The formulation of environmental strategies is now a major concern around the world. The Rio Earth Summit (Agenda 21) has led to local authorities taking responsibility for preparing and developing such strategies for sustainable development and the integration of environmental considerations into all development planning activities and projects by taking current economic, social and environmental policies and plans into account. This research has developed an environmental strategy model for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by identifying environmental problems and concerns and defining environmental priorities. It has, also, developed a framework and organisational structure for environmental institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. To achieve sustainable development and, by taking Agenda 21 as a framework, the research includes a review of sustainable development, Agenda 21, Local Agenda 21 and environmental strategy concepts and the links between these four main concepts. A review of different strategy models is also provided in this research. Examples of other countries' experiences of developing environmental strategies, (UK, Jordan and Oman) are examined and evaluated. This review improves the understanding of the problems faced at each stage of the strategy and it also provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy component. The lessons from these experiences are used to reduce the weaknesses in achieving a well-designed environmental strategy model for the Emirate. This review also suggests the need for a comprehensive approach to the environmental strategy model to overcome some or all of these constraints. This research was developed to gain a better understanding of the Emirate's environmental condition, to provide a new and suitable institutional framework, and to provide an environmental strategy model for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The designed model was tested through conducting questionnaire surveys and a series of interviews with selected professionals and decision-makers in the environmental field. These techniques were used to test the research hypothesis and the analysis was used to provide an indication of any weaknesses in the proposed model. The conclusions show that the proposed model is both innovative and appropriate for implementation as an environmental strategy model for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and recommendations are made for additional research to further improve the model.

Pakistan currently experiences a deficit in its energy supply and upcoming water shortage. Lack of energy negatively impacts the country's economy, and water shortage would put stress on its agriculture, for example. Furthermore, climate change will further exacerbate these two problems. Dams are considered as a solution because of their ability to manage water resources while generating electricity. Informed by Michel Foucault's power/ knowledge, the purpose of this thesis is to understand how energy and water professionals in Pakistan view sustainable development, and if dams can be considered as sustainable development and climate change adaptive infrastructure. Drawing on interviews in Pakistan, I found that professionals supported dams through mobilizing technocratic discourses that were perceived as apolitical. Yet, I also find that these discourses are political, and I discuss the ramifications of the mobilization of technical discourses that claim to be apolitical for future energy policy decisions in Pakistan.

SILVA, Marco Antonio Krichanã da. Zoneamento sócio ambiental participativo do lugar denominado caça e pesca-Fortaleza/Ce, contribuição ao desenvolvimento sustentável da capital cearense. 2004. 176 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação, Programa Regional de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente - PRODEMA, Fortaleza-CE, 2004. / Submitted by guaracy araujo (guaraa3355@gmail.com) on 2016-05-16T18:41:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2004_dis_maksilva.pdf: 3002040 bytes, checksum: 97fb7ad2bdcfe99be8e0b9dbe2a3178c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by guaracy araujo (guaraa3355@gmail.com) on 2016-05-16T18:42:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2004_dis_maksilva.pdf: 3002040 bytes, checksum: 97fb7ad2bdcfe99be8e0b9dbe2a3178c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-16T18:42:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2004_dis_maksilva.pdf: 3002040 bytes, checksum: 97fb7ad2bdcfe99be8e0b9dbe2a3178c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / This research aimed the production of organized information, in an elementary level, concerning the Caça e Pesca neighbourhood — which comprehends ocean beaches, the estuary of a river crossing a considerably large area within the Metropolitan Area of the capital of the State of Ceará, in Northeast Brazil, and also a vast mangrove camp, dune fields and a stretch of transition forest —, located in the Eastern coast of the city of Fortaleza, due to the lack of organized relevant and updated data. Nonetheless, it constitutes a body of knowledge that can operate as a tool to promote initiatives destined to ensue a sustainable relationship between the local people, the environment and the urban development dynamics verified. The results shall provide the public administration with some essential data to subsidize environmental education actions and the adequate monitoring, desirably performed by the community itself, of the existing ecosystems, in relation to the urgent need of their preservation and, also imperative, the definition of sustainable tourism standards specially designed to fit the wholeness characterized by that area. The construction of a participative socioenvironmental diagnosis thus detaches the human occupation of that neighbourhood in space and time, complemented by a mapping approach of the geomorphological, hydrogeological and vegetal covering specificities of the region, in close relationship with the current socio-economic and socio-environmental aspects. A booklet following these results was published, in order to display basic data to the local community involved. / Esta pesquisa objetivou produzir, em bases preliminares, documentação organizada sobre o lugar denominado Caça e Pesca — que abrange praia, estuário de um rio que atravessa boa parte da Região Metropolitana de Fortaleza, capital do Estado do Ceará e ainda manguezal, campo de dunas e matas de transição em uma área do litoral Leste da cidade —, dada a escassez de informações atualizadas a respeito. É desejável que o corpo de conhecimentos aqui representado possa instrumentar a concretização de iniciativas destinadas a integrar relações sustentáveis entre a comunidade assentada naquela área, o meio ambiente e a dinâmica urbana da capital cearense. Seus resultados são de ordem a permitir, à administração pública competente, o planejamento de ações de educação ambiental e o adequado monitoramento, recomendavelmente pela própria comunidade, da conservação dos ecossistemas presentes na área de estudo, tanto devido à urgente necessidade de sua preservação, como da premência pela definição, na área, de parâmetros capazes de balizar um turismo de caráter sustentável. Para tanto, a elaboração do Zoneamento sócio-ambiental participativo, caracterizando a evolução espaço-temporal da ocupação do lugar, inclui a realização de um diagnóstico geoambiental que destaca as unidades ambientais a partir dos seus aspectos sócio-econômicos, sócio-ambientais, geomorfológicos, hidrogeológicos e de cobertura vegetal. Este conjunto de informações também originou a edição de uma cartilha, dirigida primariamente à comunidade local.

The awareness of sustainable development has been increasing significantly in the Thai manufacturing industry since the financial crisis in 1997. The government has launched several initiatives to promote the development of sustainable products as the concept has a potential to stimulate the national economy and address the sustainability issues. Although the progress has been reflected through the launch of numerous products in the market, most of the products available were only claimed to be sustainable or environmentally friendly. Education is a prerequisite to achieve the integration of sustainable design as it equips stakeholders with knowledge and skills required to be the future decision makers. In other words, it enables designers to create products that contribute to sustainable development. However, the researcher found a lack of sustainable design learning in Thai industrial/product design courses. This situation has motivated the researcher to carry out this PhD research with an aim to support the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) into Thai higher education institutions (HEIs). The literature review emphasised the need to tailor the theoretical framework for Thai lecturers due to the lack of ESD training and appropriate materials. It also indicated the lack of publications related to the Thai context and the requirements to identify barriers and needs of the target users. The shortfall was addressed through a series of interviews; experts from three different disciplines (government, business and education sectors) were invited to participate in the interview sessions and reveal the status of sustainable design and ESD in Thailand. The findings were then used to construct the ESD framework that is specific to Thai industrial/product design courses. The SustainAble web-tool was developed to make it more effective in enabling the framework to comply with the needs of Thai design lecturers. Usability testing was employed to test the framework that was presented through the web-tool. The framework evaluation demonstrated the success of the framework development and underlined the need for the web-tool. The tool can fulfill the framework and allow it to be practically applied in the context of Thai design education.

Orientador: Adler Guilherme Viadana / Banca: Antonio Carlos Tavares / Banca: Pompeu Figueiredo de Carvalho / Banca: Marlene Teresinha de Muno Colesanti / Banca: Suely Regina Del Grossi Michelotto / A incapacidade das unidades político-administrativas tradicionais de resolverem as demandas sociais decorrentes de problemas relacionados à degradação ambiental, vários segmentos da sociedade iniciaram movimentos investindo na tentativa de resolver ou mitigar, este estado que implica na degeneração do homem e seu mundo circundante. Dentre as alternativas a formação dos comitês de bacias hidrográficas que se configuram numa instância de intervenção territorial baseada no compartilhamento administrativo entre diversos segmentos. Esta instância teve sua atuação valorizada pela possibilidade de influir na organização territorial a partir do gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos. Algumas dificuldades decorrentes de um ordenamento jurídico não complementar e de disputas políticas pelo acesso aos recursos provenientes da cobrança pelo uso da água têm dificultado a administração da bacia hidrográfica como unidade sistêmica e as relações proativas entre os integrantes do Sistema Nacional de Gerenciamento dos Recursos Hídricos. Alterações na legislação federal e das unidades da federação a uma participação efetiva da sociedade civil tanto nas discussões como nas decisões relacionadas à organização territorial das bacias hidrográficas, tendem a influir positivamente na afirmação da cidadania e da democracia. Os processos de planejamento e gestão conduzidos pelos preceitos do método da sustentabilidade sistêmica, quando aplicados à bacia hidrográfica podem realizar mudanças comportamentais e conjunturais que levem à construção de uma sociedade sustentável. Neste sentido, a Ciência Geográfica emerge com importantes contribuições nas atividades interdisciplinares do planejamento e gestão de bacias hidrográficas. Porém com uma singularidade: possibilitar mudanças qualitativas nas relações... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo). / The unhability of traditional political administrative unities to solve the social demands resulting from the problems related to environmental degradation, many segments of the society started movements investing on trials to solve or decrease this condition that emplies on degeneration of human beings and their surrounding world. Among the alternatives presented, the formation of hydrographic basin authorities that are configurated in an instance of territorial intervention based on the administrative sharing between many segments. This instance had its situation valorized by the possibility of influence in the territorial organization from the management of hidric resources. Some difficulties that arised from a non-complementary juridic ordering and from political debates concerning acess to the provided resources from the charge of the use water have been difficulting the administration of the hydrographic basin as a systemic unity and the proactive relations among the components of the Sistema Nacional de Gerenciamento dos Recursos Hídricos. Alterations on brasilian federal as federation units legislations and added to a increase of the effective participation from the civil society on the discussions as much as on the decisions related to the territorial organization of the hydrographic basin, tends to influence positively in the affirmation of citizenship and democracy. The planning and management processes conducted by precepts of the natural step method, when applied to hydrographic basins may produce behavior and conjunctural changes that leads to the construction of a sustainable society. In this meaning, the Geographic Science emerges with important contribuctions in the interdisciplinary activities of planning and management of hydrographic basin. However with a singularity: to enable qualitative change in relationships among human beings and their physiographic... (Complete abstract, click eletronic address below). / Doutor

M.Ed. / Volhoubare ontwikkeling verwys na ontwikkeling wat in teenswoordige behoeftes voorsien sonder om die vermoë van toekomstige geslagte om in hul behoeftes te voorsien te benadeel. Die feit dat volhoubare ontwikkeling noodsaaklik is vir die oorlewing van alle lewende wesens is reeds algemene kennis. Dit is ook bekend dat die bevolkings van plattelandse gebiede wêreldwyd dit moeilik vind om ‘n aanvaarbare leefstyl te handhaaf. Teen hierdie agtergrond het die onderhawige studie gepoog om die stand van volhoubare ontwikkeling in ‘n spesifieke plattelandse streek in Mpumalanga te ondersoek. In ‘n gekombineerde kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe benadering is die persepsies van ‘n groep respondente met betrekking tot die implementering van volhoubare ontwikkeling in hulle areas ondersoek. Die veldwerk is gedoen teen die agtergrond van ‘n studie van verskillende aspekte van volhoubare ontwikkeling, insluitende definisies en ‘n kort historiese oorsig. Aspekte van volhoubare ontwikkeling in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is ook kortliks bespreek. In hierdie studie, wat in die Opvoedkunde onderneem is, is ook gefokus op die rol van Omgewingsopvoeding in volhoubare ontwikkeling. Drie-punt- en vyf-punt-skaal vraelyste is aan ‘n groep inwoners van drie streke in die Nelspruit-omgewing gestuur. Die gegewens wat hiermee ingewin is, is verwerk om ‘n beeld te kry van die impak van aspekte wat in die vraelyste ingesluit is, veral ten opsigte van die verligting van armoede, werksvoorsiening, dienste, die rol van gemeenskappe en tradisionele leiers, bevolkingsaanwas, buitelandse beleggings, veiligheid, MIV/VIGS en so meer. Hierdie aspekte is verder kwalitatief ontleed na aanleiding van ses semi-gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude wat met verskillende rolspelers in die betrokke gemeenskappe gevoer is. Hoewel die onderhoude volgens ‘n vooropgestelde skedule gevoer is, is respondente toegelaat om hul eie insette te lewer. In die uitvoer van die veldwerk en by die ontleding van data is verskillende aspekte van vertrouenswaardigheid van navorsing in die geesteswetenskappe in ag geneem. Die gegewens wat uit die vraelyste verkry is, is aanvanklik bespreek, gevolg deur ‘n samevatting van temas uit die onderhoude. Hierdie ontleding het bevestig wat reeds in die vraelyste duidelik geword het, naamlik dat volhoubare ontwikkeling in die betrokke gebiede grootliks ‘n onvervulde ideaal bly, met min of geen praktiese toepassing. Omgewingsbewustheid en –opvoeding is steeds nie na wense nie. Verskillende redes hiervoor is aangevoer, maar die hoofoorsaak blyk armoede te wees. Hoewel verskeie inwoners oorspronklike planne het om hul omstandighede te verbeter, is daar ‘n gebrek aan geld en hulpbronne om dit tot uitvoer te bring. As gevolg van die agterstande ten opsigte van opvoeding en onderwys wat in die vorige politieke bedeling ontstaan het, is daar ook nie voldoende vaardighede om mense in staat te stel om programme sinvol te implementeer en te bestuur nie. Respondente beleef ook dat buitelandse beleggings nie bydra om hul lot te verbeter nie en dat daar min gedoen word om hul veiligheid te verseker. Inwoners neem in sommige gevalle die reg in eie hande om hulle teen bendes te beskerm. ‘n Kommerwekkende bevinding is die feit dat bevolkingsgroei-programme wat daarop gemik is om bevolkingsaanwas te vertraag misluk op grond van die bedrag wat deur die staat toegeken word vir babas. Jong meisies raak swanger om hierdie paar rand per maand te bekom. Hierdie saak word vererger op grond van die feit dat werkloosheid aan die orde van die dag is. Die studie is afgesluit met aanbevelings – gegrond op data wat in die ondersoek verkry is – ten opsigte van volhoubare ontwikkeling in die betrokke gebiede. Dit behels onder meer die volgende: • Die ontwerp van werkbare strategieë vir volhoubare ontwikkeling. Hierdie strategieë moet binne aanvaarbare tydsgrense toegepas word. • Die infra-struktuur en dienslewering moet verbeter word. • Ekonomiese ontwikkeling op ‘n gemeenskapsgrondslag is van kardinale belang. • Vaardigheidsontwikkeling, nie net ten opsigte van konkrete arbeid nie, maar ook met betrekking tot die bestuur van projekte moet voorop gestel word. • Veiligheidsmaatreëls in plattelandse gebiede moet opgeskerp word. • Gemeenskappe moet omgewingsbewus gemaak word, veral deur middel van omgewingsopvoeding. • Almal behoort betrokke te wees by die voorkoming van MIV/VIGS. • Plattelandse gemeenskappe behoort finansieel ondersteun te word. / Prof. H.G. van Rooyen

capstone poster

Environmental degradation and concepts of 'sustainability' have recently become a focus of political, commercial and social concern. This thesis addresses one of the issues concerning human impact on the environment, namely the environmental awareness and action of those involved with design and development. This project provides an overview of designers' current attitudes to environmentally responsible design and investigates design that is perceived to be more environmentally responsible. The research was exploratory and qualitative in nature. The postal and telephone pilot surveys and the main study of 20 in-depth interviews were carried out with individuals involved in design and development in design consultancies and a range of design-based manufacturing companies within the UK. It was found that most designers were unaware of many of the issues surrounding environmentally responsible design. Few companies were including environmental criteria within design and development processes, the exceptions generally responding to legislative or market demands. Three main levels of environmentally responsible design are discussed in this project; <i>green design</i> addresses a focus on one or two environmental impacts of a product, <i>ecodesign</i> refers to a comprehensive product lifecycle design strategy, and <i>sustainable design </i> describes a move beyond the current context of design and questions, for example, the need, value, and ethics of a product's development. The significant qualitative data gathered during the project led to the development of a visual analysis method, the 'Environmental footprint'. Different types of business approach (proactive, reactive and cynical) to incorporating environmental issues within product development emerged from this analysis. These were further developed into a hierarchy of environmental business strategies which aided the identification of approaches that relied on 'bottom-up' action (e.g., action of an individual 'environmental champion' within the company), and those which tended to be a result of 'top-down' action (e.g., a company's strategic environmental policy). The research showed that to achieve effective, long-term environmentally responsible design and development the following are desirable: (a) design-specific information on environmentally responsible design, (b) effective communication channels within companies and throughout the supply chain, and (c) greater understanding of the qualities and scope of design by senior management. The research also questions how a design profession focused almost entirely on increasing the production and consumption of goods can re-evaluate its role in society and move towards a more responsible and environmentally sustainable existence. 'Sustainable design' is discussed as a concept which moves beyond 'green design' and 'ecodesign', and hence the remit of the designer, to one which can only be successfully addressed by a change in the political and economic global development system.

M.Sc. / Ladysmith is a town situated on the banks of the Klip River in the uThukela District of KwaZulu Natal, and falls into the Emnambithi-Ladysmith Local Municipality. The labour force of the Emnambithi-Ladysmith Local Municipality makes up 32.48 % of the population within the municipality, of which 16.49 % are employed, and 15.99 % are unemployed. A further 22.21 % of the total population in the municipality are not economically active, i.e. are students, homemakers, disabled, too ill to work, or are not seeking work. In an effort to address the poverty within KwaZulu Natal, the Department of Economic Development initiated a process which identified potential poverty-relieving initiatives and proposed to further investigate these development projects to establish which of the identified alternatives would be most feasible and beneficial to target communities. The areas where the poor communities are situated were identified based on the potential ability of the community to be able to support the required infrastructure investment and product development, which were in turn focussed on emerging economic growth points and development corridors (DEAT, 2001). One of the communities identified which could potentially benefit from one of the proposed development projects was that of the Emnambithi-Ladysmith Municipality, in KwaZulu Natal. Emnambithi-Ladysmith Local Municipality appointed a consultant to compile a Local Economic Regeneration Study for Ladysmith and the rural communities of the locality. The Study is aimed at analysing the local economy and thereby finding economic strategies that will make optimum use of local resources to create sustainable job opportunities and means of redressing economic challenges such as retrenchment and unemployment. A significant component of the Study is the identification of projects, which promote local ownership, local jobs and local reinvestment and illustrate the potential to revitalise the local economy of Emnambithi (Urban Econ, 2005). One of the alternative potentially sustainable poverty relief proposals put forward by the consultants, and other relevant parties, was that of harvesting the plant parts of the Aloes which appeared to be abundant within the Emnambithi-Ladysmith Municipality area. It was proposed that an Aloe pre-processing factory be established in a suitable location, which would provide employment opportunities for the local poor communities, who would either be directly employed by the pre-processing factory, or would be appropriately trained to harvest the required raw material from the natural Aloe populations. Similar operations have been initiatedin the Southern and Eastern Cape by formal sector businesses, which produce products made from Aloe ferox, which are then either sold locally or exported. The sustainability of the harvesting of these plants was determined based on the number of leaves which can be harvested per day by a tapper. It was possible to determine that the Aloe marlothii populations within the study area will not be able to support the harvesting of leaves, and as such, the harvesting thereof will not be sustainable. Several recommendations have been made which will further refine the results of this project. The main shortfall of this study was the limitation of the study area by political boundaries. It is thus recommended that a study be conducted which includes all Aloe marlothii habitat areas occurring in the rocky hillsides surrounding Ladysmith, regardless of Ward boundaries.

No description available.