Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology
School of Engineering
Department of Engineering and Technology Management
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
The Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Region represents one of the last unspoilt areas on earth. However, human activities such as those at the South African bases on Marion and Gough Islands threaten to change the pristine character of even these remote locations.
In order to minimise this impact, it is essential that waste generated by the actions of scientists and visitors on the islands be dealt with in a manner that is environmentally sustainable as well as economically affordable and socially acceptable.
As an initial step toward achieving this aim, a research project was undertaken to review current waste management strategies and practices on Marion and Gough Islands.
A systematic analysis of these strategies was conducted by means of a lifecycle ‘cradle-to-grave’ approach. The analysis revealed that, although South Africa is currently one of the leading countries in governing Antarctic waste management, the systems in place at its bases do exhibit certain shortcomings.
Based on these findings, an improved waste lifecycle management model was developed for the two islands. This model may be adapted to assist in optimal waste management of other secluded sites.
Former personnel of nuclear weapons programmes could pose a significant threat to international security. They possess specialised knowledge and skills that are of interest to potential proliferators of nuclear weapons.
The international community can therefore not afford to overlook the possibility that agents of other states or of terrorist groups might attempt to recruit or solicit information from such personnel.
In the light of these concerns, a project was initiated with funding from the Ploughshare Foundation in the USA to investigate the consequences of the closure of the South African nuclear weapons programme.
South Africa offers a unique opportunity for such research, as it is the only country to date that has completely dismantled a functional nuclear weapons programme.
The specific aim of the project was to assess the potential nuclear proliferation risk posed by former personnel of South Africa’s nuclear weapons programme since its termination in 1991.
Data was collected by means of structured interviews with former key managers and a survey of the former personnel of South Africa’s nuclear weapons programme.
It was found that, although many of the former personnel were unemployed after the termination of the programme and were generally very dissatisfied, the proliferation risk was manageable.
The insights gained through this study are valuable for the development of appropriate policies and programmes to minimise the proliferation risk associated with former nuclear weapons programme personnel.
This research will benefit governments and international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, non-governmental organisations and the international non-proliferation community at large.
Prof AJ Buys
Engineering and Technology Management
+27 (0) 12 420 2829
andre.buys@up.ac.za
Sustainable development comprises three dimensions: environmental integrity, economic growth and social equity. A considerable amount of research has been devoted to the development of methods for assessing the environmental and economic impacts of industrial activities.
However, their social impacts have enjoyed relatively limited attention to date. In order to address this shortcoming, research was initiated to develop a procedure, based on an existing Life Cycle Impact Assessment model for calculating environmental impacts, by which the social repercussions of an activity or technology could be quantified.
An additional aim of the research project was to demonstrate the practicability of this procedure in the context of the South African process industry.
The significance of this application stems from the fact that process industry facilities such as mines and chemical plants can have significant social impacts in the form of employment creation, health and safety, disruption of communities and the like.
The results of the study indicate that the social data required to make quantitative assessments of social impacts are not readily available in the South African context.
It was therefore concluded that it is currently not possible to develop a procedure for calculating social impact indicators that offer the same degree of precision as corresponding environmental indicators.
Checklists and guidelines were subsequently developed that can be used during project and technology life cycle management practices in the South African process industry.
Prof AC Brent
Engineering and Technology Management
+27 (0) 12 420 3929
alan.brent@up.ac.za
|
