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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Environment, sustainable resource use and the Cape Town functional region: an overview
Authors:Crane, Wendy
Swilling, MarkISNI
Year:2008
Periodical:Urban Forum
Volume:19
Issue:3
Pages:263-287
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:sustainable development
natural resources
urban environment
External link:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12132-008-9032-y
Abstract:Like similar urbanized regions in the world, key ecological thresholds in South Africa's greater Cape Town area are being breached by the prevailing approach to growth and development, resulting in dysfunctional costs for the local economy. This condition of rising costs caused by a new set of material, ecologically driven variables creates the context for rethinking what growth and development means. This paper provides a synthesis of critical ecological flows and resources in the Cape Town region, drawing on the most current available data on energy, water, waste, transport, land, biodiversity and climate change. Rooted in emerging disciplines of ecological economics and the new institutional economics, it argues that investments in growth and poverty eradication will be undermined unless environmental resources and ecosystem services are recognized as binding constraints and a rapid move is made towards a sustainable resource use economy. The paper suggests some bold system changes and initiatives to position the Cape Town region as a global leader in the new sustainability revolution. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]
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