Orientador: Iraê Amaral Guerrini / Coorientador: Luiz César Ribas / Banca : Osmar de Carvalho Bueno / Banca: Maura Seiko Tsutsui Esperancini / Banca: Aloisio Costa Sampaio / Banca: Clarice Backes / Resumo: Os distintos e diversos acontecimentos sociais, econômicos, ambientais políticos e culturais havidos em tempos recentes, tanto em ambiente público quanto privado, referendados inclusive por publicações científicas, reforçam que a sustentabilidade do nosso planeta é um dos maiores desafios deste século. A proteção do ambiente é tema cada vez mais presente no dia a dia das empresas, tanto de grande quanto, mais contemporaneamente, de médio e pequeno porte, com implicações na viabilidade econômica e competitividade empresarial. Um Sistema de Gestão Ambiental (SGA) é uma forma de inserir as preocupações e diretrizes ambientais na gestão empresarial das organizações. Um SGA de uma empresa está implicitamente associado a toda uma estrutura organizacional, a atividades de planejamento, a definição de responsabilidade, a práticas e procedimentos, bem como a processos e recursos para desenvolver, implantar, alcançar, rever e manter a política ambiental estabelecida pela empresa. Considerando, portanto, esta problematização ambiental, entende-se que é possível elaborar e implantar, dentro da perspectiva dos proprietários rurais ou de seus representantes, um Sistema de Gestão Ambiental que venha a atender uma determinada região agropecuária visando mercados com requisitos cada vez mais sustentáveis. Dentro deste contexto, o objetivo principal deste estudo é propor um Sistema de Certificação Ambiental aos produtores de cana-de-açúcar da região de Monte Aprazível visando atender mercados com requisitos de sustentabilidade cada vez mais exigentes. Pretendeu-se utilizar o método Dedutivo, uma vez que, partindo-se de premissas gerais de alguns dos principais requisitos de sustentabilidade do presente estudo de caso, sobretudo em termos da legislação ambiental ... / Abstract: Recently the several and distinct social, economic, environmental, political and cultural events, either in public or private organizations, countersigned by scientific publications have reinforced that the sustainability of our planet is one of the biggest challenges of this century.The environmental protection is a topic that has been increasingly present in the routine of companies whether they are large, or more contemporaneously, medium or small, with implications in economic viability and competitiveness. An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a way to introduce the concerns and environmental guidelines into the management of the business organizations.The EMS of a company is implicitly associated with an entire organizational structure, planning activities, definition of responsibility, practices and procedures, as well as the processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy 5 established by the company. Considering, therefore, this environmental issue, it is possible to elaborate and implement, within the rural landowners perspective or their representatives, an Environmental Management System which can suit a particular agricultural region aiming markets with increasingly sustainable requirements for the markets. In this context, the main objective of this study is to propose an Environmental Certification System for sugarcaneproducers from the region of Monte Aprazível, aiming to attend markets with more demanding sustainability requirements. It was used the deductive methodology, since the general premises of some major sustainability requirements of this present case study were the starting point, above all in terms of state environmental applicable legislation, based on a chain of reasoning, in decreasing order of analysis, from the general to the specific, to achieve some points that can confirm or not the hypothes ... / Doutor

Orientador: Rodrigo Lilla Manzione / Banca: Sérgio Campos / Banca: Edson Luís Piroli / Resumo: Com a crescente demanda por combustíveis, alimentos e fibras que acompanha o crescimento populacional, o esforço para oferecer água suficiente para a agricultura e prover insumos provoca pressão adicional sobre o meio ambiente. Neste cenário, recursos hídricos subterrâneos têm ganho destaque, sendo uma opção de qualidade de água e pela facilidade de captação próxima às áreas de produção. Interesses conflitantes entre o uso da água e a proteção de mananciais estratégicos reforçam a necessidade de adequação da legislação para que se busque um melhor ordenamento do território e um manejo sustentável dos recursos hídricos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi mapear o uso da terra em área de afloramento do Sistema Aquífero Guarani (SAG) e gerar informações para o melhor planejamento e discussão de políticas públicas de conservação dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos em áreas de alta produção agrícola irrigada. A área de estudo foi a Bacia do Ribeirão do Jacú, no município de Tejupá - SP, localizada integralmente em área de afloramento do SAG, portanto, região considerada vulnerável. Com a classificação supervisionada do uso da terra, através de um Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG), pode-se identificar e quantificar as principais atividades desenvolvidas e os conflitos de uso da terra na bacia entre os períodos de 2002 e 2011. Os resultados demonstram a apropriação de sistemas agrícolas e pecuária em Área de Preservação Permanente (APP) e um avanço da agricultura irrigada nas áreas próximas ao exutório da bacia, apontando uma tendência de ... / Abstract: With the increasing demand for fuel, food and fiber that follows population growth, the effort to provide sufficient water for agriculture causes additional pressure on the environment. In this scenario, a groundwater resources has been highlighted as a good choice of water quality, due to the possibility of exploration in places near the production areas. The conflicting interests between the use of the water and the protection of strategic sources reinforce the needs for a legislation adaptation looking for a better territorial organization and a sustainable water resources management. This study aimed to map land use in an outcrop area of the Guarani Aquifer System (SAG) and generate information for a better planning and discussion of public policies for groundwater resources conservation in areas with irrigated agricultural production. The study area was the Ribeirão do Jacú watershed, in the municipality of Tejupá - SP, Brazil, located entirely in the outcrop area of SAG, therefore, a high vulnerability region. From supervised satellite image classification of land use and occupation using Geographic Information System (GIS), it was possible to identify and to quantify the major activities developed and the conflicts of the actual land use in the watershed in the period between 2002 and 2011. The results showed the presence of agricultural and livestock systems in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA) and an improvement of irrigated agriculture in areas closed to the outflow of the basin, indicating a trend of local production intensification. With this information, it was... / Mestre

Orientador: João Carlos de Andrade / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-05T03:10:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Falcao_AudreydeArruda_M.pdf: 452766 bytes, checksum: 4fd8a7b939f13bb928e461a7113b0135 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Mestrado / Quimica Analitica / Mestre em Química

Orientadores: Adriano Luiz Tonetti, Bruno Coraucci Filho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo. / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T18:04:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PaixaoFilho_JorgeLuizda_M.pdf: 2379245 bytes, checksum: 00497843fd17605c51498a78155246f6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A geração de lodo de esgoto (LE) é uma característica intrínseca do tratamento das águas residuárias por processos biológicos. Aliado a isso, o aumento do número de estações de tratamento de esgoto tem demandado soluções para a disposição econômica e ambientalmente segura para o lodo gerado. Um sistema amplamente utilizado no Brasil para o tratamento de esgoto desde a década de 80 são as lagoas de estabilização, no entanto ao longo desses anos o lodo gerado nesse sistema não tem recebido atenção, devido a baixa produção per capita e seu longo tempo de residência na lagoa. Uma opção com grande destaque no cenário nacional para sua disposição é a aplicação do lodo na agricultura como fonte de nutrientes em culturas com elevada necessidade de fertilizantes, tal como a roseira. Portanto, o objetivo desse trabalho foi estudar a aplicação do lodo da lagoa facultativa primária da cidade de Coronel Macedo (Estado de São Paulo) na cultura de roseiras variedade 'Carola', avaliando os efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento da planta. O experimento foi instalado em uma área experimental do Departamento de Saneamento e Ambiente da Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo (UNICAMP), no município de Campinas-SP. As roseiras foram plantadas em baldes de 20 L, sendo o lodo incorporado na camada superficial do solo. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: a massa seca das raízes (MSR), a massa seca da parte aérea (MSPA), volume das raízes, área das folhas (AF) e concentração de nitrogênio no tecido foliar (NTF). Também foi estudada a quantidade de nitrato lixiviado e a fração de mineralização (FM) do lodo. A quantidade de lodo aplicada foi baseada na necessidade de nitrogênio da cultura, de acordo com o cálculo proposto pela resolução CONAMA 375/06. Os tratamentos foram: T1 - tratamento testemunha absoluta, T2 - 12 Mg ha-1 de lodo em base seca (BS), T3 - 24 Mg ha-1 de lodo BS (dose calculada), T4 - 36 Mg ha-1 lodo BS e T5 - adubação mineral (100 kg N ha-1). O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualisados, com seis repetições. Foi verificado que o aumento da dose de lodo aplicado na roseira aumentou a MSR, MSPA, AF e o NTF. O maior crescimento da roseira (MSR+MSPA) aconteceu nos tratamentos T4 e T5, com 93 e 104 g planta-1, respectivamente. Houve um incremento na MSR na aplicação de LE na dose recomendada pela norma, de 14,00 e 34,00 g planta-1 para T1 e T3 respectivamente. Na primeira análise a maior AF e NTF foi no T4 com 14,66 cm2 e 21,43 g kg-1. A lixiviação de nitrato foi de aproximadamente 5% do nitrogênio total aplicado para os tratamentos com lodo (T2, T3 e T4) e de 10% na adubação mineral (T5). A FM do lodo da lagoa facultativa, determinada em incubação aeróbia, foi de 40%, valor acima do sugerido para lodo digerido anaerobiamente pela norma brasileira (FM = 20 %). Deste modo, a aplicação de lodo de esgoto na cultura da roseira proporcionou aumento nos valores dos parâmetros observados e para o cálculo da aplicação do lodo da lagoa em estudo o FM deve ser de 40% / Abstract: The sewage sludge (SS) generation is an intrinsic characteristic of the treatment of wastewater by biological processes. Allied to this, the increasing number of wastewater treatment plants has demanded solutions for the economical and environmentally safe disposal for the SS. A widely system used in Brazil for the wastewater treatment since years 80's is the stabilization ponds, however over the years the sludge generated in this system has not received attention owing the low production per capita and to long residence time in the pond. An option with great emphasis on the national stage for their disposal is the application in agriculture as a source of nutrients in crops with high demand for fertilizers, such as the rose bush. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the application of sludge from the facultative lagoon from city Coronel Macedo (São Paulo State, Brazil) in cultured rose variety 'Carola', assessing the effects on plant development. The experiment was installed in an experimental area of Department of Sanitation and Environment, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urbanism (UNICAMP) in Campinas-SP. The roses were planted in 20L buckets, the sludge being applied subsurface. The parameters evaluated were: root dry matter (RDM), the shoot dry mass (SDM), root volume, leaf area (LA) and nitrogen concentration in leaf tissue (NLT). Also studied was the amount of nitrate leaching and the mineralization fraction (MF) of the sludge. The amount of sludge was applied based on the need for nitrogen of the culture, according to the method proposed by CONAMA 375/06. The treatments were: T1 - absolute control treatment, T2 - 12 Mg ha-1 sludge on a dry basis (DB), T3 - 24 Mg ha-1 sludge DB (calculated dose), T4 - 36 Mg ha-1 sludge DB and T5 - mineral fertilizer (100 kg N ha-1). The experimental design was randomized blocks with six replications. It was found that increasing the dose of sludge applied to the rose bush increased the RDM, SDM, LA and NLT. The largest growth of the rose (RDM + SDM) occurred in treatments T4 and T5, with 93 and 104 g plant-1, respectively. There was an increase in the RDM in the application of SS in the dose recommended by the standard of 14.00 and 34.00 g plant-1 for T1 and T3, respectively. In the first analysis the largest LA and NLT was 14.66 cm2 and 21.43 g kg-1 in T4. Nitrate leaching was about 5% of total nitrogen applied to the sludge treatments (T2, T3 and T4) and 10% in mineral fertilizer (T5). MF the sewage sludge of facultative lagoon, determined by aerobic incubation, was 40% above the value suggested for anaerobically digested sludge by Brazilian standard (MF = 20%). Thus, the application of sewage sludge in the culture of rose provided to increase the observed parameters and for calculating the application of sewage sludge of facultative lagoons in agriculture MF should be 40% / Mestrado / Saneamento e Ambiente / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

No description available.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the importance of an appropriate understanding of ethics in sustainability transitions. Through a conceptual analysis, it finds that the dominant understanding of modernist ethics is unsuitable to the contexts of contingency in sustainability transitions, and that the participatory understanding of ethics as a complex system presents a far more adequate approach to the ethical complexity of socioecological systems. In particular, the strategy of 'practising provisionality' is suggested, which understands the process of ethical decision-making as a process of social learning. This argument is further supported by a critical reflection on the food system context. The present dangers and future uncertainties of sustainability transitions are issues of incredible complexity. Socioecological interactions can have unpredictable impacts on our ability to the needs of both current and future generations, like realising a sustainable food system. Moreover, there are difficult decisions that we also to make in such dilemmas, like the extent of natural resource exploitation, where normativity plays a large role. This means that these complex issues are also ethical issues. The importance of understanding ethics in sustainability transitions is, therefore, of great importance, since we will want to believe we are making the 'right' choices in these changing contexts. However, the understanding of ethics that dominates traditional scientific thinking and academic inquiries represents a paradigm of thought that is insensitive to complexity of socioecological systems, and is therefore, inadequate in addressing the ethical complexity of sustainability transitions. In the context of food systems, this is demonstrated in the linear emphasis on food production that dominates the ethics of realising sustainable food systems. This thesis argues that a more appropriate way of thinking about ethics in times of contingent contexts and socioecological change would have to account for complexity. In an acknowledgement of the complexity of ethics, it is argued that every decision has elements of moral consideration, and that there is also no way to know objectively whether the respective decision was morally 'right' or 'wrong'. Such an understanding of complex ethics would, therefore, emphasise the importance of recursively reasoning through every ethical decision to address any reductionisms of complexity; adopting an attitude of modesty and openness towards dialogue, and adopting a student mentality of social learning that would improve upon one's complex ethical reasoning. Subsequently, the paradigmatic shift of a complex approach to ethics is more adequate in understanding ethics in sustainability transitions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die belangrikheid van 'n toepaslike begrip van etiek in volhoubaarheidsoorgange. Die bevinding van hierdie konseptuele analise is dat die oorheersende begrip van modernistiese etiek ongeskik is in die volhoubaarheidsoorgang konteks van gebeurlikheid en dat die deelnemende begrip van etiek as 'n komplekse sisteem 'n baie meer toepaslike benadering is tot die etiese kompleksiteit van sosioekologiese sisteme. Die strategie van 'praktiese voorlopigheid' word in die besonder voorgestel. Dit sien die proses van etiese besluitneming as 'n proses van sosiale leerwyse. Die argument word verder ondersteun deur die kritiese refleksie op die voedselsisteem konteks. Die huidige gevare en toekomstige onsekerheid van volhoubaarheidsoorgange is geweldige ingewikkelde strydvrae. Sosioekologiese interaksies kan onvoorsiene impakte hê op ons vermoeëns om die behoeftes van beide huidige en toekomstige generasies aan te spreek, soos om volhoubare voedselsisteme te laat realiseer. Verder is daar moelike besluite wat geneem moet word tydens sulke dilemmas, soos die mate waartoe ons natuurlike bronne geeksploiteer word, waar normativiteit 'n groot rol speel. Dit beteken dat hierdie komplekse strydvrae ook etiese strydvrae is. Die belangrikheid van die begrip van etiek in volhoubare oorgange is derhalwe van groot belang, aangesien ons wil glo ons neem die regte besluite in hierdie veranderende kontekste. Die begrip van etiek wat die traditionele wetenskaplike denkwyse en akademiese navrae domineer, kom egter voor as 'n paradigmiese denkwyse wat onsensitief is ten opsigte van die kompleksitiet van die sosioekologiese sisteme, en dus tekortskiet in die hantering van die etiese kompleksitiet van volhoubare oorgange. In die voedselsisteem konteks word dit gedemonstreer in die liniêre klem wat op voedselproduksie geplaas word, wat die etiek van die realisasie van voedselsisteme domineer. Hierdie tesis redeneer dat 'n meer paslike denkwyse omtrent etiek in tye van gebeurlike kontekste en sosioekologiese veranderinge sal moet rekenskap gee van kompleksitieit. In die erkenning van die kompleksiteit van etiek, word dit geredeneer dat elke besluit 'n element van morele oorweging het, en dat daar ook geen manier is om objektief te weet of die respektiewe besluit moreel 'korrek' of verkeerd' is nie. So 'n begrip van komplekse etiek sal, dus die belangrikheid van konstante redenering in elke etiese besluitneming beklemtoon, om enige reduksionisme van kompleksiteit aan te spreek. Dit geskied deurmiddel van 'n houding van beskeidenheid en oopheid tot dialoog, en die aanneming van 'n studente mentaliteit van sosiale leerwyse wat 'n komplekse etiese redenering kan verbeter. Gevolglik, is die paradigmatiese verskuiwing van 'n komplekse benadering tot etiek meer paslik in die begrip van etiek in volhoubaarheidsoorgange.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Numerous studies indicate that the agricultural sector is physically and economically vulnerable to climate change. In order to determine possible impacts of projected future climates on the financial vulnerability of selective farming systems in South Africa, a case study methodology was applied. The integrated modelling framework consists of four modules, viz.: climate change impact modelling, dynamic linear programming (DLP) modelling, modelling interphases and financial vulnerability assessment modelling. Empirically downscaled climate data from five global climate models (GCMs) served as base for the integrated modelling. The APSIM crop model was applied to determine the impact of projected climates on crop yield for certain crops in the study. In order to determine the impact of projected climates on crops for which there are no crop models available, a unique modelling technique, Critical Crop Climate Threshold (CCCT) modelling, was developed and applied to model the impact of projected climate change on yield and quality of agricultural produce. Climate change impact modelling also takes into account the projected changes in irrigation water availability (ACRU hydrological model) and crop irrigation requirements (SAPWAT3 model) as a result of projected climate change. The model produces a set of valuable results, viz. projected changes in crop yield and quality, projected changes in availability of irrigation water, projected changes in crop irrigation needs, optimal combination of farming activities to maximize net cash flow, and a set of financial criteria to determine economic viability and financial feasibility of the farming system. A set of financial criteria; i.e. internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), cash flow ratio, highest debt ratio, and highest debt have been employed to measure the impact of climate change on the financial vulnerability of farming systems. Adaptation strategies to lessen the impact of climate change were identified for each case study through expert group discussions, and included in the integrated modelling as alternative options in the DLP model. This aims at addressing the gap in climate change research, i.e. integrated economic modelling at farm level; thereby making a contribution to integrated climate change modelling. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fisiese sowel as ekonomiese kwesbaarheid van die landbousektor as gevolg van klimaatverandering word deur verskeie studies beklemtoon. ‘n Gevallestudie-benadering is gebruik ten einde die potensiële impak van klimaatsverandering op die finansiële kwesbaarheid van verskillende boerderystelsels te bepaal. Die geïntegreerde klimaatsveranderingmodel bestaan uit vier modelleringsmodules, naamlik: klimaatsverandering, dinamiese liniêre programmering (DLP), interfases en finansiële-kwesbaarheidsontleding. Empiries afgeskaalde klimatologiese data van vyf verskillende klimaatmodelle dien as basis vir die geïntegreerde klimaatsveranderingmodel. Die APSIM gewas-model word aangewend om die impak van klimaatsverandering op gewasse-opbrengs te bepaal. Vir sekere gewasse is daar egter nie modelle beskikbaaar nie en het gevolglik die ontwikkeling van ‘n nuwe model genoodsaak. Die Kritiese Gewasse Klimaatsdrempelwaarde (KGKD) modelleringstegniek is ontwikkel ten einde die impak van klimaatsverandering op die opbrengs en kwaliteit van gewasse te kwantifiseer. Die geïntegreerde klimaatsveranderingmodel neem ook die verwagte verandering in besproeiingswaterbeskikbaarheid (ACRU-hidrologiemodel) en gewas-besproeiingsbehoeftes (SAPWAT3-model) as gevolg van klimaatsverandering in ag. Die model lewer waardevolle resultate op, naamlik: geprojekteerde veranderinge in gewasse-opbrengs en -kwaliteit, geprojekteerde verandering in beskikbaarheid van besproeiingswater en gewasse-besproeiingsbehoeftes, die optimale kombinering van boerdery-aktiwiteite om netto kontantvloei te maksimeer, asook ‘n stel finansiële resultate wat die impak van klimaatsverandering kwantifiseer. Die finansiële kriteria sluit in: interne opbrengskoers, netto huidige waarde, kontanvloeiverhouding, hoogste skuldverhouding en hoogste skuldvlak. Deur middel van deskundige-groepbesprekings is aanpassingstrategieë vir elk van die gevallestudies geïdentifiseer en by die geïntegreerde model ingesluit as alternatiewe opsies in die DLP-model. Die studie poog om die gaping in die huidige klimaatsveranderingnavorsing met betekking tot ‘n geïntegreerde ekonomiese model op plaasvlak aan te spreek en sodoende ‘n bydrae tot geïntegreerde klimaatveranderingmodellering te maak.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master in Environmental Science Johannesburg, 2015 / Quantifying ecosystem services of urban forests has become an important subject for the national and international ecological economics agenda. This is in the wake of offsetting anthropogenic emissions of CO2, while promoting urban habitability and sustainability. This study estimates above-ground tree biomass, carbon stored and the associated economic value and net economic value of carbon sequestrated by the tree planting project in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. Measurements of diameter at breast height (1.3 m) and tree height were done on all the individual trees that were recently planted (estimated to be about seven years) and other trees estimated to be over 25 years old in Petrus Molefe Park and Thokoza Park. A general allometric equation by Tietema (1993) was used to estimate above-ground biomass which was converted to carbon stocks. The economic value of carbon sequestrated was calculated at an equivalent price of R440.40 per tonne of carbon. The total above-ground biomass, carbon stored and economic value, and net economic value of the trees in Petrus Molefe Park was 7.45 tonnes, 3.35 tonnes, R1,475 and R-495,325, while the trees in Thokoza Park had 205.76 tonnes, 92.59 tonnes, R40,777 and R-312,023, respectively. The results indicated that the older trees in Thokoza Park had larger amounts of above-ground tree biomass, greater carbon storage and net economic value than the younger trees in Petrus Molefe Park. The economic values of carbon sequestrated were less than the cost of planting the trees, therefore the net economic value of carbon sequestrated were negative. The project is at an early, but promising stage, since the Greening Soweto Project provided a number of ecosystem services (i.e. beautifying the landscape, filtering air, recreation and amenity etc.), the performance of the project was evaluated by the extent to which it integrates the environmental and social benefits into the economic benefits and opportunities. Key words: Above-ground biomass, allometric equation, carbon stored, diameter at breast height, net economic value.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The agricultural sector plays a valuable role in the South African economy. However, agriculture is embedded in the natural environment. The research problem revolves around the lack of an information management system, capable of integrated agricultural and environmental management to promote sustainable agricultural development on farm level. This study aimed to develop a spatial information management system to aid with integrated agricultural and environmental management. The study area consisted of a seven-farm production unit, Howbill Properties, which provided the necessary agricultural and environmental elements for this study. Spatial data requirements were identified by unpacking the relevant imperatives directing integrated agricultural and environmental management. Data was collected with a recreational outdoor GPS device, digitised from remotely sensed images and obtained from various sources. Spatial data consisted of infrastructure data, such as water pumps, power lines, and fruit orchard boundaries, whereas environmental spatial data consisted of natural resource data, and topographic data. The study further details the process of selecting the necessary components for an enterprise GIS and building the system. PostgreSQL with the PostGIS spatial extension was selected as the spatial database and QGIS was selected as the desktop GIS application. It was found that the prototype integrated spatial information system could be effectively applied to assist integrated agricultural and environmental management. The prototype spatial information system was able to serve the needs of novice to advanced users. However, insufficient spatial data were identified as a limitation, and spatial data should be improved and updated regularly. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Landbou speel „n belangrikke rol in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Landbou is egter vervat in die natuurlike omgewing. Die probleem wentel om die gebrek aan 'n geografiese inligtingstelsel wat in staat is om geïntegreerde landbou- en omgewingsbestuur op plaasvlak te bevorder. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om 'n ruimtelike inligtingsbestuurstelsel te ontwikkel om die voorafgaande probleem aan te spreek. Die studie area bestaan uit 'n sewe-plaas produksie-eenheid, Howbill Properties, wat die nodige landbou- en omgewingselemente vir hierdie studie bevat het. Ruimtelike datavereistes is geïdentifiseer deur die relevante internasionale, nasionale, provinsiale, en mark vereistes wat geïntegreerde landbou en omgewingsbestuur rig, te ondersoek. Data is ingesamel met 'n behulp van „n GPS-toestel, gedigitaliseer van afstandswaarnemingsdata en ingesamel van verskeie bronne. Ruimtelike data het bestaan uit infrastruktuur data, soos water pompe, kraglyne, en vrugte boord grense, terwyl die ruimtelike omgewing data bestaan het uit natuurlike hulpbron data en topografiese data. Verder behandel die studie die proses van hoe die nodige komponente vir 'n ondernemings GIS gekies was en hoe die stelsel ontwikkel was. PostgreSQL met die PostGIS ruimtelike uitbreiding is gekies as die ruimtelike databasis en QGIS is gekies as die GIS program. Daar is gevind dat die prototipe geïntegreerde ruimtelike inligtingstelsel doeltreffend toegepas kan word vir geïntegreerde landbou en omgewingsbestuur. Die prototipe ruimtelike inligtingstelsel was in staat om aan die behoeftes van „n beginner gebruiker sowel as gevorderde gebruikers te voorsien. Daar was ook bevind dat onvoldoende ruimtelike data die stelsel beperk, en dat data sal voordurend verbeter en opgedateer moet word.

Climate change is a human development challenge. Its negative impacts have the potential to reverse the human development gains made in Africa. South Africa, just like many other countries in the Global South, is being negatively affected by climate change. The country`s economy is largely dependent on agriculture, extractive industries and manufacturing, all of which are vulnerable to climate change in different ways. This vulnerability means different public and private stakeholders must institute sustainable climate change mitigation and adaptation measures so as to ameliorate climate change impacts. Gradually transforming to an environmentally friendly ‘green economy’ and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are some of South Africa’s climate change mitigation priorities. Just like the public sector, the private sector has a major role to play in this transition to a low carbon economy through minimising its carbon emissions in their operations. Against this background, this qualitative research examines the role played by four major supermarkets (Shoprite, Spar, Pick n Pay and Woolworths), in climate change mitigation and resilience building. It does so through an appraisal of their mitigation and resilience programs. The four supermarkets were purposively selected in East London, Eastern Cape. Data collection combined heavy reliance on desktop discourse analysis with field interviews in the form of purposively sampled key informant interviews. The results show that the four major supermarkets are implementing a variety of climate change mitigation and resilience strategies. These include reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, prioritisation of renewable energy, recycling and environmentally friendly packaging, promotion of sustainable ways of farming and improved fuel efficiency in their transport systems. In terms of policy improvement, the study recommends that there is need for supermarkets to learn from each other’s’ climate change mitigation initiatives so as to advance South Africa’s ‘green economy’ agenda.