Tytuvėnų ir Panemunių regioninių parkų pagrindinis steigimo dokumentas yra Lietuvos Respublikos Aukščiausiosios Tarybos nutarimas „Dėl regioninių parkų ir draustinių įsteigimo“. Tytuvėnų parkas labiau skirtas urbanistinių architektūrinių kompleksų ir jų ežeruotų pelkėtų apylinkių saugojimui, o Panemunių – Nemuno žemupio kraštovaizdžio ir jo gamtinės ekosistemos, piliakalnių, piliaviečių, dvarų ansamblių su parkais saugojimui, t. y. istorijos saugojimui. Žemės naudojimas ir kitokia veikla regioniniuose parkuose reglamentuojamas vadovaujantis šių parkų nuostatais, taip pat regioninių parkų tvarkymo planais bei regioninių parkų ir jų zonų ribų planais. Šiuose teritorijų planavimo dokumentuose numatytos funkcinio prioriteto zonos: konservacinė, ekologinės apsaugos, rekreacinė, kita (gyvenamoji). Tytuvėnų parkas dar turi ir ūkinio prioriteto zoną. Tytuvėnų ir Panemunių regioniniai parkai turtingi tiek gamtos, tiek kultūros paveldu. Tytuvėnų parko teritorijoje yra daugiau nei 20 lankytinų architektūros paminklų, archeologijos ir gamtos objektų. Istoriniu paveldu ypatingai turtingame Panemunių regioninio parko teritorijoje yra virš 110 kultūros paveldo objektų, tarp jų 48 šiuo metu įrašyti į Kultūros vertybių registrą. Anketinės apklausos metu nustatyta, kad daugiau nei pusė tyrime dalyvavusių respondentų lankosi regioniniuose parkuose ir didžioji dalis nagrinėjamų parkų aplinką, esančią šalia saugomų objektų, vertina labai gerai, yra pakankamai informacijos apie saugomus objektus... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The key document for the establishment of the Tytuvėnai and Panemunė Regional Parks is the Act of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania "As Concerns the Establishment of Regional Parks and Nature Reserves". The Tytuvėnai Regional Park is created for urban architectural complexes and their marshy surroundings preserve, the Panemunė Regional Park is created for Nemunas River landscape and natural ecosystem, mounds, castles, estates and parks ensembles storage, it means for history preserve. Land use and other activities in Regional Parks is regulated in accordance with the regulations of parks, The Regional Park Management Plans and “The Plan of the Regional Park and its zone boundaries”. The functional priority zones of the Tytuvėnai and Panemunė Regional Parks are as follows: conservation, environmental protection, recreational, other (living). Tytuvėnai Regional Park has and the farming functional priority zone The Parks are rich in both natural and cultural heritage. In the Tytuvėnai Regional Park there are more than 20 architectural monuments, archaeological and natural sites of interest, in the Panemunė Park there are more than 110 objects of cultural heritages, 48 of them are registered in the Cultural heritage register. Questionnaire survey showed that more than half of the respondents visit regional parks and most of the respondents parks in question environment, next to the protected object, appreciate as very good, there is enough information on the stored... [to full text]

Critical infrastructure systems are essential for the continuous functionality of modern global societies. Some examples of these systems include electric energy, potable water, oil and gas, telecommunications, and the internet. Different topologies underline the structure of these networked systems. Each topology (i.e., physical layout) conditions the way in which networks transmit and distribute their flow. Also, their ability to absorb unforeseen natural or intentional disruptions depends on complex relations between network topology and optimal flow patterns. Most of the current research on large networks is focused on understanding their properties using statistical physics, or on developing advanced models to capture network dynamics. Despite these important research efforts, almost all studies concentrate on specific networks. This network-specific approach rules out a fundamental phenomenon that may jeopardize the performance predictions of current sophisticated models: network response is in general interdependent, and its performance is conditioned on the performance of additional interacting networks. Although there are recent conceptual advances in network interdependencies, current studies address the problem from a high-level point of view. For instance, they discuss the problem at the macro-level of interacting industries, or utilize economic input-output models to capture entire infrastructure interactions. This study approaches the problem of network interdependence from a more fundamental level. It focuses on network topology, flow patterns within the networks, and optimal interdependent system performance. This approach also allows for probabilistic response characterization of interdependent networked systems when subjected to disturbances of internal nature (e.g., aging, malfunctioning) or disruptions of external nature (e.g., coordinated attacks, seismic hazards). The methods proposed in this study can identify the role that each network element has in maintaining interdependent network connectivity and optimal flow. This information is used in the selection of effective pre-disaster mitigation and post-disaster recovery actions. Results of this research also provide guides for growth of interacting infrastructure networks and reveal new areas for research on interdependent dynamics. Finally, the algorithmic structure of the proposed methods suggests straightforward implementation of interdependent analysis in advanced computer software applications for multi-hazard loss estimation.

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of alternative cropping systems on farm net returns, and nitrate-N and sediment yields in Thomas Brook Watershed (TBW). The study involved integrated bio-physical and economic optimization modelling. Crop yield and nitrate-N pollution response functions were estimated and then used in trade-off analysis between farm returns and environmental quality improvement. Five crop rotation systems were evaluated for seven fertilizer levels under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till systems (NT). Nitrate-N leached, as well as estimated maximum economic rate of N (MERN) fertilizer level and marginal abatement costs depended on crop type, rotation system, and tillage type. The most cost effective cropping systems that met restrictions on Health Canada maximum limit on nitrate-N in water included corn-corn-corn-alfalfa-alfalfa under NT for corn-based cropping systems, potato-winter wheat-carrot-corn under CT for vegetable horticulture-based and potato-barley-winter wheat-potato-corn under NT for potato-based cropping systems.

This thesis describes preliminary research on the application of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) to the optimisation of mine scheduling in an uncertain environment. The MDP framework is a novel approach to scheduling in a mining operation and option valuation. The task of scheduling in mining operations is dependent on the availability of models that permit the representation of some of the key stochastic properties of the environment, such as grade and price uncertainty. The tools used to model these processes are respectively sequential Gaussian simulation and Geometric Brownian motion. Three cases of increasing size are used to illustrate the results of the model and demonstrate its suitability to mine scheduling and option valuation. The computational efficiencies of solving an MDP formulation by Policy Iteration and Value Iteration are compared. The impact of the discount rate on the optimal policy is assessed. To determine the value of one or several options, an optimal policy without options is generated and valued. Then, the exercise is repeated with the relevant options to value (e.g., production rate, cut-off grade and time of mine closure). By comparing the values obtained in both cases, the financial benefit of having operational flexibility is determined, thus yielding the option value. A full size case study is conducted to validate the applicability of MDPs to real mining projects.

Society today is increasingly exposed to the effects of emergencies. These situations not only affect the normal functioning of the society but also the functioning of medical facilities. The preparedness of medical facilities is a very important factor influencing the success in dealing with emergencies and crisis situations. The preparedness of the health care system as a whole consists of all medical facilities in the Czech Republic. Therefore, it is desirable that they are prepared to address them. The objective of the thesis, in its theoretical part, was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of crisis preparedness in medical facilities. The practical part was intended to introduce in more detail the territory of the South Moravian Region and its issues and to map out emergency preparedness in the specified research set. The research set included medical facilities in the region that are not university hospitals but that are part of the region traumatology plan. The data on this issue was collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire was in a format of selected work indicators of emergency preparedness and it was uniform for all the respondents. The work indicators were as follows: theoretical preparedness, organizational preparedness and practical preparedness. Based on the questionnaire survey, analysis of the results and determining the average level of preparedness of all the participating medical facilities, it was concluded that the preparedness of the medical facilities of a non-university type in the South Moravian Region is very diverse: from hospitals whose preparedness is excellent to those who do not reach the required basis. In the overall assessment, 40.0 % of the respondents did not reach the determined average. Overall, the level of preparedness of the research set can be seen as slightly below average. To increase the level of preparedness of non-university medical facilities, it is suggested, for example, to create unified procedures for processing various types of plans, to assign each medical facility the obligation to employ a professional emergency manager, and to establish cooperation among individual medical facilities.

This thesis investigates the design of a model, methods and guidelines that may assist government agencies in South Africa to find a balance between the objective of biodiversity conservation and increased local economic development in cases of land restitution in protected areas. The data collection that was needed for this study took place from 2007 to 2009 and was limited to seven priority protected areas in Mpumalanga Province. The general model design was established via an extensive literature review and analysis of the legal background and formed the theoretical concept of this thesis. The general model design was used to devise the guidelines for co-management to be used by government agencies in South Africa for the possible implementation of the biodiversity conservation and local economic development mandates in cases of land restitution in protected areas, within their financial and institutional limitations. From the results, it is clear that a consolidated government position, agreed upon by all relevant government stakeholders, assists in keeping the land restitution process in protected areas within the legal framework. Through the analysis of the model design in the seven priority protected areas it was identified that additional information is needed to reach the preferred land claim settlement option per protected area such as the actual tourism record, a socio-economic assessment of the environment in which each protected area is embedded, and financial figures to make projections on current and future net profit calculations. Government should support all the land claim settlement options, as elaborated in the model design, which is not the case at the moment, and most alternative options, other than co-management, are currently still unclear and/or not feasible. This might have serious negative implications for the conservation agency, with the risk of compromising its mandate to manage areas of high biodiversity effectively. The methods that were developed to workshop the generic agreement frameworks with the land claimant representatives proved to assist in the land claimants making an informed choice within the legal framework and to tailor the land claim settlement option and agreements to their specific situation. / Development Studies / Ph. D. (Development Studies)

Production and consumption of products contribute to the global sustainability challenge by degrading natural and social systems. This thesis focuses on branded products, which through powerful images and meanings symbolise the core business of a company and a platform of identification for its stakeholders. This study investigates the possibility to align a brand and its company with sustainability. With the help of a small branded design company in Berlin, which served as case study, a strategic management planning process was conducted and action research was used to be able to engage the participants in creating movement towards sustainability. The research shows that there are major internal and external barriers and motivations that can either hinder or inspire. The actions and approaches that were identified for a branded design company represent possible means to transform its business towards sustainability. Natural resources are decreasing relative to the growth in human population and affluence. This fuels the need to develop more sustainable products so that human needs and natural eco-systems can thrive. A branded design company has the ability to help lead society through innovating products, services, and activities towards a sustainable future.

The overall aim of the case study was to investigate the effectiveness of EIAs in NMB and to determine whether EIA legislation and implementation can lead to the promotion of sustainable development practices. The research made use of the qualitative research methodology and followed the inductive approach by critically evaluating the EIA process in the NMBM using the case study approach. This was supported by a survey which was administered to willing participants chosen at random whose extensive experience is relevant to this research topic. Interviews involved direct personal contact with participants who were asked to respond to questions relating to the research study. The research sample consisted of eight participants. The local authority was represented by two participants, the Environmental Assessment Practitioners were represented by five participants and the Non-Governmental Organization was represented by 1 participant. The first objective of the study was to evaluate the role of government during the EIA process. The results showed that EAPs in NMB municipality are relatively satisfied with how the municipality is handling the EIA process with regards to commenting on both internal and external applications. There was however a view that most municipalities lack sufficient capacity to be able to comment on EIA applications as required by legislation and that human resource issues were one of the contributing factors where skills are concerned. The second objective of the study was to examine and evaluate the role of civil society and NGOs during the EIA process. The results showed that NGOs are quite vocal and very much involved in driving the sustainable development agenda and that in South Africa NGOs are usually the ones that are responsible for getting the message across in the form of environmental education and awareness through the translation of environmental knowledge into practical on the ground conservation. 4 The third objective of the study was to analyze the responsibilities of Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) in the EIA process. The EAPs had a very good knowledge of the EIA process and what was required of them in terms of the process. The fourth objective was to evaluate compliance to the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) by the applicant once Environmental Authorisation (EA) has been granted by the responsible authority. The results showed that all the participants were in agreement in terms of the need for EMPs but their lack of enforcement was highlighted as a very serious problem which is in need of urgent attention sooner rather than later. It was also highlighted that EMPs were generally not adhered to due to their lack of legal status and that many developers viewed EMPs as guideline documents rather than something that has legally enforceable provisions. The study concluded that EIAs are not effective in meeting the requirements of NEMA and promoting sustainable development agenda. The IEM planning process which has largely been focused on EIAs as a tool to support decision-making by specialists and hence promote sustainable development has its weaknesses and has not been successful in driving the sustainable development agenda in Nelson Mandela Bay

This work deals with reporting as a tool for the creation of a comprehensive system of data and indicators testifying about the company's activities in an understandable and user-compact format. Further demonstrated by the practical use of examples and forms of reports to highlight the crucial and often repetitive deficiencies and errors in the use of business information. Based on detailed analyzes are evaluated selected reports and recommendations are defined to make the process of reporting more effective. Selected reports are supplemented by a range of new information that will enhance the management process and therefore lead to savings. These savings are discussed in detail in one of the recommendations of the work on the introduction of CRM IS.

The main motivation for the business is making profits. For the creation of profit is the need to have a business plan. In order to have a successful business plan, we have to prepare it correctly, and then drive. The entire work is focused on the production, placing on the market and the management of the business plan. At the beginning of the introduction into the environment, and then everything is shown in a particular case. The aim is to show how to do this when you create a business plan, what pitfalls can occur and, above all, from the complex situation do the advantage.