Diversos estudos têm relacionado melhores condições de saneamento básico ao incremento nos índices de saúde da população. Investimentos em saneamento básico tendem a promover um benefício econômico, já que o custo para as intervenções necessárias é inferior à despesa com tratamento das enfermidades causadas pela falta de saneamento. Esta pesquisa visou caracterizar a problemática do abastecimento de água em pequenas comunidades urbanas e rurais no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, avaliando-se a vulnerabilidade dos sistemas de abastecimento e da população atingida por meio de critérios próprios voltados à situação de interesse. Definiu-se uma amostra com locais escolhidos por método estatístico e um índice de vulnerabilidade composto por quatro dimensões de análise, dez indicadores e cinco níveis de vulnerabilidade cada. Com isso, caracterizou-se a problemática com base nos dez indicadores propostos, analisaram-se estatisticamente os resultados do índice de vulnerabilidade com o cálculo do índice médio para o Estado e em termos de subpopulações, e estimou-se a proporção da população abastecida e sistemas considerados vulneráveis. Apresentaram-se, portanto, conclusões quanto ao método empregado e resultados encontrados, além de recomendações que podem ser aplicadas para mitigar as vulnerabilidades encontradas e no desenvolvimento de trabalhos futuros. Os resultados demonstraram que o nível de tratamento se mostrou um importante critério de análise de vulnerabilidade, havendo diferenças significativas nos resultados do índice para os sistemas sem tratamento e aqueles com tratamento considerado adequado. / According to several studies, there is an association between progresses in drinking water and sanitation to improvements in health indices. Investments in safe drinking water and sanitation may yield in an economic benefit, as the health-effect costs outweigh the costs of undertaking the required interventions. The objective of this research was to evaluate small community water supply systems in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, assessing the vulnerability of the systems and population that depends on them. The survey followed statistical sampling techniques to design the sample size and a water vulnerability index tool that included four dimensions, ten indicators and five vulnerability ratings was constructed. The condition was characterized by the ten proposed indicators, while statistical analysis of the vulnerability index was performed with mean estimates for the State and subpopulations. It was also estimated the proportion of the target population and water supply systems considered vulnerable. Conclusions were presented with respect to the method applied and the main results found in the survey. Recommendations were proposed in order to mitigate the vulnerabilities of the systems and protect public health. The results demonstrate that the level of treatment is a major vulnerability criteria, as significant differences in the index were related to systems that distribute water without treatment and those with an appropriate treatment technology.

In 2014, the global pesticide industry's projected worth is $52 billion and by 2020, the developing world will make up one-third of the world's chemical production and consumption. Pesticides can have unintended negative consequences for human health and the environment, especially in the developing world where regulations are loose or nonexistent. One country with unrestricted use of pesticides is Panam[aacute], especially in Santa Rosa de Cucunatí. In this indigenous village, small-scale farmers and ranchers spray paraquat, glyphosate, picloram, and 2,4-D at higher elevations than the spring water source of a gravity-fed water system, the river, and the village. The objective of this study was to estimate the concentration of these pesticides in the water system and the river and to perform a human health and ecological risk assessment. Pesticide fate and transport models in the graphical user interface EXAMS-PRZMS Exposure Simulation Shell (EXPRESS), which was developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, were used to predict concentrations of the four mentioned pesticides in drinking water and the river using chemical properties, data from Food and Agriculture Organization and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and the author's experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The results from Tier I model FQPA Index Reservoir Screening Tool (FIRST) were used to compare immediate and delayed rain events, noting minimal difference. The Tier II PRZM-EXAMS shell provided estimated drinking water concentration (EDWC) profiles. The paraquat profile was much lower than picloram, glyphosate, and 2,4-D, which had almost identical profiles with peak concentrations around 12 ppm and the average annual concentration 100 ppb. Average Daily Dose (ADD) via drinking water was calculated for men, women, and children using model results and compared to the oral reference dose (RfD). ADDs only exceeded the RfD with maximum peak EDWCs, implying low risk. However, RfD was used to calculate a breakpoint concentration, the concentration at which each pesticide presents a risk to the consumer. This was then compared to the maximum peak (highest, i.e. worst-case scenario) and annual (lowest, i.e. best-case scenario) EDWC profiles. In the best-case scenario, glyphosate and picloram did not pose a threat, paraquat posed a moderate threat and 2,4-D posed a high threat, with the concentration exceeding the breakpoint for 90 percent of the years. With respect to the worst-case scenario, all four chemicals posed high threats to the consumer. Individual exposure via consumption of fish from the river was calculated using a calculated bioconcentration (BCF) factor and calculated breakpoint concentrations. For the best case scenario, picloram presented a low risk and 2,4-D presented a high risk but for the worst case, both of these chemicals presented a very high risk. An additive exposure of these two human health pathways found that for the best case scenario, exposure from most of the four chemicals did not approach the RfD. However, for the worst-case scenario the exposures were significantly higher than the oral RfD--therefore, between the lowest and the highest concentrations, the general population is at risk. For the ecological risk assessment, the 96-hour peak profile was compared to the 96-hour lethal dose (LD50); glyphosate posed a high risk to fathead minnows and low risk to bluegills and 2,4-D presented a high risk to fathead minnows, low risk to channel catfish, and very high risk to bluegills. A more general risk assessment compared maximum peak and annual concentrations to the US EPA's aquatic life benchmarks. Glyphosate presented no threat and 2,4-D only presented a threat to plants. For picloram, fish were at very high risk at the chronic level and low risk at the acute level, and plants were at moderate risk. Paraquat presented the most significant threat to aquatic life, exceeding benchmarks for all plants and invertebrates at the chronic level 100 percent of the time. It presented no threat to fish in the best-case scenario, but a high risk for fish at the chronic level in the worst case scenario, as well as very high risk for all invertebrates and plants. Improvements in application and watershed protection as part of a multi-disciplinary approach are proposed in place of technological mitigation strategies. Recommendations for future studies include the development of a developing-world context model and experimental studies in the developing world to compare to model results, where possible.

Ce mémoire porte sur l’étude de deux réseaux d’eau distincts, soit celui de la ville d’Arthabaska et celui de la ville de Victoriaville. Nous souhaitons éclairer le rôle joué par les facteurs environnementaux, naturels et urbains, au cours du processus ayant mené à l’implantation de réseaux d’eau potable et d’eaux usées dans les deux villes à l’étude. Divers travaux ont traité de la mise en place des réseaux d’aqueduc et d’égout à la grandeur du Canada. Toutefois, ce sont essentiellement les grandes villes comme Montréal ou Toronto qui ont retenu l’attention de l’histoire urbaine, politique et environnementale canadienne. L’objectif de cette démarche consiste à montrer que le milieu physique rural doit être incorporé à l’analyse comme élément vivant qui se transforme, qui influence et qui est influencé à son tour par l’être humain, puisqu’un et l’autre sont en constante interaction. Nous soutenons que la mise en place et le développement de réseaux d’eau sont influencés par le territoire dans lequel ils sont implantés et qu’ils ne peuvent pas être correctement analysés sans celui-ci. Afin de mettre l’espace au cœur de l’étude, nous avons mené une analyse des villes d’Arthabaska et de Victoriaville en considérant la géographie de la région à l’aide des cartes et des plans d’assurance-incendie, en plus de consulter des documents officiels et des articles tirés des journaux locaux. / This thesis focuses on the study of two separate water systems, namely that of city of Arthabaska and city of Victoriaville. We wish to clarify the role of natural and urban environmental factors in the process that led to the establishment of drinking water and wastewater systems in the two cities under consideration. Various studies have dealt with the implantation of waterworks and sewer systems across the country. However, it is mainly the large cities such as Montreal and Toronto that have caught the attention of the canadian political, urban, and environmental history. The objective of this approach is to show that the natural physical environment must be incorporated into the analysis as a living element that transforms, which influences and is influenced in turn by humans, since both are in constant interaction. We argue that the establishment and development of water systems are influenced by the territory in which they operate and they can not be correctly analyzed otherwise. To put the surroundings in the heart of the study, we conducted an analysis of city of Arthabaska and city of Victoriaville considering the geography of the area using maps and fire insurance plans, in addition to the analysis of official documents and articles from local newspapers.

The overall goal of this research is to develop an integrated system dynamics framework for sustainable management of municipal water and wastewater systems. Canadian municipalities have traditionally relied on grants received from senior levels of government to finance construction of water supply and wastewater collection infrastructure. User fees for water and wastewater services were determined so as to recover only the operating expenditures with no allowance to recoup the capital costs of infrastructure. As the infrastructure assets started approaching the end of their service life, investments needed to rehabilitate these assets were deferred in the expectation of receiving further grants for this purpose. Hence, a significant backlog of deteriorated infrastructure has accumulated over the years. Recently enacted regulations require that all expenditures incurred on provision of water and wastewater services should ultimately be financed from user fee based revenues. Another piece of legislation provides for establishment of service performance standards. Urban water and wastewater systems involve interconnections among physical infrastructure, financial, and socio-political factors. Several interacting feedback loops are formed due to these interconnections and render the management of water and wastewater infrastructure as a complex, dynamic problem. Existing asset management tools in the literature are found inadequate to capture the influence of feedback loops. A novel system dynamics approach is used to develop a demonstration model for water and wastewater network management. Model results for a case study show significance of feedback loops for financial sustainability of the system. For example, user fees have to be substantially increased to achieve financial sustainability, especially when price elasticity of water demand is considered. A detailed causal loop diagram for management of wastewater collection networks is presented. The causal loop diagram lays out qualitative causal relationships among system components and identifies multiple interacting feedback loops. Based on this causal loop diagram, a system dynamics model comprised of a wastewater pipes sector, a finance sector, and a consumers sector, is developed. Policy levers are included in the model to facilitate formulation of different financing and rehabilitation strategies for the wastewater collection network. Financial and service performance indicators included in the model allow comparison of different financing and rehabilitation strategies. Data requirements for implementation of the model are discussed. The wastewater collection network model is implemented for a case study of a medium-sized Canadian municipality with a substantial backlog of deteriorated pipes. A methodology for parameterization of the model using existing data sources is presented. Simulation results indicate that different financing strategies ranging from no borrowing to full utilization of debt capacity can achieve similar total life-cycle costs but with significantly varying impacts for consumers in terms of service performance and financial burden. A detailed causal loop diagram for management of a watermain distribution network is employed to identify feedback loops. The causal loop diagram is then developed into a system dynamics model comprised of watermain pipes, financial, and consumer sectors. Data requirements for implementation of the model are discussed.

Domestic solar hot water units, if properly designed, are capable of providing all hot water needs in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way. Despite 50 years of development, commercial technology has not yet achieved substantial market penetration compared to mainstream electric and gas options. Therefore, alternate designs are warranted if they can offer similar or greater performance for a comparable cost to conventional units. This study proved that such alternatives are possible by designing and testing two novel solar hot water systems (SHWS). The first system used compound parabolic collector (CPC) panels to concentrate solar energy and produce steam. The steam moved from a rooftop downward into a heat exchange pipe within a ground level water tank, heating the water, condensing and falling into a receptacle. The operation was entirely passive, since the condensate was pulled up due to the partial vacuum that occurred after system cooling. Efficiencies of up to 40% were obtained. The second system used an air heater panel. Air was circulated in open and closed loop configuration (air recycling) by means of a fan/blower motor and was forced across a compact heat exchanger coupled to a water tank. This produced a natural thermosiphon flow heating the water. Air recycling mode provided higher system efficiencies: 34% vs. 27%. The concurrent development of an analytical model that reasonably predicted heat transfer dynamics of these systems allowed 1) performance optimisation for specific input/starting operating conditions and 2) virtual design improvements. The merit of this model lay in its acceptable accuracy in spite of its simplicity. By optimising for operating conditions and parameter design, both systems are capable of providing over 30 MJ of useful domestic hot water on clear days, which equates roughly to an increase of 35°C in a 200 L water tank. This will satisfy, on average, daily hot water requirements for a 4-person household, particularly in low-latitude regions (eg. Queensland). Preliminary costing for these systems puts them on par with conventional units, with the passive, remotely coupled, low maintenance, CPC SHWS comparable to higher end models. The air heater SHWS, by contrast, was much more economical and easier to build and handle, but at the trade-off cost of 1) the need for an active system, 2) increased maintenance and running costs and 3) the requirement for a temperature control mechanism that would protect the panel body by dumping hot air trapped inside if stagnation were to occur.

The increasing price of oil and the destabilisation of the world’s climate are urging governments, businesses and individuals to constantly investigate energy-efficient technologies and methodologies and pursue the adoption of energy efficiency programmes in a global effort to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately energy costs. In New Zealand, one of the biggest industrial energy efficiency projects was started in 2002 by a multinational dairy company, the Fonterra Co-operative Group, in partnership with the energy service company Demand Response Ltd; the project currently aims at reducing by 15% the energy costs at all Fonterra’s major production sites throughout the country. This thesis, undertaken as part of the above project, examines the development and implementation of a structured and integrated energy monitoring and targeting methodology (M&T) for the most efficient operation of all Fonterra’s chilled water systems, with an initial focus on the ones installed at Clandeboye, one of the Fonterra’s sites involved in the energy saving project. A data collection system (Insite) was already in place at Clandeboye to enable storage and analysis of some of the site’s utility metering data. After identification of key chilled water system components and definition of data requirements for M&T purposes, an analysis of past energy consumption trends (based on multiple regression calculations) was carried out to develop an historical benchmark of the energy used, compare it with current energy performance and thus identify opportunities for future improvements. The creation of an M&T reporting system for presenting findings to operators and management was the last essential part of the thesis development. The study has highlighted that the robustness of the proposed regression model was badly affected by the unreliability of the existing data collection system and the uncertainty associated with poorly documented changes to operating conditions/plant configuration that had occurred over time. The conclusion is that, while the developed M&T methodology is theoretically valid and readily applicable, further developments are necessary (and recommended) to make it suitable for other similar systems.

Diversos estudos têm relacionado melhores condições de saneamento básico ao incremento nos índices de saúde da população. Investimentos em saneamento básico tendem a promover um benefício econômico, já que o custo para as intervenções necessárias é inferior à despesa com tratamento das enfermidades causadas pela falta de saneamento. Esta pesquisa visou caracterizar a problemática do abastecimento de água em pequenas comunidades urbanas e rurais no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, avaliando-se a vulnerabilidade dos sistemas de abastecimento e da população atingida por meio de critérios próprios voltados à situação de interesse. Definiu-se uma amostra com locais escolhidos por método estatístico e um índice de vulnerabilidade composto por quatro dimensões de análise, dez indicadores e cinco níveis de vulnerabilidade cada. Com isso, caracterizou-se a problemática com base nos dez indicadores propostos, analisaram-se estatisticamente os resultados do índice de vulnerabilidade com o cálculo do índice médio para o Estado e em termos de subpopulações, e estimou-se a proporção da população abastecida e sistemas considerados vulneráveis. Apresentaram-se, portanto, conclusões quanto ao método empregado e resultados encontrados, além de recomendações que podem ser aplicadas para mitigar as vulnerabilidades encontradas e no desenvolvimento de trabalhos futuros. Os resultados demonstraram que o nível de tratamento se mostrou um importante critério de análise de vulnerabilidade, havendo diferenças significativas nos resultados do índice para os sistemas sem tratamento e aqueles com tratamento considerado adequado. / According to several studies, there is an association between progresses in drinking water and sanitation to improvements in health indices. Investments in safe drinking water and sanitation may yield in an economic benefit, as the health-effect costs outweigh the costs of undertaking the required interventions. The objective of this research was to evaluate small community water supply systems in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, assessing the vulnerability of the systems and population that depends on them. The survey followed statistical sampling techniques to design the sample size and a water vulnerability index tool that included four dimensions, ten indicators and five vulnerability ratings was constructed. The condition was characterized by the ten proposed indicators, while statistical analysis of the vulnerability index was performed with mean estimates for the State and subpopulations. It was also estimated the proportion of the target population and water supply systems considered vulnerable. Conclusions were presented with respect to the method applied and the main results found in the survey. Recommendations were proposed in order to mitigate the vulnerabilities of the systems and protect public health. The results demonstrate that the level of treatment is a major vulnerability criteria, as significant differences in the index were related to systems that distribute water without treatment and those with an appropriate treatment technology.

Diversos estudos têm relacionado melhores condições de saneamento básico ao incremento nos índices de saúde da população. Investimentos em saneamento básico tendem a promover um benefício econômico, já que o custo para as intervenções necessárias é inferior à despesa com tratamento das enfermidades causadas pela falta de saneamento. Esta pesquisa visou caracterizar a problemática do abastecimento de água em pequenas comunidades urbanas e rurais no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, avaliando-se a vulnerabilidade dos sistemas de abastecimento e da população atingida por meio de critérios próprios voltados à situação de interesse. Definiu-se uma amostra com locais escolhidos por método estatístico e um índice de vulnerabilidade composto por quatro dimensões de análise, dez indicadores e cinco níveis de vulnerabilidade cada. Com isso, caracterizou-se a problemática com base nos dez indicadores propostos, analisaram-se estatisticamente os resultados do índice de vulnerabilidade com o cálculo do índice médio para o Estado e em termos de subpopulações, e estimou-se a proporção da população abastecida e sistemas considerados vulneráveis. Apresentaram-se, portanto, conclusões quanto ao método empregado e resultados encontrados, além de recomendações que podem ser aplicadas para mitigar as vulnerabilidades encontradas e no desenvolvimento de trabalhos futuros. Os resultados demonstraram que o nível de tratamento se mostrou um importante critério de análise de vulnerabilidade, havendo diferenças significativas nos resultados do índice para os sistemas sem tratamento e aqueles com tratamento considerado adequado. / According to several studies, there is an association between progresses in drinking water and sanitation to improvements in health indices. Investments in safe drinking water and sanitation may yield in an economic benefit, as the health-effect costs outweigh the costs of undertaking the required interventions. The objective of this research was to evaluate small community water supply systems in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, assessing the vulnerability of the systems and population that depends on them. The survey followed statistical sampling techniques to design the sample size and a water vulnerability index tool that included four dimensions, ten indicators and five vulnerability ratings was constructed. The condition was characterized by the ten proposed indicators, while statistical analysis of the vulnerability index was performed with mean estimates for the State and subpopulations. It was also estimated the proportion of the target population and water supply systems considered vulnerable. Conclusions were presented with respect to the method applied and the main results found in the survey. Recommendations were proposed in order to mitigate the vulnerabilities of the systems and protect public health. The results demonstrate that the level of treatment is a major vulnerability criteria, as significant differences in the index were related to systems that distribute water without treatment and those with an appropriate treatment technology.

O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido para compor um modelo de educação ambiental no Jardim Botânico do Estado de São Paulo, localizado no Parque Estadual Fontes do Ipiranga (PEFI). Devido ao seu propósito educacional, o projeto educativo foi desenvolvido com o apoio de dois professores do ensino básico e de pesquisadores do Núcleo de Educação Ambiental do Jardim Botânico do Estado de São Paulo e das Seções de Ecologia e Ficologia do Instituto de Botânica. O modelo considerou quatro sistemas hídricos do PEFI, a Nascente do Riacho do Ipiranga e os Lagos do Jardim Botânico \"Nascentes, Ninféias e Bugios\", como base para a construção de instrumentos ordenadores de visitas monitoradas de professores do ensino básico e seus alunos ao Jardim Botânico. Como base do projeto, abordou-se o tema meio ambiente como transversal às disciplinas clássicas do sistema educacional brasileiro e empreenderam-se as ações do projeto através do conhecimento de diferentes profissionais sobre o meio ambiente que compuseram o grupo de trabalho e, ao mesmo, buscou-se integrar as ações às reais necessidades dos docentes do Ensino Básico. Nesse sentido, foi essencial a participação dos dois professores de escolas do entorno do Jardim Botânico nas etapas organizacionais do projeto. A caracterização da área de estudo baseou-se em seus aspectos históricos e físicos, bem como na qualidade sanitária dos corpos aquáticos considerados. As determinações físicas-químicas e microbiológicas revelaram uma condição sanitária satisfatória das águas, contudo os valores de coliformes fecais e totais encontrados nos lagos sugerem contaminação de origem animal, comum à região. A produtividade primária também foi determinada para cada corpo aquático, encontrando-se baixos valores de clorofila a nos três lagos e na nascente. Os tipos de algas microscópicas observadas foram os gêneros Chrysochromulina, Ankistrodesmus, Scenedesmus, Cosmarium, Navicula, Eunotia, Cryptomonas, Closterium, Gomphonema, Pinnularia, Pleurotaenium, Arthrospira, Oedogonium, Euastrum, Monoraphidium, Staurastrum, Pleurotaenium, Mallomonas e Chlamydomonas. De acordo com a tabela Carlson (Índice de Estado Trófico) a Nascente e o Lago das Nascentes são considerados oligotróficos, enquanto que o Lago dos Bugios e o das Ninféias, mesotróficos. A primeira ação do projeto, um curso teórico-prático, buscou-se integrar os professores do ensino básico em temas relacionados ao meio ambiente, particularmente naqueles de maior relevância aos profissionais atuantes no Jardim Botânico. Posteriormente, os professores participaram de ações para formatação de instrumentos educativos para visitação monitorada ao jardim, que resultaram na elaboração de um manual de visitação do professor, contendo um mapa da área de visitação e explicações de placas sinalizadoras. Para o núcleo de educação ambiental do Jardim Botânico foi disponibilizada a estrutura básica de um curso de capacitação de professores do ensino básico em temas sobre o meio ambiente, bem como a documentação fotográfica da área estudada, os critérios para a admissão de visita monitorada e os procedimentos para adequação do local da Nascente do Riacho do Ipiranga à visitação pública. Finalmente, deve-se ressaltar que o tema escolhido para a realização dessa dissertação de mestrado foi originado da percepção dos pesquisadores do Instituto de Botânica em destacar a importância do Jardim Botânico através de seus sistemas hídricos, e como poderiam ser utilizados como instrumento educativo nas escolas de São Paulo. Nesse sentido, optou-se por enriquecer o clássico foco dado aos jardins botânicos em todo o mundo, no qual a maioria dos visitantes apenas observa a vegetação local e exótica. Assim, pode-se afirmar que o trabalho empreendido se constituirá em uma contribuição ao professor com a missão de inserir a dimensão ambiental nas mais variadas disciplinas do ensino básico. / The present work was developed to make up a model of environmental education at the botanical garden in São Paulo state, located at Parque Estadual Fontes do Ipiranga (PEFI). Due to the educational purpose, the project was developed with the support of two teachers of basic teaching and with researchers from Nucleo de Educação Ambiental of Botanical Garden of São Paulo state and the Section of Ecology and Phycology of Botanical Institute. The pattern considered four hybrid systems of PEFI: the source of Riacho do Ipiranga and the lakes of Nascentes, Ninféias and Bugios as basis for the making of order instruments to monitor the visits of teachers of Basic Teaching and their students to the botanical garden. As a base for the project, the environmental theme was broached as transversal to the classical subjects of the Brazilian Teaching System and the actions of the project were undertaken through the knowledge of different professionals about the environment that took part of the working group and, to the same work, it was tried the integration of actions to the real needs of the Teaching Staff of Basic Teaching. That way, the participation of two teachers from schools was essential around the Botanical Garden to organize the steps of the project. The studies of the area characterization were based in its historical and physical aspects such as sanitary quality of aquatic bodies that were considered. The physical-chemical and microbiological determination showed a satisfactory sanitary condition of the water, however, the total fecal coliform values found in the lakes suggest contamination of animal origin common in the region. The primary productivity was also determined for each aquatic body finding low chlorophyll values a in the three lakes and in the source. The kind of microscopical algae observed were Crysochromulina, Ankistrodemus, Scenesdemus, Cosmarium, Navicula, Eunotia, Cryptomonas, Closterium, Gomphonema, Pinnularia, Pleuroteanium, Arthrospira, Oedogonium, Euastrum, Monoraphidium, Mallomonas and Chlamydomonas kinds. According to Carlson\'s chart (Indice de Estado Trófico), the Nascente and the Lago das Nascentes are considered oligotrophic, while Bugios and Ninféias lakes are mesotrophic ones. The first project, a theoric-practical course, tried the integration of basic teaching teachers on themes related to the environment, particulary the ones of greater relevance to the professionals of the botanical garden. Afterwards, the teachers took part in the actions to form educative instruments for monitored visits to the Garden, what turned out into an elaboration of a teachers\' visit manual, which has a map of the area to be visited with explanations and sign boards. A course, to prepare Basic Education teachers on themes about the environment, was prepared for the nucleo de educação ambiental of the botanical garden which has photos and documents about the area which was researched, also, the criteria for the monitored visit and procedures to suit the Nascente do Riacho do Ipiranga for public visits. Finally, we must emphasize that the chosen theme for the achievement of this Master Essay had its origin from the understanding of the researchers at the Instituto de Botanica in outstanding the importance of the botanical garden through its hydric systems, and how they could be used as educational instrument in schools in São Paulo. This way, it was chosen to enrich the classical focus given to the botanical gardens all over the world, where most of visitors only watch the exotic and local vegetation. This way, we can say that the work that was done will be a contribution to the teacher with the purpose of inserting an environmental dimension in the varied subjects of the basic teaching.

Fossil fuels are the major sources of electrical power generation in the world. Among all fossil fuels, oil is considered as the most sought-after fuel. The burden on countries that provide subsidized electricity produced from oil-fired power plants is noteworthy. Kuwait is a notable example of these countries. Electricity in Kuwait is heavily consumed by residential air conditioning, which comprises 60% of the total electricity generated at peak times on a hot summer day. From this perspective, residential air conditioning in Kuwait was selected to undergo further investigation regarding low energy air conditioning choices. Three solutions to control the rapid growth of demand for electricity by residential air conditioning are examined. The first solution investigated assesses the orientation and grouping of houses in Kuwait in order to examine their effect on cooling load and electrical energy consumption for future houses. Four residential cases were developed; each case comprises six typical houses. The cases identified are: (1) single block facing east-west, (2) single block facing north-south, (3) double block facing east-west and (4) double block facing north-south. Cooling loads are calculated using the DesignBuilder building thermal simulation software. Case (2) is found to have the smallest cooling load, and case (1) the largest. The estimated savings from applying case (2) compared to the average of the four cases for the future houses planned to be built by the government by the year 2016 (i.e. approximately 20,000 houses) are found to be approximately .US 33 million of power system capital costs, 15 GWh per year of electrical energy consumption and 11 kilotons per year of CO2 emissions. In the second solution, a lifecycle cost analysis is performed to evaluate the economic feasibilities of electricity driven chilled water system compared to predominant air conditioning system in Kuwaiti houses which is Packaged- Direct Expansion. The study considers the total cash paid by the consumer and the total cash paid by the government, since electricity is subsidized in Kuwait. The study finds that the chilled water system is not cost-effective for consumers due to high installation cost. However, a chilled water system would be cost-effective for the government because it consumes 40%less electrical energy than Packaged-DX. So, the study suggests subsidising the installation of chilled water systems so that the installation cost to the consumer is the same as for Packaged-DX systems. In the third solution, the study examines the viability of a single-effect LiBr absorption chiller driven by steam extracted from the steam turbine in the configuration of a combined cycle power plant (CCPP). The analysis shows that CCPP with absorption chiller yields less net electrical power available to utility grid compared to similar CCPP giving electricity to the grid and to Direct-Expansion air conditioning systems for the same cooling requirements. The reasons for that are the reduction in steam turbine power output resulted from steam extraction, and the amount of electrical energy required to operate the configuration of CCPP with absorption chiller.