Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa

This study reports about disaster risk assessment undertaken at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were followed to collect data. A total of eight experienced foresters and fire fighters were purposively sampled for interview at Robur...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rudzani A. Makhado, Amani T. Saidi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2013-07-01
Series:Jàmbá
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/64
_version_ 1811226328611946496
author Rudzani A. Makhado
Amani T. Saidi
author_facet Rudzani A. Makhado
Amani T. Saidi
author_sort Rudzani A. Makhado
collection DOAJ
description This study reports about disaster risk assessment undertaken at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were followed to collect data. A total of eight experienced foresters and fire fighters were purposively sampled for interview at Roburnia Plantation. A questionnaire survey was also used to collect the data. Risk levels were quantified using the risks equations of Wisner et al. (2004) and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR 2002). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA, single factor) was also applied. This study found that Roburnia Plantation is highly exposed to fire risks. The mean (± s.d.) output from the Wisner risk equation shows that fire is the highest risk at 7.7 ± 0.3, followed by harsh weather conditions at 5.6 ± 0.4 and least by tree diseases, pests and pathogens at 2.3 ± 0.2. Similarly, the mean (± s.d.) output from the UNISDR risk equation also shows that fire is the highest risk at 2.9 ± 0.2, followed by harsh weather conditions at 2.2 ± 0.3 and least by tree diseases, pests and pathogens at 1.3 ± 0.2. There was no significant deference in the risk analysis outputs (p = 0.13). This study also found that the number of fire incidents were low during summer, but increased during winter and spring. This variation is mainly due to a converse relationship with rainfall, because the availability of rain moistens the area as well as the fuel. When the area and fuel is moist, fire incidents are reduced, but they increase with a decrease in fuel moisture.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T09:23:18Z
format Article
id doaj.art-11483c5421844572a792bffd38804888
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1996-1421
2072-845X
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T09:23:18Z
publishDate 2013-07-01
publisher AOSIS
record_format Article
series Jàmbá
spelling doaj.art-11483c5421844572a792bffd388048882022-12-22T03:38:33ZengAOSISJàmbá1996-14212072-845X2013-07-0151e1e610.4102/jamba.v5i1.6481Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South AfricaRudzani A. Makhado0Amani T. Saidi1Research and Evaluation Section, Limpopo Legislature; Disaster Management and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free StateSouth African Environmental Observation Network, National Research FoundationThis study reports about disaster risk assessment undertaken at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were followed to collect data. A total of eight experienced foresters and fire fighters were purposively sampled for interview at Roburnia Plantation. A questionnaire survey was also used to collect the data. Risk levels were quantified using the risks equations of Wisner et al. (2004) and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR 2002). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA, single factor) was also applied. This study found that Roburnia Plantation is highly exposed to fire risks. The mean (± s.d.) output from the Wisner risk equation shows that fire is the highest risk at 7.7 ± 0.3, followed by harsh weather conditions at 5.6 ± 0.4 and least by tree diseases, pests and pathogens at 2.3 ± 0.2. Similarly, the mean (± s.d.) output from the UNISDR risk equation also shows that fire is the highest risk at 2.9 ± 0.2, followed by harsh weather conditions at 2.2 ± 0.3 and least by tree diseases, pests and pathogens at 1.3 ± 0.2. There was no significant deference in the risk analysis outputs (p = 0.13). This study also found that the number of fire incidents were low during summer, but increased during winter and spring. This variation is mainly due to a converse relationship with rainfall, because the availability of rain moistens the area as well as the fuel. When the area and fuel is moist, fire incidents are reduced, but they increase with a decrease in fuel moisture.https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/64Disastersrisk assessmentrisk equationfireRoburnia Plantation
spellingShingle Rudzani A. Makhado
Amani T. Saidi
Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Jàmbá
Disasters
risk assessment
risk equation
fire
Roburnia Plantation
title Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa
title_full Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa
title_fullStr Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa
title_short Disaster risk assessment at Roburnia Plantation, Mpumalanga, South Africa
title_sort disaster risk assessment at roburnia plantation mpumalanga south africa
topic Disasters
risk assessment
risk equation
fire
Roburnia Plantation
url https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/64
work_keys_str_mv AT rudzaniamakhado disasterriskassessmentatroburniaplantationmpumalangasouthafrica
AT amanitsaidi disasterriskassessmentatroburniaplantationmpumalangasouthafrica