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.

<p> Water resources have become an increasingly important topic in the world of resource management. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to make the process of data collection, analyzation and visualization more efficient. The current methods involve a multi-step process that is cumbersome and require a lot of man-hours from start to finish. The cost of water quality sensors is also an issue for researchers. Many sensors on the market today range from the $1,000 to $10,000 range making it difficult for small research firms and non profits to conduct water quality monitoring projects. This project attempts to construct a water quality-monitoring platform that will automate the process of collecting, analyzing and visualization water quality data. Special attention will be given to the data visualization aspect of the process with an emphasis on web mapping applications.</p>

<p> This study assessed the effect of an application of mycorrhizal fungi to stormwater filter media on urban bioswale soil and stormwater in an infiltration-based bioswale aged 20 years with established vegetation. The study tested the use of commercially available general purpose biotic soil blend PermaMatrix^&reg; BSP Foundation as a treatment to enhance Earthlite&trade; stormwater filter media amelioration of zinc, copper, and phosphorus in an ecologically engineered structure designed to collect and infiltrate urban stormwater runoff before it entered the nearby Willamette River.</p><p> These results show that the application of PermaMatrix^&reg; BSP Foundation biotic soil amendment to Earthlite&trade; stormwater filter media contributed to the reduction of extractable zinc in bioswale soil (-24% and -26%), as compared to the control, which received a treatment of Earthlite&trade; stormwater filter media only, and experienced an increase in extractable zinc levels (23% and 39%). The results presented also show evidence that after establishment mycorrhizal treatment demonstrated lowered levels of phosphorus in bioswale soil (-41%) and stormwater (-100%), in contrast to the control, which had increased phosphorus levels. The treatment contributed to reductions between 67% and 100% in every metric detected in stormwater after an establishment period of 17 weeks, while the bioswale with no mycorrhizal treatment had increases between 50% and 117%. Treatment also appeared to enhance the reduction of ammonium and nitrates, while contributing to a greater increase in soil pH. </p>

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

<p> The music composed to portray the desert is initially in the quartal harmonies favored by Aaron Copland. The open and vast expanses of the desert led to this first desert theme. An arial view of the desert inspires a second, romantic desert theme, in F major. The most fundament organization of music, the overtone series, accompanies the presentation of the tortoise eggs, and follows them through their emergence from these shells. A tortoise theme, the third theme, using the consonant middle range of the overtone series, intervals of a third and a whole step, is created to accompany the first views of the baby tortoise movements. With the destruction of both the desert and the creatures within it by wildfires, the musical pattern becomes ever more dissonant, with finally only the intervals from the upper reaches of the overtone series, the tritone and half step, being used. Percussion is introduced when there is mention of civilization encroaching upon the desert. The bassoon is chosen to portray the tortoise. When we see the tortoise moving across the desert floor the tempo becomes adagio. In the third section, where there are suggestions for what might be done to avoid extinction of this creature, (replanting of seeds, relocation of the tortoise population to more suitable habitats), major harmonies are chosen. The goal of the musical score is, ultimately, to evoke admiration for a creature that has survived for so long. In the final two minutes of the film the tortoise theme is expanded. Judicious use is made throughout of the range of orchestral colors and instruments: in some places just a few instruments will sound, in others, especially toward the end of this nineteen minute film, the full palette of the orchestra is used. Ellen Taylor Seldin Sixty Million Years Abstract: The desert tortoise has survived sixty million years, outliving the dinosaurs and several ice ages. This documentary film, Sixty Million Years, portrays its current existence in the Mojave Desert, Nevada, USA, and the desert scientists working for its survival. The film is divided into three sections: the emergence of the tortoise from its egg shell, the adult tortoise, with the on-going threats to its existence, and in the third section, areas where there can be realistic hope for its survival. The music composed to portray the desert is initially in the quartal harmonies favored by Aaron Copland. The open and vast expanses of the desert led to this first desert theme. An arial view of the desert inspires a second, romantic desert theme, in F major. The most fundament organization of music, the overtone series, accompanies the presentation of the tortoise eggs, and follows them through their emergence from these shells. A tortoise theme, the third theme, using the consonant middle range of the overtone series, intervals of a third and a whole step, is created to accompany the first views of the baby tortoise movements. With the destruction of both the desert and the creatures within it by wildfires, the musical pattern becomes ever more dissonant, with finally only the intervals from the upper reaches of the overtone series, the tritone and half step, being used. Percussion is introduced when there is mention of civilization encroaching upon the desert. The bassoon is chosen to portray the tortoise. When we see the tortoise moving across the desert floor the tempo becomes adagio. In the third section, where there are suggestions for what might be done to avoid extinction of this creature, (replanting of seeds, relocation of the tortoise population to more suitable habitats), major harmonies are chosen. The goal of the musical score is, ultimately, to evoke admiration for a creature that has survived for so long. In the final two minutes of the film the tortoise theme is expanded. Judicious use is made throughout of the range of orchestral colors and instruments: in some places just a few instruments will sound, in others, especially toward the end of this nineteen minute film, the full palette of the orchestra is used.</p>

The use of Environmental Assessment (EA) as a planning tool has been promoted in Namibia in recent years and a broad-based, consultative process to develop an umbrella Environmental Management Act, is underway. Most EAs conducted since 1990 were for prospecting and mining, and many were post-facto assessments that led to the development of Environmental Management Plans. This dissertation examines the links between sustainable development and EA, both from a theoretical perspective and on the basis of case study analysis. The objective is to assess the potential role of EA in promoting sustainable development in an arid, natural resource dependent, developing country. An overview of Namibia's socio-economic and environmental circumstances, development needs and options, past and current planning systems and commonalties within the region, provided a contextual setting for the analysis. The role of EA is assessed through a review of the planning and implementation of sector policies, plans, programmes and projects. A national questionnaire survey of decision makers provided insight into their knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards EA. Finally, the dissertation considers the trial implementation of "fast-track EA" in the small-scale mining sector. It remains difficult to ascribe the appropriate implementation of activities to the influence of EA. However, the dissertation shows that EAs enhanced the way development activities were planned and implemented, especially when applied at the strategic level. Even at the project level, EAs improved planning and implementation when introduced early in the process. The lessons learnt in Namibia confirm that public participation is crucial to the success of EA. EAs that disappointed were those where the process was dominated by a single stakeholder or where authorities either excluded or unduly influenced public participation. By helping to minimise negative impacts, EAs have reduced opportunity cost and have thus promoted sustainable development. The dissertation makes a number of key recommendations including the creation of broad-based administrative structures to implement EA, the diversified application of Strategic EA and the development of "fast track EA" to guide the increasingly important small and informal sectors of Namibia's economy.

<p> Riparian vegetation restoration efforts demand cost effective, accurate, and replicable impact assessments. In this thesis a method is presented using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a GoPro digital camera to collect photogrammetric data of a 2.02-acre riparian restoration. A three-dimensional point cloud was created from the photos using Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques. The point cloud was analyzed and compared to traditional, ground-based monitoring techniques. Ground truth data collected using the status-quo approach was collected on 6.3% of the study site and averaged across the entire site to report stem heights in stems/acre in three height classes, 0-3 feet, 3-7 feet, and greater than 7 feet. The project site was divided into four analysis sections, one for derivation of parameters used in the UAV data analysis, and the remaining three sections reserved for method validation. The most conservative of several methods tested comparing the ground truth data to the UAV generated data produced an overall error of 21.6% and indicated an r² value of 0.98. A Bland Altman analysis indicated a 99% probability that the UAV stems/plot result will be within 159 stems/plot of the ground truth data. The ground truth data is reported with an 80% confidence interval of +/- 844 stems/plot, thus the UAV was able to estimate stems well within this confidence interval. Further research is required to validate this method longitudinally at this same site and across varying ecologies. These results suggest that UAV derived environmental impact assessments at riparian restoration sites may offer competitive performance and value.</p>

<p> Water quality has evolved legislatively from protection of navigation routes and quantity of sources to more emphasis on impairments on water quality for surface and groundwater sources. Nonpoint or diffuse sources of impairments represents a major challenge for management due to the complexity of its sources and difficulty in tracking.</p><p> The most cited sections on public policy analysis focuses on the overall process agencies employ to understand the results the program yields. Often overlooked are finer details and mechanisms, such as decision-making and priority setting, which have a great impact on the overall process. To investigate these factors, we need to analyze the decision-making process used by managers.</p><p> This study focuses on using information from those with direct involvement in the establishment and implementation of the Total Maximum Daily Load program for the state of Florida. This study used decision-making analysis models from Rational-Decision-Making and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis concepts to construct questionnaires that looks to develop priorities as seen by managers&rsquo; preferences for several presented options. This methodology allowed us to structure the viewpoints and processes water quality managers use to breakdown decisions.</p><p> The analyzed results show water quality managers prefer strong management options, involvement from stakeholders with scientific knowledge, and data collected from the source or point of impact. Interestingly, opinions in the group show that urban best management practices are considered more effective than their agriculture counterparts with a disfavor for volunteer derived data.</p><p> Ultimately, the survey highlights the need for more robust enforcement and reliable measurement of non-point source of impairments. Continued public outreach and education, especially through workshops, are denoted as important tasks to completing successful TMDLs and should be expanded and strengthened by both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and its boundary programs.</p>

<p> The conflict in the Pacific Northwest between competing visions of how federal forests should be managed resulted in a political stalemate in the early 1990s. The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) was initiated to resolve the demands for maintaining ecosystem processes and biological diversity with the social and economic needs for timber harvest. The foundation for the plan rested with the development of ecosystem management. The intent of this research is to explore the events which led up to the adoption of the NWFP, how it was implemented by the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management and the subsequent reactions to and consequences of the plan. </p><p> The primary research consisted of thirty-eight semi-structured interviews with individuals responsible for the development of the initial plan, those tasked with implementing the plan and current federal agency personnel from the land management agencies and regulatory agencies. With the use of thematic analysis, key meanings were captured as expressed by the interviewees. The data was analyzed using institutional theory, capturing the organizational relations within the organizational field of the land management agencies. </p><p> Research findings suggest that the NWFP was unsuccessful in meeting the goal of addressing the social and economic issues as well as the goals for ecosystem management. This dissertation explores the organizational practices and cultural meanings that led to the final instantiation of the plan. It seeks to shed light on the reasons why these goals were not met and how future forest plans can move beyond the current stalemate between conservation and preservation.</p><p>

A questão ambiental se insere na mudança profunda em andamento na sociedade. Nessa trajetória, a lógica de maximização do lucro empresarial está sendo questionada quanto à obtenção de outros objetivos e da sua razão social, como a proteção do meio ambiente. Esta dissertação estuda a influência da gestão ambiental no sucesso e competitividade empresarial, investigando o grau de correlação e os fatores que a modificam. Para tanto, foram analisados os autores que estudaram estas correlações na literatura, utilizando-se ainda estudos, relatórios e dados existentes sobre o tema. Foram identificados os indicadores de sucesso empresarial e as estratégias competitivas consagradas na literatura, assim como as variáveis e ferramentas ambientais relevantes ao sucesso empresarial. Foi concluído que, de modo geral, o investimento em meio ambiente contribui para aumentar o sucesso empresarial e a vantagem competitiva, com resultados tangíveis (p.ex. eficiência operacional) e intangíveis (p.ex. valor de marca e reputação). No entanto, a força da influência depende de uma série de fatores, dentre os quais se destaca o tipo de processos-produtos-setores envolvidos e seus impactos ambientais, além do grau de preocupação e conscientização ambiental das partes interessadas. Verificou-se que a gestão ambiental afeta mais positivamente o sucesso empresarial na proporção do grau de integração entre seus objetivos e ferramentas, sendo que uma visão de sustentabilidade contribui neste sentido. Com relação às ferramentas da gestão ambiental, evidenciou-se que a produção mais limpa apresenta grandes oportunidades de redução de custos, devendo, porém, ser previamente avaliadas quanto à sua relação custo-benefício. Evidenciou-se, ainda, que a implementação e certificação dos sistemas de gestão ambiental, de acordo com a Norma ISO 14001, apresentam vários benefícios competitivos, dentre os quais se destacam as reduções de custos pela redução da poluição e consumo de materiais; o atendimento de critérios de clientes e investidores; melhoria da gestão global e auxilio a melhoria da imagem (condicionada à existência de outros fatores). Ao final, foi sugerida uma ferramenta para avaliação ambiental estratégica que permite a integração com os indicadores de sucesso e estratégias empresariais. Esta ferramenta foi testada em uma aplicação setorial para os fabricantes de veículos automotores. / Environmental subject is inside the deep change going on society. In this way, maximizing company profit logic is being questioned about looking for others company's objectives, including environmental protection. This work studies the environmental management influence over firm success and competitiveness, looking for its degree and the drivers that change it. It analyzed the authors that studied these relations, using existing studies, reports and data on this subject. It identified known literature of company's success indicators and competitive strategies, as such as relevant environmental drivers and tools for firm success. It concludes that, in general, investments on environmental protection have positive impact on company success and competitiveness, with tangible (e.g. operational efficiency) and intangible (e.g. brand and reputation value) results. However, influence degree depends on factors such as process-products-sectors types and its environmental impacts; and stakeholders' environmental concerns and awareness. Environmental management affects business success more positively as its objectives and tools integration degree raise, within a sustainability vision and framework. Among used environmental tools, clean production presents big cost reductions opportunities, but projects might be previously analyzed form the cost-benefit perspective. It concludes that environmental management systems implementation and certification according ISO 14001 standard brings competitive benefits such as cost reduction by pollution and resources consumption reduction; meeting clients and investors requirements; internal management improvement; and helping image improvement (conditioned to the existence of other drivers). At the end, it was suggested a strategic environmental evaluation tool, that allows for the integration with business success and strategies. This tool was tested at automakers industry.