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

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:33:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:05:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / A questão do Desenvolvimento Sustentável é um dos temas mais falados na atualidade, e a busca do seu entendimento um grande desafio aos pesquisadores. Mas buscar seu entendimento e as relações das dimensões que o compõe (dimensão econômica, social, ambiental e institucional) não é o único desafio. Mensurar o caminho do desenvolvimento de uma sociedade é um desafio igualmente grande, principalmente devido as intrincadas relações entre meio ambiente, sociedade e economia. Este trabalho apresenta uma nova abordagem na construção de um índice sintético de desenvolvimento sustentável do ponto de vista da sustentabilidade energética. Esta metodologia se baseou em arquétipos matemáticos estruturados na Lógica Fuzzy, permitindo assim incorporar novas bases de conhecimento, mesmo que com definições vagas. O resultado final é a criação de um Índice de Sustentabilidade Energética que pode ser acompanhado no tempo, e que permite comparações entre países, já que na sua construção utiliza-se a base de dados do Guia de Indicadores Energéticos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Agência Internacional de Energia Atômica, que apresenta uma metodologia mundialmente aceita de indicadores energéticos. Este índice foi concebido para se parecido com outros indicadores como Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) elaborado pela Organização das Nações Unidas, o que permite um fácil entendimento, por ser um número entre zero e um. / Dissertação (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

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.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / This study explores the relationship between companies and society with regards to companies’ social responsibilities. A number of concepts such as Corporate Citizenship (CC), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Social Investment (CSI), articulate the role of companies in society. While these concepts are often used interchangeably, the main argument advanced in this study is that the concept of CC has more political currency than other concepts as CC confers duties and rights to companies in communities where they operate. In developing countries, CC is concerned with the role played by companies in administering the socio-economic rights of people living in communities where they operate. The study seeks to provide an overview of corporations’ obligations towards the socio-economic rights of people through CC, proposing the use of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a way to find a normative framework for CC.

Magister Legum - LLM

The changing business environment has increasingly driven organisations to incorporate sustainability into their corporate strategy for them to remain competitive. The economic, social and environmental goals and objectives of the organisation are now being factored into corporate strategy. This is as a result of the opportunities presented with the adoption of sustainability as a strategy and the threats caused by failure to adopt sustainability within their corporate strategy. For organisations to reap any benefits of incorporating sustainability, successful implementation of the strategy is needed. The role employees’ play in the implementation process of the sustainability strategy is critical. For successful implementation of the strategy, employee commitment is required as they have to adjust their actions and behaviours to be congruent with those required for the successful implementation of the sustainability strategy. However literature suggests that employees have received little attention in past research in regard to sustainability especially in emerging markets where research on sustainability has been limited. For this reason, the research problem for this study was how employee commitment can be improved towards the implementation of the sustainability strategy in their day-to-day operations. To achieve this objective, a conceptual framework was developed by investigating the organisational factors that impact on employee commitment to implementing sustainability in their day-to-day activities. To develop the conceptual framework, a literature review was conducted. The conceptual framework served as a basis for the construction of the questionnaire, to determine the nature of employee commitment to sustainability, to what extent they were implementing sustainability in their day-to-day activities and finally for the employees who were committed and were implementing sustainability what were the organisational factors that influenced their commitment to the sustainability strategy. The questionnaire was distributed to employees of different organisations in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan area who were MBA students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The findings of the empirical study indicate that the majority (75.5%) of the respondents were committed to all the tenets of sustainability, and were implementing the sustainability strategy. Though there were trade-offs in how the sustainability strategy was implemented, with the economic aspect having precedence where 84.5% of the respondents were implementing it, 70% of the respondents were implementing the social aspect of sustainability and 72.2% implementing the environmental tenet of sustainability. The organisational factors that influenced employee commitment to sustainability as was developed in the conceptual framework were all positively confirmed by the findings of the empirical study. Employee socialisation had the highest influence on commitment, followed by leadership, culture, communication, sustainability programmes and finally performance management. Formal and informal socialisation in the form of training and influence from experienced employees was the leading organisational factor that influenced commitment. The different roles top and middle management played in regard to sustainability followed. The organisational culture that existed in the organisation and the internal communication that was received all contributed to employee commitment to sustainability. The sustainability programmes in place and performance management systems in place were all organisational factors contributing to employee commitment to sustainability.