This research reports on the use of the resilience assessment approach to evaluate the social-ecological systems (SES) at the NWU (Vaal) for a nine month period from March 2013 to November 2013. The research aims to determine the merits of the use of a resilience assessment approach to determine the resilience of the NWU (Vaal) in respect of social-ecological systems. Objectives of the research include the identification of disturbing events to environmental resilience, to construct a conceptual social-ecological systems model of the NWU (Vaal) in order to determine thresholds relevant to resilience and to determine if the resilience assessment approach can be applied at the NWU (Vaal). Data was collected in the form of a literature review, which aided with the construction of a time line for the focal social-ecological system; document reviews, interviews with relevant role players, observation by the researcher and the use of the assessment approach to construct the social-ecological system model. The research findings include identification of possible disturbances and thresholds relevant to resilience of the social-ecological system of the NWU (Vaal). The construction of a social-ecological system model of the NWU (Vaal) aids with proposals to incorporate a stewardship approach which enhance resilience of the focal social-ecological system. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research reports on the use of the resilience assessment approach to evaluate the social-ecological systems (SES) at the NWU (Vaal) for a nine month period from March 2013 to November 2013. The research aims to determine the merits of the use of a resilience assessment approach to determine the resilience of the NWU (Vaal) in respect of social-ecological systems. Objectives of the research include the identification of disturbing events to environmental resilience, to construct a conceptual social-ecological systems model of the NWU (Vaal) in order to determine thresholds relevant to resilience and to determine if the resilience assessment approach can be applied at the NWU (Vaal). Data was collected in the form of a literature review, which aided with the construction of a time line for the focal social-ecological system; document reviews, interviews with relevant role players, observation by the researcher and the use of the assessment approach to construct the social-ecological system model. The research findings include identification of possible disturbances and thresholds relevant to resilience of the social-ecological system of the NWU (Vaal). The construction of a social-ecological system model of the NWU (Vaal) aids with proposals to incorporate a stewardship approach which enhance resilience of the focal social-ecological system. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Understanding how social-ecological changes influence the resilience of dryland agro-silvo-pastoral systems can offer new perspectives on current sustainability challenges. In this study I use mixed methods to explore how resilience thinking can guide development towards sustainable and just future pathways in the Sahelian part of northern Senegal. A combined analysis of regional statistical data and local actors’ perceptions of recent development revealed five key patterns of change: 1) decreased annual precipitation, 2) lack of pastures and environmental degradation, 3) improved rural water access and an opening-up of previously isolated areas, 4) adaptation strategies, and 5) decentralization. Participants’ rankings of context-specific resilience metrics based on the seven principles for building resilience, indicate a low to moderate current resilience of the agro-silvo-pastoral system and a decline in general system resilience over the past decades. The analysis highlights the need for greater recognition of pastoral mobility and groundwater recharge dynamics in natural resource management, along with challenges of inequities and power assymetries among actors, while also pointing to the potential of local initiatives to support development in the Senegalese Sahel. By synthesizing changes and assessing their influence on the resilience of the agro-silvo-pastoral system, the study shows how resilience assessments can be used to understand system dynamics and illustrate development paradoxes in the Senegalese Sahel.

Inom specialiserad barnsjukvård finns behov av säkerhetsstrategier utvecklade för komplexa adaptiva system. Tillvägagångssätt från ”Resilience Engineering” kan användas när säkerhetsstrategier utvecklas, men erfarenheten av detta är begränsad inom sjukvården. Masterarbetet genomfördes för att utforska hur ett förbättringsarbete kring att utveckla och använda instrumentet ”Resilient Assessment Grid”, RAG, kunde stödja medarbetarnas förutsättningar att arbeta på ett resilient sätt. Förbättringsarbetet genomfördes enligt Nolans förbättringsmodell. Studien var en fallstudie med kvalitativ ansats på en vårdavdelning inom specialiserad barnsjukvård. Studieresultatet visade att arbetet med att utveckla och använda RAG kunde stödja medarbetarnas förutsättningar att arbeta på ett resilient sätt genom att de fick tillgång till ett sätt att mäta förutsättningar för resiliens och genomföra strategiska förbättringsinterventioner. Medvetenheten och kunskapen om patientsäkerhet och resiliens ökade, vilket har lett till en ökad förståelse för verksamheten, och för vad som är viktigt för god patientsäkerhet. Vi har hittills inte kunnat påvisa förbättrade förutsättningar för resiliens genom att använda instrumentet RAG. Innan längre tid förflutit och ytterligare RAG-mätningar gjorts kan vi varken påvisa eller utesluta att förutsättningarna kommer förbättras. Erfarenheterna från masterarbetet kan nyttjas i kommande initiativ, inom komplexa adaptiva system i hälso- och sjukvården, som syftar till att förbättra förutsättningarna för resiliens. / This master´s thesis explores how an improvement work of developing and using the “Resilience Assessment Grid”, RAG, can support the potential for resilient performance on a paediatric ward, in light of the need for new safety strategies developed for complex adaptive systems. A qualitative case study of the improvement work was conducted. The improvement work was done according to the Model for Improvement. The work of developing and using RAG for measuring and managing resilient performance, supported the employees' potential for resilient performance by helping them in implementing strategic improvement interventions. The awareness and knowledge of patient safety and resilience increased, which led to increased understanding of the system and the needs of the system in terms of patient safety. We have not been able to show that the potential for resilient performance has improved by using RAG for measurement. We can neither demonstrate nor exclude that the potential will improve before further measurements have been made. Experience from the present study can be used in future interventions of improving the potential for resilient performance and patient safety in a complex adaptive system in the health care setting.

Resiliens är en aspekt av hållbarhet som avser att bedöma ett systems förmåga att motstå eller återhämta sig från störningar. Detta kandidatexamensarbete handlar om hur introduktionen av en inomhusodling påverkar resiliensen i Högdalen Centrum. För att bedöma resiliensen av Högdalen Centrum har en resiliensanalys utförts enligt Assessing Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems: Workbook for Practitioners. Handboken är från början anpassad för naturresursförvaltning. På grund av detta undersöks också hur handboken lämpar sig för kommunal förvaltning och planering. Metoden för denna uppsats baseras på handboken. Handboken består av fem kapitel som syftar till att analysera systemets resiliens. För att kunna fylla i handboken har information samlats in. Detta har gjorts genom intervjuer, observationer och litteratur. Resultatet av studien visar att inomhusodlingen förbättrar flera faktorer som är viktiga för Högdalen Centrums resiliens. Dock finns det utmaningar i Högdalen Centrum som inte odlingen erbjuder några lösningar för. Denna uppsats undersöker inte hur andra strategier skulle kunna påverka dessa utmaningar. Även om inomhusodlingen påverkar Högdalen Centrums resiliens, så är det till en begränsad omfattning. Av resultatet framkom också att handboken bör uppdateras. Det krävs hög kompetens inom området för att kunna efterfölja handboken även fast den utges vara riktad mot utövare. Dessutom saknar metoden vissa perspektiv för att passa kommunal förvaltning och planering. En del tabeller och figurer är inte lämpade för kommunal förvaltning och planering. Att fylla i dessa är antingen inte möjligt eller meningslöst för vidare analys. Trots detta har handboken givit inblick i både Högdalen Centrum som system och hur det påverkas av inomhusodlingen. / Resilience is an aspect of sustainability which is used to understand a systems ability to resist or recover from disturbances. This thesis is about the resilience of Högdalen Centrum, and how it is affected by the newly started indoor cultivation. To determine the resilience of Högdalen Centrum, a resilience assessment has been conducted. The assessment is based on the workbook Assessing Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems: Workbook for Practitioners. Originally, the workbook was meant for natural resource management. In light of the purpose of the workbook, this thesis also attends to the applicability of the workbook on municipal management and planning. The method is based on the workbook mentioned above. The workbook is divided into five chapters, which aim to analyze the system. To be able to complete this workbook, information had to be collected. This was done through a literature study, interviews and observations. The results show that the indoor cultivation contributes with some valuable factors of importance for the resilience in Högdalen Centrum. However, there are some identified challenges in Högdalen Centrum that the cultivation does not provide any solutions for. Furthermore, this thesis does not examine whether other strategies could be more effective to enhance the resilience in Högdalen Centrum. Even though the cultivation improves the resilience of Högdalen Centrum, it is to a limited extent. From the results it is also obvious that the workbook needs to be updated. It requires high competence to understand, even though it is said to be designed for practitioners. Furthermore, it lacks some perspectives to be an accomplished method for municipal management. A few tables and figures from the workbook are not suitable for municipal planning, and filling them out is either not possible or does not contribute to the assessment. Although the workbook has its failings, it has provided us with an understanding of Högdalen Centrum as a system and how it is affected by the cultivation.

<p>Millions of households around the world rely on intermittent water supply systems (IWS), where piped water supply is limited to specific hours during the day or on specific days during the week. Households relying on IWS systems, as their primary water source, often adapt to supply intermittency by installing in-house water storage and/or supplying water from non-piped sources (for instance, in the form of water tanker trucks). The piped water distribution network (WDN) in IWS systems is subject to short-term disruptions that cause dynamic behavior and interactions of the system’s stakeholders, including households, vendors of non-piped water, and the water utility. During disruptions of the WDN, households make decisions about obtaining water from different non-piped sources at different prices and wait times. These decisions, made by a large number of households, have an impact on the dynamics (in particular, the prices and availability) of the non-piped water market, which may in turn affect each household decision. Prior studies on the literature of the analysis of IWS systems focused on analyzing each of the components (namely the WDN, households, vendors of non-pied water, and the water utility) of the IWS in isolation, assuming static behavior of the other components.</p><p>The overreaching objective of this dissertation is to bridge the gap in knowledge and practice in analyzing the short-term dynamics within each component of the IWS system (focusing on the WDN and the households) and the interactions among all components of the IWS system when responding to physical disruptions of the WDN. First, a new framework for quantifying and analyzing the resilience of intermittent WDNs is presented. The framework incorporates the aspects of intermittent supply (including household storage and supply scheduling) into a hydraulic model that examines the network’s hydraulic performance and its topology to assess three resilience capacities: absorptive, adaptive, and restorative, against various types of physical disruptive events. The evaluation of the model, using the IWS network of a case study city in the Middle East, shows that household storage capacities, timing and length of the disruption, supply inequity, and the supply scheduling are significant factors in determining the resilience of the WDN, and the interactions of these variables result in different combinations of direct and post effects on households. The framework was also used to evaluate the impact of temporary modifications of the supply schedule on the network’s resilience. The results show that this short-term utility adaptive measure can significantly improve the resilience of the network. The proposed framework can assist utilities in the operation of the intermittent WDN under normal conditions and in the evaluation of the impact of different short- and long-term resilience enhancement strategies.</p><p>Next, based on empirical data from a survey of households in a city in the Middle East, the households’ decision-making in response to disruptions of the WDN was evaluated using econometric methods. A set of Binary Probit models were developed to model the decision of households regarding their risk attitudes toward running out of water (represented by the timing of their response actions), their willingness to pay for faster delivery of non-piped water, and their willingness to wait in-line to obtain water from a non-piped source. The results show how variables related to household characteristics, wealth, age and occupation of the household’s manager, knowledge of household manager about their households’ water situation, and prior experience with disruptions affect the households’ decisions when the piped-network is disrupted. The outputs of the econometric models can assist the city’s water managers in understanding the behavior of households that affect the demand and prices of different non-piped water sources.</p><p>The final component in this research integrates the two previous components into an Agent-Based Model (ABM) to evaluate the dynamics of the stakeholders’ interactions in response to disruptions of the WDN and to evaluate the impact of these interactions on the resilience of the whole system. The ABM examines the interactions between households and vendors of water tankers under utility’s policies that regulate the water tanker market while integrating variables that describe the response of the WDN to the disruption. The demonstration of the model using a representative subset of the IWS system in the case study city shows dynamic behavior patterns in: (a) the dynamics of households, and (b) the performance of the non-piped water market under different deterministic and stochastic scenarios of disruptions of the WDN.</p><p>The results of this research address many IWS systems in the Middle East and around the world that are characterized by household storage, as well as households’ dependency on the piped network as the main water supply. The models developed in this dissertation are expandable to adopt various systems’ configurations in terms of types and capacities of household storage, types and attributes of non-piped water sources, and attributes and preferences of households. The results of this doctoral research can assist water managers in cities in understanding the behavior of their IWS system (including the WDN and the system’s stakeholders), evaluating long-term resilience enhancement policies, and planning for short-term response to disruptions of the WDN.</p>

This research explored the application of a resilience assessment (RA) template in an Ontario community to facilitate sustainable community planning. Research and application of sustainable community planning that incorporates management of social and ecological resilience is relatively young territory that requires improved understanding and extension. The research goals were to critically examine the performance of the process used to perform the RA. This inquiry was considered a knowledge-generating evaluation that combined applied research and evaluation research to contribute to theoretical understanding and action. The RA template was field-tested using a single in-depth case study - the Town of Huntsville, Ontario. A mixture of qualitative methods was used to pilot and evaluate the RA, including: key informant interviews, online group discussions, focus groups, and secondary literature review. The process used to perform the RA was evaluated against four criteria that focused on the adequacy of data collection, participant diversity, participant empowerment, and utility for other communities. This research illuminated obstacles and shortcomings within the Resilience Alliance 2010 RA workbook and offered recommendations to improve the utility of the RA for communities and participants. The RA template tested in this thesis could be adapted for application in other communities, including small urban and rural communities and larger municipalities. The RA template would benefit from additional case study research.

This research explored the application of a resilience assessment (RA) template in an Ontario community to facilitate sustainable community planning. Research and application of sustainable community planning that incorporates management of social and ecological resilience is relatively young territory that requires improved understanding and extension. The research goals were to critically examine the performance of the process used to perform the RA. This inquiry was considered a knowledge-generating evaluation that combined applied research and evaluation research to contribute to theoretical understanding and action. The RA template was field-tested using a single in-depth case study - the Town of Huntsville, Ontario. A mixture of qualitative methods was used to pilot and evaluate the RA, including: key informant interviews, online group discussions, focus groups, and secondary literature review. The process used to perform the RA was evaluated against four criteria that focused on the adequacy of data collection, participant diversity, participant empowerment, and utility for other communities. This research illuminated obstacles and shortcomings within the Resilience Alliance 2010 RA workbook and offered recommendations to improve the utility of the RA for communities and participants. The RA template tested in this thesis could be adapted for application in other communities, including small urban and rural communities and larger municipalities. The RA template would benefit from additional case study research.

Detta examensarbete består av en resiliensanalys av ett stadbyggnadsprojekt i området Ulleråker, straxsöder om Uppsalas stadskärna. Resiliensanalysen kan bidra med perspektiv till planeringen för att säkraUppsalas dricksvattenförsörjning då stadsbyggnadsprojektet, enligt programförslaget, är planerat attligga på känsliga delar av Uppsalas grundvattentäkt och därför riskerar att förorena grundvattnet.Området Ulleråker ligger inom zon för vattenskyddsområde. Resiliensanalysen har tidigare inte använts i stor utsträckning för planeringkontexten och metoden hardelvis kritiserats för brister i praktisk användbarhet. Examensarbetet ämnar därför till att fylla håletmellan teori och praktik och därför testa metoden på ett praktiskt planeringsfall (Ulleråker) och ommöjligt föreslå förbättringar för dess användbarhet. Dessutom ska examensarbetet bidra till denpraktiska fallstudien för Ulleråker där Sweco och Uppsala kommun får nya perspektiv kring vilkaaspekter som är relevant att inkludera i planeringen. Metoden följer Resilience Alliance praktikerns handbok ”Assessing Resilience in Social-EcologicalSystems: Workbook for Practitioners”, vilken används för att analysera systemet utifrån handbokensfem steg, inkluderat vägledande frågor. Det första steget fokuserade på att definiera systemgränser samtidentifiera huvudproblem. Det andra steget handlade om systemdynamik i form av den adaptiva cykelnoch önskvärda eller icke önskvärda systemlägen. Det tredje steget fokuserade på tvärvetenskapligasamverkansprocesser mellan andra system på högre och lägre nivåer. Det fjärde steget handlade omaktörssamverkan. Slutligen, i det femte steget, sammanfattades analysen och adaptiva lösningar försystemet diskuteras vilka kan användas för att bygga ett resilient system. Analysen avstadsbyggnadsprojektet Ulleråker gjordes utifrån tillgängligt underlag från planprocessen samtintervjuer av nyckelpersoner, och fokuserade på riskerna för grundvattentäkten och ytvattnet i Fyrisån. Slutsatserna från resiliensanalysen är att metoden är svår att använda i en komplex planeringkontextutifrån handbokens utformning och fokus på mindre komplexa system. Även om det finns vissabegränsningar i analysmetodens praktiska användbarhet finns det faktorer som kan bidra tillplaneringskontexten, t.ex. ett ökat systemtänkande (Ulleråker som system), risktänk kringtröskeleffekter (irreversibel förorening av grundvattentäkten) samt längre tidsperspektiv (framtidaosäkerheter). Modellen ball-in-the-basin med systemlägen är relevant för att förstå ett systems önskade,oönskade eller irreversibla förändring liksom den adaptiva cykeln för att systemet ständigt utvecklas.Dessutom är en viktig poäng med de tvärvetenskapliga interaktionerna att kunskapen från systemetsminne bör utnyttjas i större grad. Finns redan kunskapen inom kommunen bör det social-ekologiskasystemet mycket snabbare kunna återhämta sig och återgå till ett fungerande dricksvattensystem (högresystemnivå). Resiliensanalysen har också identifierat och diskuterat strategiska åtgärder, som skullekunna skapa ett mer resilient Ulleråker, bland annat i form av att öka samverkansprocesserna(governance) och att initiera förändring. Avslutningsvis är de viktigaste slutsatserna kopplade till de tre pelarna: Social-ekologiska system(systemtänk), komplexa adaptiva system (risker för tröskeleffekter och att utvecklingen inte alltså skerlinjärt och förutsägbar utan inkluderar stora osäkerheter) samt utveckling över skalor av tid och rum(långa tidsperspektiv, men också olika geografiska skalor). Eftersom det utifrån handbokens utformningkrävs kunskap kring resiliens från analysören och dessutom mycket tid och resurser som det sällan finnsgott om i planeringsprocessen bör dessa tre pelare, tillsammans med anpassningsbarhet,omställningsbarhet och specifik samt generell resiliens, implementeras i traditionell planering. / This master thesis contains of a resilience assessment of an urban development project in the area called Ulleråker, a bit south of the center of Uppsala city. The resilience assessment aims to give newperspectives for obtaining water security in Uppsala, since the program proposal affects sensitive areasof the groundwater aquifer of Uppsala and is posing risks of contaminating the ground water aquifer.The area of Ulleråker is highly sensitive and therefore secured by a water protection area. The resilience assessment has not earlier been used to a large extent in the urban planning context andthe method has earlier been criticized for lack of practical usefulness. The thesis aims to fill the gapbetween scientific studies of practical cases. The method is therefore used on a practical case (Ulleråker)and propose improvements connected to the usability. The thesis should also contribute to the case,Ulleråker, where Sweco and the municipality of Uppsala are given new perspectives of what should beimportant to consider in planning. The method is based on the Resilience Alliance’s workbook ”Assessing Resilience in Social-EcologicalSystems: Workbook for Practitioners”, which is used to analyze the system based in five steps, includingguiding questions. The first step of the workbook focused on defining the system and limiting the systemtogether with identifying main problems. The second step of the assessment focused on the systemdynamic exploring the adaptive cycle as well as desired and undesired system regimes. The third stagefocused on interactions between different hierarchical levels of time and scale. The fourth stage focusedon governance, and on how actors cooperate with decision-making. The last stage focused onsyntezeising the assessment findings and adaptive solutions for building resilience. The analysis ofUlleråker is based on already completed investigations and material from the planning process togetherwith interviews of main actors and is focused on risks connected to ground- and surface water. The conclusions are that the resilience assessment is hard to use in a planning context with theconformation of today. Even though there are difficulties, the assessment can contribute with factors asthe resilience thinking about social-ecological systems (Ulleråker as a system with social and ecologicalsystems interacting), risks of thresholds (contaminating the groundwater) and the longer timeperspective (future uncertainties), to the planning context. The model ball-in-the-basin with systemregimes are relevant to understand the systems desirable, undesirable or irreversible development andthe adaptive cycle for the constant development (adaptation and transformation) of the system. Anotherimportant aspect with the cross-scale interactions (between levels) are to a higher extent use the memoryof the system. If the knowledge already exists in the municipality, the social-ecological system wouldbe able to reorganize faster and return to a functional drinking water system (on higher level). Theresilience assessment has also identified strategic actions that possibly could create a more resilientUlleråker, by for example increase the governance and initiating change. In conclusion, the most important aspects of the assessment to bring in to the planning process are thethree aspects: Social-ecological system (resilience thinking), complex adaptive system (risks connectedto thresholds and non-linear development including uncertainties) and cross-scale interactionsdevelopment (long time perspectives and geographical scales). The conformation of the workbookrequires great knowledge about resilience from the assessor, and there are seldom enough time andresources available in the conventional process. The three aspects together with adaptability,transformability and specified and general resilience should be implemented in conventional planning.