This paper examines the impact of climate change on children’s health, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Twenty one years climatic data were collected to analyse climatic conditions in the province. The study also employs 12 years hospital records of clinically diagnosed climate-related ailments among children under 13 years to examine the incidence, spatio-temporal, age and sex variations of the diseases. Regression analysis was employed to examine the relationships between climatic parameters and incidence of diseases and also to predict distribution of disease by 2050. The results show that the most prevalent diseases were diarrhea (42.4%), followed by respiratory infection (31.3%), asthma (6.6%) and malaria (6.5%). The incidence varied within city, with the high density areas recording the highest proportion (76.7%), followed by the medium (9.4%) and low (2.5%) density residential areas. The most tropical location, Mussina, had the highest incidence of the most prevalent disease, diarrhea, with 59.4%. Mortality rate was higher for males (54.2%). Analysis of 21 years of climatic data show that maximum temperature is positively correlated with years in four cities with r coefficients of 0.50; 0.56, 0.48 and 0.02, thereby indicating local warming. Similarly rainfall decreased over time in all the cities, with r ranging from −0.02 for Bela Bela to r = 0.18 for Makhado. Results of the regression analysis show that 37.9% of disease incidence is accounted for by the combined influence of temperature and rainfall.

The purpose of this article is to present some insights regarding functional and dysfunctional urban public mass transportation systems in the greater Gauteng region of South Africa. Making use of a case study approach that places greater Johannesburg and Pretoria region at the centre of the investigation, contextual urban public mass transport struggles and dialogues are reviewed. Employing the interview surveys and a synthesis approach, the capacity and capability of the existing urban public transport to meet expectations of the serviced population in the greater Johannesburg region is critiqued. The contribution and value add that recent improvements in public transport management such as the Gautrain and Rea Vaya Bus rapid Transit (BRT) are explored and urban public transport "pain points and hotspots" considered. The major conclusions of the paper revolve around implementing a package of innovative and alternative transport solutions and technologies to overcome various obstacles and constraints to improved public transport service and infrastructure delivery and sustainability.

This study examines adolescent sexual behaviour within the context of the home environment (urban low, medium and high residential density)

The Gauteng city region forms the economic hub of socioeconomic development and growth in South Africa. The province itself includes the Johannesburg metropolitan city, Ekurhuleni metropolitan city as well as Tshwane municipality-key urban growth regions of Gauteng province, South Africa, and by extension Southern Africa. The region exhibits the rapid urbanisation challenges typical in any developing country city. Rural-urban migration, pressure on infrastructure demand, supply and capacity constraints and mismatches in urban governance structures with respect to service delivery have remained stubborn challenges. Initiatives and strategies to resolve urban traffic congestion such as through road construction and highway expansion (physical instrument), e-tolling of roads (financial instrument), innovative housing and waste management technology deployment (technology instruments) as well as presenting advanced spatial planning and development and management systems (planning and regulatory instruments) have been employed with mixed fortunes in attempts to (re)solve the urban problems in the study area. Making use of a thematic approach and technique, the major urbanisation issues are explored and solutions proffered. Recommendations revolve around the need to implement robust and progressive rafts of projects, programmes, activities, measures and actions to reverse spatial fragmentation and spatially inefficient transport induced and perpetuated disadvantages.

No abstract

This paper reviews the solutions to the matters of sustainable transport at a crossroads in developing countries. In the process, the paper recommends re-thinking sustainable transport solutions in developing countries, given that current and previous efforts have failed to permanently reverse problems of automobile dependency, an inefficient public transport system and network traffic congestion for example. In addition, land use and transport planning actions and interventions have been found to promote fragmentation and gentrification of spaces, places and people. This paper analytically reviews desktop studies covering the sustainable transport from developing countries to establish the existing situation as well as crafting a policy and intervention lever departure points. Making use of over 20 years of research, consultancy and practical experience, we aim to define possible future sustainable transport intervention levers and focus on areas within developing countries.

This paper seeks to illustrate differentiated access and transport constraints faced by public transport commuters in Gauteng province, South Africa. Drawing from a one thousand five hundred and fifty (1550) randomized household sample conducted in Gauteng province, South Africa, different access strokes and constraints are discussed. In any case, these findings are benchmarked and analysed in the context of the national household travel survey (NHTS) 2013 findings that was conducted by the Department of Transport (DoT). The major findings highlight differentiated commuting access and transport constraints in Gauteng province. The analysis highlights the existing of differentiated access and transport constraints for public transport commuters in Gauteng province. The driving group has to deal with problems of traffic congestion, road rage, travelling time and travel delay among other issues. The public transport group in addition to long commuting distances, travelling times has to deal with low service levels, off-peak infrequent to non-existing service, crime as well as challenges associated with non-scheduled transport systems. There is therefore, differentiated access and transport problems for public transport users who make use of the three main different modes, namely train, bus and minibus taxis. Implementing a raft of integrated, smart, transit orientated development (ToD), appropriate land use, public transport policy and action measures has potential to relieve the different transport access strokes and constraints in the study area.

This paper draws from the experiences of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Man and Nature Study/Action Centre (MANASC)—concerning a rural development project being undertaken in Olugbena, a group of six villages in Ewekoro Local Government of Ogun State, Nigeria—to highlight the challenges of participatory rural development in Africa. The project part, funded by the Australian High Commission in Nigeria under its Direct Aid Scheme, comprises a component of a much broader development plan for the area as contained in a pre-feasibility report undertaken in 1995 by MANASC for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), a Parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health. It is observed that one of the challenges for rural development facilitators, policy makers and practitioners, revolves around appropriate strategies for managing unpredictability, especially those that reduce the unknown elements to acceptable levels and impose the minimum of appropriate structures. développement plus large, destiné à cette zone, tel que prévu dans un rapport de pré-faisabilité préparé en 1995 par le MANASC (pour la «National Primary Health Care Development Agency» - Agence Nationale pour le Développement des Soins de Santé de Base - (NPHCDA), une structure semi-publique du Ministère Fédéral de la Santé. Il a été noté que parmi les défis auxquels sont confrontés les facilitateurs, décideurs et praticiens du développement rural, figure la définition de stratégies adaptées à la gestion des imprévus, particulièrement celles qui permettraient de réduire les éléments imprévus à des niveaux acceptables et qui favoriseraient la mise en place de structures appropriées.