‘Bringing government to the people’: women, local governance and community participation in South Africa     

Cheryl McEwan 《Geoforum》2003,34(4):469-481

This paper considers the ongoing political transformations in South Africa in the context of debates about good governance and participatory democracy. It first appraises the current transformations of local government in South Africa, focusing specifically on relationships between gender equality and citizenship on the one hand, and local government policy, legislation, and community participation on the other, and then explores meanings of participation and how they inform approaches towards local socio-economic development. The findings of primary research conducted with civil society organisations and black women in communities in the Cape Town metropolitan area are explored through three interrelated themes. First, the model of structured participation that is central to South Africa’s democratic transformation is assessed from the perspective of black women. Second, cultures of alienation, both within local governance structures and amongst black women and the extent to which recent restructuring is combating or contributing to these are explored. Third, how participation policies are dealing with conflict within and between target groups are analysed, whether stakeholder group politics obliterate important differences in interests and whether alternative structures might be more effective in terms of women’s participation and empowerment. Finally, the findings are interpreted in relation to theoretical concepts of good governance and participatory democracy, and the potential and problems of realising South Africa’s transformation process toward developmental local government are assessed.  相似文献   

Geomechanical model for the post-Variscan evolution of the Permocarboniferous–Mesozoic basins in Northeast Germany     

Christian A. Hecht  Christof Lempp  Magdalena Scheck 《Tectonophysics》2003,373(1-4):125

The Permocarboniferous basins in Northeast Germany formed on the heterogeneous and eroded parts of the Variscan orogene and its deformed northern foreland. Transtensional tectonic movements and thermal re-equilibration lead to medium-scale crustal fragmentation, fast subsidence rates and regional emplacement of large amounts of mostly acidic volcanics. The later basin formation and differentiation was triggered by reversals of the large-scale stress field and reactivation of prominent zones of weakness like the Elbe Fault System and the Rhenohercynian/Saxothuringian boundary that separate different Variscan basement domains in the area. The geomechanical behaviour of the latter plays an important role for the geodynamic evolution of the medium to large-scale structural units, which we can observe today in three dimensions on structural maps, geophysical recordings and digital models. This study concentrates on an area that comprises the southern Northeast German Basin, the Saale Basin, the Flechtingen High, the Harz Mountains High and the Subhercynian Basin. The presented data include re-evaluations of special geological and structural maps, the most recent interpretation of the DEKORP BASIN 9601 seismic profile and observations of exposed rock sections in Northeast Germany. On the basis of different structural inventories and different basement properties, we distinguish two structural units to the south and one structural unit to the north of the Elbe Fault System. For each unit, we propose a geomechanical model of basin formation and basin inversion, and show that the Rhenohercynian Fold and Thrust Belt domain is deformed in a thin-skinned manner, while the Mid-German Crystalline Rise Domain, which is the western part of the Saxothuringian Zone, rather shows a thick-skinned deformation pattern. The geomechanical model for the unit north to the Elbe Fault System takes account to the fact that the base of the Zechstein beneath the present Northeast German basin shows hardly any evidence for brittle deformation, which indicates a relative stable basement. Our geomechanical model suggests that the Permocarboniferous deposits may have contributed to the structural stiffness by covering small to medium scale structures of the upper parts of the brittle basement. It is further suggested that the pre-Zechstein successions underneath the present Northeast German basin were possibly strengthening during the Cretaceous basin inversion, which resulted in stress transfer to the long-lived master faults, as indicated for example by the shape of the salt domes in the vicinity of the latter faults. Contrary to this, post-Zechstein successions deformed in a different and rather complex way that was strongly biased by intensive salt tectonic movements.  相似文献   

Old inherited origin for the present near-bimodal topography of Africa     

C. Moctar Doucour  Maarten J. de Wit 《Journal of African Earth Sciences》2003,36(4):371-388

Africa’s landscape is dominated by a manifold of second-order epeirogenic structures superimposed on a first-order bimodal topography. Bivariate regression analysis of Africa’s surface topography shows that this is a complexly folded surface with regionally elevated areas in southern and eastern Africa, and a topographically low northern and western Africa. The apparent spatial relationships between these features are analysed using anomaly correlation between surface topography and free-air gravity anomalies. Occurrences of positively correlated features between gravity and topography in Africa are found to be limited to second-order epeirogenic features. Geophysical modelling and geologic evidence indicate that Africa’s bimodal topography is genetically distinct from these second-order features, and linked to sources as deep as the sublithospheric mantle. The age, measured and modelled elevation of the bimodal topography require that topographic uplift of south-central Africa be episodic. We infer from our findings together with relative sea-level changes, that the near-bimodality of Africa’s topography is an ancient feature inherited at least from upper Paleozoic times. Our reconstructed paleotopography suggests that Africa was largely a low-lying continent dominated by its cratons, and that basement distribution disregards the present-day uplift patterns of Africa.  相似文献   

Mid-holocene climate change in Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana     

James Russell  Michael R TalbotBrian J Haskell 《Quaternary Research》2003,60(2):133-141

Lake Bosumtwi is one of the most widely studied palaeoclimate archives in West Africa. Results from numerous AMS ¹⁴C dates of samples from four piston cores from Lake Bosumtwi show that an abrupt sedimentary transition from a mid-Holocene sapropel to calcareous laminated muds occurred at about 3200 cal yr B.P. High-resolution analyses of the nitrogen isotopic composition of organic matter across this transition confirm its abrupt nature, and suggest that the change may signal a step toward increased aridity and intensified surface winds that affected western equatorial Africa from Ghana to the Congo basin. Northern and Eastern Africa experienced a similar abrupt shift toward aridity during the late Holocene, but at about 5000 cal yr B.P., a difference in timing that illustrates the regional nature of climate changes during the Holocene and the importance of feedback mechanisms in regulating Holocene climate variability. Furthermore, an abrupt change at about 3000 cal yr B.P. occurs at several sites adjacent to the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, which may hint at major changes in the surface temperatures of the tropical Atlantic and/or Pacific at this time.  相似文献   

中国东北地区地表干湿状况的变化及趋势分析   总被引：34，自引：4，他引：34       下载免费PDF全文

孙力  沈柏竹安刚 《应用气象学报》2003,14(5):542-552

利用1961~2000年中国东北地区80个测站的月降水和平均气温资料，通过计算地表最大潜在蒸发、地表干燥度指数和地表水分盈亏量，分析了东北地区及其7个不同气候区域地表干湿状况的时空分布规律及其变化趋势，并探讨了它与降水和气温的关系。结果表明，东北地区及其不同区域的地表干湿状况不仅具有较大的地域差别和年际及年代际变率，而且存在着明显的阶段性和低频变化特征，特别是20世纪90年代中期以来，东北地区呈现出较强的变干倾向，并且由于气温升高所导致的潜在蒸发的加大与降水一样对这一变干倾向也有十分重要的影响。  相似文献   

近50a东北地区夏季气温异常的时空变化特征   总被引：19，自引：4，他引：19  

杨素英  王谦谦 《南京气象学院学报》2003,26(5):653-660

利用国家气候中心整编的1951—2000年中国160个站月平均气温资料，选出东北地区20个代表站，在分析东北气温季节一年际变化特征的基础之上，着重分析了东北夏季气温的年际、年代际变化的时空特征。发现：夏季气温20世纪50年代中期之前略偏高，50年代中期以后至70年代最低，80年代开始缓慢回升，90年代增暖程度加大，50a来有增暖的趋势；气温异常存在3a、4a、7a的年际周期和16a的年代际周期；东北地区夏季升温趋势与中国黄河以北地区是一致的，而与黄河以南-江南地区是反位相的，东北地区是我国夏季升温最显著的地区之一。  相似文献   

北太平洋海温异常对中国东北地区旱涝的影响   总被引：19，自引：1，他引：19  

孙力  安刚 《气象学报》2003,61(3):346-353

文中利用 196 1～ 2 0 0 0年中国东北地区 80个测站 4 0a的月降水和同一时期的北太平洋海温资料以及奇异值分解 (SVD)技术 ,分析了北太平洋海温异常对中国东北地区夏季旱涝的影响。结果表明 :东北地区夏季降水与北太平洋海温异常之间存在着较为密切的联系 ,当前期冬季和春季甚至是前一年夏季赤道中东太平洋海温如果处于异常偏暖 (或偏冷 )状态 ,并且西风漂流区具有较明显的SST负 (或正 )距平分布时 ,则东北大部分地区夏季降水具有整体偏多 (或偏少 )的倾向。当然 ,东北地区降水与北太平洋海温异常之间的这种联系也并非是简单的一一对应的关系  相似文献   

Lower-crustal rifting in the Rukwa Graben, East Africa     

Ming Zhao  Charles A. Langston  rew A. Nyblade  Thomas J. Owens 《Geophysical Journal International》1997,129(2):412-420

An M_w 5.9 earthquake occurred in the Lake Rukwa rift, Tanzania, on 1994 August 18, and was well recorded by 20 broad-band seismic stations at distances of 160 to 800 km and 21 broad-band stations at teleseismic distances. The regional and teleseismic waveforms have been used to investigate the source characteristics of the main shock, and also to locate aftershocks that occurred within three weeks of the main shock. Teleseismic body-wave modelling yields the following source parameters for the main shock: source depth of 25 ± 2 km, a normal fault orientation, with a horizontal tension axis striking NE-SW and an almost vertical pressure axis (Nodal Plane I: strike 126°–142°, dip 63°–66°, and rake 280°–290°; Nodal Plane II: strike 273°–289°, dip 28°–31°, and rake 235°–245°), a scalar moment of 4.1 times 10¹⁷ N m, and a 2 s impulsive source time function. Four of the largest aftershocks also nucleated at depths of 25 km, as deduced from regional sPmp–Pmp times. The nodal planes are broadly consistent with the orientation of both the Lupa and Ufipa faults, which bound the Rukwa rift to the northeast and southwest, respectively. The rupture radius of the main shock, assuming a circular fault, is estimated to be 4 km with a corresponding stress drop of 6.5 MPa. Published estimates of crustal thickness beneath the Rukwa rift indicate that the foci of the main shock and aftershocks lie at least 10 km above the Moho. The presence of lower-crustal seismicity beneath the Rukwa rift suggests that the pre-rift thermal structure of the rifted crust has not been strongly modified by the rifting, at least to depths of 25 km.  相似文献   

FARMING THE FOREST EDGE: VULNERABLE PLACES AND PEOPLE AROUND KIBALE NATIONAL PARK,UGANDA     

LISA NAUGHTON-TREVES 《Geographical review》1997,87(1):27-46

ABSTRACT. Subsistence farmers near Kibale National Park, Uganda, fear and resent many wildlife species. In this article I compare records of crop damage by wildlife and livestock with local complaints about the worst animals and the most vulnerable crops. I discuss the concordance and discrepancies in complaints versus actual damage in light of physical parameters of risk and of social factors that shape perceptions and vulnerabilities. Crop losses were greatest at the edge of the forest, where immigrants are disproportionately represented. State proprietorship of wildlife amplifies local vulnerability and constrains traditional coping strategies, such as hunting.  相似文献   

The Organization of Production in High Technology Industries: An Empirical Assessment*     

Audrey E. Clarke  Brian P. Holly 《The Professional geographer》1996,48(2):127-139

Recent attention given to the concept of vertical integration and disintegration of production processes has identified the existence of a continuum, with small, flexibly specialized producers at one end and large, mass production units at the other end. Firms along the continuum constantly strive for the optimum combination of economies of scale and scope. This paper attempts to identify the organizational characteristics of high technology firms in one industrial complex of the U.S. Manufacturing Belt. A principal components analysis is performed on a number of theoretically relevant variables for a sample of high technology establishments in Northeast Ohio. The results indicate that the region contains a variety of organizational forms ranging from isolated workshops to large, vertically integrated assembly plants. These findings conform to expectations derived from recent conceptualizations in the literature. Additional empirical research will further enhance understanding of the processes that shape the organization of production in territorial complexes.  相似文献