Corporate water risk is a function of resource dependence, which exposes firms to uncertainty. Firms rationally seek to reduce this risk, and this shapes their disclosure strategies. However, the consequence is that corporate water risk disclosure is becoming increasingly unfit for purpose. As current approaches begin to acquire institutional legitimacy and the path-dependent label of best practice, a status quo is becoming embedded, reinforced through mimetic behaviour. The agency problem that this creates is unchecked; in part because of the legitimacy acquired by the disclosure strategies, but also because of temporal myopia exhibited by investors, which contributes to unpredictable decision-making. The status quo also results in sub-optimal resource allocation, a problem that is compounded by the large and growing global infrastructure deficit for water supply and services. This thesis sets out a framework by which the disclosure of corporate water risk can be meaningfully evaluated by investors and other stakeholders; and proposes how the water infrastructure investment gap could be narrowed by the development and application of the corporate water return concept. The research builds on empirical foundations to offer new approaches that address the problems of the status quo. First, it empirically explores perceptions of best practice in terms of water risk disclosure, from the perspective of both listed firms and leading institutional investors (Chapters 3 and 4). Second, it proposes a methodology through which firms can disclose water risks in a systematic format; and advances corporate water return as a complementary concept to water risk, in order to catalyse corporate investment in water infrastructure (Chapters 5 and 6). Resource dependence theory, institutional theory, and stakeholder theory are combined to create a trio of integrative, explicative conceptual narratives that form the overarching thesis structure. The research also draws on other themes from economic geography, including proximity; strategic cognition; transaction costs; and real options theory.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 zucherato_b_dr_rcla.pdf: 27072267 bytes, checksum: 022c0fa95cffbc79028a421c342610e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-06-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A pesquisa realizada objetivou um estudo comparativo da espacialização da vulnerabilidade socioambiental de duas áreas distintas, o município de Campos do Jordão – SP (Brasil) e o concelho da Guarda (Portugal). Os procedimentos investigativos realizados incluíram a identificação, análise e avaliação dos riscos e desastres em cada localidade, buscando assim entender melhor a sua manifestação. A identificação dos desastres das duas áreas de estudo abordadas foi realizada com base na pesquisa hemerográfica, onde foram consultadas notícias dos jornais locais entre 2001 e 2013 para estabelecer quais os desastres mais recorrentes nas áreas da pesquisa. Para a análise dos riscos foram realizadas consultas aos stakeholders - especialistas, autoridades e representantes de organizações formadores de opinião pública - para a definição de uma apreciação dos níveis finais dos riscos identificados. O processamento das respostas obtidas foi realizado com base na metodologia da matriz de probabilidades e consequências. A determinação da vulnerabilidade socioambiental teve como base a técnica estatística da Análise Fatorial Exploratória (AFE) para o estabelecimento dos fatores latentes das duas dimensões da vulnerabilidade (criticidade e a capacidade de suporte) com a utilização de dados sociais, econômicos e ambientais de origem estatística e espaciais. As representações finais da vulnerabilidade foram realizadas por duas técnicas cartográficas diferentes: por meio dos mapas coropletos e com a técnica dasimétrica que permite uma melhor localização da informação espacial. Os resultados mostraram que no período analisado foram registados mais ou menos a mesma quantidade de notícias de desastres nas duas áreas de estudo, o que mostra uma certa semelhança nos registos de ocorrência de desastres. No que diz respeito a avaliação dos riscos, com base na consulta conduzida para a Guarda houve predominância de uma opinião mais concreta e consolidada relativa a perigosidade dos riscos dos incêndios florestais, enquanto para Campos do Jordão os resultados foram mais difusos e dispersos, indicando as inundações bruscas e os escorregamentos de massa como os riscos com maiores impactos. As variáveis selecionadas para a composição da vulnerabilidade socioambiental final, assim como o método estatístico da AFE, foram aplicadas com sucesso e permitiram o estabelecimento dos valores finais da vulnerabilidade assim como das suas componentes de criticidade e de capacidade de suporte. O mapeamento dasimétrico permitiu uma localização mais precisa das áreas de vulnerabilidade tanto de Campos do Jordão quanto da Guarda uma vez que pode apresentar com maior exatidão a localização das populações vulneráveis. No que se refere as representações cartográficas, a análise dos mapas finais mostrou que em ambas as localidades houve uma tendência ao padrão centro-periferia, onde é possível observar um centro com baixa vulnerabilidade - no caso de Campos do Jordão localizado na área turística da cidade e na Guarda na área da cidade sede do concelho - e uma periferia - no caso de Campos do Jordão uma periferia urbana e na Guarda uma periferia mais rural marcada por aldeias e vilas mais afastadas. Esses resultados mostram ainda a necessidade da consideração dos aspectos históricos e dos processos de urbanização como importantes ferramentas de análise nos estudos do risco e da vulnerabilidade, assim como da importância da linguagem cartográfica como meio de visualização das diferenças territoriais decorrentes desse processo. / The main purpose of the conducted research was the comparative study of the spatial representation of the social and environmental vulnerability in two different study areas: The city of Campos do Jordão in São Paulo state (Brazil) and the municipality of Guarda (Portugal). The investigation procedures included the stages of identification, analysis and evaluation of the disaster risks in each locality, to better understand its manifestations. The disasters identification was conducted by the hemerographic technic - which consists in consulting newspapers and news published by local media - between the years 2001 and 2013 thus, it was possible to establish which disasters are the most frequent in each area studied. The risk analysis was determined with the application of stakeholder surveys to estimate the level of each observed disaster. The questionnaire replies obtained were treated with the probability and consequence matrix technique. The final values of social and environmental vulnerability were determined using the statistical method of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), which allowed the identification of the latent factors of each vulnerability component (criticality and coping capacity). For this procedure it was used social, economic and environmental data, from statistical and spatial sources. The final representations of the vulnerability were elaborated by two cartographic techniques: the coropleth map and the dasymetric map which allow a better location of spatial information. The results have shown that during the analyzed period, a similar amount of disaster news was recorded in both studied areas. The results of the risk assessment procedure based on the applied surveys showed that a more concrete and consolidated opinion regarding the risk of forest fires was predominant in Guarda, while for Campos do Jordão, the results were more diffuse and dispersed, indicating sudden floods and mass slides as the risks with the greatest impacts. The statistical method EFA as well as the selected variables for the social and environmental vulnerability composition and its components of criticality and coping capacity were adequate, allowing the establishment of the final values with success. The dasymetric mapping allowed a more accurate localization of the vulnerability values in both areas - Campos do Jordão and Guarda - presenting more accurately the location of the most vulnerable populations. The results of the final cartographic representations showed that in both localities there was a trend towards the center-periphery pattern for the topic addressed where it is possible to observe a center with low vulnerability – placed in the touristic area in Campos do Jordão and in the administrative center in Guarda – and a periphery – located in the urban fringe in Campos do Jordão and in the rural periphery such as remote villages near the border in Guarda. These results also show the need to consider historical aspects and urbanization processes as important analysis tools in risk and vulnerability studies, as well as the importance of the use of cartography in visualizing the irregular spatial distribution of these phenomena. / BEX 9537/13-9 (Bolsa de doutorado pleno no exterior)

Étant donné que les catastrophes sont un phénomène spatial, l’application de systèmes d’information géographique (SIG) est un outil pratique et fiable pour le processus de réduction des risques de catastrophe (RRC). Les SIG peuvent servir le processus de RRC en tant que base de données pour la collecte et l’intégration de données, ainsi que pour l’incorporation de données multi‐sources, en tant que systèmes d’observation, en tant qu’outil pour la production de cartes de risques, en tant que calculateur d’exposition, constructeur de modèles déterminant les vulnérabilités des éléments, en temps quasi réel, traqueur de crise, etc… Mais ces applications SIG ont été intégrées de manière inégale à travers les différentes phases du cycle de RRC. De plus, l'utilisation efficace de ces technologies nécessite des recherches et des développements plus poussés, en particulier dans les pays en développement où de nombreux obstacles entravent l'utilisation des SIG pour la protection civile. Cette tâche devient encore plus compliquée au niveau local en région rurale comme dans notre zone d’étude Baalbek‐Hermel, Gouvernorat du Liban. Le manque de ressources humaines et financières et des données spatiales critiques lacunaires limitent l’utilisation des SIG pour améliorer la décision en matière de RRC ? Dans quelle mesure le SIG pourrait‐il être efficace dans les actions de RRC dans un pays en développement comme le Liban, où le nombre d’enjeux exposés augmentent sans cesse et où le gouvernement a d'autres priorités urgentes que de s'engager dans un plan de RRC? Plusieurs études de cas menées à Baalbek‐Hermel servent à tester les hypothèses retenues et à discuter de l’adoption et de l’adaptation de techniques SIG afin de les rendre efficaces et capables de servir tout le cycle de RRC ; évaluation des dangers, de la vulnérabilité et des dommages, planification d’urgence et d’évacuation, systèmes d’alerte précoce, zonage des terres, données en temps quasi réel pour l’intervention, rétablissement et renforcement de la résilience. Les défis posés par le déploiement de ces technologies SIG dans chacune des phases susmentionnées du cycle de la RRC et la manière dont ils peuvent être surmontés sont discutés, en considérant les approches autochtones pour l’application de technologies et d’innovations en matière de RRC. Les résultats de cette thèse offrent le potentiel de surmonter certains des obstacles qui entravent l'utilisation des SIG pour une RRC efficace dans les pays en développement. Ainsi, les praticiens de RRC au Liban et dans d'autres pays en développement pourraient exploiter ce potentiel pour tenter de réduire la vulnérabilité aux dangers et améliorer la capacité de prévention des catastrophes. / Given that natural disasters are spatial phenomenon, the application of geographical information systems (GIS) has proven to be a convenient and reliable tool for the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) process. GIS can serve DRR as a database for data gathering, integration and incorporation,an output viewer, a tool for hazard maps production, a calculator for exposure, a model builderfor determining assets’ vulnerabilities, a near real time crisis tracker, etc… Nevertheless, GIS applications have been integrated unevenly across the different phases of the DRR cycle.Moreover, the effective use of these technologies requires further research and development,especially in developing countries where numerous barriers hamper the use of GIS for civil protection. The task is further complicated at the local level in rural areas such as our study area Baalbek‐Hermel, Governorate of Lebanon. Restrictions include limited human and financial resources and a lack of critical spatial data required to support GIS application to DRR. To what extent could GIS be efficient in DRR actions in a developing country like Lebanon where themajority of assets at risk is ever‐growing and the government has other urgent priorities than tocommit to DRR plans? Several case‐studies in Baalbek‐Hermel were taken to test these assumptions and discuss the adaptation of GIS techniques to make them effective and to be able to serve the whole DRR cycle; hazard, vulnerability, risk and damage assessment, emergency and evacuation planning, land‐use zoning, recovery and resilience building. Challenges in the deployment of GIS technologies in each afore mentioned phase of the DRR cycle and how they may be overcome were discussed, considering indigenous approaches for the application of technologies and innovations in DRR. The results of this dissertation suggested ways to control some of the barriers hampering the effective use of GIS for DRR in developing countries. Thus,DRR practitioners in Lebanon and other developing countries could harness this potential in anattempt to reduce hazard vulnerability and improve disaster reduction capacity.