I samband med Gävle kommuns omvandling av den havsnära stadsdelen Näringen identifieras många naturgeografiska och geotekniska utmaningar. Dessa utmaningar förväntas förvärras av klimatförändringar, men också betyda en större påverkan på låglänta och havsnära områden. Däremot identifieras en ekonomisk vinst av exploatering av centrumnära mark. Den kommande omvandlingen av stadsdelen innefattar att 6 000 nya bostäder och 450 000 kvadratmeter nya verksamheter ska tillkomma, enligt avtal med svenska staten. Ökad ekonomisk belastning för försäkringsbolagen i samband med klimatförändringar och naturfenomen tvingar dock försäkringsbolagen att se över vad som i framtiden bör kunna försäkras. En konflikt kunde identifieras mellan kommunen och statens definition av hållbarhet, i jämförelse med försäkringsbolagens syn på vad som är hållbart och dessutom hållbart på lång sikt. Syftet med studien var att besvara forskningsfrågan Hur kan omvandlingen av Näringen utformas genom riskreducering för att minska exponering och sårbarhet och samtidigt öka stadsdelens resiliens? För att besvara frågan har studien använt metoderna spatial multikriterieanalys med farokartor, och gestaltning utifrån multikriterieanalysens resultat, för att skapa ett gestaltningsförslag som redovisar en ny utformning av stadsdelen som uppfyller avtalets krav kring antal bostäder och kvadratmeter verksamhetsytor, och detta på ett sätt som bidrar till att bebyggelsen i största möjliga mån placeras i områden där exponeringen för diverse risker är lägre.  Studiens resultat syftar att påvisa skillnader i ställningstaganden. Som en del av riskreduceringsstrategin klassificerades högriskområden som blågrön infrastruktur för de områden där konventionell markanvändning, som exploatering för bostäder och verksamheter, inte bedömdes vara lämplig till följd av de höga riskvärdena i dessa områden. Utifrån resultatet av dessa kartor skapades en 3D-modell med syfte att skapa ett pedagogiskt verktyg. 3D- modelleringen bidrar även till en högre förståelse för hur enligt studien olämplig mark, eller strandskydd kan omvandlas till attraktiva gröna områden som erbjuder rekreationsmöjligheter, infiltrering av dagvatten och som ökar den biologiska mångfalden. Studiens resultat erbjuder lättförståeliga tolkningar av de bakomliggande naturgeografiska och geotekniska riskerna, som även gemene man kan ta del av och tolka.  Ett återkommande inslag i studiens resultat är att stora skyddsområden som omfattas av strandskydd, även täcker de områden som har högst riskvärden. / The context of this study came from Gävle municipality's planned transformation of the coastal district of Näringen, where many natural geographical and geotechnical challenges are identified. These challenges are expected to be exacerbated by climate change, but also to have a greater impact on low-lying areas and areas close to the sea. On the other hand, an economic gain is identified from the exploitation of land close to the center. The upcoming transformation of the district includes that 6,000 new homes and 450,000 square meters of new businesses will be added according to an agreement with the Swedish state. Increased financial burden for the insurance companies in connection with climate change and natural phenomena forces the insurance companies to review what can be insured in the future. A conflict was identified between the municipality's and the state's definition of sustainability, in comparison with the insurance companies' view of what is sustainable and sustainable in the long term. The purpose of the study was to answer the research question How can the transformation of Näringen be designed through risk reduction to reduce exposure and vulnerability and at the same time increase the district's resilience? To answer the question, methods have used spatial multi-criteria analysis with hazard maps, and design based on the results of the multi-criteria analysis to create a modelled proposal that presents a new layout of the district, which meets the agreement's requirements for housing and square meters, in addition to that the placement of the settlement is made to the highest degree possible, in areas where the exposure to various risks is lower.  The results of the study aim to show differences in standpoints. As part of the risk reduction strategy, high-risk areas were classified as blue-green infrastructure for those areas where conventional land use, such as development for housing and businesses, was not deemed appropriate due to the high-risk values in these areas. Based on the results of these maps, a 3D- model was created with the aim of creating an educational tool. The 3D- modeling also contributes to a higher understanding of how, according to the study, unsuitable land or beach protection can be transformed into attractive green areas that offer recreation, infiltration of stormwater and that increase biodiversity. The results of the study offer easy-to-understand interpretations of the underlying natural geographical and geotechnical risks, which even the general public can take part in and interpret. A recurring element in the results of the study is that large, protected areas that are covered by beach protection (strandskydd), also cover the areas that have the highest risk values.

This paper examines how green areas may be used as strategic recovery zones in the event of an earthquake and how these zones may strengthen the resilience for future quakes in Istanbul. The paper also refers to investigating why the planning system in Turkey can pose a threat for the provision of green areas. Green areas have proven to be an important feature in natural disaster stricken cities for coping with disasters by strengthening the city’s resilience. However due to rapid population growth and high demand for housing and infrastructure, green areas risk disappearing when the city expands. This problem is evident all major cities of turkey and particularly in the country’s largest city Istanbul, where green areas are benign exploited instead of preserved; leaving larger city’s such as Istanbul vulnerable for future earthquake disasters. The high demand for new housing and functioning infrastructure in conjunction with a complicated planning system in Turkey leads to a vaguely regulated planning system, which creates a threat to green areas. This creates an uncertain situation for the city's ability and resilience to withstand a future earthquake disaster. The study will be based on a qualitative method. The empirical material will be presented through a previous research overview and a case study, which is also based on previous research on the subject. Essay analysis will be performed based on a quantitative text analysis based on concepts; urban disaster resilience, green infrastructure, land use planning and governance, presented in the essays theoretical framework. The general conclusions of the study are that there is a lack of good governance in the planning system in Turkey, which creates restrictions for a sustainable and resilient urban planning in the city of Istanbul. Green areas are resilience and capacity building areas in the city to handle future earthquake disaster, by providing open recovery zones in a densely built city. It is therefore important to plan for a long-term land use and to regard the green areas in the city to uphold strong urban disaster resilience for future earthquakes in Istanbul.

Disaster risk reduction policies and practitioners alike emphasise the importance of vulnerability reduction. However, the concept of vulnerability is highly dynamic, and research still strives to understand and capture its complexity. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of flood vulnerability in rural disaster-prone communities in Mozambique. To explore previous experiences of floods, I conducted semi-structured interviews with local risk committee members and community members in the lower Limpopo river basin. The findings were analysed with an analytical framework consisting of the Disaster Pressure and Release (PAR) model, drawing on political ecology and the Access model. Disaster was studied as a process revealing important factors, capabilities and strains affecting peoples’ vulnerability. This paper illustrated that rural communities in the lower Limpopo river basin are vulnerable to floods in a variety of ways. The findings presented unsafe conditions such as the fragile local economy, unsafe natural resources, strained physical resources and limited access to human and social capital. Several factors deriving from political, social and economic structures were found to influence specific forms of vulnerability expressed in relation to floods. Therefore, this paper contributes to new insights of how flood vulnerability can be described and explained in Mozambique.

Natural hazards are predicted to only increase in frequency and severity over the next decade, making it crucial to avoid their negative consequences by disaster risk reduction. Reducing risks of natural hazards is not a recent invention as it has been shown that indigenous and local communities possess indigenous and local knowledge systems related to reducing disaster risks. These knowledge systems are however largely being ignored in policy and research. They are also subjected to pressures which risk altering, eroding or destroying them. In this thesis, these indigenous and local knowledge systems and the pressures that might threaten them are explored through a field study with interviews and observations in rural indigenous and local communities in northern Thailand. The findings show clear evidence of multiple and varying types of indigenous and local knowledge systems, such as knowledges, practices, and beliefs that reduce disaster risk. However, multiple types of pressures to the indigenous and local knowledge systems are also found. These pressures have in some cases already resulted in a loss of indigenous and local knowledge systems, or risk doing so in the future. The conclusion of the thesis is that these indigenous and local knowledge systems and the pressures to them should be kept in close mind in research, policy and intervention to improve disaster risk reduction and not perpetuate the current western paradigm.

To strengthen societies and address the increased risks generated by climate change, development projects within disaster risk reduction [DRR] and climate change adaptation [CCA] must ensure the sustainability of capacity development. However, sustainability is currently flawed in such projects, which could relate to the inadequate achievement of empowerment of targeted beneficiaries. Some scholars suggest that vertical collaboration – the collaboration between stakeholders and beneficiaries – is decisive in determining the achievement of community empowerment during implementation. Still, the role of vertical collaboration and the dynamics of this relationship remains unexplored. By comparing a development initiative within climate-smart agriculture [CSA] implemented in two different communities in Eswatini, this thesis aims to evaluate the achievement of vertical collaboration and explore the relationship between vertical collaboration and empowerment. The results show that the achievement of vertical collaboration does covariate with the presence of empowerment and that certain factors are more influential in determining outcomes than others. These factors include the presence of opportunities for all participants to get involved; active, accessible, and participatory communication; bidirectional learning; and providing beneficiaries with voice and decision-making power. The findings support the theoretical argument, demonstrating that vertical collaboration plays a role in determining empowerment, and highlight the importance of considering it as a critical aspect when implementing CSA projects. However, the sustainability of capacity developments could not be identified in either community, suggesting that alternative factors might be essential for long-term outcomes. Further research is required to understand interconnections among identified factors and how they can be leveraged for the success and sustainability of capacity development within this field.

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Bakgrund: Nacksmärta är vanligt förekommande bland universitetsstudenter, där över en fjärdedel av studenterna inom vissa utbildningsgrupper uppger att de haft nacksmärta någon gång under det senaste året. Nacksmärta bland unga vuxna är en riskfaktor för minskad arbetsproduktivitet senare i livet och tidigare besvär är en av de tydligaste riskfaktorerna för nacksmärta bland personer i yrkesverksam ålder. Mycket forskning tyder på att fysisk aktivitet kan minska risken för uppkomst av arbetsrelaterad nacksmärta, men vilken dos, det vill säga hur mycket, fysisk aktivitet som behövs är inte klar. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka sambandet mellan fysisk aktivitet på hög intensitet minst 90 minuter i veckan och uppkomst av nacksmärta bland universitetsstudenter, kontrollerat för förväxlingsvariabler. Metod: En registerstudie genomfördes där data från 92 universitetsstudenter utan nacksmärta vid baslinjen analyserades i en multipel logistisk regressionsmodell. Resultat: Resultatet visade inget signifikant samband mellan fysisk aktivitet på hög intensitet minst 90 minuter i veckan och uppkomst av nacksmärta kontrollerat för förväxlingsvariabler, dock indikerar konfidensintervallet att den möjliga förebyggande effekten är större än den möjliga negativa effekten. Resultatet visade ett signifikant samband mellan uppkomst av nacksmärta och depression bland kvinnor. Sambandet mellan ålder och uppkomst av nacksmärta var inte signifikant men låg nära signifikansnivån. Slutsats: Uppkomst av nacksmärta har en multifaktoriell orsak, och behöver därför förebyggas genom ett mångfacetterat tillvägagångssätt. Vilken dos fysisk aktivitet som behövs för att minska risken för uppkomst av nacksmärta bland universitetsstudenter är däremot fortfarande oklar och mer forskning behövs för utformning av riktlinjer och rekommendationer. / Background: Neck pain is common amongst university students and can lead to neck pain later in their working life with effects such as reduced work productivity and high costs for the society. Studies show that physical activity can have a preventive effect on neck pain, but the dose is indefinite.  Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity at a high intensity at least 90 minutes per week and onset of neck pain amongst university students, controlling for confounding variables.  Method: A register study was conducted and data from 92 university students with no neck pain at baseline was analyzed with a multiple logistic regression model.  Results: The result showed no significant association between physical activity at a high intensity at least 90 minutes per week and onset of neck pain when controlled for confounding variables, although the confidence interval indicates that the possible preventive effect is bigger than the possible negative effect. The result showed a significant association between onset of neck pain and depression amongst women. The association between age and onset of neck pain was not statistically significant but was close to the significance level.  Conclusion: Neck pain has a multifactorial cause and should be prevented through a multifaceted approach. The dose of physical activity that is needed to reduce the risk of developing neck pain amongst university students is still unclear and more research is needed to formulate guidelines and recommendations.

Natural disasters and hazards pose significant risks and challenges for people and communities all around the world, among the groups most vulnerable to these events are elderly populations who face physical, social, and psychological hardships in the face of disasters. The vulnerability and lacking resilience of elderly are a growing global concern as their proportion of the world's population is steadily increasing with an estimated 1 in 6 people being aged 65 and over by 2050, doubling the current number. The physical frailty, cognitive decline, sensory impairment, and economic disadvantage that often come paired with aging can make older adults more susceptible to harm in the face of natural disasters and social isolation, limited access to resources, and dependency on caregivers or family members further increase the risk of adverse outcomes for the elderly during and after a disaster. It is essential for the future to address the unique challenges faced by older populations in disaster situations and identify effective strategies to enhance their resilience and reduce their vulnerability. In Japan, with a rapidly aging society and increasing numbers of elderly individuals, the issue of disaster preparedness and response becomes even more pronounced. The current policies of individual self-reliance and community-based disaster management are heavily promoted as the way forward, but are these policies suitable and sufficient for elderly and vulnerable populations? This thesis seeks to explore whether these policies are suitable for the needs and realities of the increasing number of elderly and vulnerable individuals who are unable to take care of themselves in times of crisis.  Through an analysis of vulnerability and resilience, this thesis seeks to identify the key factors that contribute to the experiences of elderly people in disaster situations. By presenting a case study of Japan, the thesis aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current policies and strategies in promoting resilience and reducing vulnerability among elderly populations in Japan. This thesis aims to provides a critical insight into the policies and strategies for promoting resilience and reducing vulnerability among elderly populations during disasters and to highlight the need to critically reflect on the suitability of current policies in relation to the the growing number of vulnerable elderly.

The purpose of this project is to describe and explain the foreign investment decision process in the uncertain and turbulent environment of transition economy. By getting an in-depth understanding of how decision-making works in the environment of transition economy, the study intends to contribute to the development of business administration theory in the area of foreign investment decision-making, particularly its application in the turbulent and uncertain world. Theoretical ‘blocks’, elaborated on the basis of literature study, include the following concepts: the framework of transition economy; initial motivation (or reasons) of companies to make foreign direct investments (FDI); investigation of the investment climate and information collection methods; project evaluation and investment decision criteria; risk assessment factors and risk reduction measures. Transition economy is defined in the study as ‘a non-planned, non-market economy’ where the new emerging market institutions coexist with the bureaucracy and hierarchy inherited from the old administrative system. Investment projects, therefore, should probably be seen as being under institutional influence from both the local (i.e. transition economy) and the Western investor’s home country environments. The empirical data presented in the paper also shows that it is necessary to establish the relevant economic, legal, political and social institutions in order to attract FDI. The study further includes the analysis of the main components and features of transition economies and their influence on FDI decision-making. One of the results of the study is that FDI decision-making in transition economies is largely consistent with different theoretical approaches suggested in the literature. On the other hand, the empirical support obtained for different theoretical approaches is often questionable and opened to alternative interpretations. The presented project suggests that theoretical perspectives do not preclude each other, but rather have a complimentary character. The study attempts to contribute to the mainstream FDI theories through a firm-level approach based on the case studies. Two in-depth case studies are presented in the paper: Ericsson’s direct investments in Russia and Vattenfall’s investments in the Baltic countries. A formal questionnaire based on the parameters of theoretical ‘blocks’ was created and 25 top executives from Ericsson and Vattenfall who participated in FDI decision-making were surveyed. The empirical investigation took place during the period 1997 - 1998 with partial updating of the cases during the year 2000.  The study shows that where companies confront stable environments, investment decision routines and procedures will be less necessary and important than where market uncertainty is high. The strong appreciation of the local business partners for properly done investment calculations increases the importance of capital budgeting in transition economies more than in developed market economies. Besides, traditional investment appraisal methods provide managers with an ‘objective’ or ‘materialistic’ feedback for the decision-making in the rapidly changing uncertain environment. On the other hand, the study emphasises the importance of strategy over financial techniques and argues that FDI decisions in transition economies should be based on methods consistent with the company’s long-term objectives. In case of permanent changes, new approaches as well as better co-ordination of traditional techniques with strategic, political, historical, geographical and cultural issues are required. Ericsson’ s direct investments in Russia are presented in the paper in connection with other factors: the company’s historical involvement in Russia, marketing strategy, human resource development, privatisation and restructuring of the telecommunication sector in Russia, etc. Nordic Electric Power Co-operation (Nordel), the EU’ s decision in 1996 to create an internal electricity market in Europe, Baltic ring study, future plans to privatise the energy companies in the Baltic countries, etc., are the framework to present the second case. An application of project evaluation and risk assessment techniques for broader and more complicated environments shows that investment decision-making is probably as much, if not more, a social, political and cultural technology as an economic one. The study argues then that the rational choice decision-making model often co-exists with alternative models elaborated in social science - limited rationality, political and garbage can. According to the empirical data, the investment decisions are largely based on intuition, business experience and judgement, personal contacts with representatives from the local country, and these investment criteria are inevitable and acceptable in a situation of total chaos and permanent change. The right chosen partner, for example, is one of the major criteria for the success of the investment project in a transition economy. One of the outcomes of this study is that the revitalised form of investment decision-making will differ rather markedly from much of what has gone before: less emphasis on the quantitative aspects of capital budgeting, more on the qualitative aspects of companies and investment environment. The project also argues that determinants, approaches and criteria of investment activity in transition economies are largely consistent with patterns observed in other parts of the world. A few specific environmental conditions of transition economies, however, are shown in the study to affect the pattern of FDI decision-making. The level of turbulence is still different compared to the developed market economies due to uncertainties and unpredictibilities associated with environment of transition economies. Other major differences are the large power distance with authoritarian leadership, strong hierarchy and bureaucracy as well as the vital role of personal contacts in transition economies. It is not clear, however, if these features of transition economies should be seen as inherited from the past communist system or as an alternative way to organise the economic actors through networks, a way that is natural and appropriate for the majority of Asian societies.

The history of the mining industry indicates a lack of understanding among the decision-makers of the impact the closure of mines has on the industry and the associated effects on the society and surrounding environment. The policies of the mining industry do make provision for a planned mine closure, but not for an unexpected closure. This detrimental aspect of closures in the mining industry is highlighted in the present study. The present study investigates how mineworkers’ dependency on their employment at a mine affects their ability to sustain their livelihoods. Vulnerable livelihoods leave the community at a greater risk to be affected by a disaster, than the livelihoods of a community that is resilient and has sustainable resources. Even though mineworkers are not considered as poor at the time of their employment, a mine closure could render them into a status called ‘transitional poverty’. This study also highlights that mineworkers who are skilled for mining operations only do not overcome the status of ‘transitional poverty’ and hence enter a phase called ‘chronic poverty’. This stage constitutes their inability to negotiate livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes that could sustain a household. Thus humanitarian assistance would be needed from outside sources. Planning for unexpected mine closures should also be on the agenda of the mining industry due to the extreme consequences such an event holds for the mining community experiencing the event. In the case under investigation, the unexpected mine closures occurred in the Grootvlei mine in Springs and the Orkney mine owned by the Aurora Empowerment Systems Ltd. at the time of this study. These closures left the surrounding communities in need of food, shelter and clean water. The inhabitants gradually lost their livelihood assets. A contingency planning model is proposed at the end of this study to address the short-term and long-term consequences of an unexpected mine closure. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014