This study sets out to analyse the relevance of cultural values and perceptions, which form the basis of the "local knowledge" of grassroots people, in the natural resource management of the Laka of Mapela who live in the former Lebowa homeland in the Northern Province of South Africa. Due to the fact that political transitions affect the traditional authority system, it further explores the role of traditional leaders regarding control and decision-making over natural resources as well as the activities of oppositional groups at local level, and their attitudes towards land tenure issues. Natural resource management is approached holistically because, in grassroots perceptions, the natural world does not "stand on its own" and is not dissected into manageable units but forms part of a wider cosmos which is made up of human beings, nature and the supernatural. A happy life of people, fertile soils and rich botanical resources are inseparable from harmony in the cosmos. Misfortune, natural resource degradation and scarcity are consequently explained with a state of flux, or imbalance, in these cosmic relationships which have to be restored by people in order to survive. The general conclusions suggest that these local perceptions of natural resource management cannot be ignored from the development arena as well as by outside scientists and practitioners. Rather, in order to develop more progressive approaches for sustainable management in the former homelands, policies and plans have to be compatible with the worldview of local people to enhance their acceptance and implementation. / Anthropology and Archaeology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Anthropology)

Thesis (PhD (Dept. of Forest and Wood Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze under which conditions the structure, organization and integration of knowledge systems can provide the implementation of adaptive collaborative management of natural resources under conditions of high biodiversity in the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. The study specifically did the following: characterized sustainable slash-and-burn agriculture innovations; examined the influences of local perceptions of nature and forest knowledge management systems on adaptive slash-and-burn agriculture practices; analyzed the influences of the social representation of land use patterns and their local indicators on agro-ecological sustainability; characterised the biophysical dimensions of local management of agricultural biodiversity knowledge systems; analyzed how local agricultural biodiversity knowledge is used to adapt and to satisfy household consumption needs, market preferences, and sustainable livelihoods; examined the influences of local perceptions of climate variability for the ability and adaptive capacity of people to use local knowledge to deal with the effect of pests-diseases on crop yield, corrective management actions, and adaptive slash-and-burn agriculture management. The study was conducted in three blocks within the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon along a gradient of natural resource use management intensification and population density. Data were collected via structured and semi-structured interviews, multi-disciplinary landscape assessment and a review of secondary information. Chisquare tests were used to show how local knowledge influences - natural resource management at the forest-agriculture interface, while binary logistic regressions were used to understand the influences of biophysical and socio-economic factors on farmers’ decisions to domesticate tree species and to cultivate several crop cultivars. Fourteen research and development (R&D) themes were identified and found to be equally distributed among blocks but unequally distributed across technical, marketing and socio-organisational types of innovation. There was a gap between social demand and innovation offer. Innovations offered covered more technical issues, such as crop variety development, indicating their agricultural focus rather than the integration of forest and agriculture issues. The local perceptions of nature and forest resources are based on social representation of the vital space into components having a specific function for the social, physical and spiritual life of people. Needs of the human world determine the role of local forest knowledge systems in the interpretation and responses of the natural environment, and guide the trajectories of natural resource management practices. The management of agro-ecological sustainability is based on the local definition of well-being, social representation of space and on a multi-criteria approach combining bio-indicators such as plants, earthworm activities, age of vegetation or forest cover, soil colour and quality but it is also positively influenced by land use history, the use value of wild plant and crop species, the knowledge of crop qualities, the knowledge of interactions between crops, and between crops and other wild plant species, the tree size of tree species used, the future use of a current land use, the estimated land use for own use and market access. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal onder watter omstandighede die struktuur, organisasie en integrasie van kennissisteme kan bydra tot die implementering van aanpasbare deelnemende bestuur van natuurlike hulpbronne onder toestande van hoë biodiversiteit in die vogtige woudsone van suidelike Kameroen. Die studie het spesifiek die volgende gedoen: volhoubare kap-en-brand landboukundige ontwikkelinge gekarakteriseer; die invloede van plaaslike persepsies van die natuur en woudkennisgebaseerde bestuursisteme op aanpasbare kap-en-brand landboupraktyke ge-evalueer; die invloede van die sosiale verteenwoordiging van grondgebruikspatrone en hul plaaslike indikatore op agro-ekologiese volhoubaarheid ontleed; die biofisiese dimensies van die plaaslike bestuur van landboukundige biodiversiteitskennissisteme gekarakteriseer; geanaliseer hoe die plaaslike landboukundige biodiversiteitskennis gebruik word om aan te pas by en bevrediging te verkry vir huishoudelike gebruiksbehoeftes, marksvoorkeure en volhoubare bestaansbehoeftes; die invloede en gebruik van plaaslike kennis en persepsies van klimaatsvariasie beoordeel in die vermoë en aanpassingskapasiteit van mense om die effekte van siektes-peste op gewasproduksie, regstellende aksies en aanpasbare kap-enbrand landboubestuur te hanteer. Die studie is uitgevoer in drie blokke binne die vogtige woudsone van suidelike Kameroen langs ‘n gradient van natuurlike hulpbrongebruiksbestuursintensiteit en populasiedigtheid. Data is versamel deur gestruktureerde en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, multi-dissiplinere landskapsevaluering en ‘n oorsig van sekondere inligting. Chi-kwadraat toetse is gebruik om te wys hoe plaaslike kennis die bestuur van die woudlandbou konneksie beinvloed asook binêre logistiese regressies om die invloede te verstaan van biofisiese en sosio-ekonomiese faktore op die boere se besluite om boomsoorte te domestikeer en om verskeie gewaskultivars te kweek. Veertien temas in navorsing en ontwikkeling (N&O) was gelyk versprei tussen die blokke en ongelyk versprei tussen tegniese, bemarking en sosio-organisatoriese tipes innovering. Daar was ‘n gaping tussen sosiale aanvraag en innoveringsaanbieding. Innoverings het meer tegniese aspekte gedek, soos ontwikkeling van ‘n verskeidenheid gewasse, wat wys op ‘n landboukundige fokus eerder as ‘n integrasie van woud en landboukundige aspekte. Die plaaslike persepsies van die natuur en woudhulpbronne was gebaseer op sosiale verteenwoordiging van lewensbelangrike ruimte in komponente met ‘n spesifieke funksie vir die sosiale, fisiese en geestelike lewe van die mense. Behoeftes van die menslike wereld bepaal die rol van plaaslike woudkennissisteme in die interpretasie van en reaksie op die natuurlike omgewing, en rig die gebruik van hulpbronbestuurspraktyke. Die bestuur van agro-ekologiese volhoubaarheid is gebaseer op die plaaslike definisie van geluk, sosiale verteenwoordiging van ruimte en op ‘n multikriteria benadering wat bio-indikatore kombineer soos plante, erdwurmaktiwiteite, ouderdom van plantegroei- of woudbedekking, grondkleur- en kwaliteit, maar is ook positief beinvloed deur grondgebruiksgeskiedenis, die gebruikswaarde van natuurlike en gewassoorte, die kennis van gewaskwaliteite, die kennis van die interaksie tussen gewasse en tussen gewasse en natuurlike plantsoorte, die boomgrootte van boomsoorte wat gebruik word, die toekomstige gebruik van ‘n huidige grondgebruik, die beraamde grondgebruik vir eie gebruik en vir toegang tot die markte.

As the case with most countries across Latin America, unprecedented migration to urban areas has strained city infrastructure systems. More particularly, the region faces a pressing crisis of water security, where rapid urbanization has outpaced water sector development. This thesis addresses the water infrastructure reform in El Alto and La Paz, Bolivia, focusing on strategies to better promote water access for the peri-urban poor. The research investigates the level of progressivity of water service expansion and pricing regimes: in other words, does the present model of water distribution positively improve the lives of the poorest groups? By investigating these social dimensions of water management, this study brings perspectives on the broader dialogue on Bolivia’s economic development, along with issues of participatory governance. Resumen: Como es el caso en muchos países latinoamericanos, la migración a áreas urbanas a niveles sin precedentes ha superado la capacidad de infraestructura. Concretamente, la región se enfrenta a una urgente crisis en la seguridad de agua potable dado que la rápida urbanización ha sobrepasado el desarrollo de este sector. Esta tesis aborda la reforma de la infraestructura de agua potable en El Alto y La Paz, Bolivia, enfocando en las estrategias para mejorar el acceso a agua por parte de los residentes periurbanos pobres. La investigación averigua el nivel de progresividad de los regímenes de precios y expansión de servicios de agua potable. En otras palabras, ¿contribuye el actual modelo de distribución de agua al mejoramiento de la vida de los grupos más desfavorecidos? Al investigar estas dimensiones sociales en el manejo de agua potable, este estudio ofrece perspectivas en cuanto al diálogo amplio del desarrollo económico de Bolivia, así como asuntos de gobernanza participativa.

La gestion participative intégrée a obtenu une reconnaissance internationale en Europe avec les approches de gestion intégrée des zones côtières (GIZC). Avec le protocole GIZC de la convention de Barcelone, le mouvement a dépassé les frontières de l'Europe pour inclure tout le bassin méditerranéen. Cette recherche soulève la question de l'application de modèles standardisés de gestion environnementale dans différents contextes géopolitiques et socioculturels. L'objectif global de cette étude est d'améliorer la mise en place et l'impact des projets de conservation par une meilleure compréhension de leurs dimensions sociales, culturelles et géographiques. Cette recherche propose une analyse de la complexité des perceptions socioculturelles et des dynamiques de gouvernances dans deux sites d'étude (la Camargue en France et le Delta du Gediz en Turquie). Quatre-vingt treize entretiens qualitatifs et quantitatifs ont été menés suivant une méthode d'échantillonnage raisonné. L'application possible de la gestion participative intégrée a été envisagée à travers l'optique des réseaux sociaux, des discours environnementaux, et des valeurs et perceptions environnementales en mobilisant les outils de la géo-gouvernance. En utilisant chacun de ces points de vue, nous avons démontré que la participation est considérée, pensée et appliquée de manière différente au sein de chaque site. Ces différences soutiennent l'hypothèse dominante de ce travail : les stratégies environnementales doivent être adaptées pour s'adapter à chaque contexte local. Nos résultats rappellent qu'il ne faut pas survoler les contextes locaux si l'on veut garantir l'efficacité des institutions. / Participatory integrated management gained international recognition in Europe with integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) approaches. The movement has spread beyond the European borders and includes the entire Mediterranean basin with the ICZM Protocol under the Barcelona Convention. This research raises the question on the application of standardized environmental management models in distinct geopolitical and socio-cultural contexts. The overall objective of this analysis is to improve the implementation and impact of conservation projects through an improved understanding of social, cultural and geographical dimensions. This research analyzes the complexity of socio-cultural perceptions and dynamics of environmental governance within and between sites (the Rhone delta, France and the Gediz delta, Turkey). Base lines were established for political and administrative contexts, ecological states and socio-cultural perspectives to analyze the similarities and differences. Ninety three qualitative and quantitative interviews were conducted using a purposive sampling methodology. The potential application of integrated participatory management was studied through the lenses of social networks, environmental discourses, and environmental values and perceptions with a geo-governance approach. Using each of these views, we demonstrated that participation is considered, sought and implemented in distinct ways in each site. These differences support the dominant theme of this work: environmental strategies must be adapted to suit site specific contexts. The results are a reminder that we should not overlook local contexts if we want to promote institutional effectiveness.

Dans cette thèse nous proposons à la communauté scientifique une méthode alternative d'analyse des interactions et de la cognition découlant de la gestion des ressources naturelles. Le système créé se nomme SIEGMAS (Stakeholders Interactions in Environmental Governance by a Multi-Agent System). Il s'agit d'un outil d'aide à la décision reposant sur la simulation des interactions entre les agents agissant sur un territoire dans la gouvernance des ressources naturelles via une interface socio-économique et environnementale. L'objectif de SIEGMAS est double. D'une part, il s'agit d'offrir un modèle agent générique réutilisable dédié à la communauté scientifique pour la gestion des ressources naturelles. D'autre part, l'objectif consiste à offrir un cadre de solution informatique adaptée aux décideurs du milieu économique et politique pour la prise de décisions. Pour ce faire, nous avons créé un modèle de représentation de la gestion des ressources naturelles dans la zone Océan Indien en considérant tout spécialement les déviances. Ce modèle se base sur des règles différenciées en fonction des interactions et stratégies entre agents à différents endroits afin d'apporter des informations et l'identification des impacts spatialisés. En créant ce système computationnel simulable, nous développons un cadre méthodologique pour initialiser et exploiter les résultats du modèle simulé adapté à la prise de décisions pour trois territoires de l'Océan Indien : La Région de La Réunion et deux régions de Madagascar (Analamanga et Itasy). / In this thesis, we propose to the scientific community an alternative method of analysis from the interactions and cognition coming from the management of natural resources. The created system is called SIEGMAS (Stakeholders Interactions in Environmental Governance by a Multi-Agent System). It's a Help tool to the decision on the simulation of interactions between stakeholders acting on a territory in the Common-pool resources via an environmental, social and economic interface. The aim of the SIEGMAS is double. on the one hand, It is a matter of giving a generic, model agent re-usable dedicated to the scientific community for the management of natural resources. On the other hand, the aim consists on giving a framework of computer solution adapted to the decision-makers of politic and economic area for the decision making.

<p>Effects of prairie restoration on arthropod diversity was investigated at Gabis Arboretum, Valparaiso, Indiana. A total of 35,408 arthropods belonging to 13 taxa in the restored prairie (RP1 and RP2), old field (OF), and monoculture stand of Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass – RCG) sites, were captured, counted, and compared. The enhanced plant species diversity in the restored prairies did not appear to promote the diversity of arthropod taxa. However, the restoration led to a more balanced composition of arthropod functional groups and thus elevated the diversity of functional groups. The arthropod assemblages in the three sites diverged clearly according to my canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ordination. Pollinator abundance was greatest at RP and least at RCG site, positively correlating with greater forb diversity, and suggesting greater potential for nectar feeding and pollination potential at RP sites. Herbivore abundance was greatest at the RP sites, positively correlating with increasing plant species diversity. Predator abundance was significantly greater at the RCG site compared to the OF and RP sites; it was positively correlated with greater C3 grass cover, a characteristic of the structurally homogenous RCG site, and negatively correlated with increasing plant diversity and forb cover, a characteristic of the diverse and more structurally complex RP sites. Given the apparent non-random distribution of arthropods among the field types, my results suggest plant species composition has a significant effect on arthropod assembly. The monoculture grass stand was found to have a predator dominated arthropod community supported by a small, diverse herbivore community. It is concluded that the prairie restoration has resulted in alteration of arthropod communities supporting greater pollinator and herbivore abundance and a more balanced ratio of herbivores to predators due, in part, to increased plant structural diversity.</p>

Das Hochland Nordthailands isi ein Beispiel für eine widersprüchliche Situation die entsteht, wenn ein zentralistisches Regierungssystem seine Kontrolle auf entlegene Gebiete ausdehnt und auf traditionellen Wanderfeldbau auftrifft. Auf Regierungsseite zeichnet sich die Politik durch unterschiedliche Interessen der Walderhaltung einerseits und Integration von ethnischen Minderheiten andererseits aus. Die Bergstämme ihrerseits erstreben Landsicherheit um ihre Subsistenzwirtschaft zu sichern. Somit geht es um Mediation und Konfliktresolution zur Überwindung der Dichotomie zwischen Waldschutz und landwirtschaftlicher Subsistenz. Trotz des fehlenden politischen Rahmens, hat es eine Verschiebung zu mehr partizipativen Ansätzen bei der Entwicklung des Hochlands gegeben, zum Beispiel Community Based Land Use Planning and Local Watershed Management (CLM) des Thai-German Highland Development Programe (TG-HDP) in der Provinz Mae Hong Son. Dieses Forschungsprojekt hat den CLM-Ansatz mit GIS kombiniert um jenseits der Demarkierung von Landtypen die Dorfebene mit höheren Planungsebenen zu verbinden, wie die sich etablierenden Tambon (Sub-Distrikt) Administrative Organisations. Vor dem Hintergrund der grundsätzlichen oben angeführten Probleme und auf den CLM-Ansatz aufbauend, wurden Landnutzungskarten digitalisiert um die Widersprüche zwischen zentralistischer Landklassifizierung und lokalen Dorfgrenzen zu überwinden. Durch den Vergleich von topographischen Modellen und Karten mit Dorfbewohnern und Regierungsorganisationen, könnte eine Kommunikationsplattform für die Formulierung von Landnutzungsplänen etabliert werden. Stolpersteine zur partizipativen Planung werden dargestellt und Empfehlungen für eine koordinierte Politik der Hochlandentwicklung ausgesprochen. Bei der laufenden Dezentralisierung werden die neu entstehenden Tambon (Sub-Distrikt) Administrative Organisations (TAO) sich als Schlüsselverbindung zwischen dem Staat und der Gesellschaft entwickeln. Eine Möglichkeit mit den unterschiedlichen Prioritäten der Teilhaber auf Tambonebene umzugehen könnte sich aus der laufenden Umstrukturierung des Landwirtschaftsministeriums (MOAC) ergeben, als Teil der administrativen Reform. Ein Teil dieser Reform auf Grasebene war die Einführung von Technology Transfer Centres (TTC) seit 1998, mit mittlerweile 82 vom Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) etablierten Zentren landesweit. In diesem Kontext wird der Tambon ein Test für partizipative Landnutzungsplanung sein, sowohl aus der technischen Perspektive mit neuen Technology Transfer Centres, als auch aus der administrativen mit existierenden Tambon Administrative Organisations. Pläne der Vernetzung von TTCs mit TAOs müssen die Bedeutung der Repräsentanz von Schlüsselinstitutionen der Forstwirtschaft und Landentwicklung für Aspekte der Landnutzung berücksichtigen, sowie lokale Verwaltung und Sozialfürsorge für die Registrierung von Dörfern mit klaren und allseits akzeptierten Grenzen. Ein Ansatz von unten müßte sich auf die drei während der Forschung genannten Hauptprobleme konzentrieren, nämlich Reisinsuffizienz, Waldbrachemanagement und Dorfgrenzen. So lange der Zustand der Landunsicherheit weiterhin vorherrscht, werden Bergstämme Strategien zur Beibehaltung von ausreichendem Ackerland anwenden, wie die Deklaration von bis zu doppelt so vielen Hochlandfeldern und die Zwischenpflanzung mit Heckenreihen auf Bracheflächen um zu zeigen, daß dieses Land genutzt wird. Zur Zeit gibt es keinen einheitlichen Planungsansatz, jedoch hat die öffentliche Debatte in Nordthailand ein Stadium erreicht, inklusive der Bergstämmenminderheit, daß der Prozeß der Institutionalisierung weitergehen wird während das Land den Pfad der Demokratie beschreitet. Die Lösung von Problemen und nachhaltiger Landnutzungsplanung wird somit zu einem Testfall für die Umsetzung von guter Regierung auf lokaler Ebene. / The highlands of northern Thailand are an example of a contradictory situation arising when a centralised government system extends its control to remote areas and clashes with traditional shifting cultivation practices. On the government side, policy is characterised by conflicting interests between forest preservation on the one hand, and the integration of ethnic minorities on the other. Hilltribes, on the other hand, are looking for land security to meet their subsistence needs. It is a precondition for them to modify their traditional farming systems or to explore other alternatives to secure a livelihood. The issue has become one of mediation and conflict resolution in order to overcome the dichotomy between forest protection and agricultural subsistence. In spite of a lack of policy framework, highland development has shifted towards more participatory approaches, for example Community Based Land Use Planning and Local Watershed Management (CLM) of the Thai-German Highland Development Programme (TG-HDP) in Mae Hong Son province. This research project combined the CLM approach with GIS in order to go beyond the demarcation of land types and to connect the village level to higher planning bodies like the emerging Tambon (sub-district) Administration Organisations. In light of the fundamental problem of highland development described above, and building on the CLM approach, land use maps were digitised to help overcome contradictions between central land use classifications and local village boundaries. By crosschecking topographic models and maps with villagers and government agencies, a communication platform could be created for the formulation of land use plans. Stumbling blocks to participatory planning are illustrated and recommendations for a co-ordinated policy for highland development are made. In the current move towards decentralisation, the newly forming Tambon (or sub-district) Administrative Organisations (TAO) will evolve as the key link between the state and society. One potential to deal with differing stakeholder priorities at Tambon level could evolve from the current restructuring of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) as part of the administrative reform. A part of this reform at grass-roots level has been the introduction of Technology Transfer Centres (TTC) initiated in 1998, with 82 of them established nationwide by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE). In this context the Tambon will be a test for participatory land use planning, both in terms of a technical perspective with new Technology Transfer Centres, as well as an administrative one with existing Tambon Administrative Organisations. The plans to link TTCs with TAOs need to consider the importance of representation of key agencies like forestry and land development for aspects of land management, as well as local administration and social welfare for the registration of villages with clear and mutually agreed boundaries. A bottom-up approach would need to focus on the three main problem areas identified during the research, namely rice sufficiency, forest fallow management, and village boundaries. As long as this state of land insecurity persists, hill tribes will resort to strategies to keep enough land for agricultural production, like the declaration of up to twice the number of upland fields under cultivation, and the interplanting of hedgerows in fallow areas to indicate that the land is used. For the time being a unified planning approach does not exist, but a stage of public debate has been reached in northern Thailand, including those of minority hill tribes, that the process of institutionalisation will continue as the country follows a path to democracy. The resolution of problems and sustainable land use planning will turn into a testing ground for the application of good governance at the local level.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-05-15T16:27:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 João Almeida Santos.pdf: 3540780 bytes, checksum: d16440e6e503d3d008d412d19bcca289 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-15T16:27:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 João Almeida Santos.pdf: 3540780 bytes, checksum: d16440e6e503d3d008d412d19bcca289 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-04 / The thesis is that the conflict is the main cause of the postponement (by the government) of actions that could solve or mitigate the problems related to the occupation of water source regions in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The overall objective of the research is to propose strategies to confront the conflict to the government and thus, open possibilities to contain the invasion and remove invaders from areas of springs. The specific objectives are (1) to present and analyze the strategies of the players (government and invader) based on the theory of Nash equilibrium and (2) to highlight the importance of game theory and in particular, Nash equilibrium as method to elaborate proposal conflict resolution according to selected strategies. The research methodology is qualitative and quantitative. The quantitative research is based on the data required for the use of game theory (urban spot growth, real estate prices, among others) and numerical simulations arranged in matrices. The qualitative, in the study of the literature on the problem of the occupation of springs that in turn, led to the design of possible strategies (for the solution of problems) / A tese sustentada neste trabalho é que o conflito é a principal causa do adiamento (por parte do governo) de ações que poderiam solucionar ou mitigar os problemas relativos à ocupação de regiões de mananciais na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. O objetivo geral da pesquisa é propor estratégias de enfrentar o conflito para o governo e assim, abrir possibilidades de conter a invasão e remover invasores de áreas de mananciais. Os objetivos específicos são (1) apresentar e analisar as estratégias dos jogadores (governo e invasor) com base na teoria do Equilíbrio de Nash e (2) destacar a importância da teoria dos jogos e em particular do Equilíbrio de Nash como método para elaborar proposta de solução do conflito de acordo com estratégias selecionadas. A metodologia da pesquisa é qualitativa e quantitativa. A pesquisa quantitativa está no levantamento dos dados necessários à utilização da teoria dos jogos (crescimento da mancha urbana, preços dos imóveis, entre outros) e nas simulações numéricas dispostas em matrizes. A qualitativa, no estudo da literatura sobre o problema da ocupação de mananciais que por sua vez, levou ao desenho das estratégias possíveis (para a solução dos problemas). As simulações elaboradas a partir da teoria dos jogos mostraram que a melhor estratégia para a solução do conflito é que o governo remunere o invasor para preservar a região ocupada

Research was undertaken for this thesis to uncover characteristics of resilient volunteers and stewardship groups, both of which are a major element of the social mobilisation strategy used in Australia to manage natural resources. The ability of volunteers and groups to overcome problems, deal with new issues as they arise, and keep going under pressure is termed 'resilience'. A 'resilience management' approach to natural resource management uses the idea of 'adaptive change' or panarchy to understand the development of resilience and thus, sustainability in human communities. According to this theory, sustainable communities are both changeable and stable, adapting to new situations as they arise. The research approach used in the study is called 'phenomenography'. It is an interpretive approach, based on the central assumption that there is variation in the ways in which people experience the same phenomenon. Phenomenography was used to see if lessons about resilience and sustainability could be learnt from catchment volunteers. All participants were 'catchment volunteers' working along the east coast of Queensland. They were drawn from a variety of organisations and programs including Landcare; Coastcare; Bushcare; Greening Australia; Waterwatch; treeplanting groups; and Integrated Catchment Management Committees. A total of 26 personal and group interviews involving 85 participants were conducted. Interviews comprised a series of semi-structured questions that were tape-recorded, then transcribed verbatim. Through a process of comparing and contrasting themes in the transcriptions, six conceptions emerged. These were: catchment volunteering was experienced as seeking and maintaining balance; developing/maintaining an identity; empowerment; learning; networking; and sustainable. Analysis of these themes was used to develop a model of catchment volunteer experiences depicting relationships between conceptions (termed the 'Outcome Space' in phenomenography). In this study the Outcome Space emerged as a set of scales, signifying the importance of keeping a balanced perspective on volunteering - a balance between things such as personal goals and organisational goals; between dedication to an unpaid vocation and family life; and between social benefits and environmental benefits. From the Outcome Space, several conceptual and practical outcomes were developed. These included: a typology of participation based on volunteer experiences; a table describing forms of empowerment in catchment volunteering; a table listing drivers for catchment volunteers; an illustration of Holling and Gunderson's adaptive cycle as it applies to stewardship groups; a table of factors that enhance the resilience and sustainability of stewardship groups; a model of the relationship between external pressures and resilient, sustainable stewardship groups; and guidelines for developing resilient sustainable stewardship groups. These outcomes contribute to an understanding of individual, group and community level responses to environmental issues; and how resilience can be developed in volunteers and stewardship groups and programs.

Efficient management of natural resources (NRM) needs to be built on a correct understanding of the objectives of different stakeholders. Therefore, it is required to actively involve experts and stakeholders in the decision making process. However, the introduction of these knowledge claims is controversial. This is due to differences in the quality of the underlying involvement methods. The principle objective of this study was therefore to develop, apply and critically analyse improved (hybrid) methodologies to integrate expert and local knowledge in existing NRM decision making frameworks. Research is performed on 2 case studies. The SAFE case study deals with the development of a framework for evaluating sustainability levels in agricultural systems in Belgium, while the ALERT case study deals with sustainable management of water resources in semi-arid regions, applied to the Andarax catchment in Spain. The analysis of pro's and contra's of both the technocratic and the pure participatory approaches sets the blueprint for a hybrid decision making framework. Experience shows that decision support is improved when an indicator-based assessment structure is embedded in the participatory approach. This is facilitated through the use of soft operational research techniques. A sound methodology for participatory indicator selection is presented and clear-cut answers to problems with reliability of judgments are provided. The design of different typologies of membership functions is an important step to future deliberation of participatory-based norms. A computerized decision support system (DSS) is developed as it proves to be an important means to deal with increased information and complexity in decision support for NRM. In response to calls for greater collaboration with local actors, the DSS contains different functionalities that are designed to be interactive, while optimal default values ensure basic quality standards. Multi-criteria analysis allows an evaluation of alternatives and scenarios in the hybrid decision making framework. We deal with important choices that have to be made when interpreting spatio-temporal variabilities in management performances and the implications thereof on the final projections towards decision makers. The propagation of uncertainty in the hybrid decision making frameworks is critically evaluated. In order to consider uncertainty in an integrated way, a combined uncertainty/sensitivity analysis is presented. This analysis includes uncertainty related to norms, weights and indicators. Finally, guidelines for communication of the findings towards decision makers are drafted. / Pour être efficace, la gestion des ressources naturelles (GRN) doit prendre en compte correctement les objectifs de différents acteurs. Il est dès lors recommandé d’inclure activement les experts et les parties prenantes dans le processus de prise de décision. Cependant, la meilleure manière de prendre en compte différents types de savoir est sujette à controverse. L’objectif principal de cette étude est donc de développer, appliquer et évaluer des méthodes améliorées (hybrides) de prise en compte du savoir des parties prenantes et des experts dans les systèmes actuels de prise de décision pour la GRN. Cette recherche a été appliquée sur deux cas d’étude. Le premier, appelé SAFE, traite du développement d’un cadre pour évaluer la durabilité des systèmes agraires en Belgique. Le second, ALERT, traite de la gestion durable de l’eau dans des régions semi-arides, appliquée ici au bassin de l’Andarax (Espagne). L’analyse comparée des points forts et des points faibles des approches participatives et technocratiques fournit le cadre pour une approche hybride de prise de décision. Les expériences montrent que l’aide à la décision est améliorée lorsqu’une évaluation par des indicateurs est ancrée dans une approche participative. Des techniques de « recherche opérationnelle douce » permettent cette prise en compte. Nous présentons une méthode pour définir les indicateurs d’une façon participative qui permet de donner des réponses claires aux problèmes liés à la fiabilité des jugements. La définition d’une typologie de fonctions d’appartenance spécifique pour les indicateurs est une étape importante pour le choix participatif des normes. Un système informatisé d'aide à la décision (SIAD) a été développé afin de faire face à l’accroissement de la quantité d’information et de la complexité dans l'aide à la décision. En réponse à la demande d'une plus grande collaboration avec les acteurs locaux, le SIAD contient différentes fonctionnalités qui peuvent être configurées interactivement. Par default on propose des valeurs optimalisées pour assurer des standards de qualité. L'analyse multicritère permet une évaluation des alternatives de gestion et des scénarios dans le cadre de la prise de décision hybride. Nous traitons des choix importants à faire lors de l'interprétation des variations spatio-temporelles des performances de gestion et des implications de ceux-ci sur les avis finaux relayés aux décideurs. La propagation des incertitudes dans la prise de décision des cadres hybrides est aussi évaluée. Afin d'examiner l'incertitude d'une manière intégrée, une analyse mixte de sensibilité et d’incertitude est présentée. Celle-ci porte sur l’incertitude liée aux normes, aux poids et aux indicateurs. Afin de mener à une gestion efficace et durable des ressources naturelles, nous proposons des solutions techniques aux décideurs pour mieux valoriser la connaissance intrinsèque des acteurs de terrain et des gestionnaires.