Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Dept. of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Inst.Agrar)(Rural Engineering Technology)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

No description available.

M.Ing.

M.Tech. / The Water Services Authorities in South africa are currently responsible for the management and operation of rural water supply in the country.Many of these comunity water supply schemes are in poor conditions due to lack of proper operation, maintenance, poor design and/or poor construction with the result that they experience serious water losses through physical losses(leakage)and apparent losses, and often fail to meet the consumer's demand during peak periods.Indications are that substantial quantities of water are lost in the systems due to leakage, wasteful use, illegal connections and meter errors. As a result of these problems, the levels of service delivery are often very poor leading to low cost recovery resulting in water services institutions becoming ineffective and inefficient businesses. The investigation attempted to identify effective techniques and/or strategies for water loss reduction in Dinokana Village (Central District Municipality). The study identified and defined various procedures/methodologies for managing Non Revenue Water in community water supply schemes. Some of the strategies developed from the findings of this research have been implemented with a view of quantitatively verifying their effectiveness.

Groundwater resources is the major source of potable water in Mchinji District of Central Malawi and globally. Although the total amount of water on and under the earth‟s surface is generally assumed to have remained constant, the rapid population boom coupled with extension of agricultural farmland and industrial development are putting pressure and stress on the quality and quantity of water resources. In principal therefore, „use and discard‟ philosophy in water resources cannot be subscribed (Lloyd, 1999). The situation ultimately calls for rational management of water resources to ensure its sustainability. Water intended for human consumption must be free from organisms that are the causative agents of diseases and must not contain chemical substances at concentrations that may be hazardous to human health. In addition drinking water should be aesthetically acceptable, free from unpleasant taste, color, odor and turbidity. Drinking water should also be free from bacteria and viruses whose presence would indicate fecal contamination. Some are known to be toxic and their concentrations must be below acceptable value, taking into account that drinking water is but one of the several pathways by which substances enters the body. ix Due to perceived concerns of over extraction and rapid water resources depletion, optimal management of groundwater resources are now receiving much attention. Their associated literatures have taken quite different approaches both philosophically and operationally to the analysis of how groundwater should be managed, allocated and cared for spatially and temporally. This study investigated the spatial and temporal fluctuations of concentrations of chemical and biological substances in groundwater such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, iron, fluoride, manganese, chloride, sulfates, sodium and fecal coliform in Mchinji District of Central Malawi. Through examination and analysis of static water levels as an indicator of water table fluctuations, groundwater availability was also measured. It was found that anthropogenic activities on the landscape can impact the quality and quantity of the water resources in this area and this impact on the various sectors of the inhabitant‟s livelihoods. Groundwater in Mchinji is composed of a number of chemical and biological elements whose origin is either from the material in which it percolates through, or stored before exploitation. Anthropogenic activities in this area plays a role in the quality and quantity of groundwater through land use and land cover change as evidenced by comparisons of Landsat Thematic x Mapper™ satellite images over different time scales. In Mchinji no regular groundwater monitoring is being done indicating a deficiency in sustainability interventions of the resource. This study calls for integrated and sustainable water resources management and coordinated efforts amongst water users, local councils, regulatory authorities and environmental policy makers. Of far greater importance in groundwater sustainability analysis is the issue of groundwater monitoring. It is imperative therefore to preserve the resource while preservation is still possible. Groundwater is now turning into „blue gold‟ and becoming a highly sought-after commodity. It should, however, be utilized sustainably to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The concept of coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP), a tool now used globally, was established as a way to manage increasing interests in development and conservation of coastal and ocean areas. Planning literature has recognized the importance of being able to characterize good quality plans; however, no standard for how to evaluate coastal and marine spatial plans exists. This research provides a foundational effort in establishing an evaluative tool (and baseline) for CMSP plan quality. The evaluative tool assesses the overall quality of the content of coastal and marine spatial plans according to existing planning literature; and assess the orientation of the plans towards the benefits of CMSP espoused by UNESCO. Case studies are also used to obtain a better understanding of the processes that created two coastal and marine spatial plans, and evaluate if any of the evaluation elements not evident in the plans were actually included in the planning process. The coastal and marine spatial plans scored quite low on the evaluative tool. Ultimately, the plans evaluated seem to present facts and intentions without telling a story. The case studies, on the other hand, show that while the plans do not exhibit information about many of the elements measured by the evaluation tool, their development processes were far more robust than the evaluation results indicate. The amount of support that the processes garnered also indicate that these were high quality and successful planning processes. The findings show that the planning process matters, and that it is important to then document that robust, meaningful participatory process in the plan. Key information about how coastal and marine spatial plans, and other plans, can be improved is presented. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / April 15, 2016. / Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning, Marine Spatial Planning, Plan Evaluation / Includes bibliographical references. / Tim Chapin, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ralph Brower, University Representative; Chris Coutts, Committee Member; Will Butler, Committee Member; Donna Christie, Committee Member.

No description available.

No description available.