122
3 eThekwini’s Green and Ecological Infrastructure Policy Landscape
In the next section, I will highlight the transitions that I identified during the
interviews in Table 3.3.
In Table 3.3, we see that the first transition is characterised by several features
or themes. eThekwini is situated in a disadvantageous geographical position in the
uMngeni Catchment; it is the last urban centre to receive water by means of the
natural hydrology of the uMngeni River. In order to supply the municipality and its
residents with water, national government and the municipality have implemented a
number of coping strategies over the years, in the form of large dams (Figs. 3.13 and
3.23), aqueducts (p. 112) and water purification plants. This was, and still is, out of a
necessity to supply water to a growing urban centre around the port of Durban, with
an accompanying growing population and industrialised centre.
Because of the eThekwini Municipality’s downstream position in the uMngeni
Catchment, with its poor water quality properties (p. 95), it has started negotiating
with other upstream municipalities to address pollution problems (see Figs. 1.2,
1.3, 1.5, 1.6 and 3.14) as a water security facilitation mechanism (Meissner et al.
2018a). According to Respondent 4, the municipality is doing this in an impressive
manner and has also championed the UEIP to facilitate the promotion of an ecological
infrastructure and to assist in securing better quality water for its residents and for
the industrial complex. It is therefore not impossible to conclude that eThekwini’s
downstream location has forced it to change its discourse, as indicated by Respondent
15 (p. 112).
However, what is absent from this discourse is the role and function that estuaries
might play in eThekwini’s hydraulic mission, as expressed earlier by Respondents 1
and 2 (p. 95). This indicates that the municipality’s downstream position is forcing it
to look upstream, while it ignores the role of estuaries in the interaction between freshwater resources and the marine environment (Meissner et al. 2018a, b). eThekwini, as
a popular tourist destination, relies on the water quality of the Indian Ocean, directly
offshore from its beaches, as a source of tourist revenue. The ocean and eThekwini’s
beaches are, after all, part of its conceptualised ecological infrastructure landscape.
Furthermore, the ecological infrastructures, together with the political structures
(i.e. UEIP) constitute an extended coping mechanism to further its water security
aspirations and goals. This is the case, because SANBI, with its normative definition
and instrumental policies, played an influential role in the establishment of the UEIP
(Respondent 4). SANBI, therefore, forms part of the élite that informs a combination
of grey with ecological infrastructures. We should also note that eThekwini employed
engineers who contracted with SANBI in a bipolar configuration and, in a way,
co-opted a concept that is closely aligned with the engineering profession (p. 5).
A casual observation would place this under the second transition. However, I
would argue that SANBI’s role and involvement constitutes a Hobbesian-type of
contract, since the organisation and eThekwini formed a bipolar, instead of a triangular Lockean-type configuration. That being said, the structure constitutes a specific
hydrosocial contract type. As Respondent 4 mentioned earlier, the purpose of the
concept ‘ecological infrastructure’ is to accommodate engineers and economists
(p. 90), so that they can play a meaningful role in promoting not only ecological
3 eThekwini’s Green and Ecological Infrastructure Policy Landscape
In the next section, I will highlight the transitions that I identified during the
interviews in Table 3.3.
In Table 3.3, we see that the first transition is characterised by several features
or themes. eThekwini is situated in a disadvantageous geographical position in the
uMngeni Catchment; it is the last urban centre to receive water by means of the
natural hydrology of the uMngeni River. In order to supply the municipality and its
residents with water, national government and the municipality have implemented a
number of coping strategies over the years, in the form of large dams (Figs. 3.13 and
3.23), aqueducts (p. 112) and water purification plants. This was, and still is, out of a
necessity to supply water to a growing urban centre around the port of Durban, with
an accompanying growing population and industrialised centre.
Because of the eThekwini Municipality’s downstream position in the uMngeni
Catchment, with its poor water quality properties (p. 95), it has started negotiating
with other upstream municipalities to address pollution problems (see Figs. 1.2,
1.3, 1.5, 1.6 and 3.14) as a water security facilitation mechanism (Meissner et al.
2018a). According to Respondent 4, the municipality is doing this in an impressive
manner and has also championed the UEIP to facilitate the promotion of an ecological
infrastructure and to assist in securing better quality water for its residents and for
the industrial complex. It is therefore not impossible to conclude that eThekwini’s
downstream location has forced it to change its discourse, as indicated by Respondent
15 (p. 112).
However, what is absent from this discourse is the role and function that estuaries
might play in eThekwini’s hydraulic mission, as expressed earlier by Respondents 1
and 2 (p. 95). This indicates that the municipality’s downstream position is forcing it
to look upstream, while it ignores the role of estuaries in the interaction between freshwater resources and the marine environment (Meissner et al. 2018a, b). eThekwini, as
a popular tourist destination, relies on the water quality of the Indian Ocean, directly
offshore from its beaches, as a source of tourist revenue. The ocean and eThekwini’s
beaches are, after all, part of its conceptualised ecological infrastructure landscape.
Furthermore, the ecological infrastructures, together with the political structures
(i.e. UEIP) constitute an extended coping mechanism to further its water security
aspirations and goals. This is the case, because SANBI, with its normative definition
and instrumental policies, played an influential role in the establishment of the UEIP
(Respondent 4). SANBI, therefore, forms part of the élite that informs a combination
of grey with ecological infrastructures. We should also note that eThekwini employed
engineers who contracted with SANBI in a bipolar configuration and, in a way,
co-opted a concept that is closely aligned with the engineering profession (p. 5).
A casual observation would place this under the second transition. However, I
would argue that SANBI’s role and involvement constitutes a Hobbesian-type of
contract, since the organisation and eThekwini formed a bipolar, instead of a triangular Lockean-type configuration. That being said, the structure constitutes a specific
hydrosocial contract type. As Respondent 4 mentioned earlier, the purpose of the
concept ‘ecological infrastructure’ is to accommodate engineers and economists
(p. 90), so that they can play a meaningful role in promoting not only ecological