The concept public participation as the bedrock of participatory democracy has the advantages of empowering civil society in decision-making skills and in legitimizing execution of programmes and projects. The vehicle driving public participation is the system of Ward Committees. legislations such as White Paper on Local Government and the Constitution obligate municipalities to involve communities in facilitating development. Participation is an essential part of local democracy and is a statutory prerequisite for the local community to be drawn into decision-making through processes such as the integrated development planning. The task of Mafube Local Municipality is not only to provide services that encourage sustainable living standards but, to also guarantee that the Mafube community is involved in council strategies and activities that affect the lives of local community. The study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of ward committees in becoming partners in the developmental role of Mafube Local Municipality. For the purpose of the study, hypothesis was formulated that ward committees are necessary mechanisms for facilitating service delivery and yet social and administrative challenges confront their efficient functioning at Mafube Local Municipality which needs to be resolved. To test the hypothesis, empirical research method of open ended questionnaires and interviews was used to test attitudes and perceptions of councillors, ward committees and the community of Mafube Local Municipality on the effectiveness of ward committees. Amongst other findings, it was found that: * Ward committees as community structures are well known by the community of Mafube. * Ward committees need an on-going training with regard to their roles and responsibilities so that they are empowered to execute their duties as is required of them. * The literacy level among certain ward committee members poses a challenge in enabling them to understand municipal programmes or projects. * Public participation is viewed as consultation because there is minimal participation of the community during the planning and decision making of the municipal programmes or projects. * Majority of community members do not attend ward or public meetings. * Elections of ward committees are sometimes not fair and transparent, depending on political affiliation. The study concludes with recommendations for consideration and implementation by Council of Mafube Local Municipality in enhancing service delivery. / M Development and Management (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Venezuela began a process of decentralization in the late 1980s as part of a major period of institutional reform designed to restore legitimacy to the discredited political system of the time. The first efforts towards this end did not complete the process of decentralizing political power, since they did not open more spaces or channels for citizen participation in public affairs. With the adoption of a new National Constitution in 1999, however, new channels for citizen participation were opened through the creation, amongst other mechanisms, of the State Councils of Public Policy Planning, the Local Councils of Public Planning and later, the Community Councils. The primary objectives of this thesis were to analyze the degree to which this decentralization process has improved local governance in Venezuela. More specifically, the investigation focused on exploring the effectiveness of the measures introduced to enhance civil society participation in public affairs. The analysis draws upon and attempts to integrate insights from a range of academic literatures including those dealing with: the debates surrounding good governance , organizational and institutional theory, decentralization and civil society participation in public affairs. Rich empirical research into the degree to which the decentralization process has promoted citizen involvement in decision making involved the exploration of a wide range of secondary materials and the conducting of interviews with key actors and participants within the programmes under investigation. Key findings include the observation that the creation and operation of the Local Councils of Public Planning and Community Councils have led to the evolution of a participatory process that has been marred by a lack of legal continuity, institutional disorganization and a lack of awareness of the existence of the mechanisms (and some suspicion regarding their intentions amongst the general population). Outcomes have also been heavily influenced by the political polarization that exists in contemporary Venezuela. The community councils in particular have been the subject of considerable debate within the country with opinion sharply divided along political lines as to whether they represent a radical new vision of decentralization or another way to further centralize power within the hands of President Hugo Chávez.

There are many studies about citizen participation in urban planning, but there are almost no studies about citizen participation in relation to climate change adaptation. This study was conducted in order to understand how Swedish municipalities work with citizen participation in this area. To fulfill this purpose, a caste study was built on the Swedish municipality Norrköping. Specifically, the study seeked the answers to the following four questions: How does the municipality work with citizen participation in their planning process? Does the work with citizen participation in any way touch upon issues regarding climate adaptation in the municipality? Are there any challenges with integrating citizens in the planning process when it comes to climate adaptation? What can the municipality do in order to overcome these challenges? These questions were answered using data from semi-structured interviews with municipality officers and two focus groups consisting of citizens from a residential area in Norrköping. The results indicate that no concrete work is made on citizen participation in relation to climate change adaptation in Norrköping. However, the municipality showed large potential for developing both effective and meaningful citizen participation in this area, for instance by using visualization technology and their exhibition arena. To make a good use of these tools, the municipality should define how citizen opinions are to be used and what they would like to achieve by integrating citizens in planning related to climate change adaptation.

This thesis deals with the land-use planning as an instrument of environmental protection. The main part of the thesis is focused on public participation in the process of land-use planning and analyses its efectivity. The thesis describes general tasks and terms of land-use planning, define theirs targets and solutions at the beginning. It defines the legal arrangement of the topic including actual amendment of Building Act, which was accepted since 1. 1. 2013. Further it describes the instruments of environmental protection and it is focused on general forms of the arrangement, in which the most of land-use planning instruments are issued. Then come after characteristic of the position of the authorities and instruments, which they have to behave in public interest and which are connected with processing and implementation. The special focus is given to attend of public in land-use planning. At first the single institutions, which enable conection of public resort to the land- use planning, are described. First of all objections and protests, public debate of documents and public representatives. After that the possibility of public attendence under proceses of making single land-use planning instruments is overwieved. Lastly the thesis devotes the impact on the environmental protection opinions...

Very important tool of environmental protection is land-use planning which is subject of this work and which deals with town and country planning. Town and country planning ensures the preconditions for sustainable development of the area by means of continuous and complex solution of useful utilization and spatial arrangement of the area with the aim of achieving the harmony of public and private priorities in relation to the development of the area.In my work I dedicate space to conceptual tools of land-use planning such as planning analytical materials, planning studies, spatial development policy, planning documentation. Of course I analyze also functioning of public administration in country and town planning in my work. It is important for understanding of a theme to determine its foundations that is based on.No less important tool as a part of my work that serve for environmental protection is Environmental Impact Assessment. In the Czech law system, this domain is regulated by the Act 100/2001 Coll., About Environmental Impact Assessement and About the Modification of Some Acts, as subsequetly ammended, and the laws difference between the intention of construction, activity and technology (EIA) and concept, strategy, policy, plan and programs set or allocated by a public administration authority...

This diploma thesis deals with environmental impact assessment, and is mainly focused on so-called SEA procedure. The objective of this thesis is to analyse how the Czech law reflects the requirements prescribed by international and European law. The first paragraph provides the definition of the whole concept of environmental impact assessment procedure and enumerates legal principals having a substantial influence on the formation and application of legislation. In the second paragraph, the thesis looks back to the historical roots of procedure and it also describes EIA procedure in details. Furthermore, in this paragraph the main international and European legislation are being analysed. The requirements, which are essential for the Czech legislation, are also being identified. The third paragraph probes the general form of SEA procedure in the Czech legislation and the conformity of the Czech legislation contained in the Environmental Impact Assessment Act making provisions for the requirements of international and European law is examined as well. In the last paragraph, the special form of SEA procedure within the Building Act is being described. Strategic Environmental Assessment is carried out as a part of spatial and land use planning.

The topic of the thesis is Public participation in the environmental impact assessment proceedings (EIA). The thesis is divided into three chapters further divided into subchapters. The first chapter deals with the EIA proceedings in general including the history and legal sources of EIA. Moreover the Aarhus convention (as a principal source confirming the public participation in decision making proceedings in environmental matters) is described in detail. The following chapter examines the term of "development consent" and related term "subsequent procedure" as a fundamental conditions to ensure public participation in the appropriate extent as is set down by the directive 2011/92/EU. The third chapter is focused on the main issues related with the Czech legislation regarding the form and methods of public participation in the EIA proceedings and subsequent procedures as well as an access of a public concerned to a review procedure before a court.

This thesis aims to provide an analysis of the environmental impact assessment procedures in the Czech republic, including its international and european context, with focus on the topic of public participation in these procedures. The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter provides a definition of environmental impact assessment and enumerates its fundamental principles. The second chapter deals with international, european and historical roots of EIA and SEA procedures. The next chapter describes the course of EIA procedure in the Czech republic. The fourth chapter describes the SEA procedure. The last, fifth chapter deals with the topic of public participation in environmental impact assessment. Finally, the thesis comprises a summary of contained conclusions.

The subject of this dissertation are selected issues of legal regulation of the environmental impact assessment. The dissertation aims to assess the legislation from the viewpoint of efficiency of an environmental protection against the negative impacts of projects on the environment and public health. The dissertation is divided into four chapters further divided into subchapters. The first two chapters are focused on a development of an EIA institute since its start, as well as international, European subsequently Czech incorporation into legislation. The third chapter examines the term of subsequent procedure as a fundamental condition for defining the set of rights and obligations in the proceedings in which projects should be allowed. The last chapter is a comprehensive overview of the various forms of public participation and opportunities for the public to enforce their interests in the assessment of the effects of projects on the environment.

Continued water scarcity, flooding, pollution and urbanisation, especially in developing countries, have signified the necessity of renewed exploration of the most appropriate approach to water management. This approach should aim to meet the water requirements in the changing world in a sustainable way. Reviewing the different water approaches that have emerged in the developed countries during the last decades suggests that Adaptive Water Management (AWM) could provide a sustainable route to address the existing complex problems of urban water management through the future. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AWM could be applied to Greater Tehran in order to maximise sustainability and deal with the future uncertainties. The AWM characteristics of polycentric governance, institutional flexibility, and public participation were used to assess the adaptability of the existing water management. The research findings showed that, despite the lack of adaptability in the current Greater Tehran water management, there are positive attitudes towards adaptability among water professionals and the public. The research findings emphasised that the AWM application could be promoted by more participation in various levels of institutional structure. This thesis suggests that if the concept of AWM is applied to Iran, it has the potential to have a significant influence in the current/future water management by promoting technical and institutional performances simultaneously.