自2008年以來，兩岸實質交流與政府政策的開放下，金融產業在多年的紅海競爭下，出現新契機。尤以2010年兩岸經濟合作架構協議（ECFA）的簽署，將金融服務業列為早收清單，使臺灣銀行業者能縮短等待期提早進入中國大陸市場開展業務。 本文以臺灣31家本國銀行（不含專業銀行及外資銀行）為研究對象，自2007至2013年為研究期間，以中介法選擇「利息支出」、「營業費用」、「存款」等3項投入變數；「利息收入」、「非利息收入」、「放款及貼現」、「投資」等4項產出變數。運用資料包絡分析法（DEA）及Tobit迴歸模型，由全體銀行、金控子銀行與非金控銀行的角度，探討兩岸簽訂ECFA對其經營績效的影響。 實證結果發現：1.銀行經營績效深受外在金融環境及規模大小影響。2.全體樣本銀行於簽訂ECFA後之平均效率不如簽訂ECFA前，惟部分銀行效率值提高。3.簽訂ECFA前非金控銀行純技術效率優於金控子銀行；簽訂ECFA後金控子銀行整體效率、純技術效率及規模效率皆優於非金控銀行。4.簽訂ECFA前後公股銀行之整體效率、純技術效率及規模效率皆優於民營銀行。 / The financial industries led to a red ocean market due to high and intensive competition many years ago. However, the relaxation of government policy of substantial cross-strait economic interactions has brought the turning point since 2008. Especially, the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and China was signed in 2010 and the financial service industry is covered under the Early Harvest list which can make Taiwanese bank sectors shorten the time and enter the Mainland China market early. This study is to research 31 domestic banks (exclude professional bank and foreign banks) and choose interest expense, operation expense and deposit as the three input variables and interest revenue, non-interest revenue, loan and discount and investment as output variables from 2007 to 2013. With the use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Tobit regression mode, it explores the effect of operating performance for the banks, the financial holding banks and the Independent Banks under the ECFA. Finding: After the signing of the ECFA，the sample banks' efficiency is not as good as before the signing, but some banks to improve the efficiency. Before the signing ECFA, the pure technical efficiency of non-bank financial holding is superior than financial holding banks ; however, efficiency of financial holding banks ,including technical efficiency pure technical efficiency scale efficiency,is superior than non-financial holding banks. Overall, the performance of public financial holding banks is superior than the private banks. However, the performance of banks is impact by financial environment and the size.

[pt] O setor de saneamento desempenha um papel fundamental à vida humana. A gestão eficiente dos recursos hídricos é de grande relevância à sociedade devido à sua importância econômica e produtiva para o desenvolvimento de outros bens e serviços. O presente estudo apresenta uma análise de benchmarking com o objetivo de avaliar a eficiência dos custos operacionais das empresas de saneamento do Brasil. Este abordou 3 metodologias de benchmarking, sendo elas a Análise Envoltória de Dados (DEA), Mínimos Quadrados Ordinários Corrigidos (MQOC) e Análise de Indicadores de Desempenho. Inicialmente foi estimada uma eficiência média a partir do DEA e MQOC, em seguida foi realizado o ajuste desta eficiência através de variáveis não gerenciáveis pelas empresas, por meio da regressão TOBIT. Por fim, foi feita uma análise complementar através de 15 indicadores de desempenho que abarcavam características de custos médios, produtividade e perdas de água no setor de saneamento. Os dados utilizados para este estudo foram disponibilizados pelo Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Saneamento (SNIS). Para a estimação da eficiência foi considerado como variável de insumo o custo operacional das empresas (OPEX) Para produto, as variáveis de quantidade de ligações ativas e volume faturado de água e esgoto. Observou-se que o impacto das variáveis não gerenciáveis beneficiou o desempenho das empresas, mas não gerou mudanças significativas quanto à posição no ranking de eficiência. O resultado da eficiência média estimada pelas metodologias DEA e MQOC indicou a SANEPAR como benchmark relativamente aos seus custos operacionais, bem como a análise de indicadores de desempenho, para o ano de 2012. / [en] The sanitation sector plays a key role in human life. Efficient management of water resources is completely revelant to society because of their economic and productive importance for the development of other goods and services. This study presents a benchmarking analysis in order to evaluate the efficiency of the operating costs of sanitation companies in Brazil. Three benchmarking methodologies were used, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Corrected Ordinary Least Square (COLS) and Performance Indicators Analysis. Initially an average efficiency was estimated from the DEA and COLS. Later, through TOBIT regression, an adjustment of this efficiency was made through this uncontrollable variables by companies. Finally, an additional analysis was performed using 15 performance indicators that spanned average cost characteristics, productivity and water losses in the sanitation sector. The data used for this study were provided by the Brazilian Sanitation Information System (SNIS). To estimate the efficiency was considered as an input variable operating costs of companies (OPEX).Regards to product, the amount of variable active links and volume of billed water and sewage were considered. It was observed the impact of uncontrollable variables benefited performance of the companies, but did not cause significant changes on the position in the ranking of efficiency. The result of the average efficiency estimated by the DEA and COLS methodologies indicated SANEPAR as a benchmark due to its operating costs, as well as the performance indicator analysis for the year 2012.

Climate change implication and rural livelihood capitals remain the major inextricable dimensions of sustainability in this twenty first century globally. As a result, the impact and outcome of climate change on rural livelihood capitals, including economic development cannot be overemphasized in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality of the North West Province of South Africa, where the study took place. It is one of the largest maize production regions in South Africa, where a preponderance of the people in the province obtain their livelihood from agriculture which contributes enormously to the promotion of household’s food security. The study, therefore, investigated the adaptation strategies, awareness of climate change, factors that influenced climate change adaptation in North West Province of South Africa, with the aim of ascertaining the effects of climate change on livelihood capitals among small and emerging maize farmers. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select three hundred and forty-six (346) farmers who were interviewed from the study area, while a pre-tested questionnaire was administered to the maize farmers, aiming at matters related to climate change impact on livelihood and adaptation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while inferential statistical tools employed were Principal Component Analysis, Two-Stage Least Square regression model, Binary Logistic regression model, and Tobit regression model. The results of the study showed that climate change was linked to rural livelihood capitals as climate change awareness, low profit and co-operative finance were statistically significant (p<0.05). The study also established that majority of the rural farmers in the study area were aware of climate change, in which farm size, education, ownership of the farm, information received on climate change, source of climate change information, climate change information through extension services, channel of information received on climate change and support received on climate change were statistically significant (p<0.05). Factors such as farm size, household gender, type of farms, who owns the farm, land acquisition, source of climate change information, support received on climate change, and adaptation barrier were statistically significant (p<0.05) and influenced climate change adaptation in the study area. Conclusively, climate change is entwined with rural livelihood, and the variables that are significant to the study were identified. It was therefore recommended that government intervention, access to information, extension service and support, farmers’ networking, adoption of drought and heat stress tolerant seeds, indigenous knowledge should be improved, practiced and promoted among the rural farmers and the stakeholders involved in the study area. / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology / D. Phil. (Agriculture)