planning and ecosystem service science, while simultaneously providing the potential for using freshwater as a unifying theme for reconnecting people and protected areas. This dissertation consists of three research chapters. Chapter two explores how freshwater ecosystems and their associated services are recognized and managed within South African National Parks (SANParks), by analyzing management plans using a qualitative approach. The third chapter is a local-level case study that explores a mapped ‘zone of interaction’ (ZOI) for freshwater ecosystem service management. The fourth chapter used semi-structured interviews to investigate how local farmers in the landscape surrounding the Garden Route National Park value freshwater in the landscape, further deepening understanding of this local case study area. With freshwater conservation in mind, this dissertation emphasises a mind shift in conservation thinking from conservation within protected areas to conservation through protected areas, as freshwater systems are rarely contained within the boundaries of protected areas. This dissertation promotes the idea that freshwater conservation can be a catalyst for advancing protected area evolution. The critical importance of freshwater to people presents it as a catalyst to connect people and nature within the broader landscape. Despite people and nature not being well connected, this research found that using freshwater as a lens can help create this connection. Emerging insights from the dissertation show that using freshwater as a catalyst for conservation will require the need for broader landscape consideration, reshaping boundaries and connections and redefining protected area design. Reconnecting people and nature requires the reshaping of park boundaries and relationships, which should be initiated by protected area managers. As much as the reshaping of boundaries and connections are physical, the reshaping should also take place mentally. In addition to the obvious need for increased focus on freshwater conservation as a whole, a central focus of this dissertation recognises the need for future research to delve deeper into integrated management, where the nexus between conservation, freshwater and land use issues are explored. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beskermde gebeide word dekades lank as die hoeksteen van bioversiteit gesien. Die bewaring van biodiversiteit het tradisioneel op aardse en marine ekosisteme gefokus, met geringe fokus op varswater ekosisteme. Verder het die tradisionele manier van bewaring mens en natuur verder gepolariseer omdat die mens nie as deel van bewaring gesien was nie. Daar is al heelwat vooruitgang in wetgewing en wetenskappe in afgelope jare gemaak om hierdie kwessies aan te spreek. Oor die laaste paar dekades het die bewaringsdoelwitte verskuif van ‘n eilandbestuur benadering na ‘n sosiaal-ekologiese bestuursbenadering. Die doel en raamwerk van bewaring het verander na ‘n duidelike skakel tussen mens en natuur. Daar is duidelike vooruitgang in wetgewing en wetenskap wat daarop dui dat daar binne en buite beskermde gebeide grense gewerk moet word en dat beskermde gebeide deel vorm van die sosiaal-ekologiese landskap as ‘n geheel. In reaksie hierop wil hierdie studie daarop dui hoedat daar op ‘n nuwe manier na beskermde gebeide gekyk kan word deur varswater ekosisteme en varswaterdienste te bestudeer. Hierdie studie fokus daarop om bewaringsbeplanning en ekosisteme te bevorder en tegelykertyd ook te kyk hoedat varswater mense en beskermde gebeide kan verenig. Hierdie studie het drie hoofstukke. Die eerste hoofstuk probeer uitvind hoedat varswater ekosisteme en hul geassosieerde dienste in Suid Afrikaanse Nasionale Parke (SANPARKE) erken en bestuur word. Parke se bestuursplanne word geanaliseer deur middel van n kwalitatiewe benadering. Die tweede hoofstuk is ‘n plaaslike gevalle studie wat uitgebeelde sone van interaksie vir varswater ekosisteme bestuur uitbeeld. Die derde hoofstuk gebruik semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude om te ondersoek hoe plaaslike boere in die gebied rondom die Garden Route Nasionale Park die waarde van varswater in die landskap ervaar. Met varswaterbewaring in gedagte wilh ierdie studie graag ‘n gedagteverskuiwing voorstel: Daar moet bewaring van beskermde gebeide plaasvind, nie noodwendig binne beskermde gebeide nie. Hierdie studie probeer uitwys hoedat varswater bewaring ‘n goeie katalisator vir die bevordering van beskermde gebeide evolusie is. Varswater is van kardinale belang in die konneksie van die mens en natuur binne die breër landskap. Alhoewel die mens en natuur nie goed gekonnekteer is nie, het hierdie studie uitgewys hoedat hulle juis deur middel van varswater gekonnekteer kan word. Wat aan die lig gekom het in die studie is dat as varswater as katalisator vir bewaring gebruik word, moet daar in breë trekke daarna gekyk word en ook ‘n nuwe uitkyk na grense en die hele beskermde gebiede geïnisieer word. Die hervorming van grense is ‘n fisise sowel as ‘n geestelike verandering. Behalwe vir die ooglopende behoefte vir ‘n vermeerderde fokus op varswaterbewaring as ‘n geheel is ‘n sentrale fokuspunt van hierdie studie om dieper te delf in ‘n geïnegreerde bestuur om sodoende bewaring, varswater en grondgebruik te konnekteer. Doctoral 2025-06-06T10:34:18Z 2025-06-06T10:34:18Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132425 en Stellenbosch University 122 pages : illustrations, maps application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Protected areas -- South Africa -- Management National parks and reserves -- South Africa Freshwater biodiversity conservation Nature conservation Water-supply -- South African National Parks Freshwater biodiversity conservation Ecosystem services -- Social aspects UCTD Smith, Janis Suzanne Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services |
| title | Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services |
| title_full | Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services |
| title_fullStr | Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services |
| title_full_unstemmed | Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services |
| title_short | Re-imagining the role of protected areas in the social-ecological landscape: connecting people to nature through water-related ecosystem services |
| title_sort | re imagining the role of protected areas in the social ecological landscape connecting people to nature through water related ecosystem services |
| topic | Protected areas -- South Africa -- Management National parks and reserves -- South Africa Freshwater biodiversity conservation Nature conservation Water-supply -- South African National Parks Freshwater biodiversity conservation Ecosystem services -- Social aspects UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132425 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT smithjanissuzanne reimaginingtheroleofprotectedareasinthesocialecologicallandscapeconnectingpeopletonaturethroughwaterrelatedecosystemservices |