In this dissertation, I visit areas of government spending that are core to human development and economic growth, and have equity and efficiency considerations. In the first essay, I examine the relationship between education and air pollution. How pollution affects education is typically studied through the health aspects of pollution exposure, and its subsequent effects on academic performance. This essay proposes a financing channel of pollution’s impact on education outcome. School districts with better air quality are endowed with higher tax base, and can generate more resources. Panel fixed effect analysis for a group of metropolitan school districts in the USA suggests that decrease in air pollution increases property tax revenue per pupil in the district. The second essay investigates the incidence of broad-based energy subsidies, and whether poor households could gain from targeted transfer programs financed by savings from reform. I analyze the tariff differential subsidy program in Pakistan, and find that the subsidy is regressive. I conduct a CGE exercise and find that reducing energy subsidy and redistributing savings to poor households, would improve poor household’s welfare. The third essay studies how public infrastructure capital affects growth in developing countries. The relationship between infrastructure and economic growth is widely studied in developed country context. This study contributes to literature by estimating output elasticities with respect to public infrastructure capital stock for two developing countries – Mauritius and Bangladesh. Estimated output elasticities are mostly positive for both countries, which suggests that public infrastructure stimulates economic growth in developing countries.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / In assessing government ECD policy, this thesis focuses on three areas; access, quality, and costs. The study draws on interviews with key stakeholders working within the ECD sector generally, and uses survey data from a case study of Brown's Farm area in Cape Town. The research found that, some ten years down the line, ECD provision is still mostly privately provided by the informal sector through community-based facilities. Both formal and informal ECD facilities are unevenly spatially distributed such that they do not yet reach the most vulnerable poor children, especially in rural areas and informal settlements.

As part of the fight against global warming, the European Union has opted for increase in support for renewable energy at the cost of conventional sources. This policy was subsequently implemented into national legislation. At the same time, the Czech Republic has framed an Updated State Energy Policy, which sets out the direction for Czech energy to evolve. This thesis tries to analyze whether the Czech Republic is ready for future energy development or not. This analysis shows that the Czech Republic is not entirely ready to provide energy stability in the context of a transforming market.

Subject of this thesis "Analysis of the Possibility to Draw Financial Means on the European Union's Funds for the Financing of Developing Activities in Municipalities, a concrete manifestation on an example of a municipality (town)" is to find to what extent towns look after their area development and how they use the possibility to draw financial means from the EU funds. The first part tackles the status of a municipality at present and possibilities of changes. The second part deals with the town's economy; the third focuses on possibilities of drawing subsidies at various levels of public administration to fund development activities of towns, mainly through EU funds. On those theoretical grounds, development potential of a concrete town is analysed and in consequence, future development activities and their possibility is explored.

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography provides a useful model for understanding patterns of species richness on island systems and analogous fragmented terrestrial habitats. However, like all models, it is limited in its ability to explain island species richness patterns when nutrients move across ecosystem boundaries. Recently, enhancements to the theory have been proposed, including the subsidized island biogeography hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that nutrient subsidies from the marine environment may impact the productivity and diversity of small islands. Sea wrack (dead, shore-cast seaweed) is a recognized vector of marine-nutrient subsidies to islands in regions of low in situ productivity, but little is known about the mechanisms surrounding sea wrack accumulation in productive, temperate environments. In this research I explore the spatial and temporal distribution of sea wrack on islands along British Columbia’s temperate Central Coast. Through an observational study I investigate three broad factors that could affect sea wrack deposition: climatic patterns, physical characteristics of shorelines, and the amount of nearby donor habitat. I surveyed sea wrack biomass and species composition, as well as the biogeographical characteristics of shorelines across 455 sites on 101 islands. I returned to a subset of sites on a bi-monthly basis to document temporal changes in wrack biomass and species composition. My results demonstrate that sea wrack accumulations were present at sites that were not composed of rock substrate, and that had wide, wave protected shorelines and high amounts of nearby donor ecosystem habitat. Additionally, sea wrack biomass and species composition was ubiquitous throughout all seasons. These results suggest that sea wrack can be considered a press subsidy as it is a consistent vector of nutrients to beaches along the Central Coast. Ecological research on macrophytes, macroalgae and sea wrack often requires the conversion of wet biomass to dry, to create consistency across investigations. This is a laborious process. Here, I present the results of wet-dry calibrations for 12 common macrophyte and macroalgae species collected from the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Future investigators can use the correction factors derived from these results for estimating dry biomass, reducing the need to conduct wet-dry calibrations for each new macrophyte, macroalgae, or sea wrack study. / Graduate

This diploma thesis consists of two main parts. In first, theoretical part, are described types of subsidies, their importance, legislative framework and systems of subsidies. In practical part the Operatinal programe is valuated based on analysis of enterpreneur environment. Operational programmes Industry and enterpreneurship and Enterpreneurship and inovation are also described in this part. Also process of application for subsidy is included.

This dissertation deals with the real estate business from the point of view of accountancy, tax and financing. The topic is elaborated in accordance with the current Czech legislation. This thesis addresses several issues inthe real estate business - from acquisition, through regular operation to its discarding. The dissertation also puts emphasis on the decision-making process when it comes to investing into real estate and the possibilities of its financing. Theoretical findings are applied in the practical part of this work with the utilization of own experience in a specific company.

This diploma thesis deals with investment subsidies, which municipalities obtain as a contribution to the budget, and the fact whether the amount of the subsidies is affected by the political affiliation of the mayor. The introduction of the thesis brings the description of public administration of the Czech Republic, and the characteristics of the region and the village. The following part focuses on fiscal federalism, district budget as well as particular revenues of municipalities. Additionally, this part provides the explanation of the term 'subsidy', and lists different kinds of sources which municipalities can draw financial means from. The last part introduces analysis of selected towns. The conclusion presents the overall evaluation and summary of the results.

The subject of this thesis is precisely what one sentence he says her name - the specifics of the construction and operation of agricultural biogas plants ( BPZS ) including assessment of their economic efficiency in terms of the existing subsidy , subsidy and incentive policies for renewable energy sources ( RES) . The site -specific construction and operation in the detail reports for this purpose specially modified documents business plan - feasibility and economic audit. Economic efficiency of the existing subsidy , subsidy and incentive policy examines modern fundamental financial analysis projects based APV ( taking into account the effects of special financing details of the NPV) . Based on its findings the conclusion of the practical part of the thesis formulated specific recommendations that can effectively contribute to the suppression of the feared consequences of the expected boom BPZS development in the country.

The purpose of this diploma thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of structural funds of the European Union in water protection in the Czech Republic. The main goal of the research is whether public resources are used cost-effectively and whether they are not being wasted. The theoretical basis of the subsidy's issue as a tool of public policy, are discussed in the first part of the thesis. As a consequence the effectiveness and efficiency of subsidies as a main tool of European Regional Policy are also discussed. General conclusions are demonstrated on specific statistical water protection data of the Czech Republic in the second part of this thesis. Several patterns which show problems decreasing efficiency and effectiveness of expended resources were used in the research. Analysis showed that investments into water protection are necessary and needed from social point of view, but the way the subsidies are provided is controversial. Finally, the thesis attempts to discuss alternative tools which could gain the same results with lower costs.