The need for improving cost estimation for solid waste management (SWM) is particularly strong in emerging (industrialising) economies where problems of solid waste are severe, expectations for improvements are high, but finances are constrained. Using literature-based evaluation, traditional methods used to estimate costs of SWM in industrialising regions are classified into two categories- the unit cost method and benchmarking techniques. These current approaches are unable to satisfy two important SWM objectives in industrialising regions- 1. provide an understanding of variables affecting costs of SWM in developing countries, which in turn helps in developing a sound financing strategy, and 2. ensure that scarce financial resources are used to best effect while planning for increasing populations, and raising service levels in developing countries The development of cost models using the cost function approach, which are sometimes used as a cost estimation technique for developed countries' waste management case studies, is deemed as an improvement over current cost estimation approaches for SWM used in industrialising regions. The usefulness, applications and limitations of the cost function approach for developing countries is shown in four ways. First, the application of the cost function methodology to a developing country dataset is shown using data from approximately 300 Indian municipalities. Second, future developmental scenario analyses is conducted at the city level to estimate marginal costs to improve solid waste management (SWM) to handle increasing populations and to raise the level of service. Third, the basic intents for conducting cost function analyses are categorised based on the rich experiences from another public service with many similar characteristics, namely the healthcare sector, and translated for easy understanding for future solid waste engineers. Finally, the potential implications of the health care analyses on the developing city case study demonstrates the way forward in terms of the most important data that needs to be collected and future cost analyses that needs to be conducted. The results from this work indicate a strong need for careful selection and management of data, and awareness of the challenges that developing country datasets pose. The thesis is designed to encourage planners in developing countries to ditch heuristic thinking when planning improvements to SWM, and instead adopt modern rational methods to make cost-wise decisions. Specifically, this thesis provides solid waste management analysts the necessary tools to gather, analyse and interpret cost information in a way that facilitates planning of restricted finances in industrialising regions.

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The aim of this research was to examine the trade policies designed by the World Trade Organization to minimise poverty levels in developing countries through trade liberalization.

<p>Safeguards are among the most controversial of all trade remedies, due to the fact that they are contrary to the general principles of international fair trade as articulated in the various ageements governing the relationship between Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Thus, deeloping countries, least developed countries (LDC), South Africa, and other Sub-Saharan African countries, are hard-pressed to deploy and consider safeguards as an option. This thesis rests upon two central interlinked propositions, in essence a two-pronged argument and overarching statement of policy. First, the legal constraints on safeguards, many of which evolve out of the strict Appellate Body decicions, are reasonable on legal and policy grounds even though such controlling measures are applied likewise to fairly-traded and not just to unfairly-traded merchandise. Secondly, developing countries like South Africa should properly be accorded special and differential treatment to apply safeguards.</p>

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This thesis is concerned with examining issues of theoretical validity and bias in contingent valuation (CV) and discrete choice experiment (DCE) methods in low income countries. This thesis contributes to the small body of literature on the application of CV and DCEs in low income countries and in populations which have little or no formal education. Theoretical validity is examined by testing whether willingness to pay corresponds to theoretical expectations focusing on gender and willingness to pay, sensitivity to scope, starting point bias, and strategic bias in CV. The theoretical validity of the DCE method in populations with no formal education is also explored. It is found that whilst iterative methods to elicit willingness to pay often mimic local market conditions in low income countries they are prone to starting point bias and strategic bias. An association between gender and willingness to pay was also found. Issues of gender, starting point bias and strategic behaviour can be tested for and controlled for in the estimation of willingness to pay and do not present an insurmountable problem. Willingness to pay was also found to be insensitive to the size of the benefit in CV. Using the DCE method, it was found that with the use of visual aids, DCEs can be used among respondents with no formal education. It is concluded that CV and DCEs are feasible and valid in populations with low levels of education when surveys are conducted using trained enumerators and administered using face-to-face interviews. This suggests that both techniques are capable of being used in wide variety of settings. The exception to this is a lack of evidence on sensitivity to scope. Further research is therefore required into sensitivity to scope. Further research is also required to examine the association between gender and willingness to pay.