The environmental narratives identified in South Africa

Four narratives found in SA

1. The conservation
2. The economic
3. The non-state actors
4. The local views

The objective and motivation of each narrative

Conservation

The Conservation narrative is rooted in the Apartheid era. It takes away the rights of people and remove them from their rightful land; it is forced evictions.

The motivation is to ensure the conservation of the land in the interest of the nation, societies and communities because people usually use it for their own personal gain while they are busy destroying it.

Economic

The economic is seen as a commodity that is primarily for selling and buying.

Nature is an untapped resource that should be exploited thus sold for profit to lift people out of poverty-so it is a profit as well as developmental motive.

 Non-state actions

Views originate from external interested parties (e.g. academics, scientists, non-governmental organisations) outside the local community.

The intrinsic value of the environment should be protected and respected.  It challenges the state power and decision making in unrestrained economic growth.

Local community views

These views are complex and highly differentiated because it is informed by time, place, individual characteristics and circumstances as well as the local power and politics.

It is motivated by the nature of the relationship with the environment as shaped by the socio-political context. As well as the politics and practices as framework direct views and response of local communities.

Do these narratives contribute to an understanding of the SA environment?

Yes, it does contribute to understanding the environment of SA because it shows us the problems that our country is faced with. Again, it gives us direction to take in order to overcome them and have solutions that will work for everyone.

Two main discourses

Sustainable development

 It requires co-operation, commitment and co-ordination of efforts on all levels of government. It purses development without harming the environment.  

Environmental and social justice

It reflects the diverse views on the society, environment interface and incorporates views from diverse organizations and groupings.

How does the sustainable development link to the SA policies?

The NCA provides a systemic way to measure, track and report on stocks and flows of natural capital. It relies on various measures to track national progress and inform policy and decision-making. It includes resources such as water, minerals, energy, timber, fish as well as accounting for ecosystem assets and ecosystem services.