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Zur Einschätzungen und Bewertung der Nachhaltigkeit der gegenwärtigen Gemüseproduktion im Roten-Fluss-Delta, Vietnam, erfolgten empirische Untersuchungen zur Ermittlung und Bewertung eines Nachhaltigkeitsindex unter Nutzung verschiedener Lösungsansätze. Die Analysen und Einschätzungen wurden aus ökologischer ökonomischer und sozialer Sicht vorgenommen. Die erfassten Daten wurden unter Nutzung von zwei Methoden ausgewertet, der Mehr-Kriterien-Bewertungsmethode Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) und der Fuzzy Bewertungsmethode. In Workshops wurden mit den Farmern Präferenzen als Element der AHP, zu den Kriterien die Ausdruck der Nachhaltigkeit sind, erarbeitet. Es wurde herausgearbeitet, dass im ländlichen Raum, die Gemüseproduktion nachhaltig ist, im Peri-urbanen Raum wurde eine geringe Nachhaltigkeit ermittelt und im urbanen Raum keine Nachhaltigkeit. Im Ergebnis der Forschungsarbeit wurde herausgearbeitet, dass für einen nachhaltigen Gemüse-Anbau im Roten-Fluss-Delta, die Farmer ihr Kontrollsystem und System der Nachverfolgbarkeit verbessern müssen. Gleichermaßen ist es erforderlich die sozialen Bedingungen so zu gestalten, das die Prinzipien der‚ Guten Landwirtschaftlichen Praxis‘ greifen. Im Rahmen der Forschungsarbeit konnte gleichfalls eine Bewertung der Nachhaltigkeit unter Nutzung der Fuzzy Methode erfolgreich eingesetzt werden. Diese Ergebnisse sind geeignet, sowohl den Farmern, als auch den politischen Entscheidungsträgern, die geeigneten Werkzeuge für die Entwicklung einer nachhaltigen Gemüse Kultivierung in der Zukunft zu geben. / This study is empirical research by applying different sustainability assessment approaches to evaluate and to compare the sustainability index of the existing vegetable cultivation systems in the Red River Delta - the largest vegetable production land area of Vietnam in terms of environment, economic and social dimensions. In addition, this study also incorporated farmers'' perceptions as well as their preferences into the weight of criteria by using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in multi-criteria evaluation method, and rules formed in fuzzy evaluation method. The results from the sustainability assessment for the vegetable cultivation systems show that in the rural area, the sustainability are acceptable whereas in the peri-urban area are only conditionally acceptable, and in the urban area are not sustainable. The results from this study indicate that, to achieve sustainable vegetable cultivation systems in the Red River Delta in Vietnam, the farmers need improved internal controls and tracing systems as well as strict social control in order to implement good agricultural practices guidelines. This study result also shows that the sustainability assessment by fuzzy evaluation approach appears to be well suited to provide quantitative answers pertaining to sustainability that can help policy maker in choosing the tool for sustainability assessment in the future.

<p>This thesis conceives aquaculture as a transfer of resources within and between different parts of the world system. It is argued that due to inappropriate human-nature interactions, resources tend to flow from the South to the North, as a process of coastal colonisation. To study this resource transfer, coastal aquaculture is ap-proached from a transdisciplinary perspective, integrating natural, social, economic and spatial aspects. By combining world system theory and general systems theory, a systems view is adopted to relate aquaculture to forces of global capitalism, and analyse interactions between social and ecological processes at local and global levels. Emergy (energy memory) synthesis and participatory research methodologies were applied to two cases of aquaculture in Sri Lanka and the Philippines; monocul-ture of the black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) and milkfish (Chanos chanos), and polyculture of the two species together with mudcrab (Scylla serrata). The study reveals that semi-intensive shrimp monoculture in Sri Lanka generates few benefits for poor local people, and depends much on external inputs such as fry, feed and fuels, which implies negative environmental effects at local as well as global levels. Extensive polyculture in the Philippines involves more local people, and implies lower dependence on external inputs. Still, since benefits accrue mostly to elites, and mangroves are negatively affected, neither case is viable for sustainable poverty alleviation. Nevertheless, the study offers several insights into how sustainability assessment may be more transdisciplinary, and points to several factors affecting sustainability and fairness in aquaculture; the most important being mangrove con-version, local people involvement, and dependence on external inputs. Given that mangrove conversion is counteracted, extensive polyculture practices may also prove more viable in times of decreasing resources availability, and if policies are developed that favour resource efficient polyculture, and local small-scale and re-source poor farmers, instead of the global North.</p>

Current life cycle assessment tools are often deficient in assisting design for sustainable manufacturing efforts. Integrating an improved assessment method into a decision support framework will provide a means for designers and engineers to better understand the impacts of their decisions. A unit process modeling-based sustainability assessment method is presented to assist design decision making by accounting for and quantifying economic, environmental, and social attributes. A set of these sustainability metrics is defined as a basis for comparison of component design alternatives. The method is demonstrated using two titanium component production alternatives that represent typical design for manufacturing scenarios. The modeling method significantly increases the resolution of sustainable manufacturing metrics over conventional assessment techniques, and is one aspect of the overall decision support framework developed. Additionally, fixed sum importance weighting, weighted sum modeling, and scenario analysis were selected as easily employed and transparent design decision techniques to provide the remaining elements of the framework. The demonstration of the decision support framework for titanium component manufacturing illustrates that the sequential approach developed can assist engineers in developing more sustainable components and products. / Graduation date: 2012

This thesis conceives aquaculture as a transfer of resources within and between different parts of the world system. It is argued that due to inappropriate human-nature interactions, resources tend to flow from the South to the North, as a process of coastal colonisation. To study this resource transfer, coastal aquaculture is ap-proached from a transdisciplinary perspective, integrating natural, social, economic and spatial aspects. By combining world system theory and general systems theory, a systems view is adopted to relate aquaculture to forces of global capitalism, and analyse interactions between social and ecological processes at local and global levels. Emergy (energy memory) synthesis and participatory research methodologies were applied to two cases of aquaculture in Sri Lanka and the Philippines; monocul-ture of the black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) and milkfish (Chanos chanos), and polyculture of the two species together with mudcrab (Scylla serrata). The study reveals that semi-intensive shrimp monoculture in Sri Lanka generates few benefits for poor local people, and depends much on external inputs such as fry, feed and fuels, which implies negative environmental effects at local as well as global levels. Extensive polyculture in the Philippines involves more local people, and implies lower dependence on external inputs. Still, since benefits accrue mostly to elites, and mangroves are negatively affected, neither case is viable for sustainable poverty alleviation. Nevertheless, the study offers several insights into how sustainability assessment may be more transdisciplinary, and points to several factors affecting sustainability and fairness in aquaculture; the most important being mangrove con-version, local people involvement, and dependence on external inputs. Given that mangrove conversion is counteracted, extensive polyculture practices may also prove more viable in times of decreasing resources availability, and if policies are developed that favour resource efficient polyculture, and local small-scale and re-source poor farmers, instead of the global North.

La gestion des risques d’origine naturelle est un défi stratégique majeur pour les collectivités territoriales en raison de l’impact négatif potentiel de ces risques sur leur développement. Dans la perspective d’une gestion durable de ces risques, l’élaboration de méthodes et d’outils d’aide à la décision multicritère pour l’évaluation de la durabilité des stratégies de gestion représente une thématique de recherche intéressante et d’actualité. Les principaux verrous scientifiques sous-jacents à cette thématique portent sur la nécessité de définir un cadre théorique pour l’évaluation de cette durabilité et la prise en compte d’incertitudes provenant de différentes sources (données d’entrée, choix méthodologiques, dynamique du contexte, etc.) susceptibles d'influer sur la qualité des résultats de l’évaluation et donc sur la prise de décision. D’où la nécessité d’une méthodologie pour la prise en compte des incertitudes dans le processus décisionnel afin de fournir des résultats les plus pertinents possibles aux décideurs. Pour lever ces verrous, cette thèse propose une méthodologie globale d’évaluation qui repose sur le concept de développement durable et intègre un ensemble de critères et indicateurs permettant de rendre compte des conséquences techniques, économiques, sociétales, environnementales et institutionnelles des stratégies de gestion. Les incertitudes sont quantifiées selon une approche probabiliste (Simulations Monte Carlo) ou possibiliste (théorie des possibilités) et propagées le long du processus d’évaluation par l’arithmétique de la théorie des intervalles. Elle propose également un simulateur pour évaluer les dommages liés aux inondations et permettre une estimation aussi bien déterministe qu’aléatoire de différents types de ces dommages à l’échelle d’une commune. Ces contributions ont été appliquées à une étude de cas sur la commune de Dieulouard où trois stratégies de gestion des risques liés aux inondations sont comparées (respect des prescriptions du plan de prévention des risques d’inondations pour la construction de tout nouveau bâtiment, réduction du niveau de l’aléa par la construction d’une digue, réduction de la vulnérabilité de tous les bâtiments en zone inondable par des dispositifs de protection individuelle). Les résultats permettent d’illustrer l’opérationnalité de la méthodologie de dégager des perspectives de recherche / Natural hazard risk management is a major strategic challenge for territorial authorities because of the potential adverse effects on their development that arise from the occurrence of such a kind of risks. With a view to sustainably managing these risks, the development of multicriteria decision-support methods and tools to evaluate the sustainability of risk management strategies is an interesting and topical research subject. The main underlying challenges of sustainability assessment are to define a theoretical framework that will enable assessing the sustainability, and to take into account inherent uncertainties that could derive from various sources (input data, methodological choices, dynamics of the context, etc.), and that could potentially influence the relevance of assessment results. Hence, there is a need to develop a methodology for handling uncertainties in the decision-making process in order to provide decision-makers with the most relevant results. The present research introduces an overall decision-support methodology for assessing the sustainability of risk management strategies that relies on the concept of sustainable development and includes a set of criteria and indicators for reporting on the technical, economic, societal, environmental as well as institutional outcomes of the strategies. Data uncertainties are quantified using probabilistic (Monte Carlo simulations) or possibilistic (possibility theory) approach, and are propagated along the evaluation process through interval arithmetic operations. Beyond that, a computational tool was designed to simulate, in a deterministic or uncertain way, various types of flood damages at a municipality scale. These contributions were applied to a case study regarding flood risk management in Dieulouard, which consists of comparing three management strategies (respecting constructive constraints for new buildings in hazard prone areas fixed by the flood risks prevention plan, constructing a dyke as a collective defence infrastructure, implementing individual protective measures for all buildings in hazard prone areas). This application demonstrates the practicality of the methodology, and highlights prospects for future works

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Concrete is the most widely used material in construction and infrastructure, and is often reinforced by steel to improve tensile strength. Despite its enduring popularity, the material’s inherent weaknesses – namely corrosion damage and material fatigue – combined with ageing infrastructure, poses a challenge to both decision-makers and civil engineers to optimise sustainable infrastructure services. This article explores and synthesises the sustainable potential of maintenance and repair methods using concrete and cement-based composite materials. We draw on published case studies where sustainability assessments have been applied within this field. We also included cases that describe themselves as a type of sustainability assessment, but lack the assessment of all dimensions. Our research aims, firstly, to identify what maintenance interventions were assessed by means of sustainability criteria. Second, it explores the basic conceptual understanding which underlies each sustainability assessment. Third, it analyses the many methodological choices made for system boundaries, selection of indicators, or forms of aggregation. We have applied a systematic literature review to develop evidence-based management knowledge; this shows that current sustainability assessments are diverse regarding system boundaries, their scope, levels of detail, and overall quality. Although there is a trend towards more holistic types of assessment, environmental and economic sustainability dominated our sample, with global warming and energy consumed being most often reported. External costs, if included in the assessment, drive the overall economic score, while life cycle sustainability assessment is applied to only three cases. The most critical and challenging issues were shown to be the long-term orientation of maintenance measures and the complexity of undertaking a truly holistic sustainability assessment. To that end, we have stimulated scholarly discussion on further methodological progress to align with the good practices identified in our review, and call for greater application of these methods in the construction industry.

Svenska kraftnät is the transmission system operator in Sweden, their responsibilities include renewing and expanding the existing transmission system to keep up with the rising demand for electricity. The ongoing climate crisis demands the process of expanding the transmission system to be as sustainable as possible. One way to do this is to use CEEQUAL, a point based, third party sustainability assessment tool for construction projects. The aim of this project is to estimate what CEEQUAL score the projects of Svenska kraftnät could achieve based on their current sustainability work. The aim also includes to determine what actions needs to be taken to improve that score, together with a cost analysis and interviews of the experiences from other CEEQUAL users.  By studying the sustainability work of Svenska kraftnät and translating this to CEEQUALs credits, a calculation of the current level of sustainability was determined as 44 percent. This equals the CEEQUAL level Pass. Further investigation revealed that to improve to the level Good, there needs to be more clear goals for a project sustainability and a business model for a circular economy among other things. For a higher score, reaching the level Very Good, there needs to be a life cycle analysis for new construction projects and better CO2-emission calculations.  A cost analysis revealed that it is hard to determine the cost of using CEEQUAL beforehand due to unforeseeable costs. Interviewing external users of CEEQUAL shows that using CEEQUAL is beneficial to improve the sustainability of a project and creates a common goal for the team members. A downside to using CEEQUAL is the administrative work it demands as well as the bureaucracy.  All in all, using CEEQUAL in all Svenska kraftnäts construction project could not be seen as beneficial. It would be beneficial to create a decision report tool for projects that help teams make sustainable choices for the projects. This would preferably be done together with distribution system operators in Sweden and transmission system operators in neighboring countries for a tool adapted to their operations and aspirations.

In this thesis, a framework is constructed for a life cycle assessment within a civilengineering project. There are various methods available on how to conduct lifecycle assessments and this thesis explores one method related to civil engineeringworks. The assessment follows the structure based in related standards such asEN 15804 which describes how to declare construction products. A working copyof a possible upcoming European level standard for sustainability assessment ofcivil engineering works is also used in the process. The object of assessment arethe materials, concrete and steel, in the retaining walls that are constructed alongthe channel near Södertälje Harbour. This is a part of a larger project, called theMälar Project.The life cycle of these type of constructions often stretches over long periodsof time which leaves a lot of uncertainties while estimating the impacts during thelater life stages. The research problem is much about how to handle the differentmodules of the life cycle regarding civil engineering works.Example data were collected and presented for each module of the life stage.The results of the example data showed that most of the impact came from theproduct stage. The conclusions are that the collection of data should be an integratedpart in the operating procedures for the company for a more efficientprocess, Environmental Product Declarations are a good source of data and standardson European level gives good guidelines on how to conduct a life cycleassessment for civil engineering projects. / I detta examensarbete konstrueras ett ramverk för hur en livscykelanalys kan utförasinom väg- och vattenbyggnad. Det finns många olika riktlinjer för hur enlivscykelanalys kan utföras och i detta examensarbete utforskas en metod för projektinom väg- och vattenbyggnad. Arbetet följer strukturen ur EN 15804 sombeskriver hur man bedömer byggprodukter. Ett arbetsexemplar av en ny, möjligstandard på Europanivå för miljöbedömning av projekt inom väg- och vatten användsockså i processen. Det som bedöms via livscykelanalys i denna studie är deingående materialen, stål och betong, i hållväggarna som byggs längs med kanalenvid Södertälje Hamn. Detta är en del av ett större projekt, kallat Mälarprojektet.Livscyklerna för denna typ av projekt är oftast väldigt långa vilket skapar enosäkerhet i data då påverkan för senare delar av livscykeln behöver uppskattas.Problematiken som presenteras handlar mycket om hur modulerna för livscykelnska behandlas för denna typ av projekt.Exempeldata samlades in för de olika modulerna och presenterades i tabellersom täcker alla relevanta delar av livscykeln. Resultatet av exempeldatan visadeatt den mesta påverkan kom från produktstadiet. De slutsatser som dras är attinsamlingen av data bör vara en integrerad del av företagets arbetsmetod fören effektiv process, miljödeklarationer är en bra källa till data och standards påEuropanivå ger bra guidelinjer för hur en livscykelanalys kan utföras för liknandeprojekt.