Challenges of implementing Integrated Development programmes can be seen in the difficulty in aligning different departmental budgets and processes in the implementation phase of projects. This has had many implications for development. However, the use of conventional and single sector approaches to meet development needs has been more apparent. The need to respond to a lack of basic services and poverty in rural and periurban has been growing. Absence of appropriate rural and peri-urban development approaches, and non-alignment of policy and budgets across government structures have resulted in the use of urban based models. This has culminated in the creation of settlements that are unable sustain themselves over time. The dissertation puts forward the hypothesis that "community development through the housing approach is not an appropriate development mechanism for rural and peri-urban areas". It also highlights problems faced in attempting peri-urban and rural areas. This is illustrated by a case study - Intathakusa Integrated Development Programme. This is a peri-urban and rural development programme located within the boundaries of eThekwini Metropolitan Area and is used to illustrate problems faced by a number of areas of similar nature. This project attempted to deliver integrated programmes within the urban edge and the peripheral parts of the city. Qualitative research methods facilitated an in-depth exploration of relevant issues in this dissertation. Development practitioners and community representatives were interviewed to elicit information on the challenges facing peri-urban and rural development and to explore possible alternatives. The dissertation concludes with suggestions for sustainable livelihoods approaches for rural and peri-urban areas. The research also acknowledges that the housing package is perhaps a basic requirement for rural and peri-urban areas. It acknowledges that housing offers a means through which a bundle of basic services (over and above a house) can be delivered. The research concludes by arguing that if this funding mechanism is to be used in rural and peri-urban areas, it should be repackaged to include bigger site sizes and agriculture. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

Cotton plant growth and development, as well as monitoring nutrient use efficiency were evaluated using hydroponic approach. Two set of experiments were conducted to determine the influence of phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and PK and exogenous application of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA3), zeatin (Z) and their combinations on growth and development of cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum) grown hydroponically. In the nutrient solution experiment, cotton vegetative growth was positively influenced by low P (half strength Hoagland standard solution), low K (one-sixth strength Hoagland standard solution) and high PK treatments (Hoagland standard solution). Phytohormone experiment negatively supported vegetative growth except root length at 43 days after transplanting (DAT). The nutrients levels applied significantly favoured NPK uptake by cotton plants while exogenous phytohormones application did not affect NPK uptake by cotton plants, except N uptake by stem. Low P and low K treatments estimated to have high nutrient use efficiency (NUE). For chlorophyll formation, low K and high PK significantly increased formation of chlorophyll a, b and total ab while the application of GA3, IAA, Z and IAA x GA3 x 2Z treatments significantly increased chlorophyll a, b and total ab at 80 DAT only. Low K and low P treatments stimulated endogenous phytohormone contents in the cotton plants. In the phytohormone experiment, cotton plants treated to IAA x GA3 x Z increased endogenous phytohormone contents in the cotton plants. Low P, low K, high PK treatments and phytohormones treatments significantly increased root area, root volume and root activity. Low P, low K and high PK treatments applied significantly influenced residual level of P and K in the hydroponics while phytohormone treatments did not affect residual level of P and K except at 43 DAT. Evapotranspiration rate was high at early and reproductive stages of plant growth. This report shows the response of mineral nutrients and phytohormones to support growth and development of cotton plants grown hydroponically. / Description as in abstract

Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.

Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.

Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.

Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.

Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.

This thesis is concerned with problems of services. It examines possibilities and conditions of development of commercial services in a microregion Věnec. The area analyzed in this research work is a free municipality association Věnec that includes 6 individual villages situated in region of Prachatice (Čkyně, Bohumilice, Bošice, Lčovice, Svatá Maří a Zálezly) which are situated in a district of South Bohemia. A double questionnaire investigation was used to get information. First of all attitudes of mayors were collected and after it attitudes of enterprise subjects working in the free municipality association. This work is also involved in a research project ZF JU MSM 600766 5806. The aim of this work was to specify and qualify conditions of development of commercial services in a given area. To find ways and new possibilities which would lead to bigger satisfaction of inhabitants (inhabitants providing and using services as well). To manage to effectively exploit collected data to reveal entire lacks at a structure and composition of services (from views of local enterprises). The research work ended in making a SWOT analyze and ways of possible solution of revealed problems were sketched out. The results of the research proved that microregion should better target the tourism in these ways: to complete personal services, accommodation facilities, cash dispenser etc., to improve the state of land parkways and bike-paths, to try to attract new investors and so increase the amount of working opportunities for mainly the younger generation, not to be afraid of cooperation and make more effort to gain grants or subsidies from European Union.

Stationary electrical connections and contacts, such as power connections, are commonly applied in electric power systems used for generation, transmission and distribution of electric energy. Several different degradation mechanisms can increase the contact resistance and might therefore reduce the power connection’s lifetime. The degradation by film development as a result of chemical reactions is often considered as a reason for contact failure. In this research work, the impact of film development produced by chemical reactions, such as oxidation, on the long-term behavior of stationary electrical connections and contacts was studied with crossed rods. Analytical, numerical and experimental methods were applied. Typical material systems for electric power systems were considered in this study: Cu-ETP (CW004A) bare, silver-, nickel- or tin-coated, Al99.5 (EN AW-1050A) and AlMgSi0.5 (EN AW-6060). By applying numerical methods, the mechanical stress distribution was determined within a circular contact point. The initial contact resistance and the plastic deformed area of the considered material systems was measured in experimental tests. The film’s impact was further determined through comparative experimental studies in air (standard atmosphere) and N2 (inert gas). During the experimental tests on perpendicularly crossed rods, other degradation mechanisms such as force reduction were suppressed. The film’s impact within the formation phase was studied on copper rods in an oven at 200 °C for 1000 h. Moreover, the dependency on different environments at 90 °C (laboratory, botanical garden and outdoor) was tested for 12000 h. Additional long-term tests over 12000 h were conducted at 200 °C. The contact resistance was determined dependent on time. Furthermore, the plastic deformed area was ascertained by microscopy. It was found that the time dependent film development caused by chemical reactions such as oxidation might possibly not result in a significant degradation of stationary electrical contacts with circular contact points and a constant force. Supplementary studies were performed at 200 °C for 1000 h with perpendicularly crossed rods at low forces (3.5 N) as well as analytical assessment of radial and axial film growth on circular contact points. The measured long-term behavior of perpendicularly crossed rods was similar for low and high forces. In order to study the long-term behavior of power connections operated in areas with harsh environmental conditions, experimental field tests on bolted busbar joints were conducted in desert and tropical rainforest environments. For over two and a half years, long-term field tests investigating bolted busbar joints made of Cu-ETP, Al99.5 (EN-AW-1350A) or AlMgSi0.5 (EN AW-6060) either with or without coating (silver, tin or nickel) were conducted in Belém (Brazil), Ismailia (Egypt) and Dresden (Germany).