Department of Business Management / MPM

No description available.

Die voorbestaan van die mensdom is nou verweef met die toestand waarin die omgewing verkeer. Menslike aktiwiteite het 'n groot impak op die omgewing, terwyl die omgewing weer die mens se lewensgehalte bepaal. Hierdie studie is dan daarop gemik om deur omgewingsopvoeding, die mens te lei tot omgewingsgesonde gedrag met die oog op volhoubare ontwikkeling. Ten einde hierin te slaag, word die verskillende omgewingsprobleme en die redes daarvoor eers uitgeklaar. Daarna word die faktore wat tot omgewingsagteruitgang kan lei, ondersoek. Hieruit blyk duidelik <lat die wereld en die RSA, in die toekoms digter bevolk, meer besoedel, ekologies minder stabiel en daarom meer gevoelig vir natuurrampe gaan word. Soos uit die proefskrif sal blyk kan omgewingsopvoeding 'n positiewe bydrae tot bierdie omgewingsprobleme lewer. Om daarby uit te kom word daar dus eers 'n kort bistoriese oorsig van omgewingsopvoeding gegee. Die rol en bydrae wat enkele internasionale organisasies tot omgewingsbewustheid gelewer het, word ondersoek. Daar word 'n oorsig gegee van verwikkelinge in die RSA en die invloed van die Aardeberaad op omgewingsopvoeding in die RSA, word ontleed. Ten einde outentieke omgewingsopvoeding te vergestalt word aanvaar <lat die mens met sy geboorte in 'n wereld gewerp word waaraan hy slegs met sy dood kan ontsnap. In hierdie gesitueerdheid in die wereld as leefnrimte, moet hy sin aan sy bestaan gee, terwyl hy ook 'n poging moet aanwend om die omgewing te verbeter, as voorsorg vir die oorlewing van toekomstige geslagte. Met inagneming van die opvoedings- en omgewingsrelasie waarin die mens tot sy omgewing staan, word die essensiele kenmerke van omgewingsopvoeding blootgele, ten einde moontlikheidsvoorwaardes te stel vir outentieke omgewingsopvoeding. Besondere Idem word gele op omgewingsgedrag wat volhoubaarheid nastreef. Dit alles kulmineer in omgewingsgesonde gedrag wat as oorkoepelende doelstelling vir omgewingsopvoeding gestel word. Omdat die mens se gedrag teenoor die omgewing bepaal word deur sy omgewingsetiek, word drie verskillende benaderings tot omgewingsetiek onderskei. Klem word gele op die noodsaak van omgewingsgeletterdheid. Ten einde die mens se optrede teenoor die omgewing te probeer verstaan, word drie omgewingsgedragstyle ontleed. Twee wetenskaplike aardgenese-hipoteses word beskryf vir verdere duidelikheid oor omgewingsgedrag. Aan die einde van die studie, word enkele beginsels gestel wat kan lei tot die ontwikkeling van omgewingsgesonde gedrag met die oog op volhoubare voortbestaan. / Mankind's survival is interwoven with the state of the environment. Human activities have a great impact on the environment, while the environment, again, determines the quality of man's life. This study aims to aid mankind, through environmental education, to environmentally sound behaviour with an eye on sustainable development. To attain this, the different environmental problems and their causes, are sorted out first. Then the factors that can lead to environmental degradation are investigated. From this it is quite clear that in the future, the world and the RSA will be more densely populated, become more polluted, be ecologically less stable and will therefore be more sensitive to natural disasters. Because environmental education can make a positive contribution to this, a short historical survey of environmental education is given. The role and contribution of some international organisations is investigated. Developments in the RSA are surveyed and the influence of the Earth Summit on environmental education in the RSA is analysed. At birth, mankind is thrown into a world from where he can escape only at death. In this world in which he has to stay, he must give meaning to his existence, while also trying to improve the environment to guarantee the survival of coming generations. Bearing in mind the educational and environmental relationship between any human being and his environment, the essential characteristics of environmental education are exposed in order to set possible conditions for authentic environmental education. Special emphasis is placed on environmental behaviour aimed at sustainablility. All this culminates in environmentally sound behaviour that acts as the overall aim for environmental education. Because man's environmental ethic determines his behaviour towards the environment, three different approaches to environmental ethics are distinguished. Emphasis is placed on the necessity for environmental literacy. In order to try to understand man's behaviour towards the environment, three styles of environmental behaviour are analysed. For further clarification of environmental behaviour, two scientific earth genesis hipotheses are also described. In conclusion, this study leads to certain principles that can lead to the development of environmentally sound behaviour aimed at the sustainable survival of mankind. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Filosofie van die Opvoeding)

Given the livelihoods challenges which face many rural communities, understanding a community’s livelihoods dynamics and opportunities is one major step to developing workable options to address the challenges. This study has focused on one rural community and used the five determinants of the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach to describe the livelihoods situation in Embui sub-location in Machakos County, Kenya. Residents of Embui have had to deal with the fact that traditional production systems are not sufficient to provide for their livelihoods needs. The community and continues to be challenged by limited capital for diversifying income sources, low skills and limited social and economic services. This study recommends support to marketing of locally produced artifacts, improved access to capital and provision of water for irrigation along with extension services as the key areas of support to improve the living standards of the residents of Embui / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Thesis (MPhil (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The word ‘ecovillage’ is evocative of a kind of human settlement that exists in complete harmony with nature and examples of such settlements are indeed in existence almost everywhere in the world, some nearly half a century in the making. The Gqunube Green Ecovillage near East London can hardly be described as one of a proliferation of such settlements in South Africa, but it is anticipated that an examination of that project will contribute to the limited academic literature on the topic of sustainable human settlement. In Chapter 1, this thesis introduces the Gqunube Green Ecovillage and, in the following six chapters, traces its origins and demonstrates how models for ‘ideal’ human settlement developed. It explains how and why an international ecovillage movement reached South Africa and how Reverend Roger Hudson responded to that movement by starting the Gqunube Green Ecovillage in South Africa. The conclusion is that Reverend Hudson has achieved his primary objective, namely the establishment of an ecovillage, but the challenges described in this thesis have been significant. One of the most significant potential stumbling blocks to the future smooth management of Gqunube Green is its own regulatory environment that dictates the relationship between the settlers and their ecovillage. The proposed sociocratic management style, combined with a strongly spiritual, eco-theological objective, is driven by a strongly worded and rule-orientated ecovillage constitution that is shown in Chapters 2 and 3 to have the potential to both alienate and unite the inhabitants of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage – depending on how it is interpreted and enforced. The external regulatory environment, both enabling and restricting development, is analysed in Chapter 4. National, provincial and local government legislation, policies and guidelines intersect to influence the progress of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage, creating opportunity for controversy between conservationists and developers. However, the debates between the various interest groups over the appropriateness of various development options for the east bank of the Gonubie Estuary were largely incidental and somewhat irrelevant to the delays in the development of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage that are described in Chapter 5. Although bureaucratic delays in the formal process of development have restrained the full rollout of the ecovillage project, the Gqunube Green Ecovillage was eventually established at the end of 2005 and the chronology leading to this milestone is described in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 of this thesis examines the timing of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage project within a changing and enabling paradigm shift, enabled by cooperative local government and efforts at the integration of legislation and policy to align with the constitutional aims of sustainable development. The concept of an ecovillage is not always acceptable to everyone as the ideal development model, especially when big business has a stake. However, it has been argued that the very fact that the establishment of an ecovillage has succeeded where big business was about to establish itself is a victory in itself for the founders of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Despite our best planning and Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) efforts we seem to be failing in our pursuit of Sustainable Development. In South Africa we find ourselves confronted with the harsh reality that after 14 years of democracy, more than a decade of compulsory EIA, and 12 years of legislated Integrated Development Planning (“IDP”), poverty remains widespread and persists alongside affluence, while inequalities are also growing. In addition South Africa’s life-supporting ecosystems continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate. Critically reflecting on what is going wrong, it is clear that there is an emergent consensus in the discourse that points towards the inadequate consideration of alternatives. A literature review of the historical development and social construction of the concept of “sustainable development”; a theoretical analysis of sustainable development, planning and EIA; as well as an analysis of the legislative and policy framework for EIA and IDP in South Africa, shows that the consideration of alternatives is the “heart” and “soul” of EIA and IDP, and therefore of the pursuit of sustainable development in South Africa. A content analysis of a sample of EIAs and IDPs undertaken and produced in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, however, indicates that alternatives are not being adequately considered during the current practice of EIA and IDP in South Africa – resulting in only slightly less unsustainable development and a perpetuation of the unsustainable and unjust “business-as-usual” development types and patterns of the past. EIA and IDP can never be, and were never supposed to be completely separate processes. EIAs must be considered within the context to be provided by the sustainable development vision, goals and objectives to be formulated in, and the desired spatial form and pattern of land use to be reflected in an area’s IDP and Spatial Development Frameworks (“SDF”). Properly informed Strategic Environmental Assessment based IDPs and SDFs, refined by Environmental Management Frameworks, should therefore provide the strategic context and decision-making framework for the consideration of need, desirability and alternatives; with the actual and potential socio-economic and ecological impacts of a specific proposal to be considered during the project-level EIA. Project-level EIAs in turn providing “feedback” to the planning processes to ensure reflexivity and continued improvement. The improved integration and convergence of IDP and EIA decision-making methodologies and practice are therefore paramount to the adequate consideration of alternatives and the pursuit of sustainable development in South Africa. While the challenges to be addressed by EIA and IDP in South Africa are complex and ‘wicked’, and the pursuit of sustainable development solutions is therefore also a complex and ongoing process, the need for fundamental alternatives that will lead to drastic and urgent change for the better are, however, just as real. The urgency and importance of the sustainable development challenge for South Africa calls for bold decisions and the search for sustainable alternatives that will deliver urgent and fundamental change for all South Africans. The practice of EIA and IDP should be driven by these realities and reflect the need for urgent and fundamental change.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The thesis reports on an evaluative study of the sustainability of housing development by the City of Cape Town with the Witsand, Atlantis, housing project as case study to empirically measure such sustainability. The study was attempted to determine how the City of Cape Town has planned for and implemented sustainability measures and what the results were in the Witsand project. The research therefore determined to what extent the expressed policy intent of sustainability housing delivery was implemented successfully in Witsand in terms of output and outcomes. The objectives of this study included outlining a theoretical and analytical framework for sustainable development as prescribed in the National, Provincial and Local Government policies and relevant legislation. An evaluative case study is provided, describing how the City of Cape Town implemented its policy in practice. This housing project was chosen because it is claimed to be the first large-scale integrated sustainable housing project in South Africa. The research methodology entailed an analysis of relevant literature, policies, legislation and project design documentation. In addition, the field work utilised a semi-structured mixed questionnaire for conducting interviews with the Project Manager, community development worker and a sample of residents. The research found that the City of Cape has followed the sustainability blueprint as far as their means allowed. The satisfaction level of the community is high. It was found, however, that the people, even though they received houses that were designed and constructed to take full advantage of the environment without harming it; lack the knowledge to maintain sustainable, energy conserving living. This indicates that sustainability in low income housing is not only a matter of design and technology, but also of instilling a particular behaviour amongst beneficiaries. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis voer ‘n evaluering studie van die volhoubaarheid van behuising deur die Stad Kaapstad by die Witsand, Atlantis projek, wat as ‘n gevallestudie om sodanige volhoubaarheid empiries te meet, gedien het. Die studie is onderneem om te bepaal hoe die Stad Kaapstad volhoubaarheidsmaatreëls beplan en geïmplementeer het, en wat die resultate van die Witsand projek was. Die navorsing het dus bepaal tot watter mate die uitdruklike beleidsvoornemens vir die lewering van volhoubare huisverskaffing in terme van uitset en uitkomste suksesvol in Witsand geïmplementeer is. Die doelstellings van hierdie studie het die skets van ‘n teoretiese en analitiese raamwerk vir volhoubare ontwikkeling, soos in Nasionale, Provinsiale en Plaaslike beleid en toepaslike wetgewing voorgeskryf, ingesluit. ‘n Evaluerende gevallestudie wat beskrywe hoe die Stad Kaapstad se beleid prakties uitgevoer is, word voorsien. Hierdie projek is gekies vanweë die aanspraak dat dit die eerste grootskaalse geïntegreerde volhoubare projek vir huisverskaffing in Suid-Afrika was. Die navorsingsmetodologie het ‘n ontleding van toepaslike literatuur, beleid, wetgewing en gedokumenteerde projekontwerp behels. Daarbenewens het die veldwerk gebruik gemaak van ’n gemengde semi-gestruktureerde vraelys vir onderhoude met die Projekbestuurder, gemeenskapsontwikkeling werker en ‘n steekproef van die inwoners. Die navorsing het bevind dat die Stad Kaapstad die bloudruk vir volhoubaarheid sover as die stad se middele kon toelaat, gevolg het. Die bevredigingsvlak van die gemeenskap is hoog. Daar is egter gevind dat die mense, ten spyte daarvan dat hulle van huise voorsien is wat ontwerp en gebou is om sonder enige skade aan die omgewing ten volle daaruit voordeel te trek, kennis ontbreek om op volhoubare wyse en met besparing van energie te lewe. Dit dui daarop dat volhoubaarheid in lae-inkomste behuising nie maar net ‘n kwessie van ontwerp en tegnologie is nie, maar ook vereis dat ‘n bepaalde soort gedrag onder die begunstigdes gevestig moet word.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is titled "Community participation and sustainable development in the establishment of the IAi-IAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Park". lt encompasses the area and stakeholders on the South African side of the Transfrontier Conservation Park (TFCP), which falls within the Richtersveld municipal area. lt covers the whole process of the development of the IAi-IAis/Richtersveld TFCP, from its Conceptual Phase to the signing of the International Treaty to formally establish the IAi-IAis/Richtersveld TFCP1 . This development is expected to hold numerous benefits for the stakeholders that are involved in its process, especially job creation through increased tourism. lt is an exceptional project, as the main stakeholders are the communities who are the legal landowners of the Richtersveld National Park. The management structure of the IAi-IAis/Richtersveld TFCP allows full participation by the local communities through elected members from the four towns in the surrounding area (Khuboes, Eksteenfontein, Lekkersing and Sanddrift) as well as local pastoralists. The theoretical approach that will be used in this study is that of sustainable development. The key components required for sustainable social, economic, and environmental development will be discussed, and are used as yardsticks against which the actual process of establishment of the TFCP will be 'measured'. Participation is regarded as a main aspect of sustainable development and is highlighted in this study. The methodology that was employed included interviewing and participant observation as well as an in-depth documentary analysis of aspects of the TFCP. The benefits and value of the methods used is discussed, as well as the limitations of the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die titel van die studie is "Community participation and sustainable development in the establishment of the IAi-IAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Park". Dit omvat die area en rolspelers aan die Suid-Afrikaanse kant van die oorgrenspark, wat binne die Richtersveld Munisipale area val. Dit dek die volledige proses van die ontwikkeling van die oorgrenspark, vanaf die Konsepsuele Fase tot en met die ondertekening van die lnternasionale Verdrag om die IAi-IAis/Richtersveld Oorgrenspark formeel tot stand te bring2 . Die verwagting is dat hierdie ontwikkeling veelvoudige voordele sal inhou vir diegene wat in die proses betrokke is, veral deur middel van werkskepping as gevolg van toenemende toerisme. Dit is 'n besondere projek aangesien die hoofrolspelers, die gemeenskappe, die wettige grondeienaars van die Richtersveld Nasionale Park is. Die bestuurstruktuur van die oorgrenspark laat volle deelname deur die gemeenskappe toe deur verkose lede van die vier dorpies in die area (Kuboes, Eksteenfontein, Lekkersing en Sanddrift) asook plaaslike veeboere. Die teoretiese benadering wat in hierdie studie gevolg word is 'volhoubare ontwikkeling'. Die hoofkomponente wat vereis word vir volhoubare sosiale, ekonomiese, en omgewingsontwikkeling word bespreek en word as maatstawwe gebruik waarteen die werklike proses van die totstandkoming van die IAi-IAis/Richtersveld oorgrenspark 'gemeet' word. Deelname word beskou as die hoofkomponent van volhoubare ontwikkeling en word uitgelig in hierdie studie. Die metodologie wat toegepas is, sluit onderhoudvoering, deelnemende waarneming en indiepte dokumentere analise van aspekte van die oorgrenspark in. Die voordele en waarde van hierdie metodes word bespreek, asook die beperkinge van die studie.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2004-2015), better teaching and learning of environmental education and education for sustainable development (EE and ESD) in schools is one of the main responses to the worsening state of the global environment. Environmental concerns are integrated into the South African school curricula; in the General Education and Training (Grades R-9) (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) phases through the principles that underpin the curricula such as social justice, a healthy environment, human rights and inclusivity. While a cross-curricula approach to teaching and learning is followed in the GET phase, environmental concerns are infused in each subject at FET level. Because geography deals with human-environment relationships and is interdisciplinary, it is considered to be one of the main vehicles for teaching EE and ESD. To respond to the need for better teaching and learning of EE and ESD during the DESD, the main aim of this research project was to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the geography curriculum in South African secondary schools at FET level. The investigation sought answers to questions related to: opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the geography National Curriculum Statement; the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the extent to which the teachers incorporate the teaching of EE and ESD in the geography lessons; pedagogical approaches used by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching environmental concerns through the geography curriculum. A qualitative case study research design, underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm, was used. A sample of 10 senior geography teachers comprising 8 males and 2 females participated in the study. They were drawn from five Western Cape secondary schools selected through purposeful sampling in such a way that the sample of schools is representative of the socio-economic and sociocultural context of the Western Cape as far as possible. Data were generated from biographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data were also generated from lesson observation and the analysis of documents such as the geography NCS, work schedules and lesson plans. The use of different research instruments ensured the triangulation of data sources in order to address issues of validity and reliability. The qualitative data were then analysed through thematic analysis. The study found that the sustainable development theme is central to the curriculum. Additionally, strategies of implementing EE and ESD such as the enquiry approach, the issues-based approach and the need to impart critical thinking skills are suggested in the curriculum. The teacher participants experience conceptual barriers concerning the nature of EE and ESD and that of notion of integrated geography promoted by the curriculum document. As a result, some of the teacher participants have difficulties in identifying EE and ESD themes in the curriculum document and incorporating them in the lessons. Furthermore, the teacher participants have difficulties in distinguishing learner activities from learnercentred approaches underpinned by constructivist learning theories as observed by Janse van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) and in using the enquiry learning approach. Some teacher participants prefer using traditional teacher-centred approaches which enable them to finish syllabuses in time for examinations. The use of learner-centred approaches such as fieldwork is hindered by barriers such as shortage of resources, class time, large classes, deteriorating discipline, heavy workload and policy contradiction. This study revealed a gap between policy rhetoric and practice in the teacher participants’ efforts to implement EE and ESD through the geography NCS. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beter omgewingsopvoeding-onderrig en -leer van volhoubare ontwikkeling (OO/OVO) in skole is een van die hoofresponse op die toenemende agteruitgang in die toestand van die wêreldomgewing in die Dekade van Opvoeding vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (DOVO) (2004-2015). OO/OVO is geïntegreer in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolkurrikulum; in die Algemene Onderwys en Opleidingfase (Grade R tot 9) (AOO) en die Verdere Onderwys en Opleidingsfase (VOO) deur die beginsels wat die leerplan onderlê soos sosiale geregtigheid, ‘n gesonde omgewing, menseregte en inklusiwiteit. Alhoewel ‘n kruiskurrikulêre benadering tot onderrig en leer in die AOO-fase gevolg word, word OO/OVO by elke vak op die VOO-vlak geïntegreer. Omdat geografie oor mens-omgewingverhoudings handel en interdissiplinêr is, word die vak as een van die hoofvoertuie vir die onderwys van OO/OVO beskou. Om op die behoefte vir beter onderrig en leer van OO/OVO tydens die DOVO te reageer, is die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingsprojek om vas te stel hoe OO/OVO deur die geografiekurrikulum in Suid-Afrikaanse sekondêre skole op VOO-vlak geïmplimenteer word. Die ondersoek het antwoorde gesoek op vrae wat verband hou met: geleenthede vir die onderrig van OO/OVO in die geografie Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring (NKV); die perspektiewe van geografie-onderwysers oor OO/OVO; die mate waartoe onderwysers die onderrig van OO/OVO in geografie-lesse inkorporeer; die pedagogiese benaderings wat geografie-onderwysers gebruik; en die hindernisse ten opsigte van die onderrig van OO/OVO in die geografie-kurrikulum. ‘n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp, ondersteun deur die interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma, is ingespan. ‘n Steekproef van 10 senior geografie-onderwysers, bestaande uit agt mans en twee vroue is by die studie betrek. Hulle is uit vyf Wes-Kaapse sekondêre skole geselekteer deur middel van doelgerigte steekproefneming op so ‘n wyse dat die monster van skole so ver moontlik die sosiaal-ekonomiese en sosiaal-kulturele kontekste van die Wes-Kaap weerspieël. Inligting is verkry uit biografiese vraelyste en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, asook deur waarneming van lesse en deur die ontleding van dokumente soos die NKV vir geografie, werkskedules en lesplanne. Die van verskillende navorsingsinstrumente is gebruik ter ondersteunin van die triangulasie van data ten einde geldigheids- en betroubaarheidskwessies aan te spreek. Die kwalitatiewe data is daarna aan tematiese ontleding onderwerp. Die studie bevind dat volhoubare ontwikkeling ‘n sentrale tema in die kurrikulum is. Daarbenewens word strategieë om OO/OVO te implementeer, soos die ondersoekleerbenadering, die kwessiegebaseerde benadering en die behoefte om kritiese denkvaardighede te ontwikkel, in die kurrikulum voorgestel. Die onderwyserdeelnemers ervaar konseptuele hindernisse met betrekking tot die aard van OO/OVO en die nosie van geïntegreerde geografie wat die kurrikulumdokument bevorder. Gevolglik vind sommige onderwyserdeelnemers dit moeilik om OO/OVO in die leerplandokument te identifiseer en in hul lesse te inkorporeer. Verder ondervind die onderwyserdeelnemers probleme om leerderaktiwiteite te onderskei van die leerdergesentreerde benaderings wat onderlê word deur konstruktiwistiese leerteorieë soos deur Janse van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) waargeneem en om die ondersoekleerbenadering te gebruik. Sommige onderwyserdeelnemers verkies om tradisionele onderwysergesentreerde benaderings wat hulle in staat stel om kurrikula betyds vir eksamens af te handel. Die gebruik van leerdergesentreerde benaderings soos veldwerk word gestrem deur belemmeringe soos hulpbrontekorte, beperkte klastyd, groot klassse, verswakkende dissipline, hoë werklading en teenstrydighede in die beleid. Die studie het ‘n gaping tussen beleidsretoriek en die praktyk in die onderwyserdeelnemers se pogings om OO/OVO te implementeer wat in die geografie NKV ingewerk is, uitgewys.

The impact of environmental degradation on well-being is largely ignored in terms of economic costs of development. Due in large part to measurement difficulties, the environment in the daily welfare of the world's poorest remains inadequately accounted for in development policies. The aim of this work is, therefore, to advance our understanding of the relationship between the environment and human health. Anthropogenic activities in Central Asia have severely disrupted the natural environment. The poorest, most vulnerable members of society are at an increased risk of mortality and a life-time of illness associated with worsening ecological conditions in the region. The work is by nature inter-disciplinary and pulls from many social sciences in an attempt to provide new insight into the role of long term environmental degradation and the impact on social welfare. There are three main original contributions of this work. Firstly, the research demonstrates the traditional emphasis in the literature on socioeconomic factors in explaining high rates of child mortality in Central Asia is inadequate. Secondly, for the first time in an international cross-section examining the determinants of child survival, the macro-level environment is put forth as a key determinant of excess child mortality in Central Asia. An improved measure of income is used for the first time in such a study to control for important distributional effects within and between countries. The results confirm the hypothesis that traditional determinants do not account for endemically high rates of mortality in the region. Secondly, using administrative (oblast) data from Uzbekistan, Chapter 6 presents the first study of its kind to incorporate important geographic as well as socioeconomic information in explaining variation in infant mortality due likely to ecological degradation. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate the environment must be adequately considered in all policy making aimed at improving health outcomes in the region.