Beyond COP26: Lessons from South Africa on water and community health Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/participatory-water-governance-in-south-africa This podcast series shares insights on participatory water governance, from Bushbuckridge sub-district in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. This work is part of the wider Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) embedded within the Agincourt Health Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) of the University of Witwatersrand in collaboration with Aberdeen University. The VAPAR programme aims to expand the knowledge base through creation of legitimate learning platforms for action health equity. Community stakeholders and local government service providers share the complexities of service delivery and how the lack of community participation in water governance affects marginalized rural communities. Despite legislative and policy commitments to the right of water, cooperative governance and public participation, there are limited opportunities for communities to participate in public service planning. This especially impacts negatively on marginalized rural communities, relying on public services for health and wellbeing. Applying participatory methods and tools, community stakeholders identified the lack of safe water to be a priority health concern. Repeated and prolonged periods without piped water; unreliable and unavailable infrastructure,; contaminated water sources; extensive waste, litter and dumping; inadequate service delivery; and poor water supply exacerbated by drought were reported in the local area. Several interconnected social, behavioural and health impacts were associated with this lack of safe water, including infectious diseases, compromised sanitation, hunger and malnutrition, social unrest and service delivery protests. Community engagement allow community stakeholders to take an active role in priority setting and collective action towards addressing community priorities. When spaces are created for dialogue and collective action, extending beyond passive involvement, trust is established between stakeholders and community power built; allowing for cooperative governance. This series is hosted by research fellow, Jennifer Hove, reflecting COP 26 and exploring the role of participatory action research in addressing water challenges in rural communities, as part of her doctoral research embedded within the multi-year VAPAR programme. More information on the VAPAR programme is available at http://www.vapar.org/ © University of Aberdeen d2669ac6-8e42-5b71-b1b9-d3dc967d7269 no en Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:08:21 -0800 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:40:28 -0800 https://www.abdn.ac.uk https://img.transistor.fm/M7z6L8omEiwNWtA_q4RdFPO3N16tZZOdby1hr09s7_4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzMzODk4LzE2NjUz/OTQxNjktYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg Beyond COP26: Lessons from South Africa on water and community health https://www.abdn.ac.uk episodic University of Aberdeen This podcast series shares insights on participatory water governance, from Bushbuckridge sub-district in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. This work is part of the wider Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) embedded within the Agincourt Health Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) of the University of Witwatersrand in collaboration with Aberdeen University. The VAPAR programme aims to expand the knowledge base through creation of legitimate learning platforms for action health equity. Community stakeholders and local government service providers share the complexities of service delivery and how the lack of community participation in water governance affects marginalized rural communities. Despite legislative and policy commitments to the right of water, cooperative governance and public participation, there are limited opportunities for communities to participate in public service planning. This especially impacts negatively on marginalized rural communities, relying on public services for health and wellbeing. Applying participatory methods and tools, community stakeholders identified the lack of safe water to be a priority health concern. Repeated and prolonged periods without piped water; unreliable and unavailable infrastructure,; contaminated water sources; extensive waste, litter and dumping; inadequate service delivery; and poor water supply exacerbated by drought were reported in the local area. Several interconnected social, behavioural and health impacts were associated with this lack of safe water, including infectious diseases, compromised sanitation, hunger and malnutrition, social unrest and service delivery protests. Community engagement allow community stakeholders to take an active role in priority setting and collective action towards addressing community priorities. When spaces are created for dialogue and collective action, extending beyond passive involvement, trust is established between stakeholders and community power built; allowing for cooperative governance. This series is hosted by research fellow, Jennifer Hove, reflecting COP 26 and exploring the role of participatory action research in addressing water challenges in rural communities, as part of her doctoral research embedded within the multi-year VAPAR programme. More information on the VAPAR programme is available at http://www.vapar.org/ This podcast series shares insights on participatory water governance, from Bushbuckridge sub-district in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. COP 26, Participatory water governance, co-production, lack of safe water, rural communities University of Aberdeen No No Beyond COP26 and Participatory water governance in South Africa 1 1 Beyond COP26 and Participatory water governance in South Africa full d6ba4e24-c022-4b2c-bbe4-d458372fbc2a https://share.transistor.fm/s/b11b66c4 Despite legislative and policy commitments to the right to water, cooperative governance and public participation, there is limited participation more importantly with the marginalized rural communities to respond to their needs. We present doctoral research embedded within a 5-year MRC programme, developing local knowledge on health priorities in a rural province and advancing processes to engage multi-sectoral stakeholders to respond to lack of safe water as a community nominated priority in rural South Africa

 
This is episode 1, Beyond COP26 and Participatory water governance in South Africa with your host Jennifer Hove, a research fellow from Wits university and co-host Denny Mabetha a researcher from Wits/Agincourt HDSS in collaboration with Aberdeen University.  This series is about ‘doing work WITH not ON or FOR the community, encouraging co-production of evidence, democratization of knowledge and interdisciplinarity/ inter-sector working. The guests in this panel are Mr Mnisi, a community member from Agincourt HDSS, to understand water and environment, community perspective and experience on lack of water, a community nominated health priority.  The second guest, Mr C Khosa, is a service provider, representing Bushbuckridge Municipality. As part of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR), this work aims to improve evidence base for marginalized communities, connecting with service providers and partnering for change. This first series was recorded at Bushbuckridge Municipality in Mpumalanga South Africa. 

]]> Despite legislative and policy commitments to the right to water, cooperative governance and public participation, there is limited participation more importantly with the marginalized rural communities to respond to their needs. We present doctoral research embedded within a 5-year MRC programme, developing local knowledge on health priorities in a rural province and advancing processes to engage multi-sectoral stakeholders to respond to lack of safe water as a community nominated priority in rural South Africa

 
This is episode 1, Beyond COP26 and Participatory water governance in South Africa with your host Jennifer Hove, a research fellow from Wits university and co-host Denny Mabetha a researcher from Wits/Agincourt HDSS in collaboration with Aberdeen University.  This series is about ‘doing work WITH not ON or FOR the community, encouraging co-production of evidence, democratization of knowledge and interdisciplinarity/ inter-sector working. The guests in this panel are Mr Mnisi, a community member from Agincourt HDSS, to understand water and environment, community perspective and experience on lack of water, a community nominated health priority.  The second guest, Mr C Khosa, is a service provider, representing Bushbuckridge Municipality. As part of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR), this work aims to improve evidence base for marginalized communities, connecting with service providers and partnering for change. This first series was recorded at Bushbuckridge Municipality in Mpumalanga South Africa. 

]]> Sat, 01 Oct 2022 06:00:00 -0700 University of Aberdeen University of Aberdeen 3189 This work reflects on COP 26, climate emergency, and explores the role of Participatory Action Research (PAR) in addressing water challenges in rural communities. This episode is about ‘doing work WITH not ON the community, encouraging co-production of evidence, democratization of knowledge, with a focus on interdisciplinarity/ inter-sector working for more relevant and responsive local action. This work reflects on COP 26, climate emergency, and explores the role of Participatory Action Research (PAR) in addressing water challenges in rural communities. This episode is about ‘doing work WITH not ON the community, encouraging co-production of ev COP 26, Participatory water governance, co-production, lack of safe water, rural communities No ‘Amplifying Community Voice’ to address lack of safe water, a community nominated priority 2 2 ‘Amplifying Community Voice’ to address lack of safe water, a community nominated priority full 4349f8ab-3483-43a7-8ad0-a6b6460fe7a9 https://share.transistor.fm/s/882cb0cf Water scarcity has become an increasing threat to humans with a serious effect on food production globally. The situation is expected to exacerbate under projected future climate change. South Africa was identified as one of the most vulnerable countries predicted to experience climate change.  COP26 highlighted the need for effective sustainable engagement to deliver social change. The ongoing Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) programme being conducted in Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) involves an iterative sequence of action-learning cycles, involving communities in priority setting, decision making and action on issues affecting their lives, and with the intention to empower communities. The process has the potential to improve community control, power, and agency for action on health from a pro- equity and social justice perspective. The VAPAR process for community members offers opportunities to raise a collective voice around local concerns, and to interact with service providers and researchers to drive collective action around issues affecting their lives. 

The University of Witwatersrand, faculty of health sciences in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen presents to you a participatory action research (PAR) with communities in Agincourt HDSS in South Africa. In this second series, the host; Jennifer Hove PhD student at Wits university discuss about ‘Amplifying Community Voice’ to address lack of safe water, a community nominated priority. The aim of the process was to shift responsibility of ownership of health and life in general, encourage multisectoral stakeholder collaboration and creating learning platforms. Jennifer Hove engages Mr Jabulani Mnisi, a community member who has been a participant, a partner in this programme since 2017, together with Mrs Nomsa Ntimane a service provider, an Operational Manager (clinician), at Agincourt Health Centre. In this series, Mr Mnisi shares his experience with PAR process, how his community collaboratively decided on the priority health issues, relationships developed with other stakeholders (service providers), roles and responsibilities and reflection on the action learning.   Mrs Ntimane discusses water and health, “no health without water’. Though the health system has no statutory mandate for water, it is deeply impacted by widespread lack of safe water.  This series was recorded at Agincourt Health centre.  

]]> Water scarcity has become an increasing threat to humans with a serious effect on food production globally. The situation is expected to exacerbate under projected future climate change. South Africa was identified as one of the most vulnerable countries predicted to experience climate change.  COP26 highlighted the need for effective sustainable engagement to deliver social change. The ongoing Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) programme being conducted in Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) involves an iterative sequence of action-learning cycles, involving communities in priority setting, decision making and action on issues affecting their lives, and with the intention to empower communities. The process has the potential to improve community control, power, and agency for action on health from a pro- equity and social justice perspective. The VAPAR process for community members offers opportunities to raise a collective voice around local concerns, and to interact with service providers and researchers to drive collective action around issues affecting their lives. 

The University of Witwatersrand, faculty of health sciences in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen presents to you a participatory action research (PAR) with communities in Agincourt HDSS in South Africa. In this second series, the host; Jennifer Hove PhD student at Wits university discuss about ‘Amplifying Community Voice’ to address lack of safe water, a community nominated priority. The aim of the process was to shift responsibility of ownership of health and life in general, encourage multisectoral stakeholder collaboration and creating learning platforms. Jennifer Hove engages Mr Jabulani Mnisi, a community member who has been a participant, a partner in this programme since 2017, together with Mrs Nomsa Ntimane a service provider, an Operational Manager (clinician), at Agincourt Health Centre. In this series, Mr Mnisi shares his experience with PAR process, how his community collaboratively decided on the priority health issues, relationships developed with other stakeholders (service providers), roles and responsibilities and reflection on the action learning.   Mrs Ntimane discusses water and health, “no health without water’. Though the health system has no statutory mandate for water, it is deeply impacted by widespread lack of safe water.  This series was recorded at Agincourt Health centre.  

]]> Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:00:00 -0700 University of Aberdeen University of Aberdeen 1359 This episode is about amplifying community voice through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process. The intention was to bring communities together and connect them with authorities and service providers in cooperative dialogue and learning. Through PAR, we coproduce evidence, action and learning from action for social change, re-think power structures and advance collective action on health issues. This episode is about amplifying community voice through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process. The intention was to bring communities together and connect them with authorities and service providers in cooperative dialogue and learning. Through P Community voice, water, health, participatory action research, ownership, relationship, community nominated priority. No