Claims related to the environment increasingly permeate the domain of human and fundamental rights. It is widely accepted that a direct functional relationship exists between the pursuit of environmental aims generally, and the protection of environmental rights. By and large, this relation compelled 'the environment' to have become a prominent contemporary focus point in legal thought, discourse and adjudication. Since local government operates closer to citizens than any other level of government, it is obvious that it may be expected of it to also play an important role in the management and regulation of matters that affect the environment. In the main, this study questions the extent to which the South African legal framework facilitates local government progress in the decentralised fulfilment of the section 24 environmental right in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Firstly, this thesis provides a theoretical literature review of a number of approaches to, categories of and different perspectives on environmental rights in general. As part of this review a number of generic elements is identified for the fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions, generally. The literature review attends also to the notions of local environmental governance and 'local politics of pollution', amongst other concepts related to local government. Secondly, this thesis (by employing the comparative research method and by using the generic elements for fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions as benchmarks) critically considers the Constitution or Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949 (Grundgesety and relevant developments in Germany with reference to the European context and a local government case study on the municipality of Heidelberg. It considers also the Constitution of Namibia of 1990 and relevant developments in Namibia with reference to the African and Southern African contexts and a case study on the Walvis Bay municipality. The South African position is subsequently analysed, first with a focus on section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, environmental law and related developments, then shifting the focus to the constitutional provisions on local government, local government law, related developments and the case of the Drakenstein Local Municipality. Thirdly, based on the lessons learned from and lacunae identified in all three of the countries considered, this study concludes with a set of recommendations for the South African context. / Thesis (LL.D.) -- North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The theme of this thesis is that ecologically sustainable coastal management (ESCM) is achievable through the application of law. Once the legal principles and the administrative structures that that law supports have been put into place a framework is created within which the goal of ecologically sustainable development - 'Development that improves the total quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life depends' can be realised. This thesis approaches the task by analysing the components of ecologically sustainable development (ESD), synthesising them into a set of principles for achieving ESCM and then, by using a comparative approach, devising a number of recommendations, which, if followed, will enable ESCM to be achieved. While the focus is on ESCM, the recommendations could be applied with minimal adaptation, to most, if not all, natural resource management. The thesis is divided into five Parts. Part A looks at the function of law in ESCM and proposes a theoretical model for a legal and administrative regime to be tested in the remaining Parts. Part B considers the context for ESCM and the policies and approaches followed by the different jurisdictions compared throughout this thesis, in addressing sustainable development, with emphasis in chapter four on devising the principles for ESCM. These principles are then developed and analysed in the remaining Parts of the thesis. Part C looks at the current constitutional legal regime for the coastal zone in each jurisdiction and then moves on to consider the first two of the principles for ESCM, international responsibilities and integrated coastal zone management, linked together in this part by the direct dependence on law as the agent for management Part D is about the four remaining principles of ESCM - the practical instruments for achieving ESCM. These are environmental impact assessment, public participation, coastal planning and economic instruments. In the last Part, Part E, the suggested principles for ESCM are brought together and, by a comparison of the various legal and administrative mechanisms used in the jurisdictions reviewed in this thesis, recommendations for achieving ESCM are drawn up. It is suggested that implementation of these recommendations will achieve ecologically sustainable coastal management.

Le principal objectif de l’étude consiste à démontrer, en temps de crise économique mondiale, comme il serait possible de conjuguer exigences de croissance économique et stratégies de protection et de valorisation du patrimoine, dans une perspective durable, en considérant que le tourisme représente un dès possible secteur pour le développement territorial, l’intégration sociale et l’amélioration des conditions de vie des collectivités locales. La région Campanie et la province de Caserte – territoires objets d’étude en Italie - sont dotés d’un exceptionnel patrimoine culturel, paysager et immatériel mais ne sont pas suffisamment protégés et valorisés. À cette fin, la recherche analyse et propose des stratégies de gestion des biens à travers l’étude des best practices françaises dans le domaine du tourisme culturel, considérées comme le moteur de développement durable du territoire. La France, classée premier pays au monde pour le nombre de visiteur international, selon les statistiques de l’Organisation mondiale du tourisme, a développé une politique gouvernementale de long terme visant à la protection et à la promotion du patrimoine, grâce à des interventions sur les biens, sur la structure organisationnelle des institutions responsables, et sur toutes les formes d'art de la production intellectuelle. En Italie, en revanche, la stratégie de gestion s’est souvent montrée inadéquat par rapport au prestige international dont elle dispose sur le plan de son patrimoine culturel, paysager, gastronomique et immatériel. Un management contestable des biens, a donné lieu à une croissance limitée de l'économie par rapport à son potentiel avec un effet négatif sur le patrimoine. / The main objective of this study is to demonstrate, in times of global economic crisis, how it is possible to combine economic growth needs and strategies for the protection and enhancement of the heritage in a sustainable way, starting from the assumption that tourism is one of possible areas for regional development, social integration and improvement of living conditions of local communities. The Campania Region and the Province of Caserta – territories object of study in Italy - have a unique cultural, landscape and intangible heritage but is not sufficiently protected and enhanced. To this end, the research analyzes and proposes policies for managing assets through the study of international "best practices", in particular in France, in the field of cultural tourism, seen as an engine for sustainable development of local communities. France, the first country in the world for number of international visitors, according to updated data, provided by the World Tourism Organizations, has developed a long-term government policy aimed at the protection and enhancement of heritage, through actions on assets, on the organizational structure of the institution in charge, and targeted promotion of all art forms of intellectual production. In Italy, however, the management strategy has often shown inadequate compared to the international prestige of the country for its cultural, landscape, food, wine and intangible heritage, with a limited growth of economy if compared with this heritage’s potential with the consequent negative effect on heritage.

The imbizo was introduced in the light of the problems associated with indirect democracy, as well as attempts to bring democracy closer to the people in ways with which they are more familiar. The problem of the study was approached by putting the imbizo in perspective. Hence, a cybernetics model was used with the two information systems, namely the GCIS and the spider-web. They were used to describe the workings of the imbizo in the political system. A mixed method using both the quantitative and qualitative approaches investigated the problem by surveying students‟ understanding of the imbizo. A case study regarding service delivery and public participation was conducted at villages where the imbizo had been held. Generally, findings confirm the imbizo’s role as an instrument to enhance service delivery. The findings have some far-reaching implications for democracy: Unlike indirect democracy, the imbizo “takes the government closer to the people” through unmediated engagement of the people in order to realise direct democracy and accountability. / M.A. (Politics) / Political Science

This dissertation examines the democratic participation in the formulation of the communal land policy in Namibia. The degree to which Government institutions allow public participation, cooperation with other sectors within government, and cooperate with other stakeholders such as Non-Governmental Organisations, is examined. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews and literature research. The analysis of data integrated both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Chapter One describes the background to the study, focusing on the history of democratic participation and land policies in Namibia. The literature review in Chapter Two gives a review of the relevant literature that exists on democracy, democratic participation and policymaking. Chapter Three provides a theoretical framework where the most important issues regarding policies relating to communal land were introduced. Chapter Four identified the tools and processes of conducting the study. Three regions in Namibia namely, Oshikoto, Hardap and Otjozondjupa were randomly selected to participate in this study. The findings of the study are discussed in Chapter Five and Chapter Six concludes the study. The study concluded that democratic participation in the formulation of the communal land policy in Namibia is very low. The major challenges that remain are to encourage public and inter-sectoral debate and to improve the ability of the relevant stakeholders to support development in Namibia and to clarify Namibia’s vision for democratic public participation. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Administration and Management)

O presente trabalho pretende contribuir para a análise do processo de gestão costeira no Brasil, ao acompanhar e analisar a implementação de um projeto local de gestão costeira integrada - o projeto Ecomanage, que está sendo desenvolvido na região estuarina de Santos - São Vicente, SP (em fase final) e que pretende fornecer ferramentas gerenciais práticas e eficientes para auxiliar na tomada de decisão. A gestão costeira integrada, atual paradígima da gestão costeira mundial e cujos princípios foram incorporados pelo Programa Nacional de Gerenciamento Costeiro do Brasil, é um processo interativo que vai se redefinindo ao longo do tempo e de acordo com a experiência. Para tal, é necessário que se concretizem avaliações quanto às dificuldades e oportunidades encontradas, de maneira a que os seus procedimentos sejam retificados de acordo e suas metas sejam cumpridas para se concretizar o seu objetivo maior, o de promover o desenvolvimento sustentável das zonas costeiras. Na avaliação efetuada do projeto Ecomanage verificou-se que a sua implementação foi fortemente influenciada por condicionantes de natureza político-institucional, técnico-administrativo e sócio-cultural, em muito comuns aos que têm sido apontados para o gerenciamento consteiro nacional e também mundial. No entanto, apesar das dificuldades, foi possível estabelecer uma importante colaboração com atores locais da região, tendo sido, inclusive, firmado parcerias com atores governamentais que irão possibilitar continuar o trabalho iniciado pelo projeto. / The present work intends to promote the debate about coastal management in Brazil by analyzing the implementation of a local project of integrated coastal management - the Ecomanage project, that is being developed in the Santos - São Vicente estuarine system, SP, Brazil, (in its final phase), which main goals are to provide effective and practical management tools to assist in decision-making. Integrated coastal management is the actual paradigm in coastal management and its principles have been incorporated to Brazil\'s National Coastal Management Programme. Being an iterative process that redefines itself as it is developed and practice is acquired, evaluation of its main difficulties and opportunities is essential to guide its procedures in order to achive its main objective, the sustainable development of coastal zones. The evaluation made to project Ecomanage showed that there were important political, institutional, technical and socio-cultural obstacles to its implementation and that these were at a large extent similar to those that have been identified in coastal management practiced in Brazil and in the world. Nevertheless, important cooperation relationships with local parties could still be established and partnerships carry on the work initiated by the Ecomanage project in the region.

No description available.

Le droit à l’information environnementale du public en matière de risques industriels, par le recours aux différentes modalités d’exercice, y compris les supports de communications électroniques, paraît, de prime abord, comme étant « fonction de plusieurs variables ». Cette équation juridique consiste en effet en la mise en question de l’exercice d’un droit au regard de son objet et de ses modalités. L’hypothèse d’une évolution du droit à l’information environnementale nécessite d’analyser, au travers d’une réflexion théorique et juridique centrée sur la création et l’application du droit, l’évolution de ses droits consubstantiels, à savoir le droit d’accès à l’information du public et le droit de la participation du public au processus décisionnel. Le caractère évolutif du droit à l’information environnementale du public est appréhendé en considérant notamment les fonctions opératoires du juge dans l’exercice des droits d’accès à l’information du public et de la participation du public au processus décisionnel, et de la pluralité des modalités d’exercice de ceux-ci. La présence de certains décalages dans l’application de ces droits démontre l’évolution de l’adaptabilité du droit à l’information environnementale à son objet et à ses modalités d’exercice plutôt qu’une évolution propre à ce droit. / At first glance, the public right to environmental information on industrial hazards, by using different modes of exercise, including electronic communications, seems to be a “function of several variables”. In fact, this legal equation consists of challenging the exercise of a right with regard to its object as well as its terms. The hypothesis of evolution of the right to environmental information requires that one examines, through a theoretical and legal reflection centered on the creation and application of law, the evolution of its components, namely the right of access to information and the right to public participation in decision making. The evolving nature of the public right to environmental information is understood in particular by considering the operating functions of the judge in exercising the right of access to public information, the public participation in decision making, and the plurality of their modes of exercise. The presence of discrepancies in the application of these rights demonstrates the evolution of the adaptability of the right to environmental information with regard to its purpose and application rather than the evolution of the right itself.

Den Ausgangspunkt dieser Arbeit bildete die Auseinandersetzung um Landschaft und deren Bedeutung für eine landschaftsbezogene Identitätsbildung aus Sicht der Bewohner ebenso wie aus der planerischen Perspektive. Da Landschaft erst durch die Interpretation ihrer Betrachter und deren Handlungspraktiken zu dem wird, was im Sinne ihrer Nutzer auch den Wert ausmacht, gilt es v. a. sich diesen wertgebenden Prozessen und deren bezugnehmenden Merkmalen zu widmen. Der planerische Auftrag identifikationsstiftende Landschaftsmerkmale zu erfassen und dabei das konstruktivistische Landschaftverständnis als ein Konstrukt eines kollektiven Sozialzusammenhanges verfolgend, bietet für einen Landschaftsdiskurs den größten Anknüpfungspunkt und bringt in seiner Logik das Anliegen der Landschaftsinterpretation von Bewohnern hervor. Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist es herauszustellen, welche Aspekte identitätsstiftender landschaftsbezogener Merkmale die Bewohner für die Verhandlung um raumbezogene Zugehörigkeit hinzuziehen und wie diese mit den Merkmalen der planerischen Analyse übereinstimmen oder sich ergänzen bzw. wie sie verhandelt werden. Mithilfe eines Gruppendiskussionsverfahrens sollen diese Merkmale aus Sicht der Bewohner, methodisch aufbauend auf einer „klassischen“ Kulturlandschaftserfassung, angekoppelt und ergänzt werden. Das Gruppendiskussionsverfahren als Methode der qualitativen Sozialforschung eignet sich zum einen als qualitativer Forschungsansatz für diese Arbeit, weil er eine freie Entfaltung der Relevanzsysteme und damit ein kontrolliertes Fremdverstehen ermöglicht. Im Rahmen des Aneignungsprozesses um Landschaft soll das zentrale Prinzip der Offenheit angesetzt werden, was im Sinne von Kruse (2015, 65) bedeutet, das eigene Relevanzsystem (planerischer Hintergrund) zu öffnen, um das Fremde an sich heranzulassen. Es geht weniger darum den eigenen Standpunkt, Wissensbestände und Konzepte anzuzweifeln, als vielmehr eine reflexive Sensibilisierung für eine eigene Relevanz zu erreichen (vgl. Kruse 2015, 71). Zum anderen liegt die hohe Eignung in einer nondirektiven Gruppenleitungsform und zusätzlich in einer Vielfalt der Diskussionsteilnehmenden. Unter Gruppendiskussion ist ein Gespräch aus bis zu 15 Teilnehmern zu einem gemeinsamen Thema zu verstehen, wobei der Fragende keine vornehmlich gesprächsleitende, sondern v. a. eine beobachtende Position inne hat (nondirektive). Im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes „Kulturlandschaftspojekt Mittelsachsen“ des Lehrstuhls Landschaftsplanung unter Leitung von Frau Prof. Dr. Catrin Schmidt im Auftrag des Landkreis Mittelsachsen, wurden von der Bearbeiterin in neun Gemeinden des Landkreises Gruppendiskussionen über einen Zeitraum von drei Monaten im Jahr 2014 durchgeführt. Die Auswertung der Gespräche erfolgte auf Basis der dokumentarischen Methode stufenweise. Dazu wurden die aufgezeichneten Gespräche in einem ersten Schritt transkribiert, im Weiteren durch eine formulierende Interpretation in die wesentlichen Themen selektiert und der immanente Sinngehalt wiedergegeben, um dann mit der refletierenden Interpretation zu forschungsleitenden Kernaussagen und Thesen zu kommen. Außerdem wurden die innerhalb des „Kulturlandschaftspojektes Mittelsachsen“ erarbeiteten, landschaftsbezogenen Merkmale der GIS-basierten Landschaftscharakterisierungen den Aussagen aus den Gruppengesprächen gegenübergestellt. In einer vertiefenden Interpretation anhand von Thesen wurden zudem die Zusammenhänge aktueller Landschaftsdiskurse in Abhängigkeit von gesellschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen verifiziert und die Bedeutung für zu erwartende Trends herausgestellt. Nicht nur die Inhalte und Verhandlungspraktiken innerhalb des Gruppendiskussionsverfahrens wurden an neun geführten Gesprächsrunden analysiert, sondern auch die zur Durchführung notwendigen Schritte. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse aus den Zusammenhängen von Auswahl der Gruppenteilnehmenden und Art und Weise der Fragestellungen sowie der Motivation der Teilnehmenden und den Auswirkungen auf den Erfolg der Diskussion, bildeten die Basis für die Modifizierungsvorschläge eines Gruppendiskussionsverfahrens. Zusammenfassend zeigen diese konkreten Möglichkeiten wie mithilfe von Gruppendiskussionen das Landschaftwissen der Bewohner aufbauend auf einer planerischen Analyse eines Landschaftsausschnittes ermittelt und in ein Kulturlandschaftskonzept integriert werden können. Im Ergebnis wurde dabei deutlich, dass die Wahrnehmung einer Region nicht ohne den Bezug auf den konkreten lokalen Ort funktioniert. Von Vorteil stellte sich dabei das grenzübergreifende Denken der Bewohner heraus. Das Interesse raumbezogener Gesellschaftwissenschaften an Landschaft kann für die Landschaftsplanung sehr inspirierend sein, v. a. wenn das methodische Gerüst der sozialwissenschaftlichen Erhebungsmethoden dabei noch stärker mit den Planungswissenschaften verknüpft werden kann. Es gilt demnach Varianten der empirischen Erhebungsmethoden zum einen und Methoden der Auswertung zum anderen für eine Nutzung in planerischem Kontext weiterzudenken. Diese Arbeit liefert einen wichtigen Ansatz.

MAdmin / Department of Public and Development Administration / See the attached abstract below