Use and management of energy resources from Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) nexus perspective: The case of Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), Limpopo Province
type: CreativeWork
description: Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) are necessity resources required by human beings for sustenance, social, and economic development. Energy is at the centre of the WEF nexus due to its dual role as a driver of economic activity and the largest contributor to global warming and climate change risks. In response, most countries following the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate action have adopted renewable energy (herein referred to as smart energy practices and innovations) policies to mitigate the adverse impacts of energy on climate change, as well as address health and environmental crises. Such measures and policies are also pursued to enhance energy security and economic prosperity. Though South Africa is one of the countries that has adopted an ambitious renewable energy policy, there is a paucity of information on factors influencing the adoption of renewable based energy resources and potential outcomes at the household level, where most of the envisioned policy objectives are expected to be pursued and realised. The current study was conducted in the Nzhelele and Luvuvhu River catchment areas in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) of Limpopo Province. A mixed methods approach was used to gather information on energy access and use at the household level through household questionnaires and triangulated through key informant interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Economic analysis of existing energy practices and innovations was analysed using a Net Present Value (NPV) analysis, and environmental performance assessed through Partial Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Analysis of data was done in Excel and IBMR SPSSR Statistics version 28 based on weight estimation and multinomial logistic regression approaches. Biomass and mains electricity are the main sources of energy, with energy stacking being a universal strategy observed in majority of households. Renewable energy sources such as solar energy are rarely used at the household level. Approximately 62% o…
abstract: Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) are necessity resources required by human beings for sustenance, social, and economic development. Energy is at the centre of the WEF nexus due to its dual role as a driver of economic activity and the largest contributor to global warming and climate change risks. In response, most countries following the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate action have adopted renewable energy (herein referred to as smart energy practices and innovations) policies to mitigate the adverse impacts of energy on climate change, as well as address health and environmental crises. Such measures and policies are also pursued to enhance energy security and economic prosperity. Though South Africa is one of the countries that has adopted an ambitious renewable energy policy, there is a paucity of information on factors influencing the adoption of renewable based energy resources and potential outcomes at the household level, where most of the envisioned policy objectives are expected to be pursued and realised. The current study was conducted in the Nzhelele and Luvuvhu River catchment areas in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) of Limpopo Province. A mixed methods approach was used to gather information on energy access and use at the household level through household questionnaires and triangulated through key informant interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Economic analysis of existing energy practices and innovations was analysed using a Net Present Value (NPV) analysis, and environmental performance assessed through Partial Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Analysis of data was done in Excel and IBMR SPSSR Statistics version 28 based on weight estimation and multinomial logistic regression approaches. Biomass and mains electricity are the main sources of energy, with energy stacking being a universal strategy observed in majority of households. Renewable energy sources such as solar energy are rarely used at the household level. Approximately 62% o…
author: Mudau, Mulalo
language: en
keywords: Household Energy ladder, Energy mix, Energy stacking, Energy security, Renewable energy, Vhembe District Municipality, WEF nexus, UCTD
date published: 2025-09-05
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:57:35Z
provider: University of Venda
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Venda