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Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time and we are now at a defining moment. Shifting weather patterns threaten areas such as food production and rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, which already severely threatens lives and livelihoods across the planet. To reverse this development, the emission of greenhouse gas has to decrease. To make this happen, we must make a transition to renewable energy. A consequence of that however, is that the demand for minerals, especially critical raw minerals, has increased since they are necessary for the development of new green technology, for example, electric cars, windmills, and solar panels. Sweden has good geological potential to extract several of the critical raw minerals, and thereby Sweden has the ability to play a key role in the development of green technology. Swedish environmental policy first and foremost aims to promote sustainable development. The ambitions of protecting biodiversity and valuable ecosystems, and mining are hard to combine, but they share the goal of creating sustainable development. In Sweden's environmental code (Miljöbalken), both extraction of minerals and the protection of nature are regarded as valuable interests. However, it’s not unusual that these goals conflict which leads to complicated assessments. What goal should be prioritized when the will to preserve and protect a certain area conflict with the will to expropriate it? As a consequence of the interest of mining, the process to receive a permit for mining activities is differently regulated than permits for other environmentally hazardous activities. It's clear that reasons beyond the environmental sphere play an important role when it comes to mining. For example, the divided process, which is the preliminary assessment regarding land use and the second and total assessment in which the court is bound by the preliminary assessment of land use, can be criticized from an ecological perspective. Considering that temperature increase is held to be disastrous, and the potentially detrimental effects of mining cause complex conflicts of interest, these assessments must be dealt with through rules that are transparent regarding the environmentally positive and negative consequences of the activities that are a part of mining. In addition to transparency, the mining industry needs incentives for promoting activities that are environmentally sound and progressive.

Includes bibliography. / This thesis undertakes to investigate the nature and function of theatre-for-development. The objectives are to place theatre-for-development in the context of development communication theory, and to examine how theatre functions as communication. In the process of this examination a new model of theatrical communication in theatre-for-development, and a new paradigm of intervention, are evolved. The thesis begins by exploring the reasons for the failure of existing media systems to serve the needs of development in Africa. The failures are mostly due to the fact that the majority of the people have minimal or no participation in information generation and dissemination. Theatre is identified as one medium that could be utilized towards the realization of democratizing communication systems, and of giving the periphery access to the production and distribution of messages. The thesis then proceeds to review crucial literature in theatre-for-development and on development communication. The literature that has been selected has particular relevance in that while it treats current perspectives in these disciplines, it gives an historical account of theatre in Africa, and an account of the various perspectives and orthodoxies in the history of mass communication in general, and development communication in particular. The major case study of the thesis is a theatre-for-development cooperative society in Lesotho called Marotholi Travelling Theatre. The thesis therefore discusses the problems of underdevelopment in Lesotho. Since this study deals with-development communication, and attempts a structural examination of the context of theatre-for-development, the reader is introduced to the conditions that engender the theatre that is analyzed in the study. An account of the communication environment is also given. Because the communication environment of the rural areas in Lesotho is characterized by the predominant use of oral and traditional methods, popular and traditional media in Lesotho are also examined. After setting a theoretical framework by examining theatrical communication in theatre-for-development, and the rules underlying it, the thesis proceeds to analyze five plays created by Marotholi Travelling Theatre. First, a brief history of each play is given, and this is followed by an analysis of how the play functions as a vehicle for conscientization, and as communication. The plays are discussed in the context of five different methodologies of theatre-for-development: agitprop, participatory agitprop, simultaneous dramaturgy, forum theatre, and comgen theatre. It is in the process of this analysis that a new model of theatrical communication in theatre-for-development is evolved. The new paradigm of intervention that is posited also emanates from the analysis of the plays. It illustrates the extent to which the various methodologies of theatre-for-development can be utilized either for development (and, therefore, liberation), or for dissemination. The thesis concludes by focussing on the salient points that have emerged in the analysis. Crucial points are summarized, and recommendations for an effective utilization of theatre as a medium for development communication are posited.

In Post-Apartheid South Africa tourism was seen as an important tool for economic development and poverty alleviation, especially in rural communities. The term Responsible Tourism was adopted by government in the 1996 White Paper and encouraged tourism that creates competitive advantage, maintains natural, social and cultural diversity and promotes sustainable use of local resources. This study looks at two case studies on the Wild Coast of South Africa, namely; Coffee Shack in Coffee Bay and Bulungula Lodge in Nqileni, which have both been awarded for their responsible tourism efforts. Through a review of the literature, document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this thesis identified a set of responsible tourism criteria applicable to tourism ventures in rural South Africa, while also identifying some of the challenges that come with tourism development in rural areas. The study discusses how responsible tourism approaches and practices can enable not only job opportunities, but also contribute to improving basic living conditions and enhance education and skills development of local communities. Gaining ownership of the tourism venture, meaningful participation of local communities in management and decision making, equal power relations as well as sharing in the benefits were all found to be important enablers in the case studies. A responsible tourism approach also focuses on promoting sound environmental management practices, including respect for local cultures, institutions and local knowledge, thereby contributing to biodiversity conservation efforts and promoting sustainable livelihoods. The study recognised how partnerships with government and NGOs can enable better implementation of responsible tourism policies and approaches, while monitoring results and accreditation can measure these benefits delivered to the economy, community and environment.

Development researchers have long held a belief that developed states use their power to provide Aid or other forms of external assistance such as private philanthropy, assistance of Non-Governmental Organisations, and other private financing to underdeveloped, or developing, nations to achieve global economic and political stability. Development scholars (including geographers) have largely attributed this to a sense of responsibility. Many have assumed this assistance to travel in one direction, i.e. from Global North to Global South, thus overlooking the modalities of care and hospitality among individuals within countries of the Global South. In this thesis, I posit that looking at everyday modes of assistance at the community level would challenge scholars to re-think the ways in which place matters in development. Analysing qualitative data gathered through interviews and focus groups in two neighbourhoods in Maputo, Mozambique, this study is ultimately an investigation of proximity. I argue that the closeness of people in these complex community relationships matters in three ways: (i) the everyday practices of assistance in these communities are modes of resistance to an oppressive state; (ii) forms of assistance serve as expressions of local (as opposed to national) identity; and (iii) religious institutions play a significant role in fostering public discourse, rather than motivating assistance itself. In speaking more specifically about how proximity matters, this study contributes uniquely to the growing realisation that development must come from within.

The food security of university students in South Africa is an area of research which is becoming increasingly researched and recognised. Internationally, there has been research into university student food security, recognition of student food insecurity and the links to academic success, and the idea of secure campus food systems. Approaches documented in the literature from the global North include the establishment of food banks and pantries, and the use of university green space in order to feed university students and decrease student food insecurity. Limited research on food security of university students in South Africa has been conducted, but this is increasing. Universities around the world are becoming increasingly aware and active in examining their ecological impacts as universities, and placing sustainability on the university agenda. This research explores the current narratives of student food security, campus food initiatives and the (dis)connection between green spaces and student food security responses at a university in South Africa. In order to achieve the research aim, three objectives were identified. The first objective was to review the global literature of university student food security, the use of green spaces on university campuses as a food security response. The second objective investigated student food security dialogues, and the third objective included the examination of university based food initiatives and university policy documents and reports, and assessing the integration of aspects of student food security. This exploratory research used a mixed methods approach, using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data, by way of literature review, document analysis, online quantitative surveys and semi structured interviews in order to explore the narrative of student food security in South Africa, as well as the link between university campus sustainability and student food security. Dominant themes which arose from the research include food costs and affordability, in addition to food quality and health. It was found that there is a disconnection between student food experiences, sustainability and green spaces. While the links between green space and student food security may be relevant in Northern contexts, more pressing systemic issues require attention in the context of South Africa, thus adding to the complexity of how student food security is approached in the country. This exploratory research highlights the need for further research to be conducted in the area of student food security.

This study aimed to examine the perceptions of two local communities living adjacent to Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve (MMNP&R) and Kuruwitu community closure (tengefu) in Kenya regarding the benefits and impacts of the MPA on their livelihoods. A secondary aim was to compare the perceptions of these two communities in relation to the MPA management models employed at the two study sites. The research employed a case study approach and undertook focus group meetings and key informant interviews at each case study site and with relevant organisations. Key findings from the research revealed that both sites experienced diversification of livelihoods, however the diversification was for different reasons. The Bamburi community members stated that the park generated benefits such as new forms of employment linked to tourism, beach security, increased variety of corals and fish species as well as improved infrastructure. The Kuruwitu community perceived the closure to have resulted in various benefits but in particular social benefits, such as women empowerment, ownership of resources, co-existence among resource users and community exchange visits were highlighted. However, both cases also identified various negative impacts including tensions due to an increase in migrant fishers, illegal access and poaching and the use of unsustainable gear. Furthermore, the direct resource users (fishers) in both case study sites felt that their fishing grounds had been drastically reduced due to the establishment of the park and tengefu which negatively affected their fish catches and livelihoods, leading to decreased support for the conservation initiatives. Therefore, the fishers in both study sites were more negative about the protected areas compared to the other resource users. Kuruwitu, in particular, identified perceived fear of the loss of their marine area to privatisation, inequitable sharing of benefits by their leadership group and limited involvement of women in decision- making as primary negative concerns. On the other hand, concerns about minimal involvement in management decisions during and after park inception were expressed by participants at the Bamburi study site. In addition, the lack of transparency in the management and use of revenue derived from the state- run MMNP&R further aggravated tensions between the state and the adjacent communities as well as severe penalties set for transgressions on locals by marine park authorities at MMNP&R. With the introduction of co-management through the Beach Management Units (BMUs) in Kenya in the year 2007, it was expected that stakeholder participation would be increased, however, the Bamburi community lamented over lack of proper representation within the BMUs which they claimed gave outsiders more power. While both communities, especially Kuruwitu identified a number of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) that aided in fulfilling the community’s socio- economic and ecological objectives, they were much more central to achieving socio-ecological objectives at Kuruwitu than at Bamburi. These NGOs and other stakeholders, however, became much more engaged at MMNP&R after the inception of the BMUs. Based on the findings, it was evident that the community- based co-management conservation approach at Kuruwitu generated more social benefits to the community than the state-centred co- managed conservation approach at MMNP&R. Loss of access to traditional fishing grounds, perceived loss of benefits and increased social costs triggered illegal access into the state park, therefore, fuelling conflicts and exacerbating tensions between the community and the state as well as tensions between various management institutions regarding overlapping mandates. Implementing genuine co-management approaches are key to fostering inclusivity, accountability, legitimacy and support for marine conservation initiatives.

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