Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2003. / Thesis documentation sheet inserted. Errata sheet tipped in. Appendix consists of reproductions of three papers and a manuscript, two of which are co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also available electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix of papers.

Durant ce troisième millénaire d’angoissants problèmes politiques, économiques et de sécurité se posent aux habitants de la planète terre. Leur ampleur et leur gravité, font oublier la perte de la biodiversité et l’amenuisement de ses ressources naturelles face aux activités anthropiques. Il s’avère cependant urgent de s’en préoccuper car la moindre négligence entraînerait des pertes irréparables de la biodiversité. La situation est inquiétante pour les pays sous-développés comme le Tchad et plus particulièrement pour le parc national de Manda et sa périphérie. Des aléas climatiques, des mauvaises pratiques agricoles et la surexploitation des ressources naturelles l’exposent à une succession de crises écologiques depuis le début des années 1980. L’accroissement actuel de la population, le surpâturage, l’instabilité politique, les guerres civiles multiplient les effets pervers et compliquent la gestion de cette biodiversité. [...] / During this third millennium of agonizing political, economic and security faced by the inhabitants of planet earth. Their intensity and gravity do forget the loss of biodiversity and the depletion of its natural resources in front of human activities. There is however urgent attention because the slightest negligence would result in irreparable loss of biodiversity. The situation is worrying for underdeveloped countries like Chad and especially for the Manda National Park and its periphery. Vagaries of the weather, bad agricultural practices and overexploitation of natural resources are exposed to a succession of environmental crises since the early 1980’s. The current population growth, overgrazing, political instability, civil wars perverse multiply and complicate the management of biodiversity. [...]

Master of Science / Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science / Kimberly Waggle Kramer / This document addresses East Africa's need for safe, sustainable, and affordable housing and promotes use of bamboo as a structural material by providing adequate information and resources to evaluate the strength of bamboo. East African housing is a leading issue for the region because of the population growth, specifically in urban areas where housing resources and infrastructure cannot match the population growth. The solution may be bamboo housing as an alternative to urban slums. The bamboo species Oxytenanthera abyssinica is available throughout East Africa region and has been accepted and implemented in traditional housing throughout the region. This document references the resources provided by the International Code Council (ICC), International Organization for Standardizations (ISO), and International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) for the use of bamboo as a structural material in buildings. This paper also discusses the mechanical strength of bamboo, and the structural behavior of bamboo in buildings. In addition, bamboo construction shows the tools, connections, and preservatives used in the field. The design example, using Oxytenanthera abyssinica, provides the traditional layout and materials for an Amhara house, and calculations show the practicality of bamboo in structural design. This document has led to recommendations for engineers and the bamboo industry, including the development of a codebook for bamboo design, promoting bamboo farms and plantations, creating a uniform connection, and increasing bamboo's service life. From research, bamboo is in need of further development before being considered a viable structural material to provide for commercial use but would suffice for the housing shortage in East Africa.

Diss. (sammanfattning). Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.