Many people in Africa, due to high levels of poverty, rely directly on natural resources and the environment for their livelihoods. Different mechanisms have been employed over the years to address poverty and local livelihoods in the context of conservation. Community Conservation Areas and the sustainable livelihood approach are examples of these mechanisms. Increasingly, these and other mechanisms have reinforced the view that unless the risks and opportunities presented by poverty to local livelihoods are addressed, many conservation efforts are bound to fail. The research reported here was based on the premise that appropriate mechanisms that explicitly address poverty and local livelihoods are a necessary prerequisite to successfully engaging local people in conservation. Such mechanisms assure the sustainability of local livelihoods and present opportunities for conservation initiatives to succeed within the context of human societies that are dependent on associated ecosystems and resources. The Maloti-Drakensberg mountains region in South Africa was the study site and the proposed Ngelengele Nature Reserve, a Community Conservation Area, was used as a case study. The amaHlubi community people constituted the study's respondents. The study was largely qualitative, drawing on both primary and secondary sources of data in the form of interviewer-administered questionnaire and documentary analysis respectively. Field observations and discussions with respondents complemented the interviews. By adopting the sustainable livelihoods framework to understand and analyse the livelihoods of the amaHlubi community, the study highlighted concerns about livelihood assets with the conclusion that there is a high dependence on natural resources mainly for domestic purposes, and in general most of the assets are non existent. The study also highlighted the level of awareness and community support towards Ngelengele Nature Reserve, as well as the reserve's implications on local livelihoods. Although some stated that the objectives of Ngelengele Nature Reserve remain unclear, the majority of respondents showed high expectations and support for the project. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This research was conducted in one of the districts in the Oromia region located in the Central Rift Valley to assess the problem of soil erosion and deforestation and to determine how these drivers of land degradation affect the livelihoods of farmers. The research was a case study undertaken in an identified micro-watershed making use of the questionnaire interview method. A household sample was obtained using a simple random sampling technique; Information interviews were conducted with community representatives, district level experts and development agents who worked in the community. The objective of the research was to assess the levels of soil erosion and deforestation and the impact on the livelihoods of the community. Research methods were questionnaire and direct observation. The results of the study indicated that the effects of soil erosion and deforestation on land productively, agriculture and livestock production at large, had a negative effect on livelihoods of the community members. Recommendations based on the research affirm the necessity to undertake large-scale natural resource management starting with community-based watershed management thereby reducing the impact of land degradation on livelihoods of farmers and ensuring food security and sustainable land management. / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology / M.A. (Human Ecology)

Environmental degradation is a global challenge that affects all. One of the most prominent impacts of environmental degradation is the climate change phenomenon. The adverse impacts of climate change have given rise to responses aimed at retarding, halting and learning to live with the already present effects of climate change. These responses to climate change fall into two broad categories: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation addresses the climate change challenge through seeking a reduction or elimination of anthropogenic generated greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Adaptation on the other hand addresses climate change through reducing the adverse impacts of climate change as well as exploiting economic and social opportunities presented by climate change. Green procurement has been identified as one of the climate change intervention measures. This is because research shows that procurement policies and practices of both the public and private sectors have the potential to influence environmentally friendly modes of production and the provision of ‘greener’ goods and services that include infrastructure. In many developing countries the big spending power of the public sector, particularly municipalities, makes them influential players in the nature of goods and services production and provision. Against this background, this study investigates the role of South African metropolitan municipalities in addressing environmental decay through green procurement. Specifically, the study aims to assess the levels of green procurement practices of goods and services within South Africa metropolitan municipalities. This is achieved through; (i) determining the level of understanding of sustainable development, and (ii) determining the extent to which green procurement is practiced in South African metropolitan municipalities, and identifying policy and legislative requirements (if any) that support green procurement practices. Given the complexity of means, policy and practices around the green procurement drive; the study employed a mixed method approach. The mixed method approach employed three methods namely: document analysis, interviews and the use of a questionnaire. Analysis of data included content analysis, inductive thematic analysis and basic numerical analysis of the questionnaire, using MS Excel. The study made two broad findings; (i) there is generally a good understanding of the sustainable development discourse among South Africa’s metropolitan officials; and (ii) policy response to green procurement shows that the older metropolitans that include the City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay have made greater progress making explicit reference to green procurement in different policies compared to the younger metropolitans such as Buffalo City and Mangaung. Despite the general understanding of the sustainable development discourse and evidence of explicit reference to green procurement in some metropolitan policy documents there is a general lack of comprehensive implementation of green procurement practices across all the metropolitan municipalities. The current implementation is sporadic and largely through a number of projects that are not always linked to give rise to effective synergies. The study concludes that there is limited implementation of green procurement policies and strategies in all metropolitans. This may be attributed to limited policy understanding and lack of education and training around green economy transition and green procurement issues. The study recommends the mainstreaming of the green procurement concept into already existing policies and to establish new policies where there are none. There is a need to translate the policies into legislation and regulations that carry incentive to reward and encourage the desired green procurement practices. There is further need to put in place sanctions to discourage and halt undesired procurement practices. / Environmental Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (Environmental Management)

At present, the use of other sources of energy other than energy source from crude oil has accelerated. This is due to limited resources of fossil fuel, increasing prices of crude oil and environmental concerns. Alternative fuels such as biofuel are becoming more important because it can serve as a replacement for petroleum diesel due to its comparable fuel properties and cleaner emission. For use in a standard diesel engine, biodiesel can be blended (mixed) with petroleum diesel at any concentration. In this study, transesterification of waste cooking oil with methanol was catalyzed by heterogeneous catalyst TiO2-supported-MgO and the biodiesel produced was characterised. Waste cooking oil (WCO) was used because it is regarded as one of the cheapest feedstock for biodiesel production in that most oils from oil crops are used as food. Waste cooking oil is available in vast amounts each day in every restaurants and fast food outlets worldwide. The waste cooking oil used in this study was laboratory prepared by the addition of 5 wt. % of oleic acid into 95 wt. % of soybeans oil.10 wt. % of titanium-supported-magnesium oxide catalyst (MgO/TiO2) used was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and characterized using XRF, BET and XRD. These materials were tested with the catalyst for the conversion of waste vegetable oil to biodiesel in presence of methanol and hexane co-solvent. Methanol to oil mole ratio of 18:1 was employed in the transesterification process. When hexane was used as cosolvent, methanol to oil mole ratio of 18:1 and methanol to hexane mole ratio of 1:1 was used. The effects of reaction time, reaction temperature and hexane co-solvent on the waste vegetable oil conversion has been established. The 1HNMR analysis was used to estimate the structure of FAME produced. It was observed that the oil conversion increases with the increased reaction time, reaction temperature and use of hexane as co-solvent. / Chemical Engineering / M. Tech. (Chemical Engineering)

O que são o desenvolvimento sustentável, seus desdobramentos teóricos e suas implicações, pode não suscitar muitas dúvidas ao investigador da academia, mas sua aplicação real vem provocando intensos debates nas muitas ciências, em razão dos temas que o cercam: quase tudo pertinente ao sistema social, para não dizer tudo. A extensão de qualquer enfrentamento a tal tema não permite grandes concessões e exceções das diversas áreas do conhecimento, sob pena de incompletude de observação, esta por si naturalmente limitada ao seu ponto cego. Assim, alguns pontos latentes para o desenvolvimento sustentável foram alinhados nos respectivos capítulos, de maneira que, no último, o somatório de revisões redunda num representativo avanço. A iniciar, e por meio do resgate histórico crítico, buscou-se a melhor definição para o desenvolvimento sustentável na contemporaneidade. Esta é observada em veias reflexivas na sequência, para contextualização do leitor nesta modernidade avançada. O processo produtivo de consumo, com ênfase para este último, detém toda a atenção a seguir, permitindo o conhecimento das engrenagens econômicas motivacionais. Dando continuação, aborda-se o desenvolvimento sustentável sob o prisma do sistema jurídico brasileiro, no qual a matriz do direito entra em discussão. Por fim, faz-se uma revisão minuciosa dos principais movimentos e correntes ambientais e socioambientais, prestando-se para a revisão do desenvolvimento sustentável, agora sinérgico. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-05-30T16:09:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Luiz Fernando del Rio Horn.pdf: 871974 bytes, checksum: 3db221d36f479c613c269122b5246c1f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-30T16:09:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Luiz Fernando del Rio Horn.pdf: 871974 bytes, checksum: 3db221d36f479c613c269122b5246c1f (MD5) / What is the maintainable development, their theoretical unfolding and their implications, it cannot raise a lot of doubts to the investigator of the academy, but its real application is provoking intense debates in a lot of sciences, in reason of the themes that surround it: almost everything pertinent to the social system, for not saying everything. The extension of any confronting of such a theme does not allow great concessions and exceptions of several areas of knowledge, under penalty of observation uncompleted, this for itself limited naturally to its blind point. Like this, some latent points for the maintainable development were aligned in the respective chapters, so that, in the last, the sum of revisions is redundant in a representative progress. In the first chapter, through the critical historical rescue, the best definition was looked for the maintainable development in the contemporaneousness. This is observed in reflexive veins in the second chapter, for contextualization of the reader in this advanced modernity. The productive process of consumption, with emphasis for this last one, stops all the attention in the chapter third, allowing the knowledge of the gears economical motivations. In the four there is an approach of the maintainable development under the prim of the brazilian legal system, in which the head office of the right enters in discussion. In the fifth and last, it is made a meticulous revision of the main movements and environmental currents and social environments, being rendered for revision of the maintainable development, now synergic.

O que são o desenvolvimento sustentável, seus desdobramentos teóricos e suas implicações, pode não suscitar muitas dúvidas ao investigador da academia, mas sua aplicação real vem provocando intensos debates nas muitas ciências, em razão dos temas que o cercam: quase tudo pertinente ao sistema social, para não dizer tudo. A extensão de qualquer enfrentamento a tal tema não permite grandes concessões e exceções das diversas áreas do conhecimento, sob pena de incompletude de observação, esta por si naturalmente limitada ao seu ponto cego. Assim, alguns pontos latentes para o desenvolvimento sustentável foram alinhados nos respectivos capítulos, de maneira que, no último, o somatório de revisões redunda num representativo avanço. A iniciar, e por meio do resgate histórico crítico, buscou-se a melhor definição para o desenvolvimento sustentável na contemporaneidade. Esta é observada em veias reflexivas na sequência, para contextualização do leitor nesta modernidade avançada. O processo produtivo de consumo, com ênfase para este último, detém toda a atenção a seguir, permitindo o conhecimento das engrenagens econômicas motivacionais. Dando continuação, aborda-se o desenvolvimento sustentável sob o prisma do sistema jurídico brasileiro, no qual a matriz do direito entra em discussão. Por fim, faz-se uma revisão minuciosa dos principais movimentos e correntes ambientais e socioambientais, prestando-se para a revisão do desenvolvimento sustentável, agora sinérgico. / What is the maintainable development, their theoretical unfolding and their implications, it cannot raise a lot of doubts to the investigator of the academy, but its real application is provoking intense debates in a lot of sciences, in reason of the themes that surround it: almost everything pertinent to the social system, for not saying everything. The extension of any confronting of such a theme does not allow great concessions and exceptions of several areas of knowledge, under penalty of observation uncompleted, this for itself limited naturally to its blind point. Like this, some latent points for the maintainable development were aligned in the respective chapters, so that, in the last, the sum of revisions is redundant in a representative progress. In the first chapter, through the critical historical rescue, the best definition was looked for the maintainable development in the contemporaneousness. This is observed in reflexive veins in the second chapter, for contextualization of the reader in this advanced modernity. The productive process of consumption, with emphasis for this last one, stops all the attention in the chapter third, allowing the knowledge of the gears economical motivations. In the four there is an approach of the maintainable development under the prim of the brazilian legal system, in which the head office of the right enters in discussion. In the fifth and last, it is made a meticulous revision of the main movements and environmental currents and social environments, being rendered for revision of the maintainable development, now synergic.

This research study evaluated and assessed the extent to which strategic management processes integrated economic, environmental and social sustainability elements in the fiveyear strategy (2012) of Elundini Local Municipality (ELM). The study focused on three areas of strategic management, that is, environmental analysis, strategic direction and strategy formulation. The study also looked at possible reasons for sustainability integration in ELM strategy or lack thereof and also recommended possible solutions. The literature reviewed revealed that there was adequate basis for municipalities to integrate sustainable development in their strategies even though sustainability was noted as an evolving, complex and changing phenomenon. Local Agenda 21 principles, national legislative & policy framework, regulations and other relevant guidelines were found to be adequate for municipalities to develop credible sustainability strategies. The objectives of the study were achieved by data collected through the review of existing literature; the review of ELM Five Year Strategy (2012-2017); and SIAT-based questionnaires that were filled in by ELM employees. The results of the study showed that economic and social sustainability activities were identified most in the ELM strategy compared to environmental sustainability. The study then mainly recommended the review of the current strategy in order to improve all areas of strategy formulation; introduction of Economic, Social and Environmental sustainability – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (ESEs-SWOT) for internal analysis as an improvement of SWOT analysis; introduction of Sustainability Integration and Strategic Management Framework (SISMF) as an improvement to existing framework.

Orientador: Kil Jin Park / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agricola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T01:25:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maldonade_IrisRodrigues_M.pdf: 1445906 bytes, checksum: 945b97b2266f7d2e873bccd2181b847e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: A presente pesquisa focaliza as práticas educativas ambientais realizadas no período de 2001 a 2004, em Joaquim Egídio, Distrito da cidade de Campinas-SP. A partir da experiência do trabalho pedagógico do Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil-CEMEI Alexandre Sartori Faria, desse Distrito, seleciona-se os entrevistados pelo envolvimento e inserção que possuem na escola e no Distrito.Utiliza-se da pesquisa etnográfica, com enfoque nos aspectos qualitativos, com uso de técnicas de observação participante, de entrevista e de análise de documentos. A ênfase da entrevista se dá no relato oral dos entrevistados por esta permitir que o entrevistado use de seu conhecimento e de sua história de vida, selecionando os elementos necessários para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa. As entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas, posteriormente, possibilitando a análise dos dados com o confronto da experiência do CEMEI, sob as categorias: Imaginário Rural e Urbano, Parcerias entre Poder Público e Privado, Relação Escola-Comunidade e Conceito de Educação Ambiental. Conclui-se que a sustentabilidade local é possível quando os membros da comunidade se inserem na vida cotidiana do Distrito, participando dos seus eventos e buscando na própria comunidade, articulações para enfrentar os problemas locais. Através da identificação com o local, as pessoas constroem o sentido de pertencimento que é fundamental para o desenvolvimento sustentável do local. A pesquisa finaliza com alguns apontamentos extraídos da análise dos dados, que podem ser pertinentes enquanto indicadores para possíveis Políticas Públicas a serem implementadas na região / Abstract: The present research studies the environmental educative practice carried through in the period of 2001 the 2004, in Joaquin Egídio, District of the city of Campinas-SP, Brazil. From the experience of the pedagogical work of the Municipal Centre of Infantile Education of this District, CEMEI-Alexander Sartori, the representing pupils of the traders and the agriculturist families were identified and selected for the interview. Ethnical research was used to study it considering the participant comments, document interview and analysis with approach in the qualitative aspects. The interviews had had emphasis in Verbal History for this to allow the interviewed one used its knowledge and its history of life, selecting the necessary elements for the development of the research. The interviews had been recorded and transcribing later, making possible the analysis of the data with the confrontation of the experience of the CEMEI, under the categories: Imaginary Agricultural and Urban, Partnerships between the Public and Private power, Relation School-Community and Concept of Ambient Education. It is concluded that the local maintenance is possible when the members of the community are inserted in the daily life of the District, beginning as participant of feasts up to joining to the community to face the local problems. Once the person identifies to the place, the feeling of belonging to the community is raised, which is essential to the sustainable development of the place. The research finishes with some extracted notes of the analysis of the data that can be pertinent for the Public Politics of the region / Mestrado / Tecnologia Pós-Colheita / Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola

Information on deforestation and forest management is limited due to lack of understanding as to how socioeconomic factors affect deforestation. Without adequate data, it is difficult to manage deforestation; particularly in Chipuriro where deforestation is occurring at a rapid rate. This research was carried out to address the problem. Surveys and landsat images were used to collect data. To quantify deforestation, images were processed using Geographical Information System. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to deduce the relationship between socioeconomic factors and deforestation. Socioeconomic factors were obtained through household surveys and focus group discussions. Results indicated high rates of deforestation in Ward 18 (4.7% per annum) while in Ward 16 woodland cover increased throughout the study period (7.7% per annum). Population growth with its demand on fuel wood, settlement and agricultural land caused a significant decrease in woodland cover in Ward 18. Plantations increased the area under woodlands in Ward 16. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

The transformation of rural people and land to urban land and culture is a natural discourse and inevitable process. In the process, more than half of the current world population are living in urban centres. The number of urban centres and their population is rapidly increasing while the situation of integrated development of urban centres and rural areas such URELs for sustainable development have given less attention in agricultural based countries (ABCs). Multi-disciplinary (agriculture and agro-industries) integration, multi-spatial (urban centre and its hinterlands) linkages, multiscalar (micromeso and macro) levels, multi-actors and stakeholders involvement are the noteworthy innovations in the field of development studies. This study mainly focused on URELs for agribusiness and value chains under the development themes of governance and development as well as contemporary debates. Policies, institutional settings and practical implementation strategies of integrated and balanced development discourse of basic sectoral and urban-rural economic linkages (URELs) missed in ABCs such as Ethiopia‟s comprehensive development policy ADLI neglecting the rapidly growing urban centres. Owing to this, this study is designed to examine the challenges and problems, status and agribusiness and efficiencies of URELs for exploring theoretical empirical model for virtuous circle URELs. Methodologically, the study used sequential explanatory mixed methods research and cross-sectional survey design. The sequential approach was quantitative method, qualitative method and integrating the two findings on interpretation and discussion. The findings present truncated BPLs and FPLs of agriculture and agroindustries. It was was mainly due to poor and greater ranges of efficiency from TE, AE and EE for both agriculture and agro-industries, form of government as ethnic-federalism and regionalism, violation of the existing institutional frameworks, dejure-defacto discrminatin, government businesses, policy and institutional settings, lack of R&D, many paradoxical acts and poor resources mobilization and utilization. These problems and challenges are taken as potential opportunities for improvement and new lens of developing empirical model. The overall recommendation lies on creating enabling environment for virtuous circle URELs and integrated regional development using regional development approach, avoiding illegal interventions, import-export balance, proper resource mobilization and utilization. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)