Masters Degrees (Geography and Environmental Studies)
Recent Submissions
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Remote sensing approach for examining changes in water use in relation to climate variability and land cover change
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water use related research in Southern Africa is currently critical; this is not only a result of current and projected impacts of climate change on water resources but the growing tension among different ... -
Analysis of the fire hazard posed by petrol stations in Stellenbosch and the extent to which planning acknowledges risk
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study aimed to investigate the extent to which land-use planning in Stellenbosch, South Africa, considers the fire-risk posed by petrol stations, and the implications for public safety, as well as ... -
How people affected by disasters use social media: a study of Facebook usage during the 2017 Garden Route fires
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On June 7, wildfires began in Knysna and burned along a fire line for 300km, also affecting neighbouring Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay (Knysna-Plett Herald 2017). The major fires burned between June 7 ... -
Generating automated forestry geoinformation products from remotely sensed imagery
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Private industry, national government departments, and the international community rely on geoinformation to optimise activities, enforce legislation, and assess global markets concerned with the use of ... -
Exploring the level of preparedness to fire risk in schools in South Africa: A case study of four schools in Kayamandi Township, Stellenbosch
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The overall aim of this study was to explore the extent to which under-resourced schools in Kayamandi, South Africa, are equipped to deal with fire risk. In order to achieve this, it was necessary that ... -
Efficacy of machine learning, earth observation and geomorphometry for mapping salt-affected soils in irrigation fields
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a need to monitor salt accumulation throughout agricultural irrigation schemes as it can have a major negative impact on crop yields and subsequently result in a lower food production. Salt ... -
Extraction of coastal ocean wave characteristic parameters using optical remote sensing and computer vision technologies
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ocean waves are among the most important forces shaping the world’s coastlines. They drive environmental processes and human activity that occurs within the coastal zone as well as on the open ocean. ... -
Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fires have been a constant problem amongst residents of low-income residential areas such as Lwandle, Nomzamo and Asanda Village in the City of Cape Town. A common cause of these dwelling fires have been ... -
Investigating the utility of LiDAR for modelling forest canopy gaps and species classification
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Canopy gaps result from the ineffective use of growing space, presence of features (such as rocks) prohibiting harvesting operations, and naturally by wind, disease, drought, and fires. Traditionally, ... -
Satellite monitoring of post-mining rehabilitation and the quantification of backfill dynamics using differential SAR interferometry
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mining has severe environmental and social consequences and post-mining rehabilitation needs to take place before land re-zonation can occur. Post-mining rehabilitation is the process in which previously ... -
Machine learning for object-based crop classification using multi-temporal Landsat-8 imagery
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Up-to-date and accurate crop maps are needed to update agricultural statistics, aid in yield forecasting, and are often used in environmental modelling. In situ methods are associated with high production ... -
The development of wine tourism in South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-10-11)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research objectives were (1) to undertake a comprehensive search for appropriate literature and review the concepts, theories and case studies related to wine tourism, wine route development, regional ... -
Detection of sinkhole precursors through SAR interferometry
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) is a mature ground deformation monitoring technique and research presented in this thesis supports this technology as a key tool for an ... -
Decision tree development for land cover classification in the Eastern Cape
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to develop a cost-effective and practical method for producing land cover maps by assessing the efficacy of classifier extension in a highly heterogeneous area. Effective ... -
Indirect soil salinity detection in irregated areas using earth observation methods
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Excessive accumulation of salt in the plant root zone has a deteriorating effect on vegetation growth, resulting in reduced crop yield and rendering fertile soil barren, and ultimately leads to decreasing ... -
Scaling patterns and drivers of species richness and turnover across the Afrotropics
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Understanding the broad scale patterns and environmental determinants of amphibian richness (α-diversity) and turnover (β-diversity) is becoming ever more crucial as communities, ecosystems and landscapes ... -
Methods for sugarcane harvest detection using polarimetric SAR
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Remote sensing has long been used as a method for crop harvest monitoring and harvest classification. Harvest monitoring is necessary for the planning of and prompting of effective agricultural practices. ... -
The extent of urban densification in Stellenbosch
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a perpetual burden to supply accommodation to increasing population numbers in Stellenbosch. The most ideal way in which the property market is able to cater for this demand is through the ... -
The socio-economic wellbeing of small mining towns in the Northern Cape
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With South Africa being a developing country in many respects, the management of natural resources is of high importance. It should therefore be determined how these resources are managed and what happens ... -
Spatial visualization of uncertainty
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Geospatial information has become more accessible since the early 2000s. Uncertainty has remained a constant in data, due to various factors, including scale and real world conceptualization. Geospatial ...
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