Browsing by Author "Jacobs, Zina"

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    Living landscapes in action: the importance of social and spatial justice realism in urban conservation
    (Institute for Poverty Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), 2025) Jacobs, Zina; Hara, Mafaniso; Matose, Frank
    This policy brief is about the social-political ecology of urban nature conservation in low income and middle-income countries where natural resources play an important role as source of livelihoods, housing land, energy, and spiritual, cultural and relaxation purposes for poor communities. It uses three nature reserves and one conservation area in the Cape Town City, South Africa. This policy brief is based on the Living Landscapes in Action project, aimed at integrating biodiversity conservation into spatial and social justice using ethnographic methodological tools to transform conservation. The findings are that nature resources in officially declared conservation areas cannot be separated from communities as islands of nature preservation, given the uses of nature by communities that are difficult to stop or deny. Natural resource conservation policy, legislation and governance needs to take cognisance of the dire needs by marginalsed communities that are dependent on natural resources.
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    Territory and exclusion: Contestations over space in Mitchell�s Plain
    (University of the Western Cape, 2022) Jacobs, Zina; Brooks, Shirley
    In the post-apartheid city, protest action has become synonymous with land invasions. The constant growth of informal settlements in South Africa places significant pressure on local and national authorities, but more so on local social dynamics. Additionally, informal settlements tend to occur on marginal land that is not well suited to development and prone to flooding, as well as fire risks, thus making it challenging for the government to render services or install bulk infrastructure.