3.4 Analysis
183
came in second, with scores of 33 and 32, respectively, while structural mechanisms scored the least, with 26. The explanation for the high number of material
causal mechanisms relates to Respondent 4’s position in the INR, which conducts
research on environmental matters. He indicated that he works in a water context and
that a green infrastructure is designed to improve the quality and quantity of water.
What is more, when I asked Respondent 4 about his understanding of an ecological
infrastructure, he indicated that it means ‘nature’. He also spoke about manufactured wetlands and floating islands that are used to purify water. Ideational causal
mechanisms transpired during the conversation when he started using analogies to
describe ecological infrastructures (p. 90). He also argued that, ‘when we talk about
an ecological infrastructure, we become quite mechanistic about the way we think
about nature’ (Respondent 4). He emphasised agential mechanisms when he said that
nature has all ‘…the passion, all the mystery, all the nuances, everything stripped out
of it’. This quote is a good example of the interplay between ideational and agential
causal mechanisms, where an idea about something constitutes our way of talking
and doing, in a specific context.
Respondent 5 also highlighted material causal mechanisms the most, with a score
of 42. Structural mechanisms received a score of 24, while agential and ideational
mechanisms scored 22 and 15, respectively (Fig. 3.38). Respondent 5 is a municipal
official who works at the Buffelsdraai landfill site. Her responsibility is to oversee the
implementation of alien invasive clearing and indigenous tree planting. In this regard,
she said that her work is to enhance the work of the Wildlands Conservation Trust,
which is why she highlighted material causal mechanisms the most. Respondent
5 also mentioned some of the other initiatives, for instance, rainwater harvesting,
which the municipality is implementing at the land fill site. One of the structural
causal mechanisms that she spoke about was local communities. She indicated that
the municipality is educating local communities in terms of water security. She also
said that the ‘municipality sub-contact smaller SMME companies to actually do the
clearing of alien invasive plants and to promote indigenous plants’ (Respondent 5)
(p. 128). Another structural causal mechanism that she noted was DRAP (p. 122),
and the municipality also has a reforestation initiative that takes place at the Paris
Valley Nature Reserve and Inanda Mountain. These initiatives are part of its ecology
restoration programme (Respondent 5).
Respondent 6 was another municipal official and support engineer who highlighted material causal mechanisms the most, with a score of 45. Structural and
agential causal mechanisms scored 38 and 32, respectively, while ideational causal
mechanisms scored the least (16) (Fig. 3.39). One of the material causal mechanisms
that he highlighted was SuDS, or the actual engineering infrastructure that manages
the storm-water flow. Piacentini and Rossetto (2020) describe SuDS as water-related
green infratsructures. An ideational mechanism is sensitive urban design, which
looks at the whole water cycle, that mimicks natural hydrological processes (Piacentini and Rossetto 2020). It is more inclusive of the water cycle than the standard
urban drainage systems, which only incorporate storm-water flow. Some of the
structural causal mechanisms that Respondent 6 mentioned were D’MOSS and the
partnership that the municipality has with Bremen to rehabilitate the River Horse
183
came in second, with scores of 33 and 32, respectively, while structural mechanisms scored the least, with 26. The explanation for the high number of material
causal mechanisms relates to Respondent 4’s position in the INR, which conducts
research on environmental matters. He indicated that he works in a water context and
that a green infrastructure is designed to improve the quality and quantity of water.
What is more, when I asked Respondent 4 about his understanding of an ecological
infrastructure, he indicated that it means ‘nature’. He also spoke about manufactured wetlands and floating islands that are used to purify water. Ideational causal
mechanisms transpired during the conversation when he started using analogies to
describe ecological infrastructures (p. 90). He also argued that, ‘when we talk about
an ecological infrastructure, we become quite mechanistic about the way we think
about nature’ (Respondent 4). He emphasised agential mechanisms when he said that
nature has all ‘…the passion, all the mystery, all the nuances, everything stripped out
of it’. This quote is a good example of the interplay between ideational and agential
causal mechanisms, where an idea about something constitutes our way of talking
and doing, in a specific context.
Respondent 5 also highlighted material causal mechanisms the most, with a score
of 42. Structural mechanisms received a score of 24, while agential and ideational
mechanisms scored 22 and 15, respectively (Fig. 3.38). Respondent 5 is a municipal
official who works at the Buffelsdraai landfill site. Her responsibility is to oversee the
implementation of alien invasive clearing and indigenous tree planting. In this regard,
she said that her work is to enhance the work of the Wildlands Conservation Trust,
which is why she highlighted material causal mechanisms the most. Respondent
5 also mentioned some of the other initiatives, for instance, rainwater harvesting,
which the municipality is implementing at the land fill site. One of the structural
causal mechanisms that she spoke about was local communities. She indicated that
the municipality is educating local communities in terms of water security. She also
said that the ‘municipality sub-contact smaller SMME companies to actually do the
clearing of alien invasive plants and to promote indigenous plants’ (Respondent 5)
(p. 128). Another structural causal mechanism that she noted was DRAP (p. 122),
and the municipality also has a reforestation initiative that takes place at the Paris
Valley Nature Reserve and Inanda Mountain. These initiatives are part of its ecology
restoration programme (Respondent 5).
Respondent 6 was another municipal official and support engineer who highlighted material causal mechanisms the most, with a score of 45. Structural and
agential causal mechanisms scored 38 and 32, respectively, while ideational causal
mechanisms scored the least (16) (Fig. 3.39). One of the material causal mechanisms
that he highlighted was SuDS, or the actual engineering infrastructure that manages
the storm-water flow. Piacentini and Rossetto (2020) describe SuDS as water-related
green infratsructures. An ideational mechanism is sensitive urban design, which
looks at the whole water cycle, that mimicks natural hydrological processes (Piacentini and Rossetto 2020). It is more inclusive of the water cycle than the standard
urban drainage systems, which only incorporate storm-water flow. Some of the
structural causal mechanisms that Respondent 6 mentioned were D’MOSS and the
partnership that the municipality has with Bremen to rehabilitate the River Horse