Paris - Lodron University Salzburg
Department Geography, Geology and Mineralogy
Dean Univ. Prof. Dr. Jürgen H. Breuste
Tel.: 0662-8044-5241
Fax: 0662-8044-525
E-mail: juergen.breuste@sbg.ac.at
Hellbrunnerstr. 34
A-5020 Salzburg
Austria
Salzburg, 2004-03-13
RESEARCH CO-OPERATION ON THE URBAN ECOLOGY OF CAPE TOWN
Co-operation Project between Stellenbosch Universit/South Africa, Department of
Geography and Environmental Studies and the Paris-Lodron-University
Salzburg/Austria, Department of Geography, Geology and Mineralogy
The co-operation project is initiated in terms of the general agreement between these two
universities. It falls within the framework of the contract of co-operation between the
University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa and the Paris-Lodron University,
Salzburg, Austria.
The primary goal of the project is to promote co-operation in education and research in the
field of urban ecology and urban ecological management. Both parties see this project as a
long-term commitment to co-operation focussing on the following topics of bilateral interest:
Students exchange: Students of both universities are welcome to stay up to two semesters
at the other institution to take part in the study courses offered. Intention to send students
must be declared at least one semester in advance. An agreement to supervise the students
at the host institution should be reached. The work schedule for exchange students must be
set out and agreed to by staff members of both institutions. The exchange should comply
with the rules of the current framework of agreement between the two universities. The main
aim is to include the exchange students into the scientific work on the defined research
topics (see later).
Research cooperation: Both parties are interested in an exchange of experiences in
research in the field of urban ecology and urban environmental management. They are
willing to focus in this co-operation on a common research field titled: Urban Ecology of Cape
Town. The research co-operation will include joint workshops, seminars and field work. The
scientific meetings can be held in Stellenbosch or in Salzburg. The field work will be
concentrated on the conurbation of Cape Town which includes the city of Cape Town and its
sub-urban region and neighbouring towns. It is the intention to develop local co-operation
with decision-makers, municipalities, planners and NGOs.
Scientific research topics: The following aspects of research are of bilateral interest:
1. Urban land use management,
including conflict management and sustainable development, planning and environmental
quality targets, monitoring techniques (GIS, satellite images etc.)
2. Urban and peri-urban agriculture and cultural landscape development,
including sustainable development of cultural landscapes of the region
3. Urban landscape management, nature protection and tourism of the region,
including national parks and landscape and nature protection areas and their management
4 Urban ecology of neighbourhoods, settlements or towns,
including socio-economic as well as natural scientific aspects of these constituent areas.
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Both parties will annually draw up research frameworks relating to any of these topics and
make these known during the previous year.
Originally signed
Originally signed
Univ. Prof. Dr. Jürgen H. Breuste
Salzburg University
Department Geography,
Geology and Mineralogy
Prof. Dr. Larry Zietsman
Stellenbosch University
Department of Geography
and Environmental Studies
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Work schedule 2004
As a first step three students from Salzburg will stay in Stellenbosch for two semesters
during 2004. They will take courses in Stellenbosch and at the same time work on defined
research topics. In these research topics they will be supported by the host institution and
supervised by members of the staff. Prof. Dr. Larry Zietsman and Dr Pieter de Necker will
co-ordinate this on the Stellenbosch side, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Breuste on the Salzburg side.
Other persons from the respective departments may also be involved as deemed necessary.
The general focus of co-operation in 2004 will be on:
Management and sustainable development of the Cape Peninsula National Park
(CPNP) (To be renamed Table Mountain National Park)
The CPNP is of high importance for the protection of the unique fauna and flora of the Cape
Peninsula as well as a recreational area for inhabitants of Cape Town and tourists. It is
positioned in the conurbation and directly adjacent to the city and its suburbs and other
towns and is divided into three main areas by traffic infrastructure. Some parts of the CPNP
are highly under pressure due to a number of factors. For the ecological development of the
interior of the park a management plan has been developed to secure the endemic fauna
and flora and to preserve the landscape structure. This plan addresses specific problems of
the urban areas (visitor pressure, irregular utilization of fringe zones, new forest
management, traffic management, prevention of fire etc.).
The analysis of selected critical problems of landscape management should be at the centre
of the work of the students. These research topics have to be defined by mutual agreement
between both parties. They should form the bases of further work, preferrably before the
students arrive in Stellenbosch.
Examples of the types of problems to be investigated are:
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Analysis and evaluation of the relations between visitors and ecological aspects,
including the management targets of the park.
Influence of the traffic infrastructure and the intensity of its use to the national park.
Information policy and public relations of the park management on nature and
landscape, to explain protection targets, to reduce conflicts and to influence the
behaviour of the visitors.
Distribution and behaviour of the visitors in the park.
Vehicle tourism and hiking tourism in relation to management targets.
Definition of quality targets for defined areas for further development in the three
areas of the national park.
Problems of the fringe zones of the park.
Fire prevention.
Illegal utilizations and their prevention.
Co-operation with local communities in the neighbourhood.
Univ. Prof. Dr. Jürgen H. Breuste
Salzburg University
Department Geography,
Geology and Mineralogy
Prof. Dr. Larry Zietsman
Stellenbosch University
Department of Geography
and Environmental Studies
Salzburg, 2004-03-13
Stellenbosch,
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