>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The National Water Act of 1998 provides the policy framework for stakeholder participation and the engagement of stakeholders closest to the resource on which they depend to be involved in developing and managing their water resources. Rainwater harvesting presents a viable option for securing water availability in order to increase food production and cash returns from food in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality which is one of the poorest districts in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study focuses on rural youth (between the ages 18-35 years) in two villages of the Ehlanzeni District, Luphisi and Dwaleni, and seeks to assess the relationship between youth capabilities and food security. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods but with more emphasis on the quantitative data, with qualitative data providing anecdotal evidence to back up the findings. The qualitative data was collected from focus group discussions and the quantitative data was based on a baseline survey within the context of an Integrated Rain Water Harvesting Project implemented by a local NGO. The data drew on indicators in the questionnaire that were to do with social capital and empowerment. The indicators tapped into attributes/capabilities like trust, social cohesion and inclusion and sociability and examined these within the context of Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, to consider whether and in what ways these attributes relate to food security. The results show that there are youth have high levels of certain attributes/capabilities such as trust, social cohesion and inclusion, collective action and co-operation, self-esteem, and meaning. The findings also show that in other dimensions there are less opportunities and that, in particular, access to networks, access to knowledge and information and sociability are lacking among youth. Low levels of adherence to networks, lack of access to knowledge and information and poor sociability show that there are inadequate opportunities for youth to engage with issues around food and water security. The Chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between youth capabilities and food security and at p<0.05 results showed that there was no relationship between youth capabilities and food security in Dwaleni. There were only three capabilities which showed any significant statistical relationship between youth capabilities and food security in Luphisi namely; collective action and co-operation, social cohesion and self-esteem. The study recommends that networking opportunities and access to information relating to food and water security should be improved. The thesis claims that there are adequate opportunities to build on existing capabilities such as self-esteem, trust and social cohesion that are not being maximized and that youth are not being adequately engaged in water resources management. / Water Research Commission

Magister Artium - MA / The strain brought to bear on fiscal resources of municipalities in South Africa has had a negative effect on the ability by these municipalities to fulfil their obligations; that of delivering quality services to residents, especially the poorest of the poor. Inability to collect adequate revenue; the general hardships related to the global economic recession; competition over resources, all these form an interplay of factors that have a bearing on the City of Tshwane' ability to manage and deliver water resources. Successful efforts to maintain good quality water resources have not been balanced with the ability to increase access to poorer sections of the municipality. The lack of an integrated approach to the management of water resources, which should be guided by the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) framework has led to a top-down and bureaucratic approach to the management of the resources, leading to both the exclusion of communities and other stakeholders. This thesis acknowledges the municipality's ability to manage quality issues. It however raises critical questions about ability to deliver services to the poor, and their exclusion from managing of water resources.

Despite the emphasis of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on 'soft' demand-side management, large-scale water infrastructure is increasingly being constructed in basins managed under an IWRM framework. While there has been substantial research on IWRM, few scholars have unpacked how IWRM and large-scale water infrastructure development coexist and conflict. Piura, Peru is an important site for understanding how IWRM and capital-intensive, concrete-heavy water infrastructure development articulate in practice. After 70 years of proposals and planning, the Regional Government of Piura began construction of the mega-irrigation project, Proyecto Especial de Irrigacion e Hidroelectrico del Alto Piura (PEIHAP) in 2013. PEIHAP, which will irrigate an additional 19,000 hectares (ha), is being realised in the wake of major reforms in the Chira-Piura River Basin, a pilot basin for the IWRM-inspired 2009 Water Resources Law. We first map the historical trajectory of PEIHAP as it mirrors the shifting political priorities of the Peruvian state. We then draw on interviews with the newly formed River Basin Council, regional government, PEIHAP, and civil society actors to understand why and how these differing water management paradigms coexist. We find that while the 2009 Water Resources Law labels large-scale irrigation infrastructure as an 'exceptional measure', this development continues to eclipse IWRM provisions of the new law. This uneasy coexistence reflects the parallel desires of the state to imbue water policy reform with international credibility via IWRM while also furthering economic development goals via large-scale water infrastructure. While the participatory mechanisms and expertise of IWRM-inspired river basin councils have not been brought to bear on the approval and construction of PEIHAP, these institutions will play a crucial role in managing the myriad resource and social conflicts that are likely to result.

That countries with high natural resource abundance should experience slower economic growth than those with low resource abundance seems contrary to what would be expected, considering the developmental head-start such resources afford. Yet Sachs and Warner (1997) found that economies with a high share of natural resource exports in national income in 1970 tended to experience slower economic growth in the two decades that followed. This finding, that natural resources are a “curse” rather than a blessing, has become generally accepted. This thesis sought to test whether the conclusion drawn from their data – that higher natural resource abundance leads to slower economic growth – is still correct. It sought to test their findings first by correcting for their use of resource intensity (natural resources share of exports) as a proxy for abundance. Using measures of resource abundance for 1995 as a proxy for abundance in previous decades, it was found that higher resource abundance was not associated with lower economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s. This finding is contrary to that of Sachs and Warner (1997, 2001). Secondly, this thesis tested whether the natural resource curse effect was still present for the period 1995–2010. This was done by observing the effect of both resource abundance and resource intensity on economic growth during 1995–2010. In both cases no resource curse effect was found, for this more recent period. The resource curse had disappeared regardless of whether one uses Sachs and Warner’s (1997, 2001) measure of resource intensity or a measure of resource abundance. Natural resources should therefore no longer be considered a “curse”. In explaining the difference for the impact of resource intensity between the 1970-90 period measured by Sachs and Warner (1997, 2001) and the more recent period 1995-2010 it was found that the Dutch Disease effect has decreased significantly since the 1970s and 1980s. This could partly explain why the resource curse has disappeared when measured in terms of resource intensity. Thus it was concluded that the natural resource curse existed in the period 1970-90 only when measured in terms of resource intensity but not when measured relative to resource abundance. The negative effects of natural resources on economic growth have disappeared in terms of both resource intensity and resource abundance in the more recent time period.

This study examined the effectiveness of intelligent tutoring system instruction, grounded in John Anderson's ACT theory of cognition, on the achievement and attitude of developmental mathematics students in the community college setting. The quasi-experimental research used a pretest-posttest control group design. The dependent variables were problem solving achievement, overall achievement, and attitude towards mathematics. The independent variable was instructional method. Four intact classes and two instructors participated in the study for one semester. Two classes (n = 35) served as experimental groups; they received six lessons with real-world problems using intelligent tutoring system instruction. The other two classes (n = 24) served as control groups; they received six lessons with real-world problems using traditional instruction including graphing calculator support. It was hypothesized that students taught problem solving using the intelligent tutoring system would achieve more on the dependent variables than students taught without the intelligent tutoring system. Posttest mean scores for one teacher produced a significant difference in overall achievement for the experimental group. The same teacher had higher means, not significantly, for the experimental group in problem solving achievement. The study did not indicate a significant difference in attitude mean scores. It was concluded that using an intelligent tutoring system in problem solving instruction may impact student's overall mathematics achievement and problem solving achievement. Other factors must be considered, such as the teacher's classroom experience, the teacher's experience with the intelligent tutoring system, trained technical support, and trained student support; as well as student learning styles, motivation, and overall mathematics ability.

Tree management practices in the tropical dry forest region of Nicaragua were examined to determine opportunities and factors influencing tree-planting initiatives and forest recovery within the agricultural matrix. A 217.11 ha tree inventory and 44 social surveys were conducted in three rural communities. The inventory found 88 species, 66.68% were native, and 70 valued for multiple uses. Farmers’ reasons for maintaining trees varied, emphasizing live fencing, wood, and fruit. The landscape also contains a tree plantation and a riparian forest, and the origins and management of these tree cover components of the landscape are also considered. Tree planting interventions should supplement extant stakeholder motivation with technical training and basic materials only as explicitly requested by participants, rather than imposing costly or inappropriate project preferences. Initiatives should also focus on smallholders and on multi-use native species suggested by stakeholders in order to maximize the economic, social and environmental benefits provided.

Five models delineating the person-situation fit controversy were developed and tested. Hypotheses were tested to determine the linkages between vision congruence, empowerment, locus of control, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee performance. Vision was defined as a mental image of a possible and desirable future state of the organization. Data were collected from 213 employees in a major flower import company. Participants were from various organizational levels and ethnic backgrounds. The data collection procedure consisted of three parts. First, a profile analysis instrument was used which was developed employing a Q-sort based technique, to measure the vision congruence between the CEO and each employee. Second, employees completed a survey instrument which included scales measuring empowerment, locus of control, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and social desirability. Third, supervisor performance ratings were gathered from employee files. Data analysis consisted of using Kendall's tau to measure the correlation between CEO's and each employee's vision. Path analyses were conducted using the EQS structural equation program to test five theoretical models for goodness-of-fit. Regression analysis was employed to test whether locus of control acted as a moderator variable. The results showed that vision congruence is significantly related to job satisfaction and employee commitment, and perceived empowerment acts as an intervening variable affecting employee outcomes. The study also found that people with an internal locus of control were more likely to feel empowered than were those with external beliefs. Implications of these findings for both researchers and practitioners are discussed and suggestions for future research directions are provided.

The first of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals for 2015 is to “Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger”. Achieving this goal would be aided by having an effective and productive agricultural community. Agricultural organisations assist producers to be more effective in their operation through Commercial Extension Services (CES). Through CES, producers are advised and educated about new agricultural practices, techniques and products. A key component of CES is the provision of relevant information to producers. The problem this research addressed was that producers experience difficulty in accessing the information they require in a timeous, relevant and personalised manner. No suitable framework was found for agricultural organisations to use when designing and implementing an Information Services Platform. The main research objective was to develop and evaluate an Information Services Framework (ISF) for organisations offering information as a CES. The research methodology used to achieve this objective was Design Science Research (DSR). DSR is an iterative methodology with three cycles, namely the relevance, the design and the rigor cycles. The relevance cycle was used to acquire the information required to inform the design cycle. The information was collected by using literature research and empirical studies. The first study, the Producer Information Requirements Survey (PIRS) sought to determine the information requirements of grain producers and was conducted by interviewing grain producers in the Swartland region of South Africa. The second study, the Internet and Mobile Device Usage Survey (IMDUS) investigated the use of the Internet and mobile devices amongst South African producers by means of a national on-line survey. The quantitative and qualitative results of the analysis were used during the design phase to develop the ISF. The design phase of DSR process led to the creation of an ISF for providing Information as a Service (IaaS) in CES. The framework allows for information services to be provided in a manner and form customised to an individual producer’s preferences. The foundation of the framework is that information can be sourced from various sources, internal or external to the organisation and distributed to producers by using a unified platform. During the research, an agricultural organisation, BKB GrainCo used the proposed ISF to develop an Information Services Platform (ISP) to provide information to its producers. BKB GrainCo’s development process included two evaluations. The first evaluation, the Information Preferences Prototype Survey, was intended to test a key component of the framework, the nformation Preferences Profile. The Information Preferences Profile was conceptualized following the PIRS. In the PIRS it was determined that individual producers would prefer to specify what information they would receive, when they required it and have it delivered by using a medium of their choice. The second evaluation of the design phase was a Usability Study. The Usability Study was intended to test the functionality of the system across various technologies. The rigor cycle, following the implementation of BKB GrainCo’s ISP, contained the main evaluation, the Information Services Platform Evaluation. The evaluation was used to test the impact of BKB GrainCo’s ISP on perception of received service. The evaluation used a standardised version of the standardised SERVQUAL instrument specifically adapted in this research to measure the provision of IaaS. The results obtained during the evaluation indicated that the BKB GrainCo’s Information Services Platform was found to be valued by producers and improved the communication services of agricultural organisations. It was inferred from the successful implementation of BKB GrainCo’s ISP and the positive response from producers, after the evaluations, that the developed ISF was suitable for an agricultural organisation to provide CES. The theoretical contributions included underpinning the concept of CES in terms of stakeholder theory. Its underpinning provides justification for agricultural organisations to improve CES – including the provision of information. A second theoretical contribution was the extension of SERVQUAL as an IS theory by developing and validating a dimension designed to test the provision of IaaS. Providing producers with accurate and reliable personalised information has the capacity to improve producers’ ability to make informed decisions. Informed decision making will contribute to having an effective and productive agricultural community; resulting in improvement of agricultural output and contributing to food security and job creation. Improved agricultural output, better food security and job creation are aspects which will contribute toward the attainment of the first of eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals for 2015, which is to “Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger”.

Human occupation of the New England region of North America during the early Holocene has long been established archaeologically. However, the data exists almost solely from terrestrial sites. Vast portions of aerial land once available to early occupants of the area for resource procurement and living surfaces are now submerged. Underwater pre-Contact resources embedded in these submerged landforms will undeniably contribute to a holistic understanding of New England’s cultural history. Examination of current archaeological procedures reveal that the archaeological standards, practices, and theories commonly employed in terrestrial archaeology are largely not being extended past the coastline into the underwater environment. This is due, in part, to the past history of professional skepticism regarding the preservation and accessibility of terrestrial archaeological deposits post-Holocene sea level rise. A report of global, submerged, terrestrial archaeology projects that show submerged, intact resources challenge this skepticism. A detailed review of an underwater survey in Boston Harbor, designed to predict, locate, and investigate submerged pre-Contact sites, is used as a case study to argue that these resources deserve the same rigorous study as terrestrial archaeological resources. Post-glacial deposition may act as an agent of preservation in New England waters, and past concerns of transgressive erosion are discussed in light of current geophysical research. Recommendations of how and why submerged pre-Contact archaeological resources should become commonplace within archaeological inquiry are supported by advances in technology, increased geophysical survey of the marine environment and knowledge of the prevailing laws governing archaeological resources underwater.

A common narrative in the late twentieth-early twenty-first centuries is that historic rural landscapes and cultural practices are in danger of disappearing in the face of modern development pressures. However, efforts to preserve rural landscapes have dichotomized natural and cultural resources and tended to "freeze" these resources in time. They have essentialized the character of both "rural" and "developed" and ignored the dynamic natural and cultural processes that produce them. In this dissertation I outline an agenda for critical and applied heritage research that reframes heritage as a transformative social practice in order to move beyond the hegemonic treatment of heritage as the objects of cultural property. I propose an anthropological theory of shared heritage: a culturally mediated ethical practice that references the past in order to intervene in alienating processes of the present to secure a recognizable future for practitioners and prospective beneficiaries. More specifically, I develop (1) an ethical framework for shared heritage practice that values social tolerance and future security, (2) a model for the critical assessment of a heritage protection strategy's potential for supporting a shared heritage ethic, and (3) a methodology for scholars, heritage advocates, and community leaders to realistically enact shared heritage. I document two case studies of rural residents implementing heritage protection strategies in the face of suburban and tourism development in Hadley, Massachusetts, and Eleuthera, Bahamas, respectively. I engage with these case studies at three distinct levels: (1) locating and critiquing the potential for a shared heritage ethics in the attempts to preserve private agricultural land in Hadley; (2) developing and applying a community-based heritage inventory assessment in Hadley; and (3) modeling an internet-based communications system for supporting shared heritage development in Eleuthera. Taken together, this dissertation offers an anthropological model for documenting and analyzing the discursive and material productions of cultural identities and landscapes inherent in heritage resource protection and a set of methods that heritage professionals and practitioners can apply to cultivate shared heritage ethics.