3.5 Practice Theory as a Direction-Finding Beacon
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which constitutes the imagination, but also the alteration of the biodiversity, which
influences governance and politics.
Moving on to the form of this epistocracy, I can say that we are dealing here
with a limited epistocracy that concentrates on seemingly non-political issues that
are politically relevant. Therefore, I would argue that the issue did not automatically
become political, but that it became politically pertinent through the work of Debra
Roberts and her colleagues. In other words, this limited epistocracy turned green
and ecological infrastructures from a perceived non-political issue into a political
issue, by the expert-infused practices in the political arena of the local government.
However, it appears that they are treating it as apolitical in that they involve only
a limited number of experts in the execution of green and ecological infrastructure
policies. On the other hand, it is possible that eThekwini would not have had the
EPCPD and green and ecological infrastructure initiatives if municipal officials had
only been trained in public administration. Expertise in municipal management is not
sufficient for dealing with the seemingly complex environmental issues confronting
cities like Durban. When Roberts published her thesis in the mid-1980s on the impact
of urbanisation on the natural environment, it resulted in a rising consciousness
on this issue. This led to the implementation of a particular type of expertise that
confronted environmental issues like biodiversity loss and climate change. Over the
years, she also attracted other experts to the municipality, forming a limited epistocracy in the EPCPD. The PULSE
3 analysis also shows that EPCPD officials are not
operating within a departmental vacuum, but that they interact with colleagues from
other departments as they work towards achieving the ends of green and ecological
infrastructure strategies and projects.
As already mentioned, it is also worth noting that municipal officials collaborate
with experts from research institutions situated within, and outside of, eThekwini’s
boundaries. Many of the interviewed respondents indicated that the epistocratic officials had collaborated closely with them over the years, or at best, that they have
intimately known what the municipality has been doing with regard to the promotion green and ecological infrastructures. The network of collaboration also includes
NGOs, such as DUCT and WESSA, as well as other consultants. The individuals
who work for these organisations are not merely campaigners who promote the
cause of nature, but they are experts in various fields of natural science. Since this
collaborative network exists, we can also say that there is not only an internal eThekwini epistocracy, but one that extends beyond the municipality’s governance and
geographic boundaries, even as far as Bremen, Fort Lauderdale and the IPCC. This
is an indication that limited epistocracies operate not only within their direct structural sphere of influence (i.e. a municipality), but that they are also capable of playing
a transnational and global governance role.
The eThekwini epistocrats collaborate with these external experts, as an intrinsic
part of their work, to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation through
green and ecological infrastructure enterprises. Therefore, the EPCPD is not only a
limited epistocracy, but it is also issue-specific, since it focuses on matters relating
to Durban’s internal and external natural environment (i.e. the uMngeni River
catchment).
217
which constitutes the imagination, but also the alteration of the biodiversity, which
influences governance and politics.
Moving on to the form of this epistocracy, I can say that we are dealing here
with a limited epistocracy that concentrates on seemingly non-political issues that
are politically relevant. Therefore, I would argue that the issue did not automatically
become political, but that it became politically pertinent through the work of Debra
Roberts and her colleagues. In other words, this limited epistocracy turned green
and ecological infrastructures from a perceived non-political issue into a political
issue, by the expert-infused practices in the political arena of the local government.
However, it appears that they are treating it as apolitical in that they involve only
a limited number of experts in the execution of green and ecological infrastructure
policies. On the other hand, it is possible that eThekwini would not have had the
EPCPD and green and ecological infrastructure initiatives if municipal officials had
only been trained in public administration. Expertise in municipal management is not
sufficient for dealing with the seemingly complex environmental issues confronting
cities like Durban. When Roberts published her thesis in the mid-1980s on the impact
of urbanisation on the natural environment, it resulted in a rising consciousness
on this issue. This led to the implementation of a particular type of expertise that
confronted environmental issues like biodiversity loss and climate change. Over the
years, she also attracted other experts to the municipality, forming a limited epistocracy in the EPCPD. The PULSE
3 analysis also shows that EPCPD officials are not
operating within a departmental vacuum, but that they interact with colleagues from
other departments as they work towards achieving the ends of green and ecological
infrastructure strategies and projects.
As already mentioned, it is also worth noting that municipal officials collaborate
with experts from research institutions situated within, and outside of, eThekwini’s
boundaries. Many of the interviewed respondents indicated that the epistocratic officials had collaborated closely with them over the years, or at best, that they have
intimately known what the municipality has been doing with regard to the promotion green and ecological infrastructures. The network of collaboration also includes
NGOs, such as DUCT and WESSA, as well as other consultants. The individuals
who work for these organisations are not merely campaigners who promote the
cause of nature, but they are experts in various fields of natural science. Since this
collaborative network exists, we can also say that there is not only an internal eThekwini epistocracy, but one that extends beyond the municipality’s governance and
geographic boundaries, even as far as Bremen, Fort Lauderdale and the IPCC. This
is an indication that limited epistocracies operate not only within their direct structural sphere of influence (i.e. a municipality), but that they are also capable of playing
a transnational and global governance role.
The eThekwini epistocrats collaborate with these external experts, as an intrinsic
part of their work, to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation through
green and ecological infrastructure enterprises. Therefore, the EPCPD is not only a
limited epistocracy, but it is also issue-specific, since it focuses on matters relating
to Durban’s internal and external natural environment (i.e. the uMngeni River
catchment).