Master of Philosophy in Disaster Risk Science and Development

Purpose

The qualification aims to generate graduates with an integrated understanding of disaster risk and its implications for sustainable development in South Africa and Africa, as well as core and advanced competencies in risk assessment and risk reduction. It will provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to assess and analyse hazard trends and patterns, conditions of environmental endangerment and socioeconomic vulnerability. It will also extend capabilities in the strategic integration of information generated from diverse data sources to determine levels of risk and to inform risk reduction planning.

This is achieved through the systematic introduction of both the theoretical and evidence-based dimensions of disaster risks that are relevant to South Africa, reinforced through the context of application in the risk assessment process, accompanied by a disaster risk-related thesis.

Rationale

There is limited systematic scholarship related to disaster risk across Africa. There are numerous higher education courses offered related to earth sciences, environmental science or human geography. However, these do not adequately address the complex, scientific scope of the disaster risk field, which fuses both physical and social science elements.

Similarly, although several institutions focus on disaster (risk) management-oriented qualifications, these foreground practice, rather than the integrated science that is central to analysing and understanding contemporary risk processes. In this context, the qualification is distinguished by its explicit emphasis on disaster risk science as a field primarily directed to purposive enquiry, rather than one oriented to practice. The qualification differentiates Disaster Risk Science (DRS) from disaster (risk) management, which foregrounds practice and implementation, recognising the complementarity and interdependencies of both fields of study.

However, to ensure its coherence in an applied context, the qualification is necessarily aligned with South Africa's transformative disaster management policy and practice. It specifically responds to the identified need in the 2013 National Disaster Management Education and Training Framework that calls for the "trans disciplinary mainstreaming of disaster risk management within the curricula of all disciplines"... "as well as integration of disaster risk management content within the existing specialised courses such as development studies, meteorology, engineering, town planning, health sciences, geographical sciences, chemical sciences."

The introduction of a cross-disciplinary disaster risk science masters qualification allows for the advancement of scholarship on risk and risk reduction in South Africa and the continent. It also enables the generation of skilled graduates with interdisciplinary research competencies who are able to study and analyse disaster risks relevant to South Africa and Africa. The qualification explicitly fuses context with content and seeks to address three underpinning imperatives:

• Disciplinary coherence within geography and environmental studies.
• Alignment with transformative disaster (risk) management policy and practice.
• Social responsiveness, particularly to risk environment in the Western Cape.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

In keeping with the institution's support for RPL in increasing the accessibility of its qualifications, the qualification makes provision for RPL where prospective learners do not meet the above academic criteria.

Entry Requirement

Learners are required to have completed either of the following to be allowed entry into pursuing this qualification

• A relevant Bachelor Honours Degree.
• A relevant Postgraduate Diploma.

This qualification consists of modules at NQF Level 8 and 9 totalling 180 credits.

Learners will take an additional elective worth 15 credits from the elective modules.

Modules at NQF Level 9

• Disaster risk science and development, 30 Credits.
• Disaster risk assessment and analytics, 30 Credits.
• GIS and remote sensing applications for risk reduction, 15 Credits.
• Thesis (Disaster risk science and development), 90 Credits.

Elective Modules at level 8 (choose one)

• Sustainable development, 15 Credits.
• Sustainable cities, 15 Credits.
• Environmental issues, 15 Credits.
• Introduction to development planning, 15 Credits.
• Environmental governance, 15 Credits.

1. Understand and analyse disaster risk occurrences, patterns and trends in urban and rural contexts to South Africa, and at a regional and trans boundary scale.
2. Evaluate the robustness of different risk and vulnerability assessment methods for specific hazard types, geographic and administrative scales and contexts.
3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of GIS.
4. Produce an empirical research project, following a comprehensive literature review, which research topic and appropriate theories and methodologies are thoroughly investigated and explained.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of collaborative approaches to environmental governance, partnership and networks.
6. Understand what development planning (and town and regional planning) as a discipline and profession entails, and what knowledge, skills and values are required of planners.
7. Understand urbanisation trends across the world with specific reference to their environmental impacts and consequences.
8. Recognise, understand and apply the divergent interpretations of sustainable development that currently exist.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Plans in addressing priority disaster risk are drawn and further analysed.
• Critical ethical principles that guide responsible risk management policy and practice are explained.
• Reduction strategies and their implications for implementation are defined, critiqued and new innovative strategies are developed.
• Hazard and vulnerability science is synthesised to contextualise disaster risk.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Different disaster risk and vulnerability assessment methods and tools are identified and applied.
• Robust risk assessments are designed and undertaken.
• The assessment findings for clients and other stake-holders are interpreted and communicated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The complex nature of geographical data is discussed.
• The different ways in which geographical data are ordered and structured in a GIS is examined.
• The importance of cartographic display as an essential sub-component of a GIS is discussed.
• Database management systems as an integral part of a GIS are assessed.
• The operations typically required to prepare spatial data for GIS analysis is established.
• Spatial problems using GIS can be solved.
• The principles of remote sensing and earth observation are described.
• The electromagnetic spectrum, the properties of electromagnetic energy, reflectance properties of land and water surfaces, as well as the influence that the atmosphere has on electromagnetic energy transfer are explained.
• The spatial, spectral, radio metrical and temporal properties of remotely sensed imagery are described.
• Examples of satellite systems and characteristics are provided and described.
• Suitable image enhancement techniques for visual interpretation of imagery are identified and applied.
• Image pre-processing including geometrical, radio metrical and atmospherically corrections are described.
• The various techniques available for classifying multi-spectral imagery are described.
• A land cover map using pixel-based unsupervised and supervised classification methods using multi-spectral imagery is developed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• A research project that includes contextualising the research problem either with an historical review or within the discipline is designed.
• The appropriate goals, aims and objectives are formulated, and the most suitable research methodologies and data requirements are selected.
• The relevant literature from two or more disciplines in establishing and answering the research problem are interrogated and integrated.
• Research is independently conducted, evaluated and applied.
• The results are analysed and interrogated against the aims and objectives of the research and the relevant literature.
• A research report is composed and written.
• The results effectively presented and communicated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Institutional and organisational aspects of policy implementation are explored.
• Environmental policy is analysed, formulated and evaluated.
• Environmental policy instruments, governance processes, and institutional frameworks are identified, and discussed.
• The socio-political contexts within which environmental governance takes place is explored and outlined.
• Approaches to collaborative environmental management and multi-stakeholder are defined.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• The planning and development context of South Africa and other developing countries are identified and compared.
• The importance of the role in planning to promote sustainable development and sustainable human settlements is defined.
• Poverty, inequity and social exclusion as phenomena, and possible sustainable development remedies/'solutions' thereto are discussed.
• The different theoretical planning models and their relevance to planning processes and situations are identified, contrasted and applied accordingly.
• Public or community participation; the role of civil society; deep and deliberative democracy, participative development, empowerment and conflict management issues are outlined.
• The techniques and tools used by planners to manage urban and rural problems are identified.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• The main dimensions of the urban environmental challenges that accompany rapid processes of urbanisation and slum formation are explained.
• The theoretical frameworks/lenses that inform how urban environmental issues are defined, recognised and framed relative to policy responses are considered.
• The role of institutions in effective policy design, organisation and implementation is identified.
• The relationship between urban infrastructure investment and sustainability is assessed.
• The relative trade-offs between various categories of infrastructure in relation to broader development imperatives are outlined.
• The importance and complexity of governance systems and relations in urban areas are discussed.
• The political underpinnings of policy options, choices and implementation decisions are identified.
• Linkages between the development of cities in the global south and the conceptual models available are drawn.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Global urban development aspects are identified, compared and analysed.
• Issues and challenges in urban sustainability are outlined.
• Theories of sustainability are discussed and with relevant examples are applied.
• Policies and legislation related to sustainability are evaluated.
• The importance of infrastructure and sustainability is outlined.

Integrated Assessment

Tests and Assignments

During the course of a semester, learners will be assessed in several different ways, which although largely summative, will enable on-going formative assessment by both learners and lecturers. For the core, compulsory modules:

• Learners will be expected to complete three or four papers and/or other written assignments for each module ((8-10 pages) where learners will be expected to critically review and integrate the readings and lecture inputs relevant to each paper.
• In the case of the Disaster risk Assessment and Analytics module, learners will compile a portfolio of risk assessment tools, as well as a field-based assignment (15-20 pages per learner), where they will be expected to undertake, write-up and orally present the findings of a professional research project.
• E-learning tests will be undertaken where applicable.
• With the exception of the Disaster Risk Assessment and Analytics module, where assessment will be based on coursework and the professional report, a written final examination will be required where learners will be expected to apply the knowledge learned to real-world disaster risk and development scenarios.

In the case of electives, learners will be expected to undertake all assessments attached to the module, to be marked by the relevant convener/lecturer.