Dissertations / Theses: 'Social aspects of Water-supply'

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Mpendu, Daluhlanga Ayford. "Aspects pertinent to the provision of sustainable water supply projects in the Eastern Cape Province: a case study of Nomzamo Water Supply Project." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007450.

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This study explores views behind the failure of water supply projects to achieve sustainability, primarily from the 'users' perspective, and at a secondary level from the perspective of the government/funders. One completed water supply project was selected as a case study for the research project. The overriding principle behind the water infrastructure delivery programme is that the service must be provided in a sustainable manner, and that the community must actively participate and be involved in all the phases of the project. The provision of water is not simply as it might look. In reality it is a complex process, which involves a number of organisations with different, yet important roles and responsibilities. Ongoing collaboration is important among these organisations if the service is to be provided efficiently and in a sustainable manner. In particular, local government has a Constitutional obligation to provide services to all consumers in an efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable manner. The National and Provincial governments, however, have a number of responsibilities in the field of water services. Semi-structured interview method was used to collect data from respondents. Two sets of interview schedules were developed, one for the community/water project committee members, and the other for the government officials. The data collected was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. This analysis enabled the researcher to draw findings, make conclusions and propose recommendations. The findings and conclusions of the study point to lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities; gender and cultural constraints; and, poor training and capacity and building of the community as being some of the reasons for the failure of the project. The recommendations proposed entail, inter alia, massive community mobilisation and awareness creation programmes; improvement in levels of the service; adoption of a gender-sensitive approach to project development; and, implementation of a training and capacity building process in the community in order to 'revitalise' the project. The study has merely focussed on one water project and sets the scene for further exploration of the subject. It certainly highlights some critical issues around sustainability of water projects, and hopefully will contribute towards the ongoing debate in this area.

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Smith, Julie. "Social policy, welfare in urban services in South Africa : a case study of free basic water, indigency and citizenship in Eastwood, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal (2005-2007)." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015231.

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This is an in-depth case study of urban water services to poor households and their interactions with local state power in the community of Eastwood, Pietermaritzburg, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, for the period 2005-2007. It draws especially on the experiences of poor women, exploring the conceptions and implications of the movement of municipal services into the realm of welfare-based urban service concessions. It interrogates what value municipal services, framed in the language and form of welfare but within a commodification milieu and in the context of shifting citizen-state relations offer the state apparatus and how such free basic service offerings are experienced by poor households at the level of domestic, social and economic functioning. The study adopts a fluid mixed-methodological approach to optimise exploration and interpretation. It argues that the interface of state service delivery and citizens is fraught with contradictions: core to this is the nature of state ' help.' Free basic water encompassed in the social wage did not improve the lives of poor households; instead it eroded original water access. Free basic water stole women's time spent on domestic activities; compromised appropriate water requirements, exacerbated service affordability problems and negatively affected household functioning. Poor households experienced the government's policy of free basic services as containment and punishment for being poor. The Indigent Policy activated the state's surveillance, disciplinary and control apparatus. In the absence of effective national regulation over municipalities and with financial shortfalls, street-level bureaucrats manipulated social policies to further municipal cost recovery goals and subjugate poor households. Social control and cheap governance were in symmetry. Citizens, desperate for relief, approached the state. Poor households were pushed into downgraded service packages or mercilessly pursued by municipally outsourced private debt collectors and disconnection companies. Municipalities competing for investments brought about by favourable credit ratings abandoned the humanity of their citizens. Such re-prioritisation of values had profound implications for governance and public trust. Citizens were jettisoned to the outskirts of municipal governance, resulting in a distinct confusion and anger towards the local state - and with it, major uncertainties regarding future stability, redistribution and equity.

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Sathapornvajana, Kuakul. "Improving community water conservation behavior in Chachoengsao, Thailand." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1607.

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The issue of water supply throughout the world is of concern for many reasons. It is projected that by the year 2025 two-thirds of the world's population will encounter moderate to severe water shortages. As a result of unsustainable development over the past decade, Thailand has faced pollution problems as well as the depletion of many natural resources. These problems have impacted on the country's main rivers (Chaopraya River, Thachine River, and the Bangpakong River), that are crucial to a sustainable economy, society, and culture. There needs to be a concentrated effort at all levels (individual to community) to address this problem. This thesis reports on a collaborative water conservation project undertaken in the Banmai and Bone market communities located on the banks of the Bangpakong River in Chachoengsao province, Thailand. In the first phase a qualitative research paradigm was used to gain an understanding of sixteen Bangpakong River stakeholders' perceptions of the river and to determine the factors motivating or constraining their water conservation behaviour. Information obtained in this phase was used to construct a questionnaire to measure a range of variables associated with water conservation behaviours and to provide a framework for the subsequent phases of the study. The second phase used the information accumulated in phase one and involved twenty community leaders in partial participant action research in order to obtain solutions for solving the water pollution problem, plan an appropriate Water Conservation Campaign and empower the leaders to mobilise community members. The third phase, the community-based Water Conservation Campaign planned by the community leaders in phase two was implemented over a six month period. Prior to the campaign, immediately following the campaign and three months after the completion of the campaign a sample of 110 community members completed a questionnaire designed to assess the effectiveness of the campaign and to determine the factors predicting their intention to conserve water. An additional 109 participants from Bang-Wua, and Bangkhla market community which was not involved in the campaign also completed the questionnaire as a control group. Multiple Regressions and repeated MANCOVA indicated that the Water Conservation Campaign had a significant effect on the participants in the experimental group across times in six aspects; namely Knowledge, Attitudes, Past Behaviour, Perceived Behaviour Control, Situational Supporters, and also the Intention to Conserve Water. However it did not have a significant effect on Subjective Norm or Sense of Community. With the exception of Situational Supporters, similar results were obtained when the leaders were excluded from the analysis. In comparison to the control group, the experimental group scored significantly higher on Water Conservation Knowledge, Intention to Conserve Water, Attitude towards Water Conservation, Subjective Norm, Past Behaviour, Perceived Behavioural Control and Situational Supporters immediately after the campaign. The same results were obtained when leaders were excluded from the analysis. However, three months later, the experimental group (with and without leaders) scored significantly higher only on Water Conservation Knowledge, Subjective Norm and Past Behaviour, and significantly lower on Situational Supporters. These results suggest that community involvement in a water conservation campaign is an effective, empowering and useful approach to address the issue of water pollution in the Bangpakong River.

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Baccin, Giulia Alessandra <1991&gt. "The Bolivian water wars: social and economic aspects." Master's Degree Thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/8727.

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My research covers the story of the water wars in Bolivia. Water is a natural monopoly and it expects very high costs for infrastructures technologies, indeed its market cannot be competitive. Bolivia is a country in which Indigenous heritage is still strong in language and other aspects of everyday life. The commonest water management system in the Andes region among the Aymara and Quechua was that of “Communal Waters”. It originated in the Incan period, and was organized considering the intensity of rain and the needs of every family, based on equity and reciprocity. Bolivia confronts the two cultures of water: western and indigenous. The management of water, until 1999 in the hands of SEMAPA, was privatized and entrusted to the American Multinational Bechtel. It was investing to modernize the water network and drainage system and to extend it to the favelas. The loans were guaranteed by the World Bank and as there was no money in the public fund, the tariffs would sustain the reimbursement of the loan, but it was unaffordable by the majority of Bolivians. Soon people rose against the water privatization. In January 2000, a strike paralyzed the country in the name of the right to water; the government reacted harshly, imposing the martial law. The multinational was sent away and the administration belonged to the people. Soon people realized that the problem was not Bechtel or the law on privatization, it had to do with social conflicts, ethnic and economic that are Bolivian. In 2009 the Bolivian changed their constitution, which now proclaims that water is a human right and bans its privatization. Under Morales government the Water Ministry was created in 2006, to integrate the functions of water supply and sanitation.

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Akyurek, Gokce. "Impact Of Ataturk Dam On Social And Environmental Aspects Of The Southeastern Anatolia Project." Master's thesis, METU, 2005. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12606992/index.pdf.

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In this thesis the impact of the Atatü
rk Dam on social and environmental aspects of the Southeastern Anatolia Project has been discussed in terms of planning and policy making, institutional arrangements, infrastuctural development and human resources development. In order to analyse the impacts of Atatü
rk Dam data related to several components are collected. These components can be listed as resettlement, land acquisition and land consolidation, education, health, gender issues. The results show that the Atatü
rk Resettlement has been done involuntarily. The people mostly have their compensation. However the management abilities of the resettlers for the compensations were poor. Generally the Southeastern Anatolia Project as a large scale multi sectoral projects have positive impacts on the literacy ratio and health standards. Actually the social and environmental aspects of this kind of large scale projects are difficult to predict and measure. Therefore reasonable studies on prediciting the problems related to the environemental and social issues and producing sufficient solutions become more and more important day by day. The Southeastern Anatolia Project becomes an important example for similar projects by considering its both positive and negative impacts

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LaFreniere, Katherine Carol, and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management. "The decision making process for social issue behaviors : a stakeholder perspective / Katherine Carol Lafreniere." Thesis, Management, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/2611.

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This study argues that Stakeholder Theory (Mitchell, Agle, & Wood, 1997) can be applied from the stakeholder‘s perspective in order to understand how stakeholders perceive their claims in an organization and consequently decide how to influence an organization. Using this audience-centric perspective, organizations can influence the stakeholder‘s claims and ultimately how the stakeholder will support the organization. These arguments are supported based on the case of farmers who voted in the 2007 water transfer agreement between the Municipality of Rocky View and the Western Irrigation District (WID). Personal interviews, employing Narrative Research, were conducted to document the participant‘s interpretations. The interview transcripts were analyzed in order to test and expand Stakeholder Theory as well as determine how marketers can use this perspective to successfully target different groups of stakeholders. This understanding contributes to potential management effectiveness because it explains how managers can deal with multiple stakeholder interests.
vii, 82 leaves ; 29 cm

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Chen, Yu. "Essays on Intergenerational and Regional Aspects of Water Management." FIU Digital Commons, 2014. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1525.

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This dissertation consists of three essays on different aspects of water management. The first essay focuses on the sustainability of freshwater use by introducing the notion that altruistic parents do bequeath economic assets for their offspring. Constructing a two-period, over-lapping generational model, an optimal ratio of consumption and pollution for old and young generations in each period is determined. Optimal levels of water consumption and pollution change according to different parameters, such as, altruistic degree, natural recharge rate, and population growth. The second essay concerns water sharing between countries in the case of trans-boundary river basins. The paper recognizes that side payments fail to forge water-sharing agreement among the international community and that downstream countries have weak bargaining power. An interconnected game approach is developed by linking the water allocation issue with other non-water issues such as trade or border security problems, creating symmetry between countries in bargaining power. An interconnected game forces two countries to at least partially cooperate under some circumstances. The third essay introduces the concept of virtual water (VW) into a traditional international trade model in order to estimate water savings for a water scarce country. A two country, two products and two factors trade model is developed, which includes not only consumers and producer’s surplus, but also environmental externality of water use. The model shows that VW trade saves water and increases global and local welfare. This study should help policy makers to design appropriate subsidy or tax policy to promote water savings especially in water scarce countries.

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Picchio, A. "The political economy of the social reproduction of labour : Analytical and historical aspects of labour supply." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.372899.

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Hoolohan, Claire. "Reframing water efficiency : towards interventions that reconfigure the shared and collective aspects of everyday water use." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/reframing-water-efficiency-towards-interventions-that-reconfigure-the-shared-and-collective-aspects-of-everyday-water-use(9051041e-e89b-43e5-888a-f41ad9d4c926).html.

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This is a thesis about water efficiency, a particular set of practices in the water industry of England and Wales designed to reduce end-use water demand in homes and businesses. Broadly, the thesis aims to understand how water efficiency activities organised and funded by water companies might more effectively support the development of sustainable patterns of domestic demand, in order to contribute to long-term sustainable water management. To achieve this aim, mixed qualitative methods are used to; a) evaluate the extent to which two non-conventional water efficiency activities engage with the collective elements of everyday consumption that existing research deems necessary to steer demand (Strengers, 2012, Macrorie et al., 2014, Shove, 2014, Geels et al., 2015); b) develop a conceptual understanding of demand management as a professional practice, to understand how Water Company activities are shaped, sustained and stifled; and c) develop an understanding of what future water efficiency activities might look like that take account of the findings from this research. Central to this research and analysis is the notion of 'collective', a term that denotes a conceptual perspective on demand that departs from a focus on individuals, towards the shared social, technological and natural relations that structure everyday activity (Browne et al., 2014). The analysis uses this notion of collectives to examine the impacts and limitations of Save Water Swindon, a large-scale 'whole-town' approach to water efficiency (Case Study 1); to explore how Care for the Kennet contributes to demand management by reconfiguring relations between water in the home and water in the river (Case Study 2); and to uncover the collective context of the professional practices of managing demand (Case Study 3). The findings illustrate that demand is shaped by routines that extend far beyond the spaces in which water is used, both intentionally and unintentionally, and therefore highlight a distributed web of people and practices that might be involved in demand management. The findings from these empirical enquiries are used to as the basis to work with the water industry to reimagine interventions that engage in the collective context of demand, and elicit conceptual understandings of the processes and actors involved in governing social change. Overall, the approach taken in this thesis demonstrates the vitality of practice-based enquiry that provides deep analytical detail to better understand the mundane yet complex processes that sustain everyday water use. Supplementing the analysis with ideas from a variety of social science disciplines and working alongside the water industry, facilitated by the CASE studentship, pushes the analysis beyond the confines of domestic practices typical of practice-based research. Subsequently this research offers contributions to policy, practice and theoretical developments as it explores the intersections between demand and professional practices and local environments, evaluates interventions, examines practices of demand management, and unravels the possibilities for future intervention. Consequently, though focused on water management in the UK, this research offers insights for other resource agendas and regional contexts, expanding discussions in these spaces to think creatively about avenues for future policy and management practice.

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Tshikila, Mzimasi Eschalaus. "Developing Exxaro (Pty) Ltd sustainable supply chain strategy." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80775.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
This exercise aimed at developing a sustainable supply chain strategy that was adopted by Exxaro Resources (Pty) Ltd. The focus of the approach was to assess the status of Exxaro’s supply chain sustainability compared to that of competitors operating in South Africa and the supply chain dimensions applicable to Exxaro’s scope (i.e. green inventory management, green warehouse/storage management, sustainable procurement or sourcing, sustainable supplier management and sustainable transport/business travelling). The strategy framework used includes a review of supply chain sustainability relating to Exxaro and the requirements thereof, depicting gaps, recommended actions or initiatives to close the gaps, an implementation approach and a schedule. The strategy sets out to distinguish Exxaro in supply chain sustainable development through the setting of guidelines, reporting standards and commitments to economic, labour, human rights as well as social and environmental well-being. The approach envisages collaborating with suppliers and Exxaro’s sustainable development department to continuously improve and embed positive sustainability practices within Exxaro’s supply chain processes. This research report highlights the progress already made with high-level sustainable supply chain management implementation by selected Exxaro competitors, relevant schools of thought and theories with the emphasis on bringing a link to opportunities for Exxaro to progress into supply chain sustainability. The relationship between supply chain practices, environmental performance, social and economic impacts was studied. The mining sector, with its history of negative impacts on societies and the environment, is continuously challenged by the increasing emphasis to demonstrate ethical, social and environmental performance and accountability throughout its business practices. The use of Exxaro as a practical case study limits the extent to which the recommended strategy can be generalised to any mining environment or company. Findings mentioned may be subject to further research by augmenting the scope to include mines operating outside of South Africa or additional mining entities and theories. The approach of the research included empirical studies in the form of in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys on various internal stakeholders. Some information was obtained from the annual reports of Exxaro and a selected number of South African mining companies that are mining similar products to Exxaro. The data was analysed using statistical methods for social sciences with both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.

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Barnes, Garth. "An exploration of the way in which values and valuing processes might strengthen social learning in water stewardship practices in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012940.

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This qualitative study, focussing on the way in which values and valuing processes might strengthen social learning in water stewardship practices in South Africa, is located within the broader global narrative that describes the scale of human impact on our Earth systems and that is setting humanity on a trajectory that threatens to place us beyond the safe operating spaces called planetary boundaries. For humanity to live within planetary boundaries – one of which is global freshwater use –will take a new way of relating to the environment called Earth stewardship, which calls for a new ethic of responsibility towards Earth systems. It is at the local level of stewardship within a global approach to water resources management called integrated water resources management that this qualitative study is contextually bound. Two case studies, located in the catchment management forums (CMFs) of the Upper Vaal catchment of Gauteng, South Africa, are used in an exploration of the way in which values and valuing processes might strengthen social learning in water stewardship practices in South Africa. The meta-theory of critical realism is used to help explore this relationship between values, practice and social learning. The study uses document analysis, interviews and observation of selected water stewardship practices to identify held and assigned values, and valuing processes and their influence on social learning, and the framing and de-framing processes that occur in social learning oriented towards water stewardship practices. The study differentiates between held and assigned values and identifies a strong altruistic-held values tendency that characterises forum participants who practice water stewardship in the two case study sites. Most water stewardship practice, identified in the case study sites, manifests as compliance activities in the public – or forum – space, while private-sphere environmentalism is mostly left to the confines of the individual’s private household. Lastly, the CMFs seem to have the potential to provide a space for social learning that is not yet maximised. Drawing from these key findings, the study’s major recommendation is that forums that facilitate learning, either using the current CMF structure or creating new opportunities, need to be provided as a conduit for social learning and reflexivity to make the existing boundaries between private and public forms of water stewardship more porous. This social learning may expand social practice and thus strengthen social change processes that expand water stewardship practices.

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Yates, Michelle Joan. "Social impact assessment of changing the water level in the Olushandja Dam." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17001.

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Includes bibliography.
The Olushandja dam is located in the northern part of Namibia, in the Omusati region - one of the four regions into which the former Ovamboland was divided after independence. The Olushandja dam is part of a two-dam supply system comprising the Calueque dam, on the Cunene river in Angola and the Olushandja dam in Namibia. Construction on Olushandja dam was completed in 1975. It acts as a storage and balancing dam for water supplied from Calueque. Olushandja dam is 17, 7kms long and about 300m wide. For the last 20 years it has been managed at 30% as this is the capacity at which evaporation balances injection of water into the dam and seepage. As part of a plan to upgrade the pumping facilities at Calueque and Olushandja dams, upgrading at Olushandja was initiated early in 1995, and involved repairing the north wall pump station and pumps, and the repair of the sluice gates at the south wall. Upgrading of the Calueque facilities is envisaged for 1996. With upgrading virtually complete at Olushandja, the UCT team were commissioned to conduct a SIA on the effect of changing the water level in the dam on the rural communities living in the vicinity of the dam. The SIA forms part of a full EIA looking at the overall environmental effect of changing the water level at which the dam is currently managed. The impact of the SIA will therefore be in terms of management rather than construction.

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Hong, Chang-Yu. "The Tension between Technocratic and Social Values in Environmental Decision-making: An'Yang Stream Restoration in South Korea." PDXScholar, 2017. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3784.

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This dissertation examined the extent to which interests and values of diverse stakeholders were considered through participation-oriented decision-making. It covered the An' Yang Stream restoration case in South Korea, which has been judged a successful stream management endeavor led by public-private partnership governance. This research utilized a mixed methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. It addressed the extent to which the collaborative and participatory decision-making processes incorporated diverse stakeholder values and visions. The relevant data on stream restoration was collected through nominal group technique (NGT), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), semi-structured interviews, observations at collaborative stakeholder meetings and workshops, and documentation review. My research concluded that integration of all interests was not achieved. These interests might have potentially affected the extent to which stakeholders' values are incorporated or not in participation-oriented collaborative stakeholders' partnerships by utilizing interest-based facilitation techniques, such as joint-fact-finding or principled negotiation. At the same time, my findings expatiate the catalyzing roles of the public media within stream restoration decision-making governance.

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Strauss, D. Niel. "The viability of crowdsourcing : a supply side market survey." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/79329.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
Crowdsourcing is a new phenomenon, giving companies the ability to tap into the wisdom of crowds in order to solve complex problems, often at a fraction of the cost. In this document, the viability of crowdsourcing from the supply side is investigated with a market research questionnaire at the core of the research. Firstly, an overview of the current online crowdsourcing landscape is given with a focus on the big players, followed by a literature study on the motivation of solvers and their associated compensation needs. Because of the nature of crowdsourcing, an assumption is made that knowledge workers will be the biggest contributors in the form of solvers; this presumption is demonstrated by analysing responses to the questionnaire. The following research question is answered: What are the needs and profile of the solvers (supply side) of an internet platform that uses the principle of crowdsourcing to solve complex problems? It also answers the questions of many online crowdsourcing enthusiasts with regards to the typical solver and what their needs are, specifically with regards to compensation structures on these platforms. The typical solver profile was found to be predominantly male between the ages of 19 and 37, with a tertiary education or busy earning a degree of some sort and a strong will to become wealthy through applying this knowledge. These typical solvers have a primary objective to earn money with 100 per cent of the incentive paid to one „winner‟. They will participate more than three times even if they do not „win‟ the challenge and expect to earn more that R1 000 but less than R10 000 per day for this type of work. Certain limitations of the study are also addressed, like the clear self-selection bias and difficulty to generalise the findings to a well-defined group of people, as became evident from analysing questionnaire findings.

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Tsoi, Chung-sze Joyce, and 蔡頌詩. "Supply chain management for sustainable development: perspective from Greater Pearl River Delta." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B35521193.

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Russell, Diane. "Food supply and the state: the history and social organization of the rice trade in Kisangani, Zaire." Thesis, Boston University, 1991. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/41553.

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In Kisangani, as in other parts of Africa subject to political parasitism and economic chaos, people have had to draw on many channels of access to resources in order to survive. This pattern of shifting strategies militates against sustained investment in food supply and thus is a major factor in the food crisis in Africa. Thirteen months of fieldwork in the city of Kisangani and the surrounding subregion of Tshopo revealed how constantly changing regulations, inflation and poor infrastructure forced merchants and farmers into diversification and made long-term investment in rice production and trade risky. Uncertainty in the supply of basic resources such as credit, seeds, fuel, spare parts and produce sacks was linked to the draining of foreign exchange and development funds toward the nonproductive activities of the political élite. Controls on agricultural production such as the forced cultivation of rice led to suppression of African farmers' initiative. Trade in rice was in the hands of expatriate monopsonies until the 1970s, but the indigenization of expatriate businesses and plantations (zairianization) only served to isolate further the rural areas devastated by the Simba rebellion of the mid-1960s. In addition, zairianization fostered parasitism and discouraged investment. In the 1980s, farmers were blocked from organizing their own markets and cooperatives and farm labor was relegated telwomen. Large traders agreed to maintain controls on trade which perpetuated the bureaucracy in order to keep ahead of the mass of mobile small traders. Government programs, and approaches such as privatization and liberalization, initiated by Zaire's external investors, did not change the terms of access to resources within the Zairian economy and, thus, agricultural productivity did not increase. These findings support the theory that multiple survival strategies generated by economic chaos and circumvention of and collaboration with the state lead to declining agricultural productivity. This view has implications for agricultural development policy.

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Zhang, Junru. "Determinants of corporate environmental and social disclosure in Chinese listed mining, electricity supply and chemical companies annual reports." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/529.

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As the environmental and social disclosing systems have been developed over decades, the climate of corporate environmental and social responsibility is becoming mature nowadays globally. What and how environment-sensitive companies (i.e. companies that are more likely to do environmental damages) disclose such information voluntarily are extensively concerned by the public, especially in China, where strong debatable issues constantly raise as a result of the rapid economic growth. Corporate environmental and social responsibility is no longer an international obligation but a domestic demand for China. This study will enhance our understanding of a very important issue in arguably the world's most vibrant economy. The thesis has contributed the literature in a number of ways. First, this study aimed to measure the type and extent of both corporate environmental and social reporting across the Chinese environmental sensitive industries’ annual reports, which include mining, electricity supply, and chemical industries. A dichotomous method was employed and the Global Reporting Initiative third edition (G3) was selected as a benchmark. In addition, the characteristics of the companies that voluntarily disclose environmental and social information in their annual reports were to be examined under legitimacy theory. Seven hypotheses that developed seven predictor variables based on legitimacy theoretical framework with one of three industries examined each time. The variables were government ownership, management role, member of industrial association, profitability, operating leverage, company age, and firm size. Finally, results in differences across industries were to be discussed and compared. This study aimed to measure the type and extent of corporate environmental and social reporting across the Chinese mining, electricity supply, and chemical industries' annual reports, using the Global Reporting Initiative third edition (G3) as a benchmark. In addition, the characteristics of companies that voluntarily disclose environmental and social information in their annual reports were to be examined under legitimacy theory. There are seven hypotheses that developed seven predictor variables based on legitimacy theoretical framework with one of three industries examined each time. The variables were government ownership, management role, member of industrial association, profitability, operating leverage, company age, and firm size. Finally, results in differences across industries were to be discussed and compared. There were a total of 193 sample companies selected from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange database, and content analysis was applied to review and examine their annual reports in 2010. The G3 guidelines were used to indicate the extent of environmental and social performances by the sample companies. Companies’ specific characters for the predictor variables were also obtained from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange database. In order to accomplish the first aim of the study, descriptive statistics were used to determine the type and extent of environmental and social disclosures in the sample industries' 2010 annual reports. In addition, to accomplish the second aim, which is to examine the determinants of corporate environmental and social disclosure under legitimacy theory, univariate statistics and multiple regressions analysis were adopted. The comparisons across the sample industries were conducted after the regression analysis. Research findings from environmental disclosure analysis showed that although mining industry disclosed slightly more information than electricity supply industry, the extent of environmental reporting for all three industries were typically low because information disclosed was limited to several categories. It was found that Chinese mining, electricity supply, and chemical industries are more likely to disclose information regarding energy and materials, which were the most concerned aspects in the Chinese society. Environmental disclosure regression analysis indicated that most of the predictor variables from legitimacy theory are able to explain the extent of environmental reporting in the sample industries. The results indicated that member of industrial association, company age, company size and profitability were significant to the extent environmental reporting across the three sample industries. However, government ownership was found to be insignificant in the study. Results from social disclosure analysis indicated that electricity supply industries disclosed slightly more information than mining and chemical companies in their 2010 annual reports. Interestingly, all of the sample companies disclosed at least one item from the G3 social guidelines; however, the information disclosed was narrow in only a few categories, and the extent of social disclosure in the sample industries was typically low. The disclosure analysis found that Chinese mining, electricity supply, and chemical industries were more likely to disclose labour practices and decent work, and human rights information. The regression analysis showed that company size, profitability, leverage and management role have become the most significant factors, whereas member of industrial association was found to be insignificant in the sample industries. This study concludes that on the basis of legitimacy theory, the amount of environmental and social information disclosed in the Chinese mining, electricity supply, and chemical industries’ annual reports was almost the same, and the firm specific predictor variables have similar influences across industries both environmentally and socially.

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Berning, Anika. "Sustainable supply chain engagement in a retail environment : the case of Woolworths food suppliers." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95997.

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Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sustainability is a key requirement for business success and is often regarded a competitive advantage if strategically managed. Sustainability-mature organisations look to their value chains where the retailer-supplier relationship becomes critical in embedding sustainability. With this in mind, it has been established that a large South African retailer, Woolworths, has limited insight into the level of engagement in terms of sustainability with its key food suppliers, and no knowledge of the effectiveness of current tools used in enhancing their supply chain sustainability. This poses a problem, as it hinders the full implementation of Woolworth’s sustainability strategy across their value chain. In response to this, a study was undertaken to establish the level of engagement in terms of sustainability and obtain supplier feedback on the effectiveness of current tools used to enhance Woolworth’s supply chain sustainability. To facilitate this, the United Nations’ Global Compact and the Supply Chain Sustainability Guideline were utilised. Secondary research was conducted by means of a literature review covering the theoretical concepts of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, supply chain sustainability and retailer-supplier collaboration. The qualitative and exploratory nature of the study necessitated a case study research design, while the technique of purposive sampling was used to select the sample of three of Woolworths’ food suppliers. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews facilitated by an interview guide, and data analysis was conducted with Atlas.ti software. It was determined that the current engagement around sustainability between Woolworths and their suppliers is still at a basic and broad level, with a strong environmental focus. Additionally, monitoring and support of sustainability initiatives seems to be lacking. Managerial implications emphasise the importance of an integrated sustainability approach driven by the retailer and a strong focus on collaboration and communication with suppliers around ongoing sustainability challenges and opportunities. The United Nations Global Compact Supplier Engagement Continuum was utilised as a framework to map the current level of engagement and was amended for use in the South African context. Future research agendas suggest replica studies in other industries, and that the amended continuum should be tested and further refined for the South African context. In conclusion, specific propositions were formulated to aid future research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volhoubaarheid is ‘n sleutel vereiste vir besigheidsukses en word dikwels gesien as ‘n mededingende voordeel indien dit strategies bestuur word. Volhoubaar-volwasse organisasies fokus op hul waardekettings waar die kleinhandelaar-verskaffer verhouding krities is vir die implementering van volhoubaarheid. Met bogenoemde in gedagte, is dit bevind dat ‘n groot Suid-Afrikaanse kleinhandelaar, Woolworths, beperkte insig het aangaande die vlak van samewerking in terme van volhoubaarheid met sleutel voedselverskaffers. Verder is daar ook geen kennis oor die effektiwiteit van huidige tegnieke wat gebruik word om volhoubaarheid in hul waardeketting te bevorder nie. Dit skep ‘n probleem aangesien dit die effektiewe implementering van Woolworths se volhoubaarheidstrategie in hul waardeketting verhinder. Dus is ‘n studie onderneem om die vlak van betrokkenheid in terme van volhoubaarheid te bepaal, sowel as om terugvoer vanaf verskaffers in te samel aangaande die effektiwiteit van huidige volhoubaarheidsinisiatiewe. Om dit te fasiliteer was daar van die United Nations Global Compact en die Supply Chain Sustainability Guideline gebruik gemaak. Sekondêre navorsing was uitgevoer deur middel van ‘n literatuur studie wat fokus op die teoretiese konsepte van korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid, volhoubaarheid, waardeketting-volhoubaarheid, en kleinhandelaar-verskaffer samewerking. Die kwalitatiewe en ondersoekende eienskappe van die studie het gelei tot ‘n gevallestudie navorsingsontwerp, terwyl doelgerigte steekproeftrekking gebruik was om die steekproef van drie van Woolworths se voedselverskaffers te identifiseer. Data insameling het deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude plaasgevind en was gefasiliteer deur ‘n onderhoudgids. Die data was verwerk en geanaliseer met behulp van Atlas.ti sagteware. Dit is bevestig dat die huidige samewerking tussen Woolworths en hul verskaffers, aangaande volhoubaarheid, steeds op ‘n basiese en breë vlak is met ‘n sterk omgewingsfokus. Addisioneel wil dit voorkom dat volgehoue monitering en ondersteuning van volhoubaarheidspogings tekort skiet. Bestuursimplikasies beklemtoon die belangrikheid van ‘n geïntegreerde volhoubaarheidsbenadering wat gedryf moet word deur die kleinhandelaar. Terselfde tyd word ‘n sterk fokus op samewerking en kommunikasie met verskaffers aangaande deurlopende volhoubaarheidsgeleenthede en –uitdagings benodig. Die United Nations Global Compact Supplier Engagement Continuum was gebruik as raamwerk om die huidige vlak van samewerking te bepaal en was aangepas vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Toekomstige navorsingsagendas stel voor dat replika studies in ander industrieë gedoen word, en dat die aangepaste kontinuum getoets en verder verfyn word vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Ten slotte was spesifieke proposisies geformuleer vir toekomstige navorsing.

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19

Sitthisuntikul, Katesuda. "The relationship between the meaning of water and sense of place : a grounded theory study from northern Thailand." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/604.

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The literature suggests that a subtle relationship exists for communities between the meaning of water and sense of place, making fertile ground for systematic investigation. The relationship has obvious importance in today’s world, where people’s reliance on water, and the need for reliable supplies, form part of a common discourse in natural resource management. Yet, there has been much less discussion of what water means to people, how it connects with peoples’ sense of place, and what that might mean for the way people interact with their surroundings. The methodology of constructivist grounded theory was therefore appropriate to investigate this issue, and to derive a conceptual framework from the perspectives, the feelings, the experiences, and the actions of local insiders to water and to a place in which they lived. A systematic application of this methodology allowed me to constantly interact with data, create descriptions, and build conceptual frameworks from the ground. This process was conducted in particular settings: at Pok and Pang Jum Pee Villages near Chiang Mai City in the north of Thailand, where people interacted and relied on forests and the Mae Lai Noi stream in that forested mountain area. Two explanatory frameworks were derived from these settings. One sought to understand the constant features of the relationship between water, forests and livelihoods of community members during historical periods, driven by external and internal changes. Another examined the role of Buddhist rituals during, and as a consequence of, these changes, and how the rituals stimulated attitudes to, and actions of, forest and water conservation. The explanatory frameworks enabled the construction of a conceptual framework, proposed to explain the dynamic relationship between meaning of water and sense of place. The conceptual framework shows how a local reciprocity found in this relationship is consistent with the interaction between people, water, and place in the context of local communities. This relationship appears in particular settings and local contexts: in this case, where forest was meaningful as the pivotal physical setting and water was a part of forest. Additionally, economic well-being of local communities relied on both the forest and water, and people’s interaction influenced the nature of both water and forest. Together, sense of place or belongingness to a physical setting (forest) and the recognition of the meaning of water are vulnerable to loss. This responds to changing economic needs in local communities which themselves rely upon ecological conditions and connect with cultural and socio-political circumstances. Leadership plays an essential role, when such vulnerabilities are present, to evoke a sense of place and make explicit the meaning of water, driving the collective requirement for, and actions to protect and manage, water and place. Overall, the conceptual framework presented in this study provides a holistic and systematic perspective for investigating the relationship between the meaning of water and sense of place and may contribute to academic discourse and to natural resource management. This framework, however, requires verification and theoretical saturation in further research to be applicable when explaining the relationship between the meaning of water and sense of place in other settings or situations.

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20

Hunt, Richard Peter Lewis. "The environmental impacts of upgrading the Olushandja Dam, northern Namibia." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14714.

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Includes bibliographical references.
The purpose of this dissertation is to assess and evaluate various water level management options for the upgrading of Olushandja Dam in northern Namibia within the framework of the environmental impact assessment carried out for the project. This will enable the Namibian Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to improve their management of the dam for the benefit of the local communities and consumers in the Oshana Water Region (Figure 5 . 1). The dam has been in existence since 1975 and is part of the Calueque-Olushandja inter-basin water transfer scheme. A pipeline and a series of canals links Calueque Dam , on the Cunene River in Angola , with Olushandja Dam in Namibia and the urban areas to the east and south. In order to provide for the expected increase in water requirements from agricultural and rural development the scheme is presently being upgraded. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was initiated in 1994 by the DWA as a requirement of the Dutch Government who are funding the project. Biophysical studies were undertaken by staff from the DWA and private consultants from Windhoek. The socio-economic study was carried out by a study team from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, in association with a consultant from the University's Environmental Evaluation Unit (EEU). The EEU was appointed to compile a full EIA based on the findings of the specialist reports. This report is expected to be completed by October 1995.

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Novie, Alexander G. "Street Level Food Networks: Understanding Ethnic Food Cart Supply Chains in Eastern Portland, OR." PDXScholar, 2014. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2084.

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Portland, OR, is the site of a unique urban food cart phenomenon that provides opportunities for small business ownership and access points for culturally specific food for the city's foreign-born and minority populations. Known as a "foodie haven," Portland also has an active sustainable food movement with engaged citizens and support from city and regional policies aimed at significantly increasing the consumption of local food. To date, there have been no in-depth studies on the sourcing habits of Portland food cart owners and whether or not these street-level actors are involved in the area's local alternative food movements (AFNs). The current understanding of the Portland food cart phenomenon is based on studies that have focused on carts and pods located in the central business district and "inner-ring" areas of the city. Areas beyond these locations (defined as Eastern Portland) are currently home to the majority of the city's growing foreign-born and minority populations. This thesis uses a situational analysis framework to explore the food supply practices of ethnic food cart owners operating in Eastern Portland cart pods. I investigate the feasibility of purchasing locally grown ingredients for use in ethnic cuisines and the degree to which cart owners incorporate the region's prevailing locavore ethics into their everyday culinary practices. Findings from this inquiry suggest that ethnic cart owners in Eastern Portland have a range of habitus, or personal dispositions and embodied knowledge, that is reflected in how they perceive the benefits of and barriers to "buying local" and the extent (if any) that they engage with AFNs in the Portland area. I assert that ethnic food cart owners in Eastern Portland are performing multiple community roles by providing access points for culturally specific cuisines for their particular ethnic groups, while also offering exotic experiences to other residents and tourists alike. I discuss variations within the food cart phenomenon itself by highlighting the differences in design, amenities, types of access, and neighborhood customer bases of cart pods located in Eastern Portland. Finally, I discuss future research directions for understanding the dynamics of food supply chains in small-scale, direct-to-vendor relationships and the implications for local and regional food sustainability policy goals.

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22

Biswas, Margaret Rose. "FAO : its history and its achievements during the first four decades, 1945-1985." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2008. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:0b79db50-0d09-422e-8a11-d0ef8e9d47c3.

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23

Robertson, Christian Anton. "Understanding ethics in sustainability transitions : towards social learning for sustainable food systems." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86426.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the importance of an appropriate understanding of ethics in sustainability transitions. Through a conceptual analysis, it finds that the dominant understanding of modernist ethics is unsuitable to the contexts of contingency in sustainability transitions, and that the participatory understanding of ethics as a complex system presents a far more adequate approach to the ethical complexity of socioecological systems. In particular, the strategy of 'practising provisionality' is suggested, which understands the process of ethical decision-making as a process of social learning. This argument is further supported by a critical reflection on the food system context. The present dangers and future uncertainties of sustainability transitions are issues of incredible complexity. Socioecological interactions can have unpredictable impacts on our ability to the needs of both current and future generations, like realising a sustainable food system. Moreover, there are difficult decisions that we also to make in such dilemmas, like the extent of natural resource exploitation, where normativity plays a large role. This means that these complex issues are also ethical issues. The importance of understanding ethics in sustainability transitions is, therefore, of great importance, since we will want to believe we are making the 'right' choices in these changing contexts. However, the understanding of ethics that dominates traditional scientific thinking and academic inquiries represents a paradigm of thought that is insensitive to complexity of socioecological systems, and is therefore, inadequate in addressing the ethical complexity of sustainability transitions. In the context of food systems, this is demonstrated in the linear emphasis on food production that dominates the ethics of realising sustainable food systems. This thesis argues that a more appropriate way of thinking about ethics in times of contingent contexts and socioecological change would have to account for complexity. In an acknowledgement of the complexity of ethics, it is argued that every decision has elements of moral consideration, and that there is also no way to know objectively whether the respective decision was morally 'right' or 'wrong'. Such an understanding of complex ethics would, therefore, emphasise the importance of recursively reasoning through every ethical decision to address any reductionisms of complexity; adopting an attitude of modesty and openness towards dialogue, and adopting a student mentality of social learning that would improve upon one's complex ethical reasoning. Subsequently, the paradigmatic shift of a complex approach to ethics is more adequate in understanding ethics in sustainability transitions.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die belangrikheid van 'n toepaslike begrip van etiek in volhoubaarheidsoorgange. Die bevinding van hierdie konseptuele analise is dat die oorheersende begrip van modernistiese etiek ongeskik is in die volhoubaarheidsoorgang konteks van gebeurlikheid en dat die deelnemende begrip van etiek as 'n komplekse sisteem 'n baie meer toepaslike benadering is tot die etiese kompleksiteit van sosioekologiese sisteme. Die strategie van 'praktiese voorlopigheid' word in die besonder voorgestel. Dit sien die proses van etiese besluitneming as 'n proses van sosiale leerwyse. Die argument word verder ondersteun deur die kritiese refleksie op die voedselsisteem konteks. Die huidige gevare en toekomstige onsekerheid van volhoubaarheidsoorgange is geweldige ingewikkelde strydvrae. Sosioekologiese interaksies kan onvoorsiene impakte hê op ons vermoeëns om die behoeftes van beide huidige en toekomstige generasies aan te spreek, soos om volhoubare voedselsisteme te laat realiseer. Verder is daar moelike besluite wat geneem moet word tydens sulke dilemmas, soos die mate waartoe ons natuurlike bronne geeksploiteer word, waar normativiteit 'n groot rol speel. Dit beteken dat hierdie komplekse strydvrae ook etiese strydvrae is. Die belangrikheid van die begrip van etiek in volhoubare oorgange is derhalwe van groot belang, aangesien ons wil glo ons neem die regte besluite in hierdie veranderende kontekste. Die begrip van etiek wat die traditionele wetenskaplike denkwyse en akademiese navrae domineer, kom egter voor as 'n paradigmiese denkwyse wat onsensitief is ten opsigte van die kompleksitiet van die sosioekologiese sisteme, en dus tekortskiet in die hantering van die etiese kompleksitiet van volhoubare oorgange. In die voedselsisteem konteks word dit gedemonstreer in die liniêre klem wat op voedselproduksie geplaas word, wat die etiek van die realisasie van voedselsisteme domineer. Hierdie tesis redeneer dat 'n meer paslike denkwyse omtrent etiek in tye van gebeurlike kontekste en sosioekologiese veranderinge sal moet rekenskap gee van kompleksitieit. In die erkenning van die kompleksiteit van etiek, word dit geredeneer dat elke besluit 'n element van morele oorweging het, en dat daar ook geen manier is om objektief te weet of die respektiewe besluit moreel 'korrek' of verkeerd' is nie. So 'n begrip van komplekse etiek sal, dus die belangrikheid van konstante redenering in elke etiese besluitneming beklemtoon, om enige reduksionisme van kompleksiteit aan te spreek. Dit geskied deurmiddel van 'n houding van beskeidenheid en oopheid tot dialoog, en die aanneming van 'n studente mentaliteit van sosiale leerwyse wat 'n komplekse etiese redenering kan verbeter. Gevolglik, is die paradigmatiese verskuiwing van 'n komplekse benadering tot etiek meer paslik in die begrip van etiek in volhoubaarheidsoorgange.

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24

Celliers, Mariana. "An academic development model for university and technikon students meeting the demands of the 21st century /." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2000. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-01222007-090523.

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25

Akpabey, Felix Jerry. "Quantification of the cross-sectoral impacts of waterweeds and their control in Ghana." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005435.

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The Akosombo Dam on the Volta River in Ghana was built in 1963 to provide cheap energy to fuel industry and to accelerate the economic growth of the country. It provides hydroelectric power, enhanced fishing and water transportation upstream, and improved opportunities for irrigated farming, especially in the lower reaches, and their attendant economic multiplier effects. A few years after the construction of this major dam, a rapid expansion of industrialization took place in Ghana. This brought about an exponential increase in demand for more electrical power. This led to the construction of a smaller dam at Akuse, downstream of the Akosomho Dam in 1981 and the formation of a headpond at Kpong. The impoundment of the river at the two sites (Akosombo and Kpong) caused an alteration in the existing ecological and biophysical processes in the river basin, including a slowing of the flow of the river, upstream and downstream. Changes in the natural processes, such as a reduction in the flow of the river and an increase in nutrient status of the water, resulted in an invasion of aquatic weeds, increasing the density of aquatic snails (intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis), silting and closure of the estuary, as well as other more subtle effects. The invasion of the river's main course and the dams by aquatic plants led to a corresponding reduction of navigable water both upstream and downstream. The aim of this thesis was to quantify the impact and control of waterweeds, especially water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms-Laubach (Pontederiaceae), in Ghana. A floral survey on the Kpong Headpond recorded 49 emergent, 12 free floating and I submerged aquatic plant species, many of which were indigenous, but the exotic or introduced water hyacinth was recorded at most of the sampling sites, and was the most abundant and had the biggest impact on the utilization of the water resource. Mats of water hyacinth served as substrates for other, indigenous species to grow out into the main channel of the headpond, including the intake point of the Kpong head works of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and landing sites for boats. These mats resulted in a reduction of the fish (fin and shell) harvest, reducing the annual production to far below demand. Water hyacinth was also shown to have severe health implications. A survey of the Ministry of Health records showed that the prevalence of both urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis had risen significantly over time as the abundance of waterweeds, most notably water hyacinth, increased, and ranged between 70% and 75% but up to 100% in some lakeside communities. Based on the work done by an NGO on board the medical boat ("Onipa Nua "), losses in terms of money due to the effect on health of the aquatic weed infestations on the Volta River in 2006 amounted to US$ 620,000. Economic losses due to invasive alien aquatic weeds were also calculated on the Oti River Arm of Lake Volta. It was estimated that about US$2.3 million per annum would be lost to the Volta Lake Transport Company and individual boat transport operators if this section of the river were 100% covered by aquatic weeds (water hyacinth and Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell (Salviniaceae)). It was also estimated that US$327,038 was spent annually in monitoring and managing the weeds in the Oti River. Control interventions for aquatic weeds have been implemented in river systems in Ghana. The biological control agents Neochetina bruchi Hustache (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and Neochetina eichhorniae Warner (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) have been used on water hyacinth infestations in the Oti River Arm of Lake Volta, the Tano River and the Lagoon complex in the south-western part of the country. Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has been used to control salvinia, and Neohydronomous affinis Hustache (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to control water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes Lilmaeus (Araceae) in the Tano River and Lagoon complex. Although these projects have been regarded as successful, they have relied on research from elsewhere in the world and no postrelease quantification has been conducted. In evaluating the impact of the biological control agents Neochetina bruchi and Neochetina eichhorniae weevils on water hyacinth infestations in the Tano River, fresh adult feeding scars were recorded as well as the numbers of adult weevils on each water hyacinth plant sampled at six sites. Despite being released in 1994, weevil numbers and resultant damage to plants in the Tano Lagoon was low in comparison to other regions of the world where these agents have been used. The main reason for this is that this lagoon floods seasonally, washing weevil-infested plants out to sea. Water hyacinth then re-infests the lagoon from seed and the weevil populations are low. To resolve this situation, two courses of action are proposed. The first is to mass rear the weevils along the shore of the lagoon and release them when the first seedlings recruit. The second proposal is that additional agents that have shorter lifecycies and are more mobile than the weevils should be released. To this end, the water hyacinth mirid, Eccritotarsus catarinensis (Carvalho) (Hemiptera: Miridae) was imported from South Africa and released onto the Tano Lagoon in 2009. Retrospective laboratory host specificity trials were conducted on Neachetina eichharniae and Neachetina bruchi weevils 15 years after their release into Ghana to see if any variation in their host ranges had occurred. Considerable damage was inflicted on the E. crassipes leaves by the Neachetina weevils, while little feeding damage was recorded on both Heteranthera callifalia Kunth. (Pontederiaceae) and Eichharnia natans (P.Beauv.) Solms (Pontederiaceae). All the weevils introduced on H callifalia and E. natans died after the first week. This study served to confirm the host specificity and thereby the safety of these agents. Invasive alien aquatic macrophytes have negative impacts on the environment and economy of Ghana. The control of these weeds is essential to socioeconomic development and improved human health standards in riparian communities. Biological control offers a safe and sustainable control option, but requires diligent implementation. However, aquatic weed invasion is more typically a result of the anthropogenically induced eutrophication of water bodies, and this is the main issue that has to be addressed.

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26

Juhna, Talis. "Aspects of drinking water supply in areas of humic water." Doctoral thesis, Luleå, 2002. http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1544/2002/27/index.html.

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27

Gomes, Carlos Antônio 1958. "Produção flexivel e degradação da força de trabalho no Brasil." [s.n.], 2006. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/252707.

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Orientador: Marcia de Paula Leite
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T07:41:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gomes_CarlosAntonio_M.pdf: 749753 bytes, checksum: e8cba43d8e81a658a33ff8e4ee6656be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006
Resumo: O presente trabalho analisa como os movimentos de precarização das relações de trabalho e de uso desgastante da força de trabalho ¿ implementados a partir da reestruturação produtiva e da adoção da agenda de políticas econômicas restritivas ¿ também se manifestam através da inflexão da qualidade geral da força de trabalho brasileira. Em princípio e a título do estabelecimento de comparações entre modelos de relações de trabalho, é feita uma revisita histórica à formação do padrão norte-americano de desenvolvimento - caracterizado pela comunhão entre a organização taylor-fordista do trabalho e a relação salarial fordista - edificado a partir de Bretton Woods. Na seqüência, analisa os sistemas produtivos dos países de capitalismo avançado, reestruturados a partir da Terceira Revolução Industrial e Tecnológica e dos novos métodos de produção flexível, comparando-os com o sistema brasileiro. Conclui que a tentativa de implementação do modelo japonês no Brasil tem esbarrado no conservadorismo empresarial, ao mesmo temo em que produzido um modelo industrial particular, idiossincrásico e, acima de tudo, predatório e desagregador das relações de trabalho. Sem se prender aos aspectos produtivistas, a análise envereda pelos aspectos políticos e sociais, chamando atenção para a degradação do mercado brasileiro de trabalho, que vem ocorrendo em função da adoção das políticas de adequação da produção à demanda, cujos principais sintomas são a brutal elevação do desemprego e o uso crescente das modalidades não-capitalistas de contratação de mão-de-obra. Conclui estabelecendo um indicativo de que a tais políticas estariam impactando negativamente na qualificação profissional dos trabalhadores, inflexionando a capacidade produtiva da força de trabalho no que diz respeito ao manuseio de sistemas avançados de agregação de valor, ao passo em que contribuindo ainda mais para o desvio da economia brasileira dos trilhos do desenvolvimento sustentado
Abstract: The present work analyzes as the movements of precarization of the work relations and of absorbing use of the work force of implemented from the productive reorganization and of the adoption of the agenda of restrictive economics politics also they are disclosed through the precarization of the general quality of the Brazilian force of work. In principle and the heading of the establishment of comparisons between models of work relations, is made one revisits historical to the formation of the North American standard of development - characterized for the communion it enters the taylor-fordista organization of the work and the fordista wage relation - built from Bretton Woods. In the sequence, it analyzes the productive systems of the countries of advanced capitalism, reorganized from the third industrial and technological revolution and of the new methods of flexible production, comparing them with the Brazilian system. It concludes that the attempt of implementation of the models Japanese in Brazil has collide in the conservative empresariable and produced particular a model industrial, idiosyncratic and above of everything, predatory and desaggregator of the work relations. Without if arresting to the aspects produtivists, the analysis guide for social the politics aspects and, calling for the degradation the Brazilian market of work, that comes occurring in function of the adoption of the politics of adequacy of the production to the demand, whose main symptoms are the brutal rise of unemployment and the increasing use of the modalities not-capitalists of man power act of contract. It concludes establishing an indicative of that to such politics they would be shocking negative in the professional qualification of the workers, inflectioning the productive capacity of the force of work in whom it says respect to the manuscript of advanced systems of value aggregation, to the step where contributing still more for the shunting line of the Brazilian economy of the tracks of the supported development
Mestrado
Educação, Sociedade, Politica e Cultura
Mestre em Educação

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Lidén, Erik, and Oskar Landén. "Är blockchain lösningen på kontamineradmat? : Möjligheter och svårigheter med att samarbeta på en gemensam blockchain-lösning inom food supply chain." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-386531.

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Cirka en av tio i världen blir smittade av kontaminerad mat varje år. Detta har resulterat i att matsäkerhet har blivit ett uppmärksammat område. Blockchain-teknologi som blev intressant i samband med kryptovalutan bitcoin har ansetts vara en lösning till problemen kring matsäkerheten. Teknologin genom spårbarhet möjliggör säkerställning av livsmedlens ursprung samt hindrar förvanskning. Trots potentialen med blockchain har i dagsläget inte teknologin lyckats lösa problemen kring matsäkerhet. För att blockchain ska vara användbart måste alla parter på en gemensam blockchain-lösning samarbeta tillsammans. Detta har visat sig svårare än väntat. Denna studie har som syfte att undersöka möjligheter och svårigheter som uppstår vid samarbete på en gemensam blockchain-lösning inom food supply chain. Resultatet grundar sig i (i) användning av två etablerade samhällsvetenskapliga teorier,Agency Theory s amt Transaction Cost Theory, (ii) en litteraturgenomgång där tidigare forskning inom området har noggrant identifierats, (iii) en empirisk undersökning med utvalda aktörer från livsmedelslogistikkedjan. Möjligheterna som hade stöd från minst en aktör var följande: möjligheten att minska transaktionskostnader, öka spårbarheten, öka kontrollen, nätverkseffekten och ett värde i att samarbeta med konkurrenter. På liknande sätt var svårigheter som identifierades och hade stöd av minst en aktör följande: vem som äger blockchain-lösningen, avsaknad av standarder för blockchain, svårigheter att skapa incitament för olika aktörer på en supply chain, komma överens om processer och standarder, brist på behov och brist på ansvar. Denna studie ger företag som planerar eller implementerar en blockchain-lösning information om vilka möjligheter som finns vid samarbete på en gemensam blockchain-lösning. Dessutom informerar studien om vilka svårigheter som måste tas hänsyn till eller lösas innan ett samarbete på en gemensam blockchain-lösning är möjlig.
One in ten get infected by contaminated food each year. As a result, food safety has become a rising area of concern. Meanwhile the buzzword “blockchain” has been seen as a way to trace food to its provenance in a fast and secure way. However, blockchain has not yet solved the problems associated with food safety. In order to use blockchain technology on a joint supply chain ecosystem, all parties must be connected and collaborate on the same solution. This has proven to be difficult to achieve, which is a motivation to get a greater understanding of the area. This study discusses the possibilities and difficulties with collaborating on a joint blockchain solution on the food supply chain. The results here are based on (i) the use of two established theoretical bodies in social science, (ii) careful regime of published studies that address the target theme, Agent Theory and Transaction Cost Theory, and (iii) an empirical study of selected actors from the food value chain. Possibilities discovered in the literature review and through interviews that where supported from at least one of the respondents were the following: possibility to reduce transaction costs, increased traceability, increased control, increased effectiveness through the network effect and the possibility of new found value in collaboration with rivals. In a similar way, support was found in many of the difficulties we initially discovered from the literature review, along with new difficulties retrieved from the interviews. The difficulties that were discovered were the following: question of ownership of the blockchain solution, the absence of blockchain standards, difficulty in creating incentives for all parties in the blockchain solution and absence of usefulness and accountability. This contribution of possibilities and difficulties regarding collaboration on a blockchain solution will be of great use to companies and organisations that are starting or planning a joint blockchain collaboration on a food supply chain.

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Krishnamurthi, Sushma. "Water supply aspects of river authorities in Texas." Texas A&M University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/4443.

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Price has been noted to be an important ingredient in any evaluation of future water demands, since it is a signal of cost administered by water wholesalers or retailers. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of rates and ratesetting strategies adopted by the river authorities of Texas, and the relevance of economic efficiency for wholesale purveyors of water. Methods employed to accomplish the objectives include collecting sample water supply contracts, surveying rate structures, and surveying authorities' rate-setting objectives. In its current form the economic theory of pricing emphasizes price establishment by retail water suppliers. There are certain distinctions between wholesale suppliers and retail distributors of water that question the adequacy of the existing theory in its universal application. This calls for a different theory of pricing for wholesale suppliers of water. Therefore, an efficiency-seeking pricing theory for wholesale water purveyors is explored here. Out of the fifteen existing river authorities in Texas, ten have wholesale supply operations. This study finds that out of the ten authorities that have wholesale operations, some authorities charge the same uniform rate to all their customers, while some charge a different rate to each of their customers. The fact that some river authorities charge different rates to different categories of customers for the same water is considered economically inefficient. Another element that lends itself to economic inefficiency is the usage of the block rates. Through a questionnaire, the study finds that river authorities rank revenue sufficiency highest among six objectives pertaining to rate-setting processes. Legality is ranked second and economic efficiency is ranked third among these six goals. Though there are ten river authorities that supply water on a wholesale basis, only eight valid questionnaires responses could be used for the study. All river authorities involved with the wholesale supply of water commit most of their water supplies to municipal, agricultural, and industrial uses and customers through water supply contracts that contain legal agreements, which are dealt with before the river authority supplies the water to the customer. This study discusses the various similarities and differences between contracts of the ten river authorities that are involved in wholesale supply of water. Out of the ten river authorities, nine responded with their wholesale water supply contracts. One river authority responded with two contracts, therefore there were ten contracts that were studied.

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Kaschula, S. A. H. "The impact of HIV and AIDS on household food security and food acquisition strategies in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007137.

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How should the impact of HIV and AIDS on rural livelihoods be factored into efforts to monitor and stabilise household food security? With both HIV and AIDS and food security at the top of the global development agenda, this is a question posed by many scholars, practitioners, donor agencies and government departments. However, while there is an excess of discourse outlining the theoretical bases for how HIV and AIDS can, and is, radically transforming household food acquisition; there is a lack of empirical evidence from the South African context that demonstrates if, and how, HIV and AIDS changes household-level strategies of food acquisition and intake. This thesis explores the association of household-level mortality, chronic illness and additional child-dependent fostering with household experience of food security and food acquisition strategies, in three rural villages in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces of South Africa. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data-collection were applied to 307 households in the three sites. For twelve months, both HIV and AIDS-afflicted and non-afflicted households were repeatedly visited at 3-month intervals, in order to be assessed for levels of food security, dietary intake and method of food procurement (purchased, cultivated, wild or donated). Overall, HIV and AIDS-afflicted households showed a significantly higher experience of food insecurity, probably attributable to shortages in food quantity. Dietary composition and overall diversity, however, was not significantly different. Although households with chronic illness and recent mortality showed a heightened investment in cultivation sources, the success of these strategies were to a great extent mediated by household income, and the level of medical treatment received by those who were chronically ill. Chronic illness was also associated with more donations, but these required considerable investments in social capital networks. Finally, use of wild leafy vegetables was not associated with household HIV and AIDS status, despite the financial, nutritional and labour-saving properties of these foods. Overall, the study suggests that there was little evidence of long-term planning and strategy in household food security responses. There was no evidence for shifts to labour-saving crops or foods and, in some instances, child labour was being used to ameliorate prime-adult labour deficits. Moreover, given that the vast majority (89.2%) of food groups were sourced through purchase, it is questionable whether investing in diverse food acquisition strategies would be advisable. Unless supported by medical treatment and steady earned household income, policies to promote intensified household agricultural subsistence production in the wake of HIV and AIDS are unlikely to provide households with anything more than short-term safety-nets, rather than long-term, sustainable food security solutions.

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Abu-Basutu, Keitometsi Ngulube. "Relative contribution of wild foods to individual and household food security in the context of increasing vulnerability due to HIV/AIDS and climate variability." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1010864.

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Wild foods are an integral component of the household food basket, yet their quantified contribution to food security relative to other sources in the context of HIV/AIDS, climate change and variability remains underexplored. This study was carried out in Willowvale and Lesseyton which are rural communities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Willowvale is a relatively remote, medium-rainfall coastal community, while Lesseyton is a peri-urban low rainfall inland community. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data from 78 HIV/AIDS afflicted households with 329 individuals and 87 non-afflicted households with 365 individuals in the two study sites. Households were visited quarterly over 12 months to assess food acquisition methods, dietary intake and quality, and levels of food security, and to determine strategies employed by households to cope with droughts. The wild foods investigated were wild meat, wild birds, wild fish, wild mushrooms, wild leafy vegetables and wild fruits. Diets were moderately well-balanced and limited in variety, with cereal items contributing 52 % to total calorie intake. Mid-upper arm circumference measurements showed that all respondents were adequately nourished. The bulk of the food consumed by households was purchased, with supplementation from own production, wild vegetables and wild fruits. In Willowvale, wild vegetables comprised 46 % of overall vegetable consumption for afflicted households and 32 % for non-afflicted households, while own fruit production comprised 100 % of fruit consumption. In Lesseyton, wild vegetables comprised only 6 % and 4 % of vegetable consumption for afflicted and non-afflicted households, while wild fruit comprised 63 % and 41 % for afflicted and non-afflicted households. More than 80 % of respondents from both afflicted and non-afflicted households had sufficient daily kilocalories, although the majority of afflicted households felt they were food insecure and sometimes collected wild foods as one of their multiple coping strategies. Hunting and gathering of wild foods was associated with site, household affliction status, gender, age and season. More than 80 % of respondents ate wild vegetables and said they were more drought tolerant than conventional vegetables, making them the most consumed wild food and approximately 16 % of respondents ate wild birds, making them the least consumed wild food. Approximately 14 % of respondents from afflicted households in Willowvale sold wild fish, whilst 34 % of respondents from afflicted households and 7 % from non-afflicted households sold wild fruits in Lesseyton. Strategies adopted by households to cope with droughts were different between the two study sites, and households in Willowvale used a wider range of strategies. Given the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS coupled with the drawbacks of climate change and variability on food security, wild foods represent a free and easy way for vulnerable households to obtain food.

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Makame, Makame Omar. "Vulnerability and adaptation of Zanzibar east coast communities to climate variability and change and other interacting stressors." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011895.

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Climate variability and change as well as sea level rise poses significant challenges to livelihoods, water and food security in small island developing states (SIDSs) including the Zanzibar Islands. Thus, without planned strategic adaptation, the future projected changes in climate and sea level will intensify the vulnerability of these sensitive areas. This thesis is based on research conducted in two sites located in the north eastern parts of each island, namely Kiuyu Mbuyuni, Pemba Island and Matemwe, Unguja Island. The research focused firstly on assessing the vulnerability of these two coastal communities to climate variability and change and other stressors. This included investigation of (1) the perceptions of fishers, farmers and seaweed farmers regarding climate stressors and shocks and associated risks and impacts, (2) existing and possible future water and food security issues, and (3) household's access to important livelihood assets. This was followed by an exploration of the coping and adaptive responses of farmers, fishers and seaweed farmers to perceived shocks and stresses and some of the barriers to these responses. Lastly, an analysis of the implications of the findings for achieving sustainable coastal livelihoods and a resilient coastal community was undertaken. The general picture that emerges is that local people along the east coasts of both islands are already vulnerable to a wide range of stressors. Although variability in rainfall is not a new phenomenon in these areas, increasing frequency of dry spells and coastal floods resulting from the influence of El Niño and La Niña events exert enormous pressures on local activities (fishing, farming and seaweed farming) which are the crux of the local economy. The main argument of the study is that the nature and characteristics of these activities are the main source of sensitivity amongst these communities and this creates high levels of vulnerability to climate shocks and trends. This vulnerability is evidenced by the reoccurrence of localised food shortages and the observed food and water insecurity. The study found that food insecurity is a result of unreliable rainfall, drought and seasonality changes. These interacted with other contextual factors such as poor soil, low purchasing power and the lack of livelihood diversification options. In addition to exposure to these almost unavoidable risks from climate variability, the vulnerability of the local communities along the east coasts is also influenced by the low level of capital stocks and limited access to the assets that are important for coping and adaptation. Despite this, some households managed to overcome barriers and adapt in various ways both within the three main livelihood sectors (fishing, farming and seaweed farming) as well as through adopting options outside these sectors resulting in diversification of the livelihood portfolio. However, the study found that most of the strategies opted for by fishers, farmers and seaweed farmers were mainly spontaneous. Few planned adaptation measures supported by state authorities were observed across the sites, with the exception of the provision of motorised boats which were specifically meant to increase physical assets amongst fishers, reduce pressure in the marine conservation areas and prevent overfishing in-shore. Furthermore, numerous strategies that people adopted were discontinued when further barriers were encountered. Interestingly, some of the barriers that prevented households adapting were the same ones that forced households that had responded to abandon their adaptations. To increase resilience amongst east coast communities to current and future predicted changes in climate and sea level, the study argues that traditional livelihood activities (fishing, farming and seaweed farming) need to be better supported, and access to a range of livelihood assets improved. This may be achieved through increased access to local sources of water and facilitation of rainwater harvesting, expanding the livelihood options available to people and increasing climate change awareness, and access to sources of credit.

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陳冠良 and Koon-leung Jeffrey Chan. "Environmental and management considerations in the design and operation of water supply facilities." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31252771.

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Sahula, Asiphe. "Exploring the development of an integrated, participative, water quality management process for the Crocodile River catchment, focusing on the sugar industry." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017876.

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Water quality deterioration is reaching crisis proportions in South Africa. Many South African catchments are over-allocated, and decreasing volumes of source water mean increasing concentrations of pollutants. The Crocodile River Catchment in the Mpumalanga province in South Africa was identified through previous research, as a catchment faced with deteriorating source water quality for water users in the catchment. Poor source water quality has become a sufficiently acute concern for the stakeholders in this catchment to co-operate in developing a process that assists with compliance control of their water use and waste disposal to reduce costs, decrease industrial risks as water quality compliance increases, and improve source water quality. The sugar industry is downstream within the Crocodile River Catchment, and is affected by the activities of all upstream water users; the industry is thus dependent on the stakeholders upstream participating in the effective management of the resource. However, the sugar industry is also located just before the confluence of the Crocodile River and Komati River upstream of the Mozambique border, and thus the water quality of the sugar industry effluent will affect the quality of the water that flows into Mozambique. The sugar industry is on the opposite river bank to the Kruger National Park, which has high water resource protection goals. Therefore, the sugar industry has a national role to play in the management of water resources in the Crocodile River Catchment. This study provides a focused view of the role of the sugar industry in the development of a co-operative, integrated water quality management process (IWQMP) in the Crocodile River Catchment. In order to address the objectives of this study, this research drew from an understanding of the social processes that influence water management practices within the sugar industry as well as social processes that influence the role of the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency as the main governing institution in water resource management in the Inkomati Water Management Area. The study also drew from an understanding of scientific knowledge in terms of a water chemistry which describes the upstream and downstream water quality impacts related to the sugar industry. The water quality analysis for the Lower Crocodile River Catchment shows a decline in water quality in terms of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) loads when moving from below Mbombela to the Mozambique border. The major sources of TDS in the Lower Crocodile River are point source dominated, which may be attributed to the extensive mining, industrial and municipal activities that occur across the catchment. When observing Total Alkalinity (TAL) and pH values from below Mbombela to the furthest monitoring point, there is deterioration in the quality of the water in the Lower Crocodile River, with the Kaap River contributing a negative effect that is diluted by the Crocodile main stem. The Hectorspruit Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTWs) (located in the Lower Crocodile River Catchment) contributes high concentrations of TDS and TAL into the Crocodile River. Total Inorganic Nitrogen and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus concentrations decrease in the lower reaches of the Crocodile River compared with the river below Mbombela, which can be attributed to the extensive sugar cane plantations located in the Lower Crocodile River Catchment acting as an “agricultural wetland” that serves a function of bioremediation resulting in large scale absorption of nutrients. This is an interesting result as earlier assumptions were that fertiliser application would result in an overall increase in nutrient loads and concentrations. Biomonitoring data show no substantial change in aquatic health in the LowerCrocodile River Catchment. For a catchment that has an extensive agricultural land use in terms of sugarcane and citrus production, the Crocodile River is unexpectedly not in a toxic state in terms of aquatic health. This is a positive result and it suggests that pesticide use is strictly controlled in the sugar and citrus industry in the Crocodile River Catchment. For long term sustainability, it is essential for the sugar industry to maintain (and possibly improve) this pesticide management. The social component of this study aimed to provide an analysis of the management practices of the sugar mill as well as examining agricultural practices in the sugar cane fields in relation to water quality management through the use of Cultural Historical Activity System Theory (CHAT). This component showed that there are contradictions within the sugar industry activity system that are considered to be areas of “tension” that can be loosened or focused on to improve the contribution the sugar industry can make to the IWQMP. Surfacing contradictions within the sugar industry activity system and the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency activity systems highlighted areas of potential for learning and change. While an understanding of biophysical processes through scientific knowledge is critical in water management decision making, it is evident that an understanding of other actors, institutions and networks that inform water quality management decision-making also plays a significant role. The notion of improving the role of scientific or biophysical knowledge in contributing to socio-ecologically robust knowledge co-creation, decisions and actions towards resolving water quality problems is emphasised. Specifically, moving towards improving interactions between scientists and other actors (water users in the Crocodile Catchment in this case), so that scientific practices become more orientated towards societal platforms where water quality management is tackled to enable improved water quality management practices. Therefore, linking the social and biophysical components in this study provides a holistic understanding of how the sugar industry can contribute to the development of an IWQMP for the Crocodile River catchment.

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Shungur, Shantarene. "Cooperation among adversaries : managing transboundary water disputes in conflict settings." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=102173.

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Intrigued by the observation that enduring, task-based water treaties have, surprisingly, emerged within protracted conflict settings that lock the riparians in a deadly embrace, I constructed an interdisciplinary theoretical framework to explain the causes of riparian conflict, and the conditions for riparian conflict resolution. Drawing on the literature from international relations, comparative politics, resource economics and public choice theory, I explain how the constraints posed by ecological forces in a conflict setting, and the political opportunities presented by a particular economic-developmental context shape the decisions of policymakers during the negotiation process that precedes regime emergence.
Next, a model is developed that first illustrates the causal pathways among five independent variables, (water scarcity mode, critical environmental threshold, riparian position, state power profile and sustainable development of water resources); three contextual variables, (conflict setting, economic-developmental level, economic-developmental crisis) and the dependent variable of riparian conflict. The pathway is then extended with the addition of two more contextual variables (negotiation structure and strategy) to explain the second dependent variable of regime emergence. Eight hypotheses are then theoretically derived and tested with specifics from four cases covering both developing and developed state riparian conflicts within protracted and non-protracted settings. The Middle East, South Asian, and North American regions are thus studied.
It was evident that the degree of water scarcity has either conflict enhancing or conflict mitigating properties depending upon the patterns of interaction among the variables. Both contextual variable clusters had theoretically significant effects on the nature of the regime. I inferred that the state formation dynamic influenced the economic-developmental context in which water policy is formulated and shaped the domestic configuration of water interests. It appears that the influence of rent-seeking groups opposed to a transboundary water treaty wax and wane once critical environmental thresholds, which aggravate or cause an economic-developmental crisis, are exceeded (especially in the most powerful state). This, along with other economic, international and geographic factors, ultimately, alters the preferences of the policymakers to enable compromise at the international level. A state's institutional capacity to adopt a more sustainable water usage pattern is also relevant in this regard.

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Colvin, Jamie Cameron. "Water markets : factors in efficient water allocation." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50546.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water is essential for life. Like the very air that surrounds us the omnipresent and indispensable qualities of water pervade throughout all of our lives. For reasons of health, community and trade the beginnings of all civilisations were proximate to the mighty rivers of the world. In a rapidly expanding global village, the priority for our future is to secure the management of increasing levels of water demand, given the finite natural cycle that all water is subject to and derived from; the hydrological cycle. The focus of this papers investigation is how best to allocate the value of water through the relatively nascent developments of water markets. The premise of utilising markets for allocative efficiency is suitably ingrained in the workings of many societies today, and the need to treat water with commensurate value and avoid waste is encapsulated in the Dublin Principles, where #4 states; 'Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognised as an economic good'. Which in isolation has merit, the legacy of state water management is usually associated with underperformance at best or incompetence and corruption at worst, and therefore the introduction of market mechanisms to provide water with allocative efficiency and true value, should be a positive undertaking for change. However the requisite conditions for proficient markets and perfect competition; which primarily include, that all agents are buyers and sellers, for a homogeneous product, with perfect information, without externalities, after the full and fair assignment of property rights, where all goods and services are private goods, and where transaction costs remain close to zero; would seldom be applicable to water. The many idiosyncrasies of water inhibit the application of competitive markets. Water could easily be defined as a public good with riparian rights, subject to a range of social and environmental externalities, whilst incurring high structural entry costs and remaining subject to the problematic vagaries of the natural supply cycle. Demand profiles also give water a heterogeneous definition, as domestic uses include both sanitation and drinking water, whilst various levels of quality are required for industry and agriculture, and even recreation. This paper seeks to define those factors that both warrant and limit the introduction of market functions to water management. The premise of this paper remains the search for better ways of valuing water, and how to incorporate fully the foundations of the environment and social criteria of health, and poverty reduction within these economic considerations. The conclusion defines a premium / discount solution to market traded water prices, which internalises these factors.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Water is noodsaaklik vir lewe. Net soos die lug wat ons omring het water ook alomteenwoordige eienskappe wat In onskeibare deel van ons lewens vorm. Die ontstaan van alle beskawings is te vinde in die nabyheid van groot en gevestigde riviere vir redes van gemeenskaplikheid, gesondheid en handel. Vandag se geintegreerde en snel-groeiende samelewing met sy toenemende vraag na water, noodsaak 'n toekomsgerigte benadering om waterbronne te bestuur gegewe die vaste water natuursiklus waar water vandaan kom en bewaar word in. Die fokus van hierdie studie is om die beste metodes te vind vir waterallokasie met verwysing na die ontwikkeling van water markte oor die eeue. Die gebruik van die markstelsel om water effektief te allokeer is die grondslag van baie samelewings vandag. So erken die Dublin beginsels die noosaaklikheid om 'n waarde te plaas op water beklemtoon dat dit nie vermors moet word nie. Beginsel #4 bepaal: "Water het 'n ekonomiese waarde in al sy vele gebruike en moet ooreenkomstig erken word as ekonomiese saak". Die bestuur van waterbronne deur 'n owerheid word gewoonlik vereenselwig met 'n nie-optimale of selfs korrupte onbevoegdheid. Hier behoort die bekendstelling van mark beginsels om 'n waarde en nut op water te plaas dus 'n positiewe ontwikkeling te wees. Tog is dit ook duidelik dat die vereistes vir 'n effektiewe mark; alle agente is kopers en verkopers, 'n eenvormige produk, deursigtigheid in informasie, geen eksternaliteite, erkenning van besitreg, alle goedere en dienste is privaat goedere, transaksie koste is naby aan nul; nie volkome toepasbaar is op water nie. Die eenvoudige asook komplekse aard van water verhoed dat standaard markstelsel en beginsels van kompetisie eenvormig toepasbaar is. Water kan ook maklik gekategoriseer word as publieke goedere met gemeenskapsregte, wat dit dan onderhewig sal maak aan verskeie maatskaplike en omgewingsmaatreëls, hoë toetrede kostes, en logistieke probleme van die verskaffingsiklus. Dit is egter die vraag na water wat defineer dit as heterogene produk met huishoudelike gebruike vir beide persoonlike verbruik asook sanitasie, terwyl doelgerigte gebruike in landbou, handel en nywerheid ook spesifieke kwaliteite kan vereis. Hierdie werkstuk beoog om die faktore te defineer wat die bekendstelling van 'n mark stelsel vir water bestuur daarstel en ook beperk. Die uitgangspunt van hierdie studie was om maniere te vind vir beter ekonomiese waardasie van water en dit dan te kombineer met die fondasies van die omgewing, maatskaplike & gesondheidsmaatreëls, asook die toeganklikheid van basiese dienste aan almal.

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Norris, Paula Sue. "A Survey of Landowner Attitudes Toward the Construction of Lake Ray Roberts." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1991. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500932/.

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Documentation of social impacts resulting from the construction of Lake Ray Roberts is to be incorporated into a two year post-impoundment study. Research objectives are to: 1) locate current residences of landowners and previous landowners who were displaced; 2) determine social impacts resulting from construction of Lake Ray Roberts; 3) document degree of satisfaction with current living conditions; 4) document landowners' degree of satisfaction associated with COE negotiations; 5) document landowners' observations. Landowners were identified by telephone and sent a mail-back questionnaire. Respondents were generally happy with current residences and communities. While courtesy and sufficient information were provided by the COE, respondents would have preferred for property settlements to be more consistent and timely.

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Kumwenda, Moses. "Pre-paid water metering: social experiences and lessons learned from Klipheuwel pilot project, South Africa." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_6015_1190193452.

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This thesis examined a pre-paid water metering pilot project which was implemented in Klipheuwel , Cape Town, South Africa in 2001. It was anticipated that the implementation of pre-paid water meters would help improve the management of water service delivery in the Cape Metropolitan Area. However, just four years after its implementation the project has collapsed.

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Davidson, Michael Raphael. "Institutional structures for equitable and sustainable water resource management in the Middle East." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3063.

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Water management is a challenge in the Middle East today because of increasing population, decreasing water quality, political instability and security concerns. Israel and the Palestinian Authority share the three major freshwater sources in an inequitable and unsustainable manner. This study details the hydro-geological, political, cultural and legal challenges to equitable and sustainable water resource management in the region.

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40

Ari, Ismu Rini Dwi. "Participatory Approach to Community Based Water Supply System." 京都大学 (Kyoto University), 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/151959.

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Chiu, Man-fat, and 趙文法. "An analysis of the possible privatisation of water supplies in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31965787.

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Cavalcanti, Jose C. S. "Economic aspects of the provision and developments of water supply in 19th century Britain." Thesis, University of Manchester, 1991. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.601155.

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Turton, Anthony. "The political aspects of institutional developments in the water sector South Africa and its international river basins /." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2003. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06042004-110828.

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Preston, Ian Robert. "Water supply development decision-making in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020848.

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Balancing water demand and supply in South Africa involves high levels of uncertainty. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is responsible for making decisions to either increase water supply or decrease water demand so as to ensure that sufficient water is available, when and where it is needed. However, no retrospective analyses of such decisions have been found. One way to assess such decisions is to evaluate the associated costs and benefits thereof. Therefore the primary aim of this study is to evaluate the costs and benefits of selected water supply options, and of the decision-making associated with those options. In order to achieve this purpose, four case studies were analysed within a mixed-methods research paradigm, which used both quantitative and qualitative methods, including unit reference value (URV) analysis, inter- and intra-case analysis and content analysis to examine the success of the decisions made. The four case studies were conducted on the Inyaka, Nandoni, Berg and De Hoop dams and their catchments. Firstly, estimated and actual project costs were compared using unit reference analysis and inter-case analyses. Secondly, the reduction of mean annual runoff (MAR) caused by invasive alien plants (IAPs) and the cost of clearing them in the dam catchments were evaluated using inter-case analyses. Information thus gathered was used together with data from DWS documentation and the results of interviews with ten key specialists, to analyse the decision-making process that led to the decision to build De Hoop Dam (the most recent case study). The rational decision-making model (RDMM) was used as a framework within which to analyse and evaluate this decision-making process. This study has also demonstrated how the RDMM can be used to assess decision-making associated with water supply development. The results of this study show that there is considerable variation of estimated costs (at the time that the decision to build the dam was taken) in relation to the actual costs of building the dams and that Ministers were not put in a position to understand the full long-term costs or the opportunity costs of the proposed dams. Furthermore, the most recent IAP data (2008) shows that the impact on water security by IAPs could not offset the water security resulting from building each of the four dams. However, if IAP management is not continued in these catchments, the projected reduction of MAR by IAPs will compromise water security within 45 years. Given the almost exponential spread and densification of IAPs, together with their long-term impact on MAR and increased costs of controlling them, it is clear that IAP management should have been factored into water supply decision-making from the outset. In the analysis of the decision to build the De Hoop Dam, the results show that while the decision-making process that culminated in the decision to build the dam did not follow the steps of the RDMM, DWS appears to have followed a somewhat similar approach. It was found that while there was a need for the provision of additional water in the Olifants catchment, this need was overstated and the resulting overestimation caused the scale and size of the dam to be larger than it could and probably should have been. Additionally, it appears that DWS‘s decision to build the De Hoop Dam themselves, rather than having it built by the private sector, may have been less than optimal. It is recommended that, in future decision-making, DWS needs to incorporate multiple alternative options into the same solution, and to ensure that decision-makers are put into a position to make informed decisions, including adequate consideration of externalities. Furthermore, DWS needs to employ decision-making models such as the RDMM to facilitate retrospective analyses to improve their institutional knowledge. Keywords: water resources management, dams, invasive alien plants, decision-making, unit reference values, rational decision-making model.

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Nicol, Lorraine, and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts and Science. "Irrigation water markets in Southern Alberta." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2005, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/275.

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Irrigation is central to the functioning of the southern Alberta economy. Irrigation also uses a significant amount of what is expected to be an increasingly scarce resource: water. The Alberta government is embarking on a long-term water management strategy in which irrigation water management will be pivotal. The government is considering a range of economic instruments to assist in this management. One instrument already implemented is the ability of private irrigators and irrigators within irrigation districts to trade irrigation water rights on a temporary and permanent basis. This has established the foundation for water markets. The research presented in this thesis centers on establishing the characteristics of irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. The research also aims to determine whether the markets are behaving according to basic economic principles and whether they are supporting government's goals of increased water productivity, efficiency and conservation. The findings reveal that characteristics of irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. The research also aims to determine whether the markets are behaving according to basic economic principles and whether they are supporting government's goals of increased water productivity, efficiency and conservation. The findings reveal that characteristics of water markets in southern Alberta are very similar to markets elsewhere and the markets are behaving in a manner one would expect. However, markets are also creating activity that at one and the same time support and contradict government's water management goals. In addition, the small degree of market activity in general suggests that if government is relying on markets to contribute to these goals to any significant extent, it will need to create conditions that promote greater water market activity.
x, 184 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm.

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Wasike, Wilson S. K. "Contingent valuation of river pollution control and domestic water supply in Kenya." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2169.

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The basic theme of this study is that determination of the economic value of water resources is a necessary condition for rational decision-making and management of these environmental assets, and their associated public goods, in developing countries. The research particularly evaluates the contingent valuation (CV) method as a technique for evaluating increments and decrements in environmental and natural resource service flows, and estimates households' evaluations for improvements in river water quality and connections to piped water supply for domestic uses. The study objectives were to (a) estimate the economic value of piped water supply and improved water quality in the Nzoia River Basin, Kenya, (b) evaluate the feasibility of using the CV technique to value an environmental amenity and its related quasi-public service in rural settings where respondents have limited education and monetary resources, (c) examine the role of temporal dimensions of bid payments (i e, frequency of payments) in contingent values for environmental commodities, (d) empirically investigate embedding effect bias in contingent valuation of improvements in river water quality improvement in a less developed economy, and (e) evaluate the role of water connection charges in households' willingness to hook onto piped water supply in Webuye Division, Kenya. Empirical analysis and estimates of the non-market value which local people assign to water quality in the Nzoia River and a private household water connection is based on a detailed survey of a representative sample of 311 households in Webuye Division of Bungoma District, Kenya. In an on-site survey carried out in May through September 1995, contingent markets were developed for the two goods, (1) improved river water quality, and, (2) provision of a private connection to water supply. The corresponding willingness to pay (WTP) values are explained using Ordinary Least Square regression models. Whatever the good, the WTP is seen to increase with income. However, the effects of other factors are more specific to the contingent good. In order of strength, the other determinants of WTP "quality" are sex, age, household ranking of status of domestic water source, distance from river to household residence, the other factors affecting WTP "connections" are existing source of water supply, household size, ranking of river water quality, and age of household head. On the whole, residents accepted the exercise of contingent valuation and were willing to pay important amounts (Ksh 459 and Ksh 386 on average per household per year, respectively, for goods 1 and 2). Discussion issues include policy significance of the resulting WTPs in terms of the demand for river pollution control and individual household water connections, the effect of the goods upon the CV evaluation process, the "Third World" impacts of frequency of payments in contingent valuation, including perceived-frequency and income-smoothing routes, the embedding effect in WTP values for water pollution abatement in the Nzoia River basin, the importance of pricing influences, specially payment profiles for initial connection charges, on household decisions to connect to piped water systems, and limitations of the study.

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Wanyakala, Tom Alfred. "Customer-oriented reforms in urban public water supply in Uganda (1998-2008)." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2011. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1573/.

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Customer orientated reforms have been widely adopted for improving service delivery. However, the introduction of these reforms in the public sector is still little understood; and the literature is pessimistic regarding their application in the public sector in developing countries. To further understand the relevance of customer orientated reforms in developing countries, this study assessed their performance when implemented by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), which is in charge of urban water supply in Uganda. Using multiple data sources, including household user surveys and interviews, the study posed the questions: Has the NWSC become more customer-oriented as a result of reforms? If so, what are the consequences for user satisfaction and loyalty? The study finds first that customer oriented reforms in the NWSC were introduced by a committed leadership which reduced resistance to change and coordinated key stakeholder involvement. Second, it finds that the reforms contributed to improved water accessibility, affordability and customer care. Third, it finds that increased provider responsiveness to complaints correlates with increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Since the study focused on users with home water connections, further research is needed to assess how similar the results would be for poorer non-connected users and commercial and institutional users.

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Riley, Timothy. "Trans-boundary river basins: a discourse on water scarcity, conflict, and water resource management." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4396/.

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This thesis is an inquiry regarding the interconnections between water scarcity, geopolitics, resource management, and the strategies for developing effective ways to resolve conflict and encourage sustainable water resource use in developing countries. The ecological services of trans-boundary rivers are explored in conjunction with the potential impacts to freshwater availability due to economic modernization, water resource development, and decision making regimes that determine how water is allocated among competing users. Anthropogenic stressors that induce water scarcity and the geopolitical mechanisms of conflict are studied. A discourse on the creation and functional extent of global and localized water ethics is investigated, emphasizing the importance of perceptual dispositions of water users in understanding the value of trans-boundary river basins.

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Jansen, Ada Isobel. "Aspects of the economics of water management in urban settings in South Africa, with a focus on Cape Town." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19974.

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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Concerns about the sufficiency of freshwater supplies and the impact of water shortages have placed sustainable water management on the global agenda. This is particularly relevant in South Africa, a country with precipitation rates well below the global average and water resources that have become highly polluted. The scarcity of water for consumption use and of unpolluted water bodies as recreational and environmental good highlights the need for an economic analysis of these issues. This dissertation investigates some economic aspects of water management in the South African context in two distinctive parts. Part One (Chapters 2 to 5) aims to provide an understanding of urban water demand and analyses water pricing as demand management tool. Part Two (Chapters 6 and 7) analyses the values people attach to water resources for recreational and environmental purposes. Quantitative methodological approaches are predominantly used to inform an economic perspective on water demand management. The extent of water scarcity is discussed in Chapter Two. South Africa is approaching physical water scarcity, but many poor households do not yet have access to water and basic sanitation facilities, i.e. there is also economic water scarcity. Given this background, Chapter Three focuses on water demand management as part of an integrated water management approach. The role of water prices is discussed, in particular the Increasing Block Tariff (IBT) structure which is predominantly used in South Africa. Chapter Four estimates the price elasticity of demand for water using household water consumption records obtained from the City of Cape Town (CCT). A distinctive feature of this case study is a survey undertaken to collect household information on demographic and water-use characteristics, as water databases are severely lacking in South Africa. The results show water demand to be mostly price inelastic, which concurs with findings from international empirical literature. Furthermore, higher-income households are found to be more sensitive to price changes, thus some reduction in water consumption can be achieved by increasing marginal prices at the upper end of the IBT structure. Chapter Five analyses the IBT structure as a redistributive tool. Particular attention is given to the Free Basic Water policy of South Africa, which allows each household to receive six kilolitres of water free per month. Empirical modelling indicates that the IBT structure in its current form holds limited benefits for the poor, given the state of service delivery in South Africa: the lack of access to the water network prevents the poorest households from being the recipients of the cross-subsidisation occurring in an IBT structure. Part Two studies urban water resources as recreational and environmental goods. The literature review of environmental valuation techniques in Chapter Six places particular emphasis on the Contingent Valuation Method. This method is applied in Chapter Seven, where the value of improving the environmental quality of a freshwater urban lake is analysed in a middle- to low-income urban area. Another survey was undertaken specifically for this purpose of gauging the willingness to pay for improved recreational facilities and water quality of Zeekoevlei. The results show that low-income households do attach value to urban environmental goods, a result which adds to our knowledge of willingness to pay for environmental goods in developing countries.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Besorgdheid oor die toereikenheid van varswaterbronne en die impak van watertekorte het volhoubare waterbestuur op die wêreldagenda geplaas. Dit is veral relevant vir Suid- Afrika, 'n land met neerslagkoerse ver onder die wêreld gemiddelde en waterbronne wat hoogs besoedeld geword het. Die skaarsheid van water vir verbruik en van onbesoedelde waterbronne as ontspannings- en omgewingsproduk, beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid vir 'n ekonomiese analise van hierdie kwessies. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek sekere ekonomiese aspekte van waterbestuur in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, in twee dele. Deel Een (Hoofstukke Twee tot Vyf) beoog om insig te verskaf oor die stedelike vraag na water en analiseer die prys van water as 'n vraagbestuursmaatstaf. Deel Twee (Hoofstukke Ses en Sewe) ontleed die waarde wat mense heg aan waterbronne vir ontspannings- en omgewingsdoeleindes. Kwantitatiewe metodologiese benaderinge word hoofsaaklik gebruik om 'n ekonomiese perspektief op watervraag bestuur toe te lig. Die omvang van waterskaarsheid in Suid-Afrika word in Hoofstuk Twee bespreek. Hierdie hoofstuk dui aan dat Suid-Afrika besig is om fisiese waterskaarste te bereik, maar die land het ook baie arm huishoudings wat nog nie toegang tot water en basiese sanitasiefasiliteite het nie, dw.s. wat daar is ook ekonomiese waterskaarsheid. Gegewe hierdie agtergrond, fokus Hoofstuk Drie op watervraagbestuur, as deel van 'n geïntegreerde waterbestuursbenadering. Die rol van waterpryse word bespreek, veral die Stygende-Blok-Tarief (SBT) struktuur wat grotendeels in Suid-Afrika gebruik word. Hoofstuk Vier bepaal die pryselastisiteit van vraag vir water met behulp van huishoudelike waterverbruiksdata, verkry vanaf die Stad Kaapstad. 'n Kenmerkende eienskap van hierdie gevallestudie is die ingesamelde huishoudelike inligting oor demografiese en waterverbruik-eienskappe, aangesien daar ‘n groot tekort aan water-databasisse in Suid- Afrika is. Die uitslae toon dat watervraag meestal prysonelasties is, wat ooreenstem met bevindinge van ander empiriese literatuur. Verder word gevind dat hoё-inkomste huishoudings meer sensitief is vir prysveranderinge. Dus sal 'n afname in waterverbruik bewerkstellig kan word deur marginale pryse aan die hoёr kant van die SBT struktuur te verhoog. Hoofstuk Vyf ondersoek die SBT struktuur as 'n effektiewe herverdelingsmaatstaf. Spesifieke aandag word aan die Gratis Basiese Water-beleid van Suid-Afrika geskenk, wat voorsiening maak dat elke huishouding ses kiloliter water per maand verniet ontvang. Die bevindinge van empiriese modellering is dat die SBT struktuur, soos dit tans in Suid-Afrika toegepas word, beperkte voordele vir die armes inhou, gegewe die huidige stand van watervoorsiening in Suid-Afrika. As gevolg van die agterstand met betrekking tot toegang tot water, ontvang die heel armes nie die voordele van kruissubsidiёring wat plaasvind onder 'n SBT struktuur nie. Deel Twee bestudeer stedelike waterbronne as ontspannings- en omgewingsprodukte. Hoofstuk Ses verskaf 'n literatuur oorsig oor omgewingswaardasie tegnieke, met 'n spesieke fokus op die Kontingente Waardasie-metode. Hierdie metode word in Hoofstuk Sewe toegepas, waar die waarde van verbeteringe in die omgewingskwaliteit van 'n varswatermeer in 'n middel- tot lae-komste stedelike gebied ondersoek word. Nog 'n opname is gedoen met die doel om die bereidwilligheid om te betaal vir verbeterde ontspanningsfasiliteite en die waterkwaliteit van Zeekoevlei te meet. Die bevindinge toon dat lae-inkomste huishoudings wel waarde heg aan stedelike omgewingsprodukte.

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Wijaya, Andy Fefta, and wija0002@flinders edu au. "Water as a Public Good in Indonesia: An evaluation of water supply service performance in an Indonesian water supply enterprise as a means to address social and environmental justice concerns." Flinders University. Flinders Institute of Public Policy and Management, 2006. http://catalogue.flinders.edu.au./local/adt/public/adt-SFU20060522.144632.

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A water supply service can be seen as a public or private good, but this thesis makes the argument that water is vital for society and so to ensure accountability it is important that water governance includes citizens' participation for social and environmental justice concerns. Public goods are generally defined as goods and services that are provided by 'means of public policy' (Lane, 1993, p. 21), or 'collective political choice' (Stretton & Orchard, 1994, p. 54) rather than by means of an individual market mechanism in which private goods are usually provided. This thesis addresses the function of water as a public good. If social and environmental goals of water use are ignored, the implications can be detrimental particularly for the poorest members of society. An organization's goal effectiveness is usually related to its success in achieving desired outcomes of the organization's goals through a systemic management interaction across organizational aspects at the input, process, output, and outcome/impact stages. This thesis argues an evaluation model of performance measurement can be developed to reflect the characteristics of a public good for a water supply utility, and this model of performance measurement can assist in addressing issues of social and environmental justice. Harris et al argue that better governance can only be achieved by working for democracy in multiple arenas (Harriss, Stokke, & Tornquist, 2004, pp. 7-8). This study considers multidimensional performance measures taking on board the values of many stakeholders with different backgrounds. It 'unfolds' and 'sweeps in' in many dimensions in an attempt at systemic representation (Ulrich, 1983, p. 169). McIntyre- Mills states that 'service need to reflect the values of the users and for this to occur the users need to participate in and decide on policy design and governance' (McIntyre-Mills, 2003, p. 14). Performance measurement systems can be used to detect a gap between services supplied by providers and various needs demanded by stakeholders. The thesis develops an outcome performance measurement model for evaluating social equity and environmental justice concerns. It draws on and adapts four performance measurement models of the International Water Association, World Bank, Indonesian Home Affairs Department and Indonesian Water Supply Enterprise Association. A complementary combined method was developed that addresses qualitative and quantitative governance concerns as they perform to water supply performance problems. Three research methods were used, namely the case study, survey and focus group discussion for collecting qualitative and quantitative data from the three governance sectors. These were triangulated. Five research tools in the case study method were used for collecting information from stakeholders in the three governance sectors including interview, personal communication or email, document analysis, direct observation and documentation. The survey was used to investigate 431 respondents from three case study locations in Cinusa1 city, and the two focus groups were conducted in the city's water supply company management for discussing problems of water supply performance as summarized from the survey. The locus of this study was concentrated in the Cinusa city jurisdiction area, and the focus was the performance problem of the water supply company in Cinusa during 2001-2004. However, a comparative study of water supply performance nationally and internationally is presented for analyzing relative performance gaps.This research evaluates interconnections among cost inefficiency, tariff escalation and other non-financial performances: water supply quantity, quality, continuity and pressure. Inefficient costs because of corrupt, collusive and nepotistic practices in this Indonesian water supply company implicate cost burdens in the company and prevent this water local public enterprise perform its social and environmental missions. The Cinusa local government as the owner of this local public enterprise and the Cinusa local parliament hold a monopoly power in some important decisions related to this local public enterprise, including tariff policy, senior management positions and the total amount of profit share paid to the local government. Such customers from lower income household instead of being subsidized as specified in the national regulation are paying at a profitable tariff and subsidizing this enterprise's inefficiency and the government's locally generated revenue. The inefficiency alongside the profit sharing policy also weakens this enterprise's capacity to invest and improve its service performances. Improving the service performance is essential for current and potential customers and could also benefit the society economically, socially and environmentally, besides being of economic benefit to the enterprise itself. Securing public health concerns and groundwater preservations can be conducted by improving the accessibility, the availability and the reliability of water quality, quantity, pressure and continuity. This research presents an evaluation model for improving the accountability of water supply by means of performance management tool and it makes policy recommendations.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Social aspects of Water-supply'

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