Probing uncertainty levels of electrification in informal urban settlements: A case from South Africa

Kovacic, Zora; Smit, Suzanne; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Brent, Alan C.; Giampietro, Mario

doi:10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.06.002

Cited by 44 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Information regarding population dynamics, the flow of money, and energy consumption, are found elsewhere (see Kovacic et al. ; Smit et al. ; Kovacic and Giampietro ), while the analysis of food and waste flows was beyond the scope of the study.…”

Section: Methods To Quantify Informal City Societal Metabolismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge, theoretical and empirical studies on the metabolism of the informal city are limited, although a small body of work in this field is emerging. For example, Guibrunet and colleagues () analyze system boundaries and waste flows as a means to politicize UM research; Demaria and Schindler () concentrate on waste‐to‐energy as a means of highlighting contestations over the (re)configuration of UMs; Attia and Khalil () analyze water flows and quality of life to understand the role of informal areas in achieving sustainable cities; and Kovacic and colleagues () investigate energy flows and energy policies to address misconceptions of slum communities, and to illuminate inequality and marginalization. In terms of philosophical underpinnings, Guibrunet and colleagues () confront ontological assumptions about the concept of city , whereas Kovacic and colleagues () deal with the methodological, technical, and epistemological uncertainties that characterize energy interventions in urban informal settlements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It should be noted that energy consumption data were limited to quantities of traditional fuels, such as paraffin and gas, used per household per month; and changes in energy mix over time (see Kovacic et al. ). This is due to the fact that indirect electricity and solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity use is not metered.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Towards Measuring the Informal City: A Societal Metabolism Approach

Smit

Musango

Kovacic

et al. 2018

J of Industrial Ecology

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Summary The rapid growth of urban informal settlements, or slums, poses a particular challenge for balancing developmental and environmental goals. In South Africa, high levels of inequality, poverty, and unemployment contribute to widespread migration. The influx of migrant workers to cities, however, is rarely matched with adequate housing and infrastructure, resulting in the formation and growth of urban informal settlements. Despite the persistence of the slum phenomenon, very few studies provide an in‐depth understanding of the metabolic processes that link these spaces, and informal economies, to the broader urban environment and economy. This article therefore utilized a multiscale integrated assessment of the societal and ecosystem metabolism approach to examine human activity and land use in Enkanini, an urban informal settlement in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The results highlight a number of issues to be addressed through spatial, developmental, and local economic policy, such as the need for improved transport linkages. The time‐use results show that Enkanini is a net provider of labor to the surrounding area. Further, geographical mapping indicates Enkanini as a small, but vibrant, informal economy, while being grossly underserviced in terms of water, waste, and sanitation infrastructure. Key implications are discussed in terms of the theoretical, methodological, societal, and policy impact of the study, including the need for city observatories that conduct regular data collection and analysis.

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Section: Methods To Quantify Informal City Societal Metabolismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Towards Measuring the Informal City: A Societal Metabolism Approach

Smit

Musango

Kovacic

et al. 2018

J of Industrial Ecology

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“…); (2) difficulty in tracking informal flows (Currie ; Smit and Musango ; Kovacic et al. ); (3) lack of standardized methodologies for assessing resource flows at city level (Kennedy et al. ; Currie et al.…”

Section: Urban Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Full reviews of these UM methods are available in Zhang (2013) and Robinson and colleagues (2013). The primary challenges in analyzing UM are: (1) a lack of city-level data required to undertake such analysis, particularly in African cities ; (2) difficulty in tracking informal flows (Currie 2015;Smit and Musango 2015;Kovacic et al 2016); (3) lack of standardized methodologies for assessing resource flows at city level (Kennedy et al 2011;Currie et al 2015); and (4) the open nature of the city system (Ferrao and Fernández 2013;Hoekman 2015). Resource flow studies have typically been completed at the national level, with more urban studies slowly emerging (Barles 2009(Barles , 2010.…”

Section: Urban Metabolism Of African Citiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

African Urbanization: Assimilating Urban Metabolism into Sustainability Discourse and Practice

Currie¹,

Musango²

2016

J of Industrial Ecology

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Summary Shaping sustainable, equitable African cities requires strengthened investigations into the cities’ current resource flows, infrastructure systems, and future resource requirements. The field of urban metabolism (UM) offers multiple forms of analysis with which to map, analyse, and visualize urban resource profiles. Challenges in assessing UM in African cities include data scarcity at the city level, difficulty in tracking informal flows, lack of standardized methods, and the open nature of cities. However, such analyses are needed at the local level, given that city practitioners cannot rely purely on urban planning traditions of the global North or the typically broad studies about urban Africa, for supporting strategies toward sustainable urban development. This article aims to draw together the concepts of sustainable development and UM and explore their application in the African context. Further, the article estimated resource profiles for 120 African cities, including consumption of biomass, fossil fuels, electricity, construction materials, and water, as well as emissions of carbon dioxide. These resource profiles serve as a baseline from which to begin assessing the current and future resource intensity of these cities. It also provides insights into the cities’ relative resource impact, future consumption trends, and potential options for sustainability interventions.

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