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Coastal communities are facing unprecedented challenges as impacts of climate change continue to escalate globally. Rising sea levels, intensified storm activity, and coastal erosion are extreme climate impacts noticed frequently in coastal communities. Indigenous coastal communities in Ghana are impacted by these extreme climate impacts. In this thesis, I studied the perceived human-environment changes in Indigenous community of Akplabanya. Akplabanya community on the coast of Ghana is experiencing changes in their cultural heritage, environmental surroundings, and their climate. This thesis sought to explore adaptation dynamics within Akplabanya and offer insights into their human-environmental changes and resilience in the face of climate change. In studies that focus on Ghana, little is known about the changes of human-environment interaction in Akplabanya, or their Indigenous peoples' responses to those changes. The two objectives of this study are: 1). To identify changes in coastal human-environment interactions as perceived by the Akplabanya Indigenous community, and 2). To examine the human adaptation responses of the Akplabanya community to the changes in their coastal human-environment interactions. I used four qualitative data collection methods. Semi-structured interviews (n=61) enlisted personal experiences and insights on changing environment and adaptation responses. Key informant interviews (n=28) provided additional insights into context and history. Focused group discussions (n=3), each comprising five participants, focused the community's collective narratives on changing environment and adaptation responses. Participant observation conducted throughout data collection helped me to understand daily life of Akplabanya. Data collection occurred over a period of two months (December 2022-February 2023). I found five themes to explain Akplabanya's perceptions about the changes of coastal human-environment interactions. They are: 1). Biodiversity loss (e.g. vegetation loss), 2). Pollution (e.g. unsustainable practices), 3). Coastal climate change (e.g. coastal erosion), 4). Resource change (e.g. freshwater change), and Population change (e.g. increasing population). I also built participant responses that addressed objective 2 on themes of place, agency, collective action, institutions, coastal Indigenous knowledge, and learning. The findings built on these themes highlights changes in coastal human-environment interactions in coastal fisheries, water systems, land utilization, livestock management, architectural practices, and the preservation of Indigenous knowledge in Akplabanya. / Master of Science / Coastal communities are facing unprecedented challenges as impacts of climate change continue to escalate globally. Rising sea levels, intensified storm activity, and coastal erosion are extreme climate impacts noticed frequently in coastal communities. Indigenous coastal communities in Ghana are impacted by these extreme climate impacts. In this thesis, I studied the perceived human-environment changes in Indigenous community of Akplabanya. Akplabanya community on the coast of Ghana is experiencing changes in their cultural heritage, environmental surroundings, and their climate. This thesis sought to explore adaptation dynamics within Akplabanya and offer insights into their human-environmental changes and resilience in the face of climate change. In studies that focus on Ghana, little is known about the changes of human-environment interaction in Akplabanya, or their Indigenous peoples' responses to those changes. The two objectives of this study are: 1). To identify changes in coastal human-environment interactions as perceived by the Akplabanya Indigenous community, and 2). To examine the human adaptation responses of the Akplabanya community to the changes in their coastal human-environment interactions. I used four qualitative data collection methods. Semi-structured interviews (n=61) enlisted personal experiences and insights on changing environment and adaptation responses. Key informant interviews (n=28) provided additional insights into context and history. Focused group discussions (n=3), each comprising five participants, focused the community's collective narratives on changing environment and adaptation responses. Participant observation conducted throughout data collection helped me to understand daily life of Akplabanya. Data collection occurred over a period of two months (December 2022-February 2023). I found five themes to explain Akplabanya's perceptions about the changes of coastal human-environment interactions. They are: 1). Biodiversity loss (e.g. vegetation loss), 2). Pollution (e.g. unsustainable practices), 3). Coastal climate change (e.g. coastal erosion), 4). Resource change (e.g. freshwater change), and Population change (e.g. increasing population). I also built participant responses that addressed objective 2 on themes of place, agency, collective action, institutions, coastal Indigenous knowledge, and learning. The findings built on these themes highlights changes in coastal human-environment interactions in coastal fisheries, water systems, land utilization, livestock management, architectural practices, and the preservation of Indigenous knowledge in Akplabanya.

本論文旨在探討台商企業面對中國大陸這幾年來的投資環境變化所採取之創新應變策略之研究。本研究聚焦在台商聚集最密集、且近年來大陸投資環境變化最劇烈的東莞地區，探討過去以彈性、創新與問題解決為特性的台商企業，在快速變遷與競爭的大陸與全球市場，所面臨的困難以及他們的創新之道，藉由掌握台商後續在中國大陸市場發展的重要參考。 本研究結果顯示，中國大陸外資政策的巨大轉變，讓當地的台商企業產生營運成本提高、出口退稅減少的問題。對外又受到全球原物料上漲與金融海嘯的衝擊，影響其營運成本和外銷訂單衰退。 儘管多數受訪企業都受到外在投資環境改變的影響，但本研究也顯示，成功的企業早在投資環境開始大幅改變之前，就以前瞻的思維做好創新的準備，並採取「提高價值(Value up)」的路線，而非一味的講求「降低成本(Cost down)」。因此開始在產品上更加強化研發實力，在內部管理上更加強調人員培訓，在市場開發上則更加注重中國內需市場，以發展自有品牌或代理國際代工客戶的品牌，走出外銷不振的衝擊。 最後，本研究也建議，企業在發展創新策略時應該注意保持對自身核心競爭力與外在市場的敏銳了解，才能成功創新，讓企業永續經營。 / The objective of the thesis is to discuss the innovation strategies that Taiwanese enterprises take to overcome the dramatic changes of Chinese investment environment. The study mainly focus on Taiwanese enterprises in the DungKuan City, the area that most Taiwanese enterprises locate in and has been through the most dramatic investment environment changes in recent years. Also, the study aims to discuss what kind of problems these Taiwanese enterprises, who are known for being flexible, innovate, quick problem-solving encountered and how do they solve the problems by innovative ways. These results can become important reference for Taiwanese to develop further in Chinese. The result shows that the changes of Chinese policies for foreign enterprises increase the Taiwanese enterprises’ operating costs and decrease their export tax benefits. At the same time, the soaring raw material price and global financial crisis also infect the Taiwanese enterprises’ operating costs and lose of export orders. Although most of the Taiwanese enterprises suffered from the impact of external investment environment challenges, the study also indicates that successful enterprises have made well preparation before the environment challenges happen. Also, they mainly focus on “value up” strategies, not just to “cost down”. Therefore, they emphasize more on research and develop abilities, or human power training, or make efforts on developing Chinese market by different branding strategies. At last, the study also provide suggestion to these Taiwanese enterprises and points out that enterprises should oversee their competitive advantages and cultivate strong market sense when they develop their innovation strategies. In this way, the Taiwanese enterprises can survive from the investment environment changes and have a better future.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-19T18:20:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Regina Celia de Castro Pereira.pdf: 7981638 bytes, checksum: cd1d15d05c8d4b8cc92887e272fa0674 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-09-26 / The characterization of the environment changes from the development of activities is approached in this study caused by human activities in their different ways of interaction society-nature, in the area of the high course of river Pericumã, one of the main basins of the area called Baixada Maranhense. It was considered that the population that use natural resources through traditional techniques have ample knowledge of the daily natural phenomena, registering the occured changes therefore keeps a straight relation with the environment. This study is based on the theorical foundations of human ecology and etnobiology, that analize interactive processes of human being through the use of natural resources and the valuation of the traditional knowledge, giving to approach agricultural activity, fishing, and activities with animals. It was proceeded with open questionnaires with the inhabitants and community representatives. It was considered for the sample resident people had at least ten years in the located towns next the river that drain the high course of the river Pericumã, the choice of the area was justified by the little scientific production in this basin, that has a great importance for the population resident in the cities drained for it.. It was proceeded analysis from the data using a software of statistical treatment and geoprocessing that had provided to the characterization of the perceived changes and identification of their causes. The data of the perception of the inhabitants indicate straight relation between the environment alterations and the population increment, aggravated for the social and economic conditions of the population. The period of training of the ambient impacts still does not characterize, the ambient degradation. / Aborda-se, neste estudo, a caracterização de alterações ambientais a partir do desenvolvimento de atividades humanas em suas diferentes formas de interação sociedade-natureza, na área do alto curso do rio Pericumã, uma das principais bacias hidrográficas da Baixada Maranhense. Considerou-se que as populações usuárias de recursos naturais através de técnicas tradicionais têm amplo conhecimento dos fenômenos ambientais ligados ao cotidiano, registrando as transformações ocorridas no entorno, pois mantêm uma relação direta com o ambiente. O trabalho fundamentou-se nos pressupostos teóricos da ecologia humana e etnobiologia, que analisam processos interativos de populações humanas através do uso de recursos naturais e da valorização do conhecimento tradicional, dando enfoque à atividade agrícola, à pesca, criação de animais e extrativismo. Procedeu-se com questionários abertos com moradores e representantes comunitários considerou-se para a amostra pessoas residentes há pelo menos dez anos nos povoados localizados próximos a corpos hídricos que drenam o alto curso do rio Pericumã. A escolha da área foi justificada pela pouca produção científica na bacia, de grande importância para as populações residentes nos municípios por ela drenados. Procedeu-se a análise dos dados utilizando-se software de tratamento estatístico e de geoprocessamento que proporcionaram a caracterização das alterações percebidas e identificação de suas causas. Os dados da percepção dos moradores indicam relação direta entre as alterações ambientais e o incremento populacional, agravadas pelas condições socioeconômicas da população. O estágio dos impactos ambientais não caracteriza ainda, a degradação ambiental.

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