What makes a community sustainable? Is it the effective management of local environmental resources? Or meeting the social, economic and health needs of its population? For the five UBC researchers in the following pages, the answer is unequivocally both. From tackling water scarcity to environmental health and planning, these researchers are individually working to ensure local communities are equipped with the necessary knowledge to remain sustainable for generations to come.

Documented value of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the lives of communities raises the need to facilitate its accessibility. Public libraries in South Africa can play an important role in facilitating access to this knowledge by integrating it into their services. Apart from positively contributing to the quality of lives of indigenous communities, integration of IK would result in the provision of inclusive and transformed library services. The purpose of this study was to explore how public libraries in South Africa may integrate IK into their services. Located within the critical theory paradigm, a qualitative multiple-case study was conducted among four purposefully selected provincial library services in South Africa. Directors of the selected provincial library services were interviewed. Collection development policies of the selected libraries were also analysed to determine the extent of their alignment with the provision of IK. Atlas.ti. was used to analyse data thematically. Findings revealed that libraries have not integrated IK into their services. Furthermore, collection development policies were not aligned to the provision of IK. Factors contributing to non-integration of IK in public libraries included the perception that librarians did not seem to regard IK as within their purview but rather an aspect for archival institutions. Non- alignment of policies to IK integration, content that is not accessible to indigenous communities and dwindling funding for library services provision also emerged as contributory factors. It was concluded that the hegemony of western knowledge continued to marginalise IK, possibly contributing to its non-integration. A framework based on principles of community involvement, inclusivity, access and transformation was recommended for integrating IK into services of public libraries. It was recommended that public librarians, as stakeholders in the transformation of library services need to engage in the IK discourse in order to enhance their ability to provide inclusive services. The importance of involving communities in defining IK according to their contexts to enable meaningful integration into library services was highlighted. A need to expand the study to other provinces in South Africa to determine librarians’ understanding and views regarding integration of IK was identified. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Im Jahre 1954 verkündete Indiens erster Premierminister Jawaharlal Nehru, dass Staudämme die “Tempel des modernen Indiens” seien. Ausgehend von der These, dass dieser Aussage eine „developmental imagination“ zugrunde liegt, die bis heute ein auffälliges Merkmal vieler Diskurse zu Großprojekten in Indien ist, und dass die Medien eine wichtige Rolle darin spielen, diese Diskurse zu zeichnen, betrachtet die Dissertation die Frage, wie große Wasserinfrastrukturprojekte in der indischen Medienlandschaft dargestellt werden. Um diese Frage zu beantworten, wird in der Dissertation eine Medienanalyse durchgeführt, bei welcher die Berichterstattung zum Indischen River Linking Projekt (NRLP) und zu zwei Vorhaben, die im Rahmen des NRLP stattfinden (Ken-Betwa und Polavaram), im Fokus stehen. Das 168-Milliarden Dollar teure NRLP Projekt ist das weltweit größte sich im Bau befindliche Wasserprojekt und sieht den Bau vieler Staudämme und Verbindungskanäle vor. Kontrovers debattiert wird das NRLP insbesondere in Bezug auf die hohen ökologischen und sozialen Kosten: Nach einer historischen Einbettung des Themas wird die Medienanalyse anhand einer Auswahl an Zeitungs- und Zeitschriftenartikeln aus dem Zeitraum 2000 bis 2016 durchgeführt. Darüber hinaus beinhaltet die Arbeit ein Kapitel, welches sich auf Feldforschung im Polavaram Staudammgebiet bezieht, um Perspektiven, die ansonsten in Mediendiskursen häufig marginalisiert werden, aufzuzeigen; die der von Umsiedelung betroffenen Communities. Die Dissertation zeigt das Kontinuum der „developmental imaginations“ in Indiens Diskursen zu großen Infrastrukturprojekten auf, weist auf die Machthierarchien hin, die ausschlaggebend dafür sind, wem die Möglichkeit zukommt sich überhaupt an Diskursen zu beteiligen, und hebt politische Narrative hervor, die in dem Kontext eine starke Verbindung zu „Nationbuilding“ oder „Statebuilding“ Diskursen aufweisen. / In 1954 India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru proclaimed dams to be the “temples of modern India”. Based on the theses that this “developmental imagination” so visible in Nehru’s statement continues to be a prominent feature in discourses on large scale infrastructure projects in India until today, and that the media plays an important role in shaping these public discourses, the dissertation considers the question of how large scale water infrastructure schemes are covered within the Indian media landscape. To answer that question, a media analysis is conducted which focuses on the reporting on the Indian National River Linking Project (NRLP) and on two schemes being implemented under the NRLP: The Ken-Betwa and the Polavaram Dam Projects. The 168-billion-dollar NRLP project is the world’s largest water project in the making and includes the construction of several dams. It is designed to connect the majority of Indian rivers to a gigantic water grid. It is controversially debated, especially with regard of ecological and social costs. After a historical embedding of the topic, the media analysis is conducted through a choice of magazines and newspapers in a time period from 2000 until 2016. Furthermore, the dissertation incorporates a chapter based on field work in the Polavaram Dam area in order to shed light on perspectives often marginalised in the media discourses: those of the affected communities. The dissertation reveals the continuum of developmental imaginations in the discourses on India’s large scale infrastructure projects until today, points out how power hierarchies are at work with regard to who is able to participate in the discourses and who is not, and highlights narratives closely linked to ideas of nation- or statebuilding that are used by politicians within the media discourses.

[ES] Esta tesis doctoral examina la identificación, protección y gestión de los paisajes culturales y protegidos en los países miembros del Sistema de Integración Centroamericana (SICA), que incluye a Belice, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá y la República Dominicana. El problema principal radica en la falta de coherencia en la aplicación de las normativas internacionales, lo que limita la efectividad de las medidas de protección y conservación en la región. El objetivo de la investigación fue analizar los marcos legales ambientales y culturales internacionales y de estos países, identificando brechas y oportunidades para mejorar la protección de los paisajes. La metodología utilizada consistió en un análisis exhaustivo, a través de fuentes primarias y secundarias, de las legislaciones nacionales y la revisión de 38 'paisajes protegidos' bajo leyes ambientales en cinco de los ocho países del SICA. Los resultados muestran que, aunque existe una denominación común, los objetivos de protección no están alineados con los marcos internacionales. Además, no se encontraron designaciones de paisajes bajo legislación cultural. La tesis también subraya la necesidad de un marco supranacional que apoye en la armonización de las normativas y promueva una gestión más coherente y sostenible de los paisajes. Además, se destaca la importancia de incluir a las comunidades locales e indígenas en la identificación, planificación y gestión de estos territorios, lo que contribuiría a un desarrollo sostenible en la región. Se concluye que es fundamental identificar y mapear los paisajes de la región del SICA, así como establecer directrices comunes para su delimitación y protección, en concordancia con los objetivos de las convenciones internacionales. / [CA] Aquesta tesi doctoral examina la identificació, protecció i gestió dels paisatges culturals i protegits en els països membres del Sistema d'Integració Centreamericana (SICA), que inclou Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hondures, Nicaragua, Panamà i la República Dominicana. El problema principal radica en la falta de coherència en l'aplicació de les normatives internacionals, la qual cosa limita l'efectivitat de les mesures de protecció i conservació en la regió. L'objectiu de la investigació va ser analitzar els marcs legals ambientals i culturals internacionals i d'aquests països, identificant llacunes i oportunitats per a millorar la protecció dels paisatges. La metodologia utilitzada va consistir en una anàlisi exhaustiva, a través de fonts primàries i secundàries, de les legislacions nacionals i la revisió de 38 "paisatges protegits" sota lleis ambientals en cinc dels huit països del SICA. Els resultats mostren que, encara que existeix una denominació comuna, els objectius de protecció no estan alineats amb els marcs internacionals. A més, no es van trobar designacions de paisatges sota legislació cultural. La tesi també subratlla la necessitat d'un marc supranacional que done suport a l'harmonització de les normatives i promoga una gestió més coherent i sostenible dels paisatges. A més, es destaca la importància d'incloure a les comunitats locals i indígenes en la identificació, planificació i gestió d'aquests territoris, la qual cosa contribuiria a un desenvolupament sostenible en la regió. Es conclou que és fonamental identificar i cartografiar els paisatges de la regió del SICA, així com establir directrius comunes per a la seua delimitació i protecció, en concordança amb els objectius de les convencions internacionals. / [EN] This doctoral thesis examines the identification, protection, and management of cultural and protected landscapes in the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. The main issue lies in the lack of coherence in the application of international regulations, which limits the effectiveness of protection and conservation measures in the region. The objective of the research was to analyze the international and national environmental and cultural legal frameworks of these countries, identifying gaps and opportunities to improve landscape protection. The methodology used consisted of an exhaustive analysis, through primary and secondary sources, of the national legislations and a review of 38 'protected landscapes' under environmental laws in five of the eight SICA countries. The results show that, although there is a common designation, the protection objectives are not aligned with international frameworks. Furthermore, no landscape designations were found under cultural legislation. The thesis also emphasizes the need for a supranational framework to support the harmonization of regulations and promote more coherent and sustainable landscape management. It highlights the importance of including local and indigenous communities in the identification, planning, and management of these territories, which would contribute to sustainable development in the region. The conclusion is that it is essential to identify and map the landscapes of the SICA region and to establish common guidelines for their delimitation and protection, in line with the objectives of international conventions. / Cárcamo Macoto, HL. (2024). Identificación y análisis de los paisajes culturales en Centroamérica y la República Dominicana: Instrumentos de protección legal y gestión [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/214334