There is no clear consensus on the impact of local communities on the resources they manage, primarily due to a shortage of studies with large sample sizes that incorporate multiple causal factors. As governments decentralize resource management to local communities, it is important to identify factors that prevent resource degradation, to inform more effective decentralization, and help the development of institutional characteristics that prevent resource degradation. This study used remote sensing techniques to quantify forest biomass in tropical deciduous forests in Kanha Pench landscape of Central India, and used these metrics to identify factors associated with changes in forest biomass. Kanha Pench landscape was chosen because of its variation in forest use, and because forests were transferred over a period where satellite imagery was available to track changes. To verify that remote- sensing measured changes indeed constitute degradation, I conducted ecological studies in six villages, to understand changes in biomass, understory, canopy, species diversity and long-term forest composition in intensively used forests. To understand the impact of institutional variables on changes in forest, I interviewed members of forest management committees in fifty villages in the landscape, and tested which institutional variables were associated with changes in forest canopy since 2002, when the forests were decentralized to local communities. The empirical results are of particular conservation significance in India, where further decentralization of forests to local communities in scheduled under the Forest (Dwellers) Rights Act, 2006. Results indicate that local forest use is associated with decreases in forest biomass, understory, canopy cover, and changes in vegetation structure, species richness and diversity. Most importantly, I found that human use has the potential to alter long- term forest composition as transition of some species to higher size classes is altered where humans use forest more intensively. Particularly, species that are fire and trampling resistant are more likely to become mature trees in intensely used forests. Thus, local forest use is associated with forest degradation as the long-term trajectory of the forest is altered, and forests may not be able to provide ecosystem services including livelihood needs such as fuelwood, construction, and non-timber forest products in the future. At a broader scale, remote sensing techniques (optical imagery Landsat and RADAR imagery ALOS-PALSAR FBD) were able to quantify forest biomass at an acceptable accuracy (67 percent), while more easily operatable MODIS based EVI was not. Landscape analysis showed that changes in forest biomass from 2007 to 2010 were associated with high population density, high fire radiative power and greater distance to towns. Since people only travel approximately 2 kilometers for subsistence forest use, the significance of greater changes further from towns suggests that, at a broader landscape scale, forest degradation is not primarily due to local use, but may be a result of other factors. Action taken to exclude outsiders and lower meeting frequency of committees (never) were identified as institutional variables associated with remotely-sensed positive change in canopy over the period when forest management was transferred (2002 to 2010). Villages with no meetings were also associated with higher incumbency of committee Chairpersons and lower incumbency of other committee members. Simultaneously, while economic payments increased awareness and participation in forest management committees, economic payments were not associated with any action to exclude outsiders from forest use. This suggests that managers need to focus on factors besides economic payments to incentivize committees to exclude outsiders, especially as it is associated with positive changes in the forest. Further, while elite capture of resources (as indicated by incumbency and lack of inclusiveness in decision-making) is not helpful for social equity, it does not appear to be detrimental for forests. Overall, this study suggests a number of management strategies to reduce forest degradation. Managers could focus on forests at a distance from towns and roads, as this is where most negative change in forests appears to occur. They could also work with local communities so that their use of forests does not prevent regeneration of species important for ecosystem services. Managers could also work with committees to find strategies other than economic payments for incentivizing community protection of forests.

This dissertation in environmental history is concerned with human landscapes of groundwater extraction. Using temporal and spatial comparison, it examines the role of groundwater tunnel-wells and human understandings of groundwater availability in the Western Desert of Egypt; the Balearic Islands of Spain; and Iran. In an Epilogue and final chapter, it examines conceptions of 20th-century expertise for environmental knowledge and economic development.

This dissertation includes three papers related to climate, resource use, and market applications for sustainable development in developed/developing countries. The first paper describes the development of a game-theoretic economic model investigating the linkages between credit and insurance markets for smallholder farmers, and how a new market tool (weather index insurance) may help to overcome credit constraints in rural financial markets of developing countries. The second paper extends consideration of agricultural climate-risk management to potential skill in predictions of late-season rainfall over monsoonal Indonesia, with the aim of better understanding: (i) forecast skill and risk in this region, and (ii) how forecast information may be better tied with financial market products, such as index insurance, to improve smallholder farmer incentives, decision-making, and livelihoods under climate risk. The third paper, in turn, looks at forest resource management in Canada, and what the application of new carbon constraints and a market for carbon would mean for investment, production decisions, and indicators of sustainable forest management in the Canadian boreal, both in respects to the management of the landscape (i.e. the forest resource), and the development of the forestry sector and forest-based communities.

A Política Nacional de Recursos Hídricos acaba de completar dez anos, período ao longo do qual novos desafios se apresentaram ao gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos à medida que se consolidou a aplicação dos instrumentos de gestão, dentre eles a outorga de direito de uso. Os critérios comumente aplicados na determinação da disponibilidade hídrica para outorga, ao fixarem vazões muito restritivas como quantidade máxima outorgável, se mostraram inadequados à realidade de algumas bacias, que, em pouco tempo, se apresentaram com disponibilidade hídrica crítica ou em vias de criticidade, tendo a somatória das demandas consuntivas alcançado a restrita parcela destinada à outorga estabelecida em legislação. Neste trabalho buscou-se apresentar as inconveniências relacionadas ao uso da vazão mínima de 7 dias com 10 anos de recorrência - Q7,10 - e das vazões de permanência como referência para outorga. Através das leituras de vazões diárias de dois postos fluviométricos da bacia hidrográfica do rio Turvo, em São Paulo, já considerada crítica quanto à disponibilidade hídrica, foi calculada a Q7,10 por ajustes obtidos por quatro distribuições probabilísticas, e também foi construída a curva de permanência de vazões de ambos os postos. Os resultados foram usados no cálculo da vazão outorgável segundo os critérios estaduais baseados em vazão mínima e em vazão de permanência. Discutem-se, então, as imprecisões associadas à Q7,10 e às vazões de permanência em vários aspectos, bem como as inconveniências de se fixar um teto exíguo e universal de outorga a perfis de demandas distintos. Sugere-se, por fim, o abandono destes critérios de outorga e, a partir de algumas experiências de gestão de bacias críticas, apontam-se caminhos alternativos mais adequados, em especial a outorga negociada. / Through these ten years of the Water Resources Brazilian Policy, some difficulties have been presented to the water resources management in so far as the management instruments has becoming solid, mainly to the grant of right for using water resources. A problem of those refers to the low water availability in several water basins, where the total water demands exceed the maximum volume permitted in agreement with the law. This situation occurs by the state criteria which impose low limits for the surface outflows, expressed by minimum flow or flow according to duration curve. This work analyses the constraints when the hydrologic water availability is referred to the Q7,10 (minimum flow with duration of 7 days duration and 10 years of return period), to Q95% (flow equalized or overstated in 95% of the time) or to Q90%. These flows were calculated from the daily records in two hydrological stations located at Turvo River, State of São Paulo, where the consumptive uses are higher than the water availability. The Q7,10 flow was obtained through four probabilistic methods. Also the duration curves were obtained and the results was used to determine the maximum value granted according to state criteria referred to Q7,10, Q95% and Q90% flows. Then, it\'s argued the imprecision related to these three flows in several aspects and the inconvenience of fixing an scanty and universal ceiling to different demands profiles. In conclusion, it\'s suggested the substitution of these criteria and, through some cases of management of critical basins, it\'s pointed alternative methods of grant of right for using water resources.

The objective of this research is to evaluate Human Resources managerial/development effectiveness (HRM/DE) of frontline managers from the perspectives of managers themselves and stakeholders in the public health sector (PHS) of Ghana. The study did this through the development of a conceptual framework which combined the use of integrated organisational and management theoretical perspectives and contextual variables. The study employed the mixed methods research methodology which combined both empiricism and post post-positivists' views with critical realism as the underpinning philosophy. A total of 18 district directors of health, from two regions were purposively sampled and interviewed utilising an in-depth open ended questionnaire through the discussion. Additionally, key policy makers were interviewed and focus group discussions held and a structured questionnaire completed by another group of employees, who assessed managers' capabilities. Discourse analysis was used for the analysis with the aid of Nvivo 7 for the qualitative material whilst quantitative data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Findings were triangulated using Marquart and Zercher's (2000) cross-over track analysis framework. Findings show research questions were answered. Majority of district directors lack managerial competencies; are less interested in HRM/D activities, less confident of their human resource skills and less sure of the political and representational skills required of managers. In particular, it is necessary to take account of the political structure of the PHS of Ghana; significant differences exist in power, individual or group interests, values, assumptions and expectations. However, most district directors have tried to indigenise HRM/D practices as a way of motivating and retaining staff. Core Human resources managerial competencies from the perspectives of the three sampled groups have been compiled. It is the first time such a study has been conducted in the PHS of Ghana and which has therefore made inroads in the existing literature and has contributed to HRM/D literature information in Africa particularly Ghana. It also paves the way for understanding management in the African context and perspective and specifically in health care settings. This study has gone beyond the two groups of respondents and proved that the use of multiple respondents generates rich findings and unveiled what would normally have not been possible if single respondents were used.

\"Geração Y\" é um tema que vem ganhando cada vez mais espaço no contexto organizacional. Com a entrada dos jovens desta geração nas empresas as discussões sobre este assunto vêm ganhando cada vez mais atenção. No entanto, existem poucos trabalhos acadêmicos publicados sobre esta questão. Em função disto, este trabalho é um estudo exploratóriodescritivo que tem por objetivo apresentar as principais características dos jovens da Geração Y que atuam em organizações complexas e apontar como os gestores conduzem estes jovens no cotidiano, aproveitando os pontos positivos e administrando as características não desejadas. Para isto, buscou-se analisar as habilidades do gestor como desenvolvedor de pessoas e o papel das ferramentas de gestão de pessoas disponibilizadas pela organização nesta condução. É importante delimitar o estudo à Geração Y que atua em organizações complexas, pois em função da desigualdade social e educacional observada em nosso país. Não é possível dizer que os resultados deste estudo abranjam todos os jovens classificados como Geração Y. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa que consultou 12 organizações e abordou 19 entrevistados, abordados a partir de um roteiro semiestruturado. Durante as entrevistas, aproveitou-se para observar o ambiente de trabalho, com intuito de trazer informações adicionais para a pesquisa. Além da visão geral, o autor segmentou as empresas participantes por setor para verificar a existência de alinhamento de características que se destacam em função da especificidade do setor. As análises das entrevistas indicam que é fundamental as organizações possuírem ferramentas e ações estruturadas de Gestão de Pessoas, pois estas apoiaram os gestores na condução dos profissionais, principalmente, os da Geração Y. Além disto, a pesquisa fala da importância do gestor atuar como \"Gestor de Pessoas\" conduzindo a equipe de forma a alinhar as expectativas da organização às dos jovens profissionais. / \"Generation Y\" is a theme that is gaining more space in the organizational context. With the entry of the young people from this generation in these companies the discussions on this subject have been gaining increasing attention. However, there are few published academic papers on this issue. Because of this, this work is an exploratory descriptive study that aims to present the main characteristics of young people of Generation Y who work in complex organizations and appoint how the managers lead these young people in everyday life, taking advantage of the strengths and managing features not you want. For this, we sought to analyze the manager\'s skill as a developer of people and the role of people management tools available for organizing this drive. It is important to delimit the study to Generation Y which operates in complex organizations, as a function of social and educational inequality observed in our country. It is not possible to say that the results of this study cover all young people classified as Generation Y. It is a qualitative study which consulted 12 organizations and 19 respondents, approached from a semi-structured script. During the interviews, used to observe the work environment, aiming to provide additional information for the research. In addition to the overview, the author segmented the companies by industry participants to check the alignment of features that stand out to the specific sector. The analysis of the interviews indicate that is critical to these organizations possess tools and structured actions of Personnel Management, as they supported the managers in the conduct of professionals, especially those of Generation Y. Furthermore, the research speaks of the importance of the manager to act as \"Manager People\" leading the team to align the organization to the expectations of young professionals.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2014. / This thesis describes research that was conducted to investigate the causes of problems associated with the conservation of biodiversity in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park faces conservation problems such as illegal harvesting of park resources, encroachment on the park boundary, and poor relationships between the local people and the managers of the park. These problems triggered this study because despite attempts such as intensifying park rules and regulations, implementing community-based conservation initiatives, and providing environmental education to local people to address the problems, they have persisted. This study was conducted on the premise that before a solution to these problems can be found, their nature and extent, and possible cause, need to be understood. The study involved: a) an extensive review of the relevant literature to identify factors that affect successful conservation of biodiversity in national parks in Africa, b) a critical analysis of the role of traditional ecological knowledge in the conservation of biodiversity in national parks in Africa, c) the development of a theoretical framework that could guide an investigation into problems associated with the conservation of biodiversity in national parks using the case study of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, d) field investigations on how local people in the Rwenzori Mountains depended on the park, and what factors influence their dependence on the park, e) investigations into the environmental education provided to influence people to support conservation of the Rwenzori Mountains National park, f) the development of a generalisable scheme of factors that influence local people to illegally access and use the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, and g) preparation of a model that could serve as a framework for developing holistic community-based biodiversity conservation plans in a rural African context. The review of the literature was done through meta-data analysis of publications systematically selected from various web search engines on the internet. This was followed by field investigations. In order to have an in-depth and holistic understanding of the issues investigated, a mixed-methods approach to data collection was used. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 163 randomly selected respondents from households in villages within 5 km of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park boundary. The study also involved content analysis of the formal environmental education syllabus documents, and documents on the Rwenzori Region Environmental Education Strategy and its implementation. It was found that factors responsible for both the success and failure of conserving biodiversity in national parks were socio-cultural and economic in nature. Although there was an increasing number of studies in the literature advocating for the consideration of traditional ecological knowledge in the conservation and management of national parks in Africa, most of those studies are theoretical, based on logical accounts and contestable historical reviews. In the Rwenzori Mountains, the local community illegally accessed the park to harvest 87 plant species, hunt 46 species of animals, and to conduct various activities. Illegal access to the park was influenced by a range of factors which interacted in myriad ways. Some of the factors (such as traditional beliefs) were situated inside mindsets of individuals and others (such as unpredicted weather conditions, lack of alternative means of livelihood and survival, commercial benefits, and bureaucratic procedures for legally accessing resources) were external to the individual. Previous attempts by the park staff to address illegal access to the park, and the associated resource harvesting problems, were judged to have been unsuccessful because the interventions did not target the underlying factors. This thesis argues for the use of holistic frameworks in investigating and addressing problems associated with the conservation of biodiversity in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and has demonstrated how such frameworks could be developed. An adaptable model which could enhance more effective community-based biodiversity conservation has been proposed and recommended for future interventions in the management of national parks in a rural African context.

No description available.

One of the main threats to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay is contamination by bacterial loading from point and non-point sources. While only very high levels of fecal bacteria (greater than 200 MPN/100ml) indicate the potential of a health threat to humans from contact with water, lower concentrations (14 MPN/100 ml) make the shellfish from contaminated waters unfit for human consumption. Many nearshore areas that are vulnerable to bacterial contamination also are suitable for the propagation of shellfish, including the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria). This is especially true on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where shallow, sheltered waters with optimal salinity and little pollution support a hard clam aquaculture industry that had an economic impact upwards of $48 million in 2004 (Murray and Kirkley, 2005). Over the past decade, however, development pressures on the Eastern Shore have increased, and land has been converted from forests and fields to subdivisions and strip malls at a faster rate than in the past. Even in the absence of a point source of bacteria such as a wastewater treatment plant, bacterial loads from non-point sources associated with increased land development have the potential to degrade water quality to the detriment of marine life and marine resource users. One area where the conflict between aquaculture and other water qualitydependent uses, and development pressure is building is the Old Plantation Creek watershed on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Using a GIS-based watershed model to simulate land use and associated fecal bacteria loads, linked to a Tidal Prism Water Quality Model to estimate the disbursement of bacteria throughout the water body, this study predicts that if development continues to the maximum buildout allowed under current regulations it would lead to the condemnation of a large portion of the shellfish growing waters in Old Plantation Creek. By coupling this linked watershed-water quality model with an economic Input/Output (I/O) model, it was possible to determine the economic impact of those condemnations to the aquaculture industry and the economy of Virginia.

The collection of fecal coliform (FC) monitoring data in shellfish growing waters is primarily to assess public health risks from consumption of contaminated product. The data is also commonly used to assess the potential sources and loads of bacteria entering the aquatic system. This project is intended to extend traditional methods of developing these assessments, by applying an inverse modeling approach to improve the estimation of FC loads in the small watersheds typically contributing to shellfish growing waters in Virginia. Many fecal contamination studies in lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, have conveniently focused on analyses over relatively small spatial and temporal scales. The potential sources of bacteria are numerous and the magnitude of their contributions is commonly unknown (Hyer and Moyer, 2004). The effects of stochastic events merely complicate the already difficult task of quantifying sources and loads in an inherently variable system (White et al., 2008). Instead of identifying and quantifying individual fecal bacteria sources, like deer or raccoons or domestic animals, it is herein proposed to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of fecal contamination on relatively large scales and quantify FC loadings based on land cover. The result would make it easier for managers to assign land-cover-based accountability to restore fecal contaminated environments. Monitoring of FC concentrations throughout Virginia by the Division of Shellfish Sanitation (DSS) provided an opportunity to analyze FC levels from 1984 to the present and quantify FC loadings by type of land cover. There are three aspects in this study---spatial analysis of FC data, temporal analysis of FC data, and FC loadings quantification based on the findings from spatial and temporal analyses. GIS tools and a variety of statistical methods are used in combination with an inverse modeling approach. The modeling method was based on some basic concepts incorporated in the Watershed Management Model and the Tidal Prism Model currently used to develop Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) models for Virginia waters. The core contributions of this dissertation are: (1) This study provided a thorough examination of FC monitoring data in Virginia coastal waters and described how contamination levels are expressed at different spatial and temporal scales. Analyses examined tidal effects, regional effects, land condition effects, and climate effects. Results not only inform management decisions, but also provide guidance for the subsequent quantification of fecal bacteria loadings. (2) Fecal bacteria loadings are quantified as a function of land cover. The model developed in this study avoids the problems associated with using highly varied and poorly documented FC production rates and population numbers. Although the model is simple, the magnitude of Fecal Coliform Event Mean Concentration (FCMC) values based on land covers effectively distinguished the seasonal FC loadings.