This ethnographic study, informed by the “cuts” of relational space and performance, chronicles the improvisation by the small UK social movement So We Stand of an expansive yet locally relevant ‘climate justice’ politics in the Central Belt of Scotland. Having been an embedded participant/observer in So We Stand (SWS) from August 2009 to November 2010, I draw from various materials – academic literature, extensive notes, interviews and the tools of applied theatre as research – to explore the organisational, temporal and spatial contours of the group’s activities, identities, ideas and affective encounters. I present this exploration as a set of thematically-linked stories. Extensive reviews of the literatures on relational space, social movements, performance and performativity first establish the theoretical conventions through which SWS’ tale is told. As we enter the ‘field’, we begin to see the processual development of SWS as a performance where affective encounters, in the generative space between declarative identities and lived practice, reshape members’ and allies’ ideas, feelings and imaginings of climate justice. Climate justice as a mesh of interlocked concerns, stemming from the extraction-exploitation nexus of the carbon economy (past and present), is spaced and placed through interactive planning and reflection practices, including an applied theatre workshop inspired by the work of social theatre maker Augusto Boal and popular educator Paolo Freire. Throughout this narrative, our attention is drawn to what has been called a “micro-geopolitics”, and the constant iterations between “holding on” and “going further” that are essential to both ontological safety and political change. In the process questions are raised and tackled about how political subjectivities emerge and come together, how ethico-political relations are actively created and sustained, and vitally, the contradiction-laden role of climate change itself, as just one player among many in the emergent performance of climate justice.

Increasing awareness about the necessity for natural resources protection represents worldwide recognition of its importance as an important tool in mainstream development. This growing recognition is accompanied by a growing awareness about the importance of activating natural resource management systems to achieve greater sustainability. At present, experiences and studies in this field show the need for the participation of all stakeholders in the processes of decision making in natural resource management. There is also a need to initiate natural resource governance that ensures effective management to benefit sustainable development, the later representing a key foundation for environmental and natural resources management. Moreover, investigations of the prospects of applying traditional knowledge systems and their integration with Western scientific knowledge produces numerous calls to revisit this knowledge where it has proven useful in environmental and natural resources management, both in theory and practice. In this spirit, this thesis investigates the effectiveness of the natural resources management system in Oman using Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar Region (AAR) as a case study, and linking this management system with the local people’s practices, which rely on their traditional environmental knowledge. Based on theories and concepts of natural resource management and sustainability, multiple research methods were used to explore the strengths and weaknesses in the system of natural resources management in the region, to analyze the advantages of traditional practices and knowledge systems, and thus, to deepen the understanding of the continuous struggle between nature and development. Results indicated that although Oman is rich in environmental policies, represented by laws and legislation that theoretically govern protection of the environment, the transformation of these policies into practice is troubled by practical obstacles. On the natural side, there are volatile climatic conditions, and on the human side, there is inefficiency of planning and a lack of means and tools to implement sustainable natural resources management programmes. Both obstacles expose environmental sustainability to uncertainty. However, as this research points out, traditional environmental knowledge and management practices systems used by local people in the AAR are characterized by useful interpretations of environmental dynamics to guide the direction of resource utilisation and management, and to address any uncertainty on the course toward sustainability.

Understanding confinement and its complex workings between individuals and society has been the stated aim of carceral geography and wider studies on detention. This project contributes ethnographic insights from multiple sites of incarceration, working with an under-researched group within confined populations. Focussing on young female detainees in Scotland, this project seeks to understand their experiences of different types of ‘closed’ space. Secure care, prison and closed psychiatric facilities all impact on the complex geographies of these young women’s lives. The fluid but always situated relations of control and care provide the backdrop for their journeys in/out and beyond institutional spaces. Understanding institutional journeys with reference to age and gender allows an insight into the highly mobile, often precarious, and unfamiliar lives of these young women who live on the margins. This thesis employs a mixed-method qualitative approach and explores what Goffman calls the ‘tissue and fabric’ of detention as a complex multi-institutional practice. In order to be able to understand the young women’s gendered, emotional and often repetitive experiences of confinement, analysis of the constitution of ‘closed space’ represents a first step for inquiry. The underlying nature of inner regimes, rules and discipline in closed spaces, provide the background on which confinement is lived, perceived and processed. The second part of the analysis is the exploration of individual experiences ‘on the inside’, ranging from young women’s views on entering a closed institution, the ways in which they adapt or resist the regime, and how they cope with embodied aspects of detention. The third and final step considers the wider context of incarceration by recovering the young women’s journeys through different types of institutional spaces and beyond. The exploration of these journeys challenges and re-develops understandings of mobility and inertia by engaging the relative power of carceral archipelagos and the figure of femina sacra. This project sits comfortably within the field of carceral geography while also pushing at its boundaries. On a conceptual level, a re-engagement with Goffman’s micro-analysis challenges current carceral-geographic theory development. Perhaps more importantly, this project pushes for an engagement with different institutions under the umbrella of carceral geography, thus creating new dialogues on issues like ‘care’ and ‘control’. Finally, an engagement with young women addresses an under-represented population within carceral geography in ways that raise distinctly problematic concerns for academic research and penal policy. Overall, this project aims to show the value of fine grained micro-level research in institutional geographies for extending thinking and understanding about society’s responses to a group of people who live on the margins of social and legal norms.

The relationship between communities of the Niger Delta and their most important wetlands was assessed with the aim of characterizing the importance of linkages between indigenous beliefs and the conservation of biodiversity. Comparative multidisciplinary studies of the belief systems and use of four freshwater lakes, one sacred and one non-sacred, in each of two communities, Biseni and Osiama in Bayelsa State, were conducted. A combination of in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, structured questionnaires and ecological field surveys, was used. Assessment of fish biodiversity in the four lakes was conducted in conjunction with local fishermen. Results revealed a structured system of beliefs, rules and meanings within these communities which influence the communities’ use of natural resources and ensure the protection of certain reptiles, such as the threatened dwarf crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis. There are social sanctions and penalties for contravening the rules. Common ancestry and social connectedness among neighbouring communities link the management of some of these lakes together, forming a network of lakes reserved for periodic fishing. Measurements of fish biodiversity showed that the sacred lakes had higher diversities, as measured by both the Shannon-Weiner and Simpson-Yule indices, than the non-sacred lakes. Characiformes and Siluriformes were the predominant orders confirming observations made by fisherfolk within the study group. The culturally protected freshwater lakes studied provide insights into how biodiversity loss in the Niger Delta can be tackled through the involvement of indigenous people in the management of threatened biodiversity and watershed areas. A recommendation is made for capacity building of indigenous groups and training of common interest groups within the region for sustainable wetland resource management.

Mega projects have become an important new development strategy in globalizing cities, and a new or emerging form of development in economic, technological, social and political life, influenced by global flows of capital. Despite being acknowledged as an important factor in globalizing economies, the role of mega projects has failed to receive appropriate research attention in terms of analysis of the various advantages and disadvantages that they carry. This research seeks to achieve a better understanding of the nature of urban development, and its implications for Dubai. The research involves an assessment of whether urban mega projects actually develop as a result of globalisation processes and draws conclusions on conflicting discussions about economic growth and social change. The research aims to establish Dubai’s attitudes towards urban mega projects and globalisation, focusing on the ways the phenomenon is conceptualized, and on understanding the impacts of the new urban paradigm, with particular reference to the Jumeirah Palm Island mega project. The research sets out to examine three key issues; firstly what are the effects of global economic factors and foreign direct investment, and how have economic factors have become a catalyst for development? Secondly, the thesis considers the technological and architectural features of large-scale development. Thirdly, it focuses on new social trends and the extent of public participation, and analyses the political dimensions of globalisation. The research reveals that whilst there are some similarities with other mega projects around the world, the Jumeirah Palm Island mega project is the product of a unique development policy. There are many global elements in the Palm Island development but there is also a significant regional dimension, as in many of the underpinning capital flows. It is argued that the adoption of a mega projects policy may have had negative consequences on the indigenous population of Dubai, which has become a minority 12% of the total population.

No description available.

This thesis investigates the civic life of a Balinese community in the context of ritual activities and traditions taking place in a coastal village, tracing relationships between ritual itinerary and topography, and highlighting the tensions and conflicts that have emerged between these ritual practices and recent developments in tourism. In the context of the littoral regions of Bali, the concept of the civic realm serves as a broad framework of the research which focuses on the village of Kuta. The choice of Kuta Village for this investigation was based on the following criteria: 1. the historical importance of the village, 2. its significance as a known tourist destination, and 3. its urban/coastal complexity. In order to address the relationships between these three criteria, the research adopted a mixed method approach, incorporating a range of quantitative and qualitative material. Participants in the research project are all, in various ways, stakeholders in the future of Kuta Village who are involved in the usage, monitoring and management of the beaches, including environmentalists. From the perspective of an outsider visiting Kuta Village, there seems to be little evidence of conflict between the local community’s ritual traditions and tourist activities in both the village and on the beaches. However, underlying this apparent tranquillity a rather different situation emerges, which concerns the sometimes conflicting interests of three parties; hotel companies, the community of environmental supporters, and the government. This conflict, which is manifested in disputes over claims of territorial ownership and control, is in danger of leading to long term negative impacts on the social life and beach environment. Furthermore, initial investigations of the key issues, arising from this conflict, suggests that a significant part of the problem is due to a combination of unplanned tourist development, weak management, ineffective law enforcement and the effect of beach erosion. Due to these negative impacts, and their implications on the civic life of the community, this thesis aims to initiate discussions for a revised planning and design strategy for Kuta Village in order to achieve a more balanced relationship among ecological needs, custody of the civic realm and a sustained development in tourism. Such a strategy aims, ultimately, to improve understanding of the key challenges facing the town for benefit of practitioners, planners, government bodies and academia.

This PhD thesis is concerned with the influence of sustainable design in further education (FE) college buildings on whole institutional change for sustainability. The research focuses on the first decade of the 21st century in England and Wales when increasing engagement with the sustainability agenda in the FE sector included linking sustainability criteria to the funds for new building projects. The original contribution of the thesis is twofold. Firstly, it reveals the extent to which these new buildings contributed to institutional change for sustainability in the FE sector and identifies ways to maximise future sustainable building projects as a resource for institutional change. Although there was substantial investment in new buildings and a growing interest in sustainability during the period of the study, no evidence exists of research into the links between sustainable design and institutional change in the FE sector. Secondly, the thesis develops an original research approach, contributing to the multi-disciplinary field of research into sustainability and sustainable development. The thesis adopts a biographical approach from social science research and adapts it to produce narrative accounts of the development of two buildings with recognised sustainability qualities, one in England and one in Wales. These biographies are then analysed for evidence of institutional change for sustainability using the systems perspective that underpins the view of sustainability presented in the thesis. The thesis establishes two frameworks, one for recognising sustainable design within FE college buildings and one for identifying change for sustainability in FE institutions. The biographies of the buildings were developed using data collected by biographical research methods and the focus of the analyses is on the relationships that existed around each building’s development and its physical presence on campus. The thesis reveals that even colleges with a reputation for sustainability have not fully exploited the introduction of a sustainably designed building onto a campus as a catalyst for institutional change. The outcomes from the research offer key points for maximising the influence of future building projects in terms of achieving institutional change for sustainability and identify areas for further research into the influence of sustainable design on institutions in the FE and other education sectors. The development of the research approach in this thesis presents an alternative for researching sustainability in education and other fields.

Infectious diseases are a major public health burden causing millions of deaths every year. Government authorities need to be able to monitor disease incidence and evaluate their interventions for disease control. Monitoring the status of infectious diseases is one of the most challenging problems facing the public health sector, and epidemiological surveillance systems for infectious diseases, particularly notifiable diseases are essential. Despite initiatives to encourage reporting of infectious diseases, underreporting and poor surveillance are on-going challenges for many developing countries. Most surveillance systems in these settings use traditional paper-based methods, which are both inefficient and impractical. There is a need for alternative tools to strengthen infectious disease surveillance systems in resource-limited settings. The remarkable progress made in mobile computing technology has the potential to improve infectious disease surveillance systems. However, user experience in digital technologies and infrastructure needs to be given greater attention. My study investigated the use of mobile phone devices as surveillance tools in health information systems. A mobile phone-based surveillance system was developed and applied in Tanzania as an alternative approach to traditional paper-based systems. Using this system different factors that affect the usability of mobile phone-based systems were investigated, by examining the quality of surveillance data in the context of completeness, timeliness and costs. After two years of operation in twenty-eight districts in southern Tanzania, numerous factors were identified that affect user accuracy and speed of use of the mobile phone-based surveillance. These include user experience in digital technology, particularly mobile device ownership; digital technology literacy, such as access and use of SMS and user’s age. The mobile phone-based surveillance system was more accurate compared to the traditional paper-based system with greater data reporting, more complete data and timelier reporting. Initially the mobile phone-based surveillance system required more capital investment, although the running costs of paper-based surveillance were greater. The utility of the mobile phone-based surveillance in monitoring and evaluating large-scale rabies control interventions was examined and the data produced was used to analyse the impacts of interventions on reducing disease incidence. Significant relationships were detected between the incidence of reported bite injuries in the focal district the previous month and in neighbouring districts that month, with more injuries detected in mainland Tanzania than on the island of Pemba. The relationship between bite injuries and vaccination coverage was complicated, with some evidence that vaccination reduced bite incidence. However, more data and a better model are needed to fully understand the impact of vaccination on bite incidence. The system provided timely information on the implementation of control measures and incidence of bite injuries, vital for improving control efforts. Use of automated short text messages (SMS) as part of the mobile phone-based surveillance was assessed to determine whether they could improve patient’s adherence to treatment regimens. Patients who received SMS reminders had significantly better compliance than those who did not, with attendance improved by at least 10%. Use of SMS reminders has the potential to improve patients’ compliance in other treatment regimens that require repeat clinic visits or administration of medicines. This thesis documented how the use of mobile phone devices can be used to improve surveillance in resource-limited settings. The use of effective integrated surveillance system could empower major stakeholders concerned with public health problems by providing them with appropriate real-time information on disease incidence and control interventions. In the final chapter the challenges encountered and insights gained in the application of mobile computing in strengthening infectious diseases surveillance are discussed. Despite infrastructural challenges such as unreliable power and Internet, mobile computing technologies can improve patient care and authorities can be prompted in a timely manner about infectious disease outbreaks and of supply shortages. In conclusion, innovative tools that can strengthen and integrate human and animal surveillance can improve the control and prevention of infectious diseases. Mobile phones have great potential for this, and can be used to strengthen health information systems.

Fuels: Non-renewable fossil fuels are the largest man-made contributor to global warming. Biofuel market share will increase, promoted by renewability, inherent lower net CO\(_2\) emissions, and legislation. The environmental and human health impact of diesel exhaust emission particulate matter (PM) is a major concern. Fossil diesel PM aftertreatment systems exist. Near future fuel PM research and the evaluation of current aftertreatment technology, highlight a route for future development. Using a holistic approach this body of work studies the interdependence between the fuel, the CI engine and associated aftertreatment system. The overall objective of this thesis is the evaluation of current diesel aftertreatment using renewable near future fuels. Diesel blends with 1st and 2nd generation biodiesel fuels are viable. Carefully selected blends like B20G10 can make all round regulated emission improvements. Green additive dimethyl carbonate (DMC) enhances diesel combustion by oxygenation. Regulated emissions of THC, CO (>30% reduced) and PM (50% reduced) for 2% DMC in diesel. 1st generation biodiesel (RME) is widely available. Combustion produces significantly less solid PM than diesel (<50%) and slightly more liquid PM. RME produces less particulate at nearly all particle sizes, but more of the small nano sized liquid SOF. The potentially negative health effect of nano-sized SOF material raises questions. There is a case for more research into the health effects of nano-sized SOF material. Oxygenated fuel combustion PM contains more voids (facilitates DPF oxidation), plus unregulated carcinogenic compounds are reduced. ii Aftertreatment: The efficiency of the oxidation catalyst for the near future fuels was comparable to diesel and PM matter at all particulate sizes is reduced for all near future fuels tested. Aftertreatment total PM filtration levels are >90% by mass >98% by number, for all fuels. For synthetically produced 2nd generation gas to liquid (GTL) fuels there are potentially DPF regeneration implications. Current aftertreatment solutions are as effective for bio alternatives as they are for fossil diesel. Biodiesels, green additives and aftertreatment are effective clean emissions improvements, until the promise of true zero emission vehicles is realised.