Honours Research Project

Two topics are listed below. However, if you have any ideas that relate to water quality, feel free to contact Dr Griffin.

Topic 1: Trend analysis and identification of potential causes of salinity changes in South African river systems.

Topic 2: Trend analysis and assessment of eutrophication in South African river systems.

Ms Irvine is on sabbatical in 2026 but is prepared to take on one or two projects. Listed below are some ideas from the 2025 guide that you may want to investigate further in discussions with her.

Topic 1: Street naming or toponymic commemoration in Makhanda (Grahamstown)

Naming and renaming of streets and other spaces in South Africa is a hot topic and names are often contested. What are the meanings behind the street names in Makhanda? What steps are followed in the naming process? Are there nicknames for spaces and why?

Alderman, D.H, & Inwood, J. (2013). Street naming and the politics of belonging: spatial injustices in the toponymic commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr, Social & Cultural Geography DOI:10.1080/14649365.2012.754488

Irvine, P.M., Memela, S., Dlongolo, Z.N., & Kepe, T. (2021). Navigating Community and Place Through Colloquial Street Names in Fingo Village, Makhanda (Grahamstown). Urban Forum, 32(3): 333-348

Topic 2: Rethinking urban heritage in Makhanda (Grahamstown)

Makhanda has over 70 provincial heritage resources, but the majority commemorate British history. How can we commemorate the experiences, histories and cultures of the black African residents in Makhanda?

Alderman, D.H. & Inwood, J.F.J. (2013). Landscapes of Memory and Socially Just Futures. In: N.C. Johnson, R.H. Schein & J. Winders (eds.). The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Cultural Geography. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.  

Topic 3: Community Perceptions of Makhanda (Grahamstown)

It’s no secret that Makhanda has its problems, but what are the community perceptions of the city? What are the issues relating to place identity?

Topic 4: Walkability Assessment Using GIS in Makhanda

This is a combination of a desktop study and a field survey that will map walkability in the city. Factors that could be explored are the presence/absence of pavements and trees, the ease of walking/slope of streets, and the density of amenities. 

 Topic 5: The effects of the NSFAS accommodation accreditation policy on funded students and the property rental market in Makhanda (Grahamstown).

NSFAS-funded students must now seek university-accredited accommodation that meets certain standards. How has this affected the rental market, landlords and students alike?

Topic 6: Understanding land use planning and practice dynamics in public spaces

This project will understand the dynamics and tensions within the planning and use of public spaces.  e.g. Fingo Square, Makhanda or garden refuse dump sites in Makhanda East

Topic 7: Navigating space in Makhanda using taxi landmarks

This project would use participatory mapping and GIS to understand the landmarks used by taxi drivers and passengers to navigate space within the city. 

Irvine, P.M., Memela, S., Dlongolo, Z.N., & Kepe, T. (2021). Navigating Community and Place Through Colloquial Street Names in Fingo Village, Makhanda (Grahamstown). Urban Forum, 32(3): 333-348

Topic 8: Digitising and spatially analysing the Radford Reports in contemporary Makhanda

This project would involve building a geo-referenced database of buildings with historic significance in the city. The project would have both a fieldwork and a desktop component. 

Topic 9: Investigating the Colloquial Names of Township Neighbourhoods

Research has shown that toponyms in gated communities are integral to place- and meaning-making, and are linked to notions of prestige and ideas of paradise/utopia. Are township neighbourhoods named, and what are the meanings attached to these spaces?

Irvine, P.M., Memela, S., Dlongolo, Z.N., & Kepe, T. (2021). Navigating Community and Place Through Colloquial Street Names in Fingo Village, Makhanda (Grahamstown). Urban Forum, 32(3): 333-348

Spocter, M. (2018) A toponymic investigation of South African gated communities, South African Geographical Journal, 100:3, 326-348, DOI: 10.1080/03736245.2018.1498382 

Topic 10: Studies of small-town Eastern Cape

Drummond,  F.  Snowball,  J.  (2019).  Cultural  Clusters as a  Local  Economic  Development  Strategy in  Rural  Small-Town  Areas:  Sarah Baartman District in South Africa. Bulletin of  Geography.  Socio-economic Series, 43(43), 107-119. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2019-0007

Hoefnagels, N., Irvine, P.M. & Memela, S. (2023) Makhanda: Exploring the mise-en-scène of a city under threat. Urban Forum 34, 271–291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-022-09467-7 

I am willing to supervise projects that use GIS to address questions across the disciplines of human and physical geography. I expect students to develop competence in traditional geographical methods and be able to use current technologies for data sourcing, manipulation and analysis. You will be expected to carry out desktop analysis and fieldwork data collection using a mixed-methods approach.

Broad areas of research are outlined; focused project topics would be discussed and tailored to suit the particular interests and skills of individual students, as well as the research direction of the broader project. 

Topic 1: Rural Economies of the Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape is labelled as one of the poorest provinces in South Africa, with the lowest GDP per capita of all the provinces. The province is home to 7 million South Africans, and is the fourth most populous. Beyond generalised reports and statistics, there is very little information available on the state of individual rural Eastern Cape towns. Addressing this gap could take the form of developing a rapid geographical assessment of towns, based on a scoring system for town features using the Google Building database as a basemap. The data collected would incorporate, for example, a summary of the physical geography of the area, land use classification, classification of enterprise types, assessment of the state of infrastructure, education facilities, health services, municipal offices, and other relevant factors, as well as population estimates. More information could be collected from residents and/or town officials.

Study sites could include (one or more small rural towns): Bathurst, Peddie, Bedford, Adelaide, Keiskammahoek, Dikeni (Alice), KwaMaqoma (Fort Beaufort), Tarkastad, KwaNojoli (Somerset East), Steytlerville, Jansenville, Kirkwood, Peasrton, Wolwefontein, Xesi, Joubertina, Kareedouw, Louterwater. Work on Makhanda would be a much-needed landuse mapping exercise only, as it is a larger town. 

Theoretical links: broadly – economic geography, land use mapping and GIS.

Methods: desktop analysis of reports and statistics, GIS-based mapping and analysis, interviews, field surveys and observations. 

Projects would form part of a larger initiative, in collaboration with Prof. Etienne Nel of the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, to consider the changing economy of the Eastern Cape. 

Toerien, T.F. (2022). Linking microeconomic characteristics, entrepreneurship and community prosperity/poverty of South African towns. Development Southern Africa, 39, 2, 182-208.

TIPS. (2024). Provincial Review 2024: Eastern Cape. The Real Economy Bulletin, Provincial Review, 2024. https://www.tips.org.za/images/The_Real_Economy_Bulletin_Provincial_Review_2024_Eastern_Cape.pdf. 

Topic 2: Informal Economy of the Eastern Cape: Investigating The Recycling Trade With A Focus On Scrap Metal

Many South Africans depend on the informal economy for their livelihoods. In the Eastern Cape, the scrap metal trade has a strong spatial component. Along the N2 highway on a weekly or monthly routine, scrap metal is collected by trucks transporting materials to a scrap metal depot.  The work would be suitable for a student from an area along the N2, enabling data collection through observation and interviews. 

Study sites could include:  sites of scrap metal collection along the N2 near Mthata, Dtuywa, Gcuwa, (Butterworth) Qumbu, KwaBhaca (Mt. Frere).

Theoretical links: broadly - regional geography, economic geography, livelihoods and resilience, informal sector development, waste management and recycling. 

Methods: desk top analysis to prepare background information of the geography of the area; data collection through interviews; data collection through observation and photos. 

Department of Environmental Affairs. (2018). State of Waste Report South Africa. http://sawic.environment.gov.za/?menu=346

Godfrey, L., & Oelofse, S. (2017). Historical Review of Waste Management and Recycling in South Africa. Resources, 6(4), 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6040057  

Godfrey, L. (2021). Quantifying economic activity in the informal recycling sector in South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 117(9/10). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2021/8921

Scoones, I. (1998) Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: A Framework for Analysis, IDS Working Paper 72. Brighton: IDS. https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/articles/report/Sustainable_Rural_Livelihoods_A_Framework_for_Analysis/26473384?file=48230770  

Topic 3: Invasive Alien Plants, Fire, Honeybush and Climate in the Langkloof

The Langkloof region, located in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces, lies inland of the Tsitsikamma and Langkloofberge, stretching from the Krom River heights in the east to the vicinity of the village of Herold in the west. It is the centre of the locally important and uniquely South African honeybush industry, based on wild-harvested Cyclopia intermedia plants, collected from wild populations in the fynbos.  The region has evolved into a major fruit production area for export over the past 30 years. Changing rainfall patterns have impacted this landscape in various ways. The rapid and substantial increase in alien plants in the fynbos mountain catchments has impacted on biodiversity and ecosystem services, with measurable effects on water availability, fire hazard and the productivity of wild honeybush populations. Developing a better understanding of the overall geography of the area would contribute to improved and sustainable use of the landscape

Research ideas would include: mapping alien invasion over time, analysing landcover and landuse change over time, analysis of rainfall records (local source) versus broader rainfall patterns and climate change, assessment of the sustainability of honeybush enterprises, etc.

Methods: interviews to collect anecdotal evidence from landowners regarding the nature and effects of changing rainfall patterns; GIS-based mapping of the study area (IAP’s and change over time, landcover/landuse change over time); collation and analysis of rainfall data from farmer records and SAWS data, field surveys of honeybush enterprise activities.

Theoretical links:  climate change, land use mapping and GIS, natural resource management, rural livelihoods, invasive species ecology and geography, biogeography of the fynbos biome, sustainability science, ecosystem services and nature-based solutions.

Projects would form part of ongoing collaborative research with the NGO: Living Lands, based in the Langkloof. 

Allsopp, N., Colville, J., & Verboom, G. A. (2014). Fynbos: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation of a Megadiverse Region. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199679584.001.0001 

Joubert, E., Joubert, M., Bester, C., De Beer, D.,  & De Lange, H.  (2011). Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.): From local cottage industry to global markets - The catalytic and supporting role of research. South African Journal of Botany, 77, 4, 887-907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2011.05.014

Kraaij, T., Cowling, R., & van Wilgen, B. (2013). Fire regimes in eastern coastal fynbos: Imperatives and thresholds in managing for diversity. Koedoe, 55(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v55i1.1104

van Wilgen, B. W., Measey, J., Richardson, D. M., Wilson, J. R., & Zengeya, T. A. (2020). Biological Invasions in South Africa. Springer Nature. https://share.google/L4AVnF7jL2Sp0KEdj 

Below are a number of listed projects. Some form part of the SA Landscapes course. There are too many for me to supervise in their entirety, but the list should give you some ideas for discussion. Also, I am happy to take on an appropriate Geomorphological or Remote Sensing topic within my fields of expertise. Please note that if you are interested in a Remote Sensing project, consider the specific field first before approaching me. For example, an analysis of urban landscapes falls under Urban Geography, and the distribution of specific vegetation types is a topic in Biogeography.

Topic 1: Using Remote Sensing to evaluate vegetation and soil moisture responses to weather at Burnt Kraal, Makhanda.

Utilise daily temperature and rainfall data, multispectral imagery, soil moisture measurements, and plant chlorophyll analysis to focus on the Burnt Kraal Commonage, located west of Makhanda. Following good rains in September and October 2023, it was possible to detect changes to the vegetation and moisture in the commonage at Burnt Kraal. This project will use the above as a point of departure and involve monitoring the area at a high temporal frequency. "Planet" imagery allows almost daily monitoring of vegetation using near-infrared signals and NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) values. In addition to monitoring the above variables, preliminary investigations show that the NIR signal for the plant Chrysocoma ciliata cannot be used to indicate plant health. The extraction of chlorophyll from plant leaves will be used to establish why this is the case.

Various sources of literature are available to support the project; however, none are specific to the study site.

Topic 3: Spatial Variability of Rainfall in Makhanda

A network of rain gauges (manual) will be set up over Makhanda. The rainfall data will be analysed to establish spatial distribution and variability. Analyses involve spatial interpolation of point measurements. Synoptic meteorological data from broader-scale measurements and topography will hopefully explain the observed rainfall distribution. 

Muthoni, F. K., Odongo, V. O., Ochieng, J., Mugalavai, E. M., Mourice, S. K., Hoesche-Zeledon, I.,  Bekunda, M. (2019). Long-term spatial-temporal trends and variability of rainfall over Eastern and Southern Africa. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 137(3-4), pp. 1869-1882. doi:10.1007/s00704-018-2712-1 Retrieved from <Go to ISI>://WOS:000477054700018.

Mupangwa, W., Makanza, R., Chipindu, L., Moeletsi, M., Mkuhlani, S., Liben, F., Nyagumbo, I. & Mutenje, M. (2021). Temporal rainfall trend analysis in different agro-ecological regions of southern Africa. Water SA, 47. doi.org/10.17159/wsa/2021.v47.i4.3844

Topic 4: Building Locations, Densities and Links to Infrastructure and Topography

There are a number of options available to students utilising Google's V3 Open Buildings and Microsoft's most recent Building Footprints. Projects can be regional or national. Some examples are:

• Using kernel densities to analyse building densities.

• Establishing the relationship between building location and topographic elements. The study will utilise digital terrain models and spatial infrastructure data to determine the optimal locations for buildings.

The research can investigate either of the above or a combination using advanced spatial analysis methods.

Florczyk, A. J., Melchiorri, M., Zeidler, J., Corbane, C., Schiavina, M., Freire, S., Sabo, F., Politis, P., Esch, T., & Pesaresi, M. (2020). The Generalised Settlement Area: mapping the Earth surface in the vicinity of built-up areas. International Journal of Digital Earth, 13(1), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2018.1550121.

Xi, C.-B., Qian, T.-L., Chi, Y., Chen, J., & Wang, J.-C. (2018). Relationship between settlements and topographical factors: An example from Sichuan Province, China. Journal of Mountain Science, 15(9), 2043–2054. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-4863-z.

Xu, J., Zheng, L., Ma, R., & Tian, H. (2023). Correlation between Distribution of Rural Settlements and Topography in Plateau-Mountain Area: A Study of Yunnan Province, China. Sustainability, 15(4), 3458. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043458.

Topic 5: Geomorphometrics

The southern African landscape will be analysed using modern digital methods. There are two possible approaches:

• Revisiting past studies using digital data.

• Analysing the landscape using digital elevation data in one or more of ArcGIS Pro, QGIS and SAGA and then ground-truthing the results.

Atkinson, J., de Clercq, W., & Rozanov, A. (2020). Multi-resolution soil-landscape characterisation in KwaZulu-Natal: Using geomorphons to classify local soilscapes for improved digital geomorphological modelling. Geoderma Regional, 22, e00291. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00291

De Reu, J., Bourgeois, J., Bats, M., Zwertvaegher, A., Gelorini, V., De Smedt, P., Chu, W., Antrop, M., De Maeyer, P., Finke, P., Van Meirvenne, M., Verniers, J., & Crombé, P. (2013). Application of the topographic position index to heterogeneous landscapes. Geomorphology, 186, 39–49. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.12.015

ESRI (n.d.) Geomorphon Landforms (Spatial Analyst)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation. https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/tool-reference/spatial-analyst/geomorphon-landforms.htm Accessed: 1 August 2025.

Guisan, A., Weiss, S.B., Weiss, A.D. (1999): GLM versus CCA spatial modelling of plant species distribution. Plant Ecology, 143, 107-122.

Jasiewicz, J. & Stepinski, T.F. (2013). Geomorphons - a pattern recognition approach to classification and mapping of landforms. Geomorphology, 182, 147–56. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.11.005.

Jenness, J. (2006). Topographic Position Index. (TPI). https://www.jennessent.com/downloads/tpi_poster_av3.zip.

Weiss, A.D. (2000): Topographic Position and Landforms Analysis. Poster http://www.jennessent.com/downloads/tpi-poster-tnc_18x22.pdf.

Wilson, J.P. & Gallant, J.C. (2000): Primary Topographic Attributes. In: Wilson, J.P. & Gallant, J.C. [Eds.]: Terrain Analysis: Principles and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 51-85.

Topic 6: Geomorphology and the Persistence of Late-Lying Snow.

Recent snowfalls in the mountains of southern Africa, combined with ideal atmospheric conditions, provide excellent opportunities to study the geomorphological factors that influence the persistence of snowfall. Some preferences that may be analysed are altitude, aspect and prevailing synoptic-scale meteorology.

Brown, A. (2012). Accounting for snow types. Nature Climate Change, 2, 394. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1571.

Grab, S. W., Mulder, N. A., & Mills, S. C. (2009). Spatial associations between the longest‐lasting winter snow cover and cold region landforms in the high Drakensberg, southern Africa. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 91(2), 83–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0459.2009.00356.x.

Mulder, N., & Grab, S. W. (2002). Remote sensing for snow cover analysis along the Drakensberg escarpment. South African Journal of Science, 98(5-6), 213–217.

Mulder, N., & Grab, S. W. (2009). Contemporary spatio-temporal patterns of snow cover over the Drakensberg. South African Journal of Science, 105(5-6), 228–233.

Wunderle, S., Gross, T., & Hüsler, F. (2016). Snow extent variability in Lesotho derived from MODIS data (2000-2014) [Article]. Remote Sensing, 8(6), Article 448. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8060448.

Topic 7: Land Cover Changes in the Dukuduku Region 

Satellite imagery will be used to analyse changes in the Dukuduku Forest and adjacent areas since people moved to the area in the early 1990's. In the lead-up to the 1994 democratic government elections, the land was occupied by people who we forcibly removed from one part of what is now the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to the Nibela Peninsula and other areas. This occupation has had a significant impact on the environment there, which is visible in satellite imagery. The project will analyse these changes and include site visits.

Omer, G., Mutanga, O., Abdel-Rahman, E.M. & Adam, E. (2015). Performance of Support Vector Machines and Artificial Neural Network for Mapping Endangered Tree Species Using WorldView-2 Data in Dukuduku Forest, South Africa.  IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 10, 4825-4840, DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2015.2461136

Topic 1: Mapping livestock patterns, Makhanda, Eastern Cape.

Subsistence livestock farmers have designated commonage areas for livestock keeping and grazing, yet cattle roam around the streets and private land in Makhanda. The study aims to investigate the condition of preferred spaces for livestock keeping and grazing, and to visualise cattle movement, focusing on paths and hotspot areas.

Topic 2: Brewing tensions post mineral discoveries, uMuziwabantu Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.

Hundreds of residents flocked to the community of KwaMachi, claiming to have discovered gold. The community started selling rocks. The Council for Geoscience assessed the rocks, and the results showed that it is not gold, noting that "pyrite and chalcopyrite had similar appearances to gold and could easily be mistaken for this precious metal". The area is fenced off with security guards, and the local people are rejecting the findings. There is also tension about which traditional leader is responsible for the area. The study aims to investigate community tensions following the discovery of minerals.

Topic 3: Enkanini expansion from 2016 to 2024, Makhanda, Eastern Cape.

Urban livestock farming is a fundamental aspect of many households in Grahamstown (Makhanda). The Makana municipality provides designated commonages for animal grazing and keeping. Settlement encroachment in commonage areas has devastating implications for the livelihoods of urban dwellers in Grahamstown (Makhanda). This study aims to analyse the growth of Enkanini in the commonage space, including its patterns and extent, and also to understand whether Enkanini residents are aware of the impacts on subsistence livestock keeping.

Three topics are listed below. However, if you have any ideas related to water ecology, feel free to contact Prof. Odume.

Topic 1: Analysing the distributive equity dimension of the water security challenges in selected communities within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.

Topic 2: Macroplastics as emerging river stressors - community perception and practices. 

Topic 3: Drivers of microplastics as a vector of selected pathogens in freshwater systems.

Topic 1: Rainfall variability in the Western Cape Highlands

The Western Cape province experiences different rainfall regimes compared to the rest of the country. Despite the different rainfall zones the province is still prone to droughts and water shortages. High elevation sites such as the Langeberg mountains, Hex River mountains, and Swartberg mountains are important water resource regions. The impacts of climate change on these regions should be studied with a focus on rainfall and water resources. 

Archer E, du Toit J, Engelbrecht C, Hoffman MT, Landman W, Malherbe J & Stern M (2022): The 2015-19 multi year drought in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: it's evolution and impacts on agriculture. Journal of Arid Environments, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104630

Strydom S, Jewitt GPW, Savage MJ & Clulow AD (2020): Long-term trends and variability in the microclimates of the uMngeni Catchment, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and potential impacts on water resources. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-020-03127-1 

Topic 2: The pyrogeography of the Western Cape 

The project aims to quantify spatial and temporal variability of fires in the Western Cape using remote sensing data (fire hotspots/burn scars). Meteorological data will be used for a number of locations within the province to calculate the Lowveld fire danger index. The project will focus on short time scales such as 2017 - present to understand how the most recent ENSO events influenced fire activity in the province.  

Strydom S & Savage MJ (2016): A spatio-temporal analysis of fires in South Africa. South African Journal of Science, http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2016/20150489.

Strydom S & Savage MJ (2018): Observed trends and variability in the microclimate of the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal and its influence on fire danger. International Journal of Climatology, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5207. 

Topic 3: Understanding variability in agroclimatic indices using Reanalysis data 

The project aims to investigate long-term changes in agroclimatic indices using either the ERA5 or ERA5-Land Reanalysis datasets. I am open to any justifiable study site but would prefer focusing on locations in KZN, the Eastern Cape, and the Northern Cape.   

Strydom S & Savage MJ (2019): Long-term trends and variability in the dryland microclimate of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-018-2642-y.

Muñoz-Sabater J, Dutra E, Agustí-Panareda A, Albergel C, Arduini G, Balsamo G, . . . Jean-Noël Thépaut (2021): ERA5-land: A state-of-the-art global reanalysis dataset for land applications. Earth System Science Data, doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4349-2021 

Topic: Building a better understanding of the impact of sediment in rivers on various water quality variables.

This is a desktop study focused on exploring the relationships between certain water quality variables and sediment transport and storage within river systems. Variables that will be examined include nitrate, nitrite, ammonium-N, sulphate, calcium, fluoride, magnesium, sodium and chloride. Some of these variables will have minimal interaction with the sediment in a river, while others will have a stronger connection, with some exhibiting simpler relationships and others more complex ones. This study will unpack these relationships to build a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of sediments on water quality within river systems. This study will inform the upgrading of a water quality model to incorporate sediment transport and storage (the model upgrade is not part of the honours project).

Research Question:

What motivates stakeholders to participate in the Makana Water Forum, and how can forum operations be restructured to deliver value that sustains stakeholder engagement in participatory water governance?

Context:

Catchment Management Forums enable stakeholders to engage with government on water resource management and service delivery. The Makana Water Forum operated from 2015 to 2019, with participation from multiple stakeholders, and was coordinated by the Institute for Water Research, hosted by the Makana Local Municipality. The forum has since collapsed, despite attempts by the Department of Water and Sanitation to revive it. This research will investigate stakeholder motivations for participation, operational challenges (convening, facilitation, communication), and the benefits stakeholders seek from engagement. Working with DWS officials and municipal representatives, the study will produce a strategy for re-establishing an effective CMF that addresses stakeholder needs and interests in Makana Local Municipality.

• Wednesday 11 February: Decide on the theme of the Research Topic

• Friday 3 March: Decide on Specific Topics.

• Friday 24 April: Proposal Submission and Presentation.

• Wednesday 30 September: Presentations.

• Wednesday 30 September: Final Project Submission.