16 Jul , 2023 | Environmental health is human health
The stories offered here are an expression of how some people in the Karoo have come to think about the connections between rubbish, ill-health and their relationship to the land. It draws on local oral histories of land and health that were collected as part of a...
16 Jul , 2023 | Environmental health is human health
In 2019, the Eastern Cape Karoo was in the midst of a crippling drought — some said the worst they’d ever seen. The Nqwebo dam in Graaff Reinet had gone dry. More than 600 volunteers, young and old, had gathered to remove dead fish from its cracked floor. The clean-up...
16 Jul , 2023 | Finding solutions to problems can create work
Download and share this video One of the major needs in getting waste management systems right is the better inclusion and recognition of informal waste reclaimers. The thousands of individuals across the country who are waste reclaimers provide a major free service...
16 Jul , 2023 | Finding solutions to problems can create work
Themba is in his 30s and is a waste reclaimer living in Diepsloot. He travels through the settlement with his wooden cart and large bags, searching the dumpsites for cardboard, paper, plastic and metal. Glass bottles, he says, are not worth collecting “because you...
16 Jul , 2023 | Finding solutions to problems can create work
Why do people litter? This question was the focus of a 2022 study published in the South African Journal of Science. Over 300 residents in a number of lower-income communities were surveyed to understand their subjective perceptions about why people litter. Their...
