Rural energy access has been a persistent issue in India causing the country to become one of the most energy poor nations of the world. Despite the launch of several heavily funded programs for the provision of electricity and modern fuels to rural areas, majority of the country‘s village households remain neglected and deficient in energy. Calls have been made for the reconstruction of policies, programs and institutional frameworks that engage in dispersion of energy to the rural poor. Such policies, programs and institutional frameworks vary across different states within India. These differences need to be understood in depth to formulate suitable mechanisms for energy access. In particular, social and economic aspects of energy access need to be studied to overcome barriers in providing energy to the rural poor. This study discerns how different states are performing in terms of providing sustainable energy access to rural people. It conducts an analysis of the socio-economic sustainability of energy access to the rural household in six states of the country (Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal) over the course of two time periods(1996-2002, 2005-2011), with the aid of key performance indicators. Results indicate that all the states have improved their energy access conditions over the past few decades. However, the rates of growth are vastly different and some states still continue to remain highly inadequate in their performances. Punjab has consistently been the most successful state while West Bengal continues to be the most energy-poor state despite a reasonable growth in energy sustainability. The possible reasoning behind these disparities could be dissimilarity in economic development between the states, size and population density of the states, isolation of villages and ineffectiveness and inequity of subsidy schemes. These needs further exploration at individual state level. Transition to less-expensive and easily installable renewable technologies, communicating benefits of modern energy to rural population and channeling subsidies towards lower income groups can improve reach of modern energy towards the rural poor of India.

Thesis (LLM. (Development)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / The purpose of the investigation is to research the contribution of Fetakgomo Local Municipality in alleviating poverty through poverty alleviation projects. Poverty and inequality have reached unacceptable proportions and the most hit are people living in rural areas and as a results the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Eighty respondents filled in the questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with Fetakgomo Local Municipality management and other relevant stakeholders. The research findings indicate that the communities around Fetakgomo Local Municipality specifically Nkwana, Nchabeleng, Strydkraal, Apel, Mohlaletse and Mashilabele are partly benefiting from Fetakgomo Local Municipality. The findings also show that Fetakgomo Local Municipality is partly contributing positively towards poverty alleviation within the municipality. The major findings of this research study are that poverty alleviation projects are partly effective in alleviating poverty, especially among needy families. The final results from the study show that most of the rural poverty alleviation projects are not sustainable. The main reasons leading to poor performance of rural poverty alleviation projects are lack of participation of key stakeholders, lack of financial management, inefficient management and lack of planning. The study recommends that committed stakeholders, individuals and poverty alleviation projects who take part in poverty alleviation projects should be considered for funding and training rather than providing state grants only to groups of people. Resources such as transport should be provided to poverty alleviation projects in local areas to access any type of market. All the local economic development projects should install palisade, surveillance systems and electric security fences around the projects to prevent theft. The study also recommends that a stipend of R1500.00 should be paid to each project member to encourage and attract those who are interested. The research study also recommends that there must be a continuous monitoring and evaluation of poverty alleviation projects on a regular basis by government officials.

While individual car use is a dominant mode of transportation in France, particularly in rural and low-density areas, it is important to promote the development of new sustainable travel paths in order to reduce dependence on cars. Planning policies and tools play a crucial role in defining such paths by providing decision-makers with a framework for data analysis, which can ensure efficient, safe, and sustainable mobility.The 2019 French mobility orientation law changed the rules of governance for mobility (i.e., management of transportation systems and mobility patterns). The territorial collectivities now have the choice of becoming mobility-organizing authorities. This law also introduced "simplified mobility plans" which aim to plan sustainable mobility on territories with less than 100,000 inhabitants. These planning documents are not mandatory but are crucial to build a policy aligned with mobility challenges, and consist of several steps, the first of which is conducting a mobility diagnosis.This thesis focuses on rural areas and on investigating the mobility diagnosis part which is a mandatory step of the simplified mobility plans, and which allows to provide a comprehensive understanding of transportation systems and mobility patterns and enable the identification of challenges and opportunities. Guided by theories on sustainable transitions and urban mobility planning, it details how to use and adapt existing tools to the specific context rural areas, that are constrained in both financial and human resources and are under-studied by current scientific research.Moreover, current methods for mobility diagnostics are too cumbersome and not always suitable for rural areas with limited resources. To address this issue, the thesis proposes a turnkey toolbox with relevant, easy-to-use indicators to standardize results and make regional - or national - planning easier.This master thesis tries in particular to answer the needs of mobility coordination by regions, in territories where local authorities have taken over mobility competences and where regions wish to support them in their planning efforts, especially in the implementation of their simplified mobility plans. A case study of Normandy will be used to understand the objectives at the regional scale when developing such simplified mobility plans.The results were obtained through a combination of qualitative methods, including document analysis as well as multicriteria analysis.The final output of the thesis is a new toolbox relying on the proposed methodology and indicators. It will simplify the process of conducting mobility diagnosis and therefore the understanding of mobility patterns in rural areas, which is key in developing plans to address their needs and to offer solutions for more sustainable and less car-dependent mobility.

Bakgrund: Ambulanssjuksköterskors uppdrag handlar till stora delar om att undersöka, bedöma, triagera och behandla patienter. Sjukdomsbilden spänner från svårt sjuka till enkla åkommor eller ibland helt oskadda patienter. Att hänvisa till rätt vårdnivå är viktigt då sjukvårdens resurser är begränsade och behöver användas på rätt sätt till rätt patienter. Rätt vårdnivå kan ibland innebära att patienten kvarstannar i hemmet, med råd till egenvård, eller att ta sig till vårdinstans med närståendes hjälp eller sjukresa, så kallad non-conveyance. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva ambulanssjuksköterskors upplevelser av non-conveyance i glesbygdsmiljö. Metod: Kvalitativ studie med induktiv ansats. Från fem ambulansstationer i norra Sverige rekryterades åtta deltagare. Datainsamlingen utfördes genom individuella semistrukturerade intervjuer. Därefter analyserades intervjuerna utifrån kvalitativ innehållsanalys med manifest ansats. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i två kategorier, “Avståndet är en betydande del i beslutet” och “Stärka mötet vid non-conveyance genom omvårdnad”. Dessa två kategorier innehåller fem underkategorier “Beslutet att lämna hemma på gott och ont”, “Utmaningarna ökar med avstånd”, “Möta motstånd och bemöta det”, “Viljan att göra mer och det lilla extra” och “Ta hjälp av hemtjänst eller närstående när patienten inte medföljer”. Slutsats: Erfarenhet och god kunskap är viktigt för att kunna genomföra en god undersökning och bedömning. Avståndet är också en betydande faktor i beslutet att lämna hemma, dessutom är viljan att göra det lilla extra en betydande del i arbetet i glesbygdsmiljö. Att göra bedömningar och ta beslutet att inte transportera patienten upplevs som både utmanande och svårt.

Bostadspolitiken i Sverige behöver förändras för att skapa jämlika förutsättningar för kommuner att kunna utveckla den lokala bostadsmarknaden och tillgodose sitt lagstadgade bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Landsbygder har andra förutsättningar än de urbaniserade städerna och flera av Sveriges landsbygdskommuner uppvisar en befolkningsminskning, låga bostadspriser och liten eller obefintlig nyproduktion. Denna studien har riktat sitt fokus till två landsbygdskommuner i norra Sverige och deras arbete med sin bostadsförsörjning. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka förutsättningar det finns i kommunerna Sorsele och Älvsbyn att tillgodo se sitt bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Syftet är också att visa potentiella åtgärder i den nationella politiken som underlättar för landsbygdskommuner att tillgodose sitt bostadsförsörjningsansvar.  Resultaten av studien visar på att det finns många problem som står vägen för att kommunerna Älvsbyn och Sorsele ska kunna förbättra sina bostadsmarknader. Några av problemen som framkommer är låga fastighetspriser, finansieringssvårigheter och ett sviktande skatteunderlag. Konkurrenssituationen som existerar mellan kommunerna om invånare och arbetstillfällen medför att kommuner har en tendens att planera för en ökande befolkning snarare än en minskande. Detta i sin tur skapar problem då planeringen av service och bostadsbestånd inte är anpassade utifrån rådande förutsättningar, utan snarare är anpassade för en större befolkning. På grund av sina små ekonomiska muskler har Sorsele och Älvsbyn svårt att själva vända den pågående utvecklingen. Utifrån rådande situation tvingas de lägga sina förhoppningar på extern finansiering, företagsetableringar och inflyttningar.   För att visa på alternativ till pågående utveckling för bostadsförsörjning i landsbygdskommuner har en framtidsstudie gjorts. I framtidsstudien identifieras tre scenarier med potential att nå en positiv framtidsvision och den utgår ifrån hur bostadspolitiken behöver förändras för att landsbygdskommuner med svaga bostadsmarknader ska kunna leva upp till sitt bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Framtidsstudien visar på att reformer inom bostadspolitiken, landsbygdspolitiken och skattepolitiken kan användas för att uppnå visionen. Trots att det råder osäkerhet om genomförbarheten och resultatet av olika reformer som föreslås i framtidsstudien, är en slutsats att framtidens bostadspolitik har mycket goda förutsättningar att lyckas skapa en förbättrad bostadsmarknad i landsbygdskommuner. / Housing policy in Sweden needs to change in order to create equal conditions for municipalities to develop the local housing market and meet their statutory housing supply responsibilities. Rural areas, particularly in northern Sweden, have long been disadvantaged by housing policies pursued by the government. Rural areas are in a difficult situation and several areas are experiencing population decline, low house prices and little or no new construction. As housing research tends to focus on housing policy from the perspective of an urban norm, this study has instead focused on housing policy in rural areas. The aim of this study is to investigate what conditions exist in the municipalities of Sorsele and Älvsbyn and how they are working to achieve their housing supply responsibilities. Furthermore, the aim is to examine potential national policy measures to help rural municipalities meet their housing responsibilities. The results of the study show that there are many problems that stand in the way of the municipalities of Älvsbyn and Sorsele improving their housing markets. Some of the problems identified are low property prices, financing difficulties and a shrinking tax base. Because of their small financial muscle, Sorsele and Älvsbyn have difficulty in reversing the current trend themselves. Given the current situation, they are forced to place their hopes in external financing, the establishment of companies and the arrival of new residents.  In contrast to current housing trends, a futures study has been undertaken to show alternatives to the current development of housing supply in rural municipalities. The study identifies three scenarios with the potential to achieve a positive vision of the future, based on how housing policy needs to change to enable rural municipalities with weak housing markets to meet their housing supply responsibilities. The futures study shows that reforms in housing policy, as well as fiscal policy can be used to achieve the vision.  Despite uncertainty about the feasibility and outcome of various reforms proposed in the future study, this study concludes that future housing policy has a very good chance of succeeding in creating an improved housing market in rural municipalities.

Universities influence the demographic and social landscape of a city, which has an impact on neighbouring areas. This study analyses migration patterns within the Umeå labour market region and identifies areas that are particularly attractive. By understanding these patterns, we can gain a better understanding of different groups, which can help with planning and attraction strategies in a municipality. Although the study shows a clear trend towards urbanisation, there are also tendencies towards suburbanisation. Couples with children are the group mainly moving out of the urban center of Umeå to the countryside, while singles/couples without children are the group attracted to the urban center. The differences in the migration patterns between the different groups suggest that individuals have different push and pull factors. Looking at family disposable income and labour income also reveals pattern that are supported by theories and earlier research. For example, the rural idyll and slower pace can be seen as influencing decisions. This may also be useful to explore in the future, given the change in behavior following the covid-19 pandemic, where interest in the rural areas has increased.

Bakgrund: Målet med palliativ vård är att förbättra livskvaliteten och lindra patientens lidande fram till döden. Sjuksköterskorna ansvarar för att främja patientens livskvalitet både fysiskt och psykiskt. I den palliativa vården utvecklar sjuksköterskorna nära relationer, ofta med hela familjen. I landsbygdsområden upplever patienter och närstående att den palliativa vården är begränsad. Geografisk plats är en avgörande faktor för den palliativa vårdens tillgänglighet trots att vården strävar efter att vara jämlik. Sjuksköterskorna har en central roll i den palliativa vården och de har stor möjlighet att påverka utfallet gällande vården med sin kunskap. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att undersöka sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att arbeta med palliativ vård på landsbygden. Metod: Litteraturöversikten baseras på resultatet från 13 kvalitativa studier som analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys. Resultat: Resultatet gav tre huvudrubriker; sjuksköterskornas förutsättningar för palliativ vård i landsbygdsområden, sjuksköterskornas samarbete med andra professioner och närstående i landsbygdsområden och ökat ansvar för sjuksköterskorna i landsbygdsområden. Slutsats: Denna litteraturöversikt beskriver sjuksköterskornas erfarenheter av att arbeta i landsbygden uppdelat i flera teman. Den största nämnaren som resultatet visar är att sjuksköterskorna inom den palliativa vården i landsbygden har en central och ansvarstung roll i vårdkedjan. Brister i tillgänglighet och kunskap hos övriga yrkesprofessioner i vården gör att sjuksköterskornas ansvar upplevs öka. Sjuksköterskorna efterfrågar även ytterligare kunskap inom den egna yrkeskåren. Utbildning, tydliga rutiner och riktlinjer samt stödjande interventioner för sjuksköterskorna är faktorer som skulle kunna stärka den palliativa vården i landsbygden. Samt att få sjuksköterskorna att känna sig tryggare i yrkesrollen. / Background: The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life and to alleviate the patient's suffering until death. The nurses are responsible for promoting the patient's quality of life both physically and mentally. In palliative care, the nurse often develops close relationships with the whole family. In rural areas, patients and relatives experience that the palliative care is limited. Geographical location is a decisive factor for the avaliabilty of palliative care, even though the goal is for the care to be equal. Nurses have a central role regarding palliative care and they have a great opportunity to influence the outcome regarding palliative care with their knowledge. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to explore nurse's experiences of working with palliative care in rural areas. Method: The literature review is based on the results of 13 qualitative studies that were conducted using thematic analysis. Results: The coding resulted in three main headings: Nurse’s conditions of providing palliative care in rural areas, Nurses collaboration with other professional's and relatives in rural areas and increased responsibility for nurses in rural areas. Conclusion: This literature review describes nurses' experiences of working in rural areas divided into several themes. The biggest denominator that pervades the results is that the nurses in the care of palliative patients in rural areas has a central and responsible role in the care chain. Shortcomings in availability and knowledge among other professionals in rural areas causes nurses' responsibilities to increase. The nurses are also requesting additional knowledge within their own profession. Education, clear routines and guidelines as well as supportive interventions for nurses are factors that could strengthen palliative care in rural areas. As well as making the nurses feel more secure in their professional role.

In South Africa, urbanized environments are often studied individually, not taking the surrounding natural environment into account (McConnachie and Shackleton, 2012: 2). Current approaches focussing on the integration of Urban Planning and Urban Ecology seek to address these issues of integrated planning. Urban Ecology practice aims to describe the study of (1) humans in human settlements, of (2) nature in human settlements, and of (3) the joined relationships between humans and nature. Urban Ecology thus forms a major part of Urban and Spatial Planning, with regard to the objectives of sustainable planning and development, green infrastructure planning, and resilience. The role and impact of green spaces to support sustainable human settlements are no new phenomenon (Byrne & Sipe, 2010: 7). This is related to the different benefits which nature provides, referred to in this research as ecosystem services (or environmental benefits) of green spaces. Green spaces, in this sense, are fundamental areas in human settlements, in need of intentional and structured planning approaches to enhance sustainability and said environmental benefits. It is important to realise that the environment in urbanized areas is dependent on the local communities (in terms of conservation and appropriate planning approaches), but that local communities (society) are also dependent on the environment (in terms of certain benefits which are provided by the said green spaces and environment). Rural settlements in South Africa experience various problems and challenges in terms of planning for the environment through green spaces (as well as sustainability), mainly as a result of the fragmentation of these rural areas, the existence of lost spaces, urbanisation, urban sprawl and poverty (Trancik, 1986; Barnett, 1995; IIED, 2000; DEAT, 2006; McMahan et al, 2002). This research attempted to address the challenges of integrated planning and green space provision in a local rural context, by means of: (1) A literature study encompassing research on Urban Ecology; Urban Planning; environmental dimension of planning; provision of ecosystem services; green infrastructure planning; resilience, and relevant policies and legislation; (2) An empirical investigation and comparative evaluation of international case studies, along with a local case study; and (3) drawing conclusions and recommendations for the local case study, based on the international approaches and identified best-practices. This research evaluated the spatial and environmental benefits of green space and enhanced the importance of planning for such benefits in rural South African areas. / MArt et Scien (Urban and Regional Planning), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In South Africa, urbanized environments are often studied individually, not taking the surrounding natural environment into account (McConnachie and Shackleton, 2012: 2). Current approaches focussing on the integration of Urban Planning and Urban Ecology seek to address these issues of integrated planning. Urban Ecology practice aims to describe the study of (1) humans in human settlements, of (2) nature in human settlements, and of (3) the joined relationships between humans and nature. Urban Ecology thus forms a major part of Urban and Spatial Planning, with regard to the objectives of sustainable planning and development, green infrastructure planning, and resilience. The role and impact of green spaces to support sustainable human settlements are no new phenomenon (Byrne & Sipe, 2010: 7). This is related to the different benefits which nature provides, referred to in this research as ecosystem services (or environmental benefits) of green spaces. Green spaces, in this sense, are fundamental areas in human settlements, in need of intentional and structured planning approaches to enhance sustainability and said environmental benefits. It is important to realise that the environment in urbanized areas is dependent on the local communities (in terms of conservation and appropriate planning approaches), but that local communities (society) are also dependent on the environment (in terms of certain benefits which are provided by the said green spaces and environment). Rural settlements in South Africa experience various problems and challenges in terms of planning for the environment through green spaces (as well as sustainability), mainly as a result of the fragmentation of these rural areas, the existence of lost spaces, urbanisation, urban sprawl and poverty (Trancik, 1986; Barnett, 1995; IIED, 2000; DEAT, 2006; McMahan et al, 2002). This research attempted to address the challenges of integrated planning and green space provision in a local rural context, by means of: (1) A literature study encompassing research on Urban Ecology; Urban Planning; environmental dimension of planning; provision of ecosystem services; green infrastructure planning; resilience, and relevant policies and legislation; (2) An empirical investigation and comparative evaluation of international case studies, along with a local case study; and (3) drawing conclusions and recommendations for the local case study, based on the international approaches and identified best-practices. This research evaluated the spatial and environmental benefits of green space and enhanced the importance of planning for such benefits in rural South African areas. / MArt et Scien (Urban and Regional Planning), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

AbstractSyfte. Att: beskriva sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att arbeta i glesbygd med jour på distans.Bakgrund. Jour på distans innebär att sjuksköterskor, med stöd av läkare på di-stans, omhändertar patienter med olika slags akuta symtom. Frånvaron av nationella studier, rörande sjuksköterskors erfarenhet av jour på distans i kombination med behovet av att hitta nya sätt att bedriva vård i glesbygd, borde medföra ett intresse för studien.Design: Deskriptiv intervjustudie med kvalitativ ansats.Metod. Intervjuer genomfördes med 9 sjuksköterskor, vilka arbetar vid 2 olika häl-socentraler belägna i nordligaste delen av Sverige. Intervjuerna genomfördes våren 2017. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys.Resultat. Analysen resulterade i de 4 kategorierna rollutveckling, fördelar för pati-enten, stöd samt osäkerhet. Sjuksköterskor beskriver sig ha ett arbete som på olika sätt medför rollutveckling. Fördelar för patinten framställs bestå av exempelvis mins-kat behov av resor samt möjlighet att få snabb bedömning utan att alltid behöva åka till sjukhus. Kategorin stöd belyser betydelsen av tillit från läkare och fungerande teknik. Sista kategorin påvisar att vissa situationer medför känslor av osäkerhet hos sjuksköterskan, som exempelvis när läkare har dålig kunskap om jour på distans.Slutsats. Resultatet påvisar att jour på distans, sett ur sjuksköterskornas perspektiv, är ett bra sätt att tillvarata befintlig personal och teknik i syfte att tillhandahålla vård under jourtid i glest befolkade områden. Arbete med jour på distans kräver sjukskö-terskor med god kunskap och erfarenhet och studien påvisar även betydelsen av ut-bildning samt stöd från läkaren.