The global trend towards sustainability is influencing humankind on a daily basis. One of the aspects of human life that is significantly influenced by this trend is decision making with regard to travel and holidays. The investigation was initiated in an attempt to monitor the sustainability of community-based ecotourism in southern Africa and to set a baseline for future comparison. A comprehensive inventory of 331 community-based tourism ventures across southern Africa was compiled as part of the study. A spatial selection was undertaken to refine the selection of ventures which could be safely and economically visited in southern Africa. A telephonic interview was carried out with each of the remaining 241 community-based tourism ventures in order to determine which ventures may be categorized as community-based ecotourism ventures. The results of the telephonic interview were used to classify the community-based ecotourism ventures into types. A random selection within types followed to select six case studies for further investigation. An evaluation framework was constructed to monitor the sustainability of the selected community-based ecotourism ventures. The evaluation framework made use of a number of sustainability issues and their associated indicators. The evaluation framework was then tested for its applicability to investigate the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the six case studies. Thereafter a cross-case analysis was undertaken to compare the results and to obtain baseline data for future comparison. The utility of the constructed evaluation framework was subsequently commented on and changes were recommended. The study provided a time- and cost-effective evaluation framework for monitoring the sustainability performance of community-based ecotourism ventures. The constructed framework also makes an important contribution as a departure point in the adaptive learning cycle for the development and implementation of sustainable tourism indicators for community-based ecotourism ventures. Case study specific recommendations were made in order to improve the sustainability performance of the investigated case studies. The results of this study serve as a benchmark against which future investigations into the sustainability of community-based ecotourism ventures in southern Africa may be compared. Conclusions relating to the sustainability of community-based ecotourism ventures in southern Africa are drawn, and a number of recommendations for further research are made.

<p> Russian olive is an exotic actinorhizal tree intentionally introduced to the U.S. in the early 1900&rsquo;s. It has become a dominant component of riparian ecosystems throughout the western U.S. Unlike most other riparian trees in the semi-arid west, Russian olive germinates and grows both in the open and in the understory of mature cottonwood stands. As an actinorhizal species, it forms an endosymbiosis with soil actinobacteria in the genus <i>Frankia</i> that allows for atmospheric N₂-fixation. This leads to higher soil N concentrations and mineralization rates underneath the tree&rsquo;s canopy than outside. Russian olive&rsquo;s high abundance and impact on soil N suggest it may alter plant communities, but these impacts have not been previously demonstrated. I investigated the impacts of Russian olive on shading, soil N availability, and plant communities and documented how those impacts varied across a semi-arid riparian ecosystem along the South Fork of the Republican River in eastern Colorado. Of the suite of environmental variables I measured, presence or absence of cottonwood canopy had the largest effect on Russian olive impacts. Russian olive increased shading, soil N availability, and proportion exotic plant and forb cover more in the open than underneath a cottonwood overstory.</p><p> Actinorhizal endosymbioses provides an important N source in terrestrial ecosystems, but N₂-fixation rates decrease due to high exogenous N and low photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). The amount that these environmental variables reduce N₂-fixation in host-<i>Frankia </i> symbiosis types dictates the strength and duration of those symbioses&rsquo; impacts on ecosystems. To understand how the two main types of endosymbioses (<i>Alnus-</i> and <i>Elaeagnus-Frankia</i>) differ in their response to environmental variability, I conducted a greenhouse experiment comparing growth and nodulation between two genera of actinorhizal species, <i> Elaeagnus</i> and <i>Alnus,</i> across exogenous N and PAR levels. Overall, <i>Elaeagnus</i> species had higher nodulation rates and tissue % N than <i>Alnus</i> species. Nodulation rate and growth response to nodulation were both lower at low PAR than high PAR for both genera. The reduction in the growth response to nodulation at high exogenous N was lower in <i>Elaeagnus-Frankia</i> symbiosis than <i> Alnus-Frankia</i> symbiosis. These results suggest that <i>Elaeagnus </i> species are more likely to cause a greater and longer-lasting increase in soil N than <i>Alnus</i> species.</p><p> A main objective of exotic species management is to increase native plant cover. However, few studies monitor plant community response to exotic species management, and the few that have suggest secondary invasion is likely, particularly when effects of the target invasive persists and management efforts cause disturbance. To measure the role of these two factors in plant community response to Russian olive removal, I monitored soil N availability and plant communities along the South Fork of the Republican River two years before and three years after the tree&rsquo;s removal. Russian olive&rsquo;s impact on soil N availability persisted, with levels staying high around removed Russian olive stems three years after removal. The plant community around removed Russian olive also had no increase in native plant cover but a dramatic increase in kochia (<i> Bassia scoparia</i>) cover following removal. My research demonstrates that Russian olive increases exotic plant cover in areas it invades and simply removing the tree does not promote native species recovery.</p><p>

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are not immune to the global environment problems. An increasing awareness of the environmental responsibilities of HEIs has led researchers to investigate the role of environmental information and Environmental Management Information Systems (EMISs) in HEIs. EMISs play a major role in environmental management and environmental decision making in HEIs. Internationally, an increasing number of HEIs are embracing the concept of ‘sustainable HEIs’ by undertaking green campus initiatives. HEIs often use diverse information systems, some of which are manual systems, proven to be inefficient and this gives rise to redundant and inconsistent databases which result in non-compliance with regulations, confusion and lack of co-ordinated effort. There is therefore need for an integrated, comprehensive software system and framework which can assist with the efficient management of environmental information at South African HEIs. This study fills a gap in the field of environmental sustainability at HEIs as the evaluation of existing sustainability programs has shown common weakness such as: Failure to effectively set baselines, flaws in data acquisition and management and missing documentation. The aim of this study is to propose a framework for Environmental Information Management (EIM) in HEIs. The framework includes guidelines related to the components of the framework which can also be used to perform a gap analysis to facilitate the improved design of effective and efficient EIM processes and data stores. The Design Science Research (DSR) methodology is the research methodology used in the development of the two artifacts of this study namely: The EIM framework for HEIs and an EMIS prototype to serve as proof of concept. Problem identification and motivation was the first activity of the DSR which was done through a rigorous literature review and an investigation and evaluation of extant systems. This resulted in the design of an initial EIM framework for HEIs. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) was the HEI used as the case study. The EIM framework was applied at NMMU and this enabled the researcher to understand the current As-Is EIM processes at NMMU and this resulted in clear objectives of a solution. The EMIS prototype (data warehouse) was then designed and implemented based on the theoretical framework. Three sets of evaluations were done to determine the acceptance of the EIM framework for HEIs and the performance of the EMIS prototype. The EIM framework was generally positively accepted and minor suggestions were made. An updated version of the EIM framework was proposed and evaluated. The experimental evaluation results showed that the EMIS prototype was efficient and effective. The contribution of this study is an EIM framework for HEIs and an implementation of an EMIS (EnviroDW) at NMMU that could be utilised by other HEIs.

M.Sc. / Local Agenda 21 requires the public to participate in water quality monitoring. This research aims to establish to what extent the youth/learners can play a role in the public participation requirement of LA 21, and how their participation can contribute to the water quality monitoring aspect of the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council (GPMC)’s Environmental Management Plan. This research is a case study and examines fresh water issues in an urban area, with the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Area (GPMA) as the specific focus. The role of learners in participatory monitoring of the quality of surface water in the three river catchments in the GPMA is examined. Monitoring plays an integral role in the GPMC’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP). In order to solve this problem, the following steps are explained: The concepts of sustainable development, Agenda 21, the relevant national laws, Local Agenda 21, public participation, partnerships, the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council’s Environmental Management Plan and water quality monitoring. The role of public participation within the Agenda 21 framework is outlined with specific reference to the role the youth can play. The way learners can be involved in water quality monitoring is highlighted. The following research methods are used: a literature study focusing on the main issues of the research problem; a pre- and post-questionnaire answered by selected learners in the five schools in three catchment areas; interviews with three people in relevant environmental management and education fields and informal discussions with the educators at the selected schools. The aim was to correlate the findings in the literature, the data from the questionnaires and the information from the interviews. It was found that learners can play a role in the public participation requirement of LA 21 by monitoring and reporting any pollution incidents to the relevant local authority; inputting data into the State of the Environment Youth Report database and taking ownership of a particular stretch of the stream near their school and ‘adopting’ and ‘policing’ it. It is recommended that long-term environmental facilitators be appointed by (xiii) the GPMC to work with all schools in the GPMA to coordinate this monitoring. They can for example co-ordinate the allocation of particular stretches of each stream to a school and train the learners how to monitor water quality and report any pollution incidents to the relevant local authority. It was also found that learners do want to be trained to do more advanced water monitoring and be part of the GPMC and public- partnership in water monitoring, but only on a small-scale as they perceive the GPMC to be the main role player in local environmental management activities.

An increasing number of business leaders, companies, organizations and policy makers are realizing that the current linear “take-make-waste” economic model is not sustainable and need to be changed in order to decouple economic growth from natural resource consumption. One way to achieve this is to make a transition from the linear economy to a circular economy in which material flows are circular so that access to products is possible with minimum extranction of natural resources and waste generated. IKEA has already started this transition and asks for a way to measure circularity and customer satisfaction of product-service systems. The aim of this master thesis is therefore to create two models that can be used to measure and evaluate circularity and customer satisfaction of current and future product-service systems at IKEA globally. The Model for measuring circularity includes all principles of circular economy and can be used by IKEA and other retailers within different industries to optimize circularity of their current and future product-service systems. The Model for measuring customer satisfaction is based on previous questionnaires about consumers’ attitudes towards product-service systems of furniture, household products and other product types and can be used for measuring customer satisfaction when combined with the Kano Model. The Model for measuring customer satisfaction can be used by IKEA and other retailers working in the furniture industry. / Dagens linjära ekonomiska modell har visat sig ohållbar för både ekonomin, miljön och männniskor. Den orsakar bland annat brist på naturresurser, hög belastning på jordens ekosystem, prisfluktuationer på råmaterial och risker i leverantörskedjorna. Allt fler företagsledare, företag, organisationer och beslutsfattare förstår nu att den linjära ekonomiska modellen behöver ändras så att ekonomisk tillväxt frikopplas från råvaruuttag. Ett sätt att uppnå detta är att övergå från en linjär ekonomi till en cirkulär ekonomi i vilken materialföden är cirkulära så att produkter går att användas och konsumeras med minimalt råvaruuttag och genererat avfall. En cirkulär ekonomi säkrar materialtillgången, håller nere priserna på råvaror och har mycket lägre belastning på jordens ekosystem. Möbelindustrin är ett exempel på en industri som behöver bli mer cirkulär och som tjänar på att bli det. Anledningen är att möbelindustrin är resursintensiv och har sin största miljöpåverkan under tillverkningsfasen av möblerna. Det råder också konkurrens om trämaterial med den växande sektorn för förnybar energi. Genom att övergå till en cirkulär ekonomi minskar produktionen av möbler eftersom möblerna kan distribueras och säljas fler gånger, materialtillgången säkras och priserna hålls nere. IKEA har redan börjat övergå till en mer cirkulär affärsmodell och utforskar möjligheterna till att erbjuda sina kunder produkt-tjänstesystem så som uthyrning, leasing och delning av möbler och hushållsprodukter. För att IKEA ska kunna optimera cirkuläritet och kundnöjdhet av produkt- tjänstesystem behöver cirkuläritet och kundnöjdhet kunna mätas. Syftet med denna masteruppstats är därför att skapa två modeller för att mäta cirkuläritet och kundnöjdhet av produkt-tjänstesystem hos IKEA globalt. I ett senare projekt kan modellerna komma att utvecklas till ett verktyg för att mäta cirkuläritet och kundnöjdhet av produkt-tjänstesystem. Metoderna som har använts för att skapa modellerna är framför allt literaturstudier om principerna inom cirkulär ekonomi, hur miljöpresetanda och cirkuläritet hos produkt- tjänstesystem kan optimeras, vilka faktorer som påverkar kunders attityder gentemot dessa tjänster samt hur cirkuläritet och kundnöjdhet mäts och utvärderas i dag. Programmet som har använts för att designa modellerna heter Xmind 7. Modellen för att mäta cirkuläritet har även testats med olika hypotetiska produkt-tjänstesystem och blivit granskad av The EllenMacArthur Foundation samt av anställda på IKEA. Modellen för att mäta kundnöjdhet har diskuterats med en forskare vid Lunds Universitet. Samtal med IKEA har även skett kontinuerligt under arbetets gång för godkännande av modellernas utveckling. Modellen för att mäta cirkuläritet innefattar alla principer inom cirkulär ekonomi och visar på relationen mellan produkt-tjänstesystem och teorin inom cirkulär ekonomi och andra relaterade skolor. Modellen är i första hand uformad för att användas under designfasen av ett produkt- tjänstesystem men kan även användas för att mäta cirkuläritet hos existerande tjänster. Modellen är dynamisk vilket innebär att kriterier kan läggas till eller tas bort från modellen utan att dess funktionalitet äventyras. Detta är nödvändigt eftersom Modellen till viss del är produktspecifik. Modellen kan användas av detaljhandlare inom olika branscher och är inte begränsad till företag inom möbelindustrin. Modellen för att mäta kundnöjdhet av produkt-tjänstesystem är baserad på tidigare studier om faktorer som påverkar kunders attityder jäntemot produkt-tjästesystem. Den är också baserad på existerande ramverk som kan användas för att utvärdera kundnöjdhet. I kombination med Kano modellen kan Modellen användas för att mäta och utvärdera kundnöjdhet av produkt- tjänstesystem som innefattar möbler och hushållsprodukter samt hjälpa designers att prioritera vissa attribut hos tjänsten som med säkerhet ökar kundnöjdheten. Utan Kano modellen kan Modellen användas för att för en förståelse för vilka faktorer som positivt kan påverka nöjdhet och acceptans av produk-tjänstesystem som innefattar möbler och hushållaprodukter. Denna Modell är också dynamisk, vilket är nödvändigt för att den ska kunna användas globalt.

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No description available.

An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) details mitigation measures and monitoring thereof as well management of the whole project implementation. As a management tool, the concept of an EMP was developed to ensure proper environmental management throughout the life-cycle of a development project. Despite EMPs having been in existence for quite some considerable period, environmental damage still persists. Furthermore, the environmental legislation of different countries and in particular South Africa does not use/make development of an EMP a specific requirement. This has implications on a number of issues such as EMP purpose, EMP implementation and the whole rationale behind an EMP. The motivation to investigate EMPs stemmed from a discussion I had with Dr Quinn, my supervisor, about my research proposal. He mentioned EMPs and encouraged me to investigate further. A review of literature about EMPs revealed the importance of EMPs in Integrated Environmental Management (IEM). A lot of questions arose as I was reading: • Are the provincial departments actually doing what is said in the literature? • Does the current use of EMPs achieve its purpose? • What is the whole rationale behind EMPs? • How are they implemented internationally and nationally? • What are the problems affecting EMP implementation? • How can the current situation be improved? As these questions came into my mind I thought the best way of discovering problems and solutions with respect to EMP implementation is to actually work with people whom I thought are knowledgeable about the subject. I then chose environmental authorities as the professionals who review EMPs and environmental consultants as the professionals who prepare EMPs as respondents. I hope some of the strategies suggested here will be implemented by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (DAEA) as the relevant authority in terms of section 22 of Environment Conservation Act (ECA) No. 73 of 1989. DAEA requests EMPs to be submitted as part of the conditions of approval when authorizing projects in terms of the ECA of 1989. If submitted, DAEA is also responsible for assessing and authorizing EMPs. I also hope that in the future there will be a study to investigate any improvements in the EMP implementation. This dissertation is presented in two parts, Component A and Component B. Component A includes the theoretical underpinnings for the results and Component B includes the analysis. Component A consists of the three chapters which are; the introduction, the literature review and the methods and conceptual framework used for the study. The referencing system used in this component complies with the Harvard System. Component B is written in preparation for submission to the Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal Journal but the format is in keeping with Component A. However, the referencing system used in this component complies with the journal requirements. The abstract has been placed at the beginning of component B as per the requirements of the journal. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004

With the increasing demands that human beings place on the environment, a concerted effort needs to be made to ensure that the environment is conserved and utilised in a sustainable manner. Therefore, it is imperative that all development actions be carefully scrutinised. The Integrated Environmental Management process may be just the process to address such development problems. The IEM process aims not only to identify those activities that would have excessively negative impacts on the environment it also looks at proposing alternative development strategies that may reduce the environmental impact of development. A tool which is being well received as being able to assist in such decision making is a Geographic Information System (GIS). The most suitable location for road networks that would have least environmental impact within the Eastern Shores State Forest, KwaZuluNatal, were determined by implementing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) along with Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) process within real-time GIS. The location of road networks is a fundamental aspect of development due to the many negative impacts they may have on the environment. The AHP not only aided in identifying all the elements required to make a decision more accurately. It also allowed one to recognise the interrelationship between the various elements. The biggest advantage however, of using this model is that it allowed for the establishment of relative mathematically-based weights for the criteria. This effectively aided in identifying which of the vegetation types (ie. wetlands, swamp forest, grasslands, wetlands and coastal forest and thicket) in view of environmental consultants and ecologists would be most conducive to development. In so doing minimising the impact of the development. iii The MCE provided the ideal tool to incorporate these relative weights in order to combine them to arrive at an image that contained all the relative weights of all the various factors. A spatial database was constructed and a number of relevant images developed, using various GIS techniques. From these images it was possible to determine the most suitable locations for road networks within the Eastern Shores State Forest. Particular attention was focused on how GIS may be integrated within the IEM process. It was found that GIS could not only accurately determine where development should take place, but also established that it is an effective tool for aiding in the decision making process by providing accurate detailed maps of the area proposed for development. The success and overall simplicity of the procedure in this study suggests that GIS would be valuable to the IEM process. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

A partir de la Cumbre para la Tierra 1992, en las últimas décadas ganó relevancia la participación de los gobiernos locales, como un factor determinante para alcanzar las metas del desarrollo socioeconómico según los principios de sostenibilidad. El Programa 21 resalta que la función de las autoridades locales es la creación, el funcionamiento y el mantenimiento de la infraestructura económica, social y ecológica, para lo cual adelantan los procesos de planificación, establecen las políticas y reglamentaciones ecológicas locales y contribuyen a la ejecución de las políticas ambientales en los niveles nacional y regional. En su carácter de autoridad más cercana al pueblo, desempeñan una función importantísima en la educación y movilización del público en pro del desarrollo sostenible (NACIONES UNIDAS, 1992). Para tanto, los municipios deben contar con instrumentos de planeación, evaluación y control que contribuyan con una adecuada gestión ambiental. En este sentido, los municipios de pequeño porte no cuentan con recursos y capacidad suficiente para desarrollar este tipo de instrumentos, por lo cual son elaborados por entidades de nivel superior, regional o nacional con un enfoque top-down, siendo escasos y poco eficientes. En este contexto, el objetivo de la presente investigación es desarrollar un modelo de indicadores que permite evaluar la gestión de los gobiernos locales en el área ambiental, desarrollado con un enfoque participativo que permite inserir la visión y necesidades de los responsables de la información y los usuarios de la misma y que además es consistente con los sistemas de indicadores de nivel nacional y regional. Tomando como estudio de caso los municipios del departamento de Nariño, en Colombia y con la participación de funcionaros de las administraciones municipales, de la Contraloría Departamental de Nariño (CDN), como organismo de control y de la Corporación Autónoma Regional de Nariño (Corponarño) como entidad encargada de la implementación de la Política Ambiental Nacional en el nivel regional, el presente estudio presenta un grupo de 40 indicadores de gestión ambiental municipal y un modelo de evaluación de los resultados de la gestión ambiental municipal, los cuales se constituyen en un instrumento de planeación y control para los tomadores de decisiones y de apoyo a labor de vigilancia, control y presentación de información para las contralorías departamentales. / During the last decades, the participation of local governments gained importance, as one of the determining factors to reach socioeconomic development goals according to sustainability principles. Therefore, municipalities must have planning, assessment and control instruments which lead to proper environmental management. However, small-sized Colombian municipalities do not have enough resources or capacity to develop this kind of instruments; so that, these are elaborated by higher level entities, embracing regional and national stances using a top-down approach, which are few and scarcely efficient. The objective of this paper is to present a model of indicators that allows assessing the local authorities\' management regarding environmental aspects. It was developed under a participative approach (bottom-up) conveying the insertion of vision and needs coming from the people responsible of the information and its users; and additionally, it is consistent with the indicators systems at national and regional stages. The municipalities of Nariño in Colombia, as well as the participation of the governing servants, the Contraloria Departamental de Nariño (CDN), as a control organism and Corporación Autónoma Regional de Nariño (Corponariño) that is the entity responsible of the implementation of the National Environmental Policy in the region, were taken as a case of study, in order to present a group of 40 environmental management indicators and a raw model to assess the results of the local environmental management, which take part in a planning and control instrument oriented to decision makers; additionally it turns to be an instrument to support monitoring, control and data presentation coming from the control organism. The results of the evaluation process of the municipalities are presented on the website gestionambiental.udenar.edu.co.