This paper analyzes how coca cultivation affects the provision of basic household services in Colombia. In particular, I examine how different levels of government responded to an exogenous upsurge in coca cultivation in 1995. I use data from De- mographic Health Surveys to compare Colombian households’ access to electricity (overseen by the federal government) and water (overseen by municipal govern- ments) in coca growing areas relative to non-growing areas. I use both standard and generalized difference-in-differences models. My results indicate that after coca cultivation increased, electricity coverage increased by 7 percentage points more in coca growing departments than non-growing departments. In contrast, there were no differential trends in access to piped water between growing and non-growing departments.

Around 770 million people lack access to improved drinking water sources (WHO 2013), urgently necessitating implementation of contaminant removal by e.g. desalination systems on a large scale. To improve water quality and enable use of brackish water sources for human consumption in remote arid areas, a directly coupled wind – electrodialysis system (Wind-ED) was developed. Modularity, sustainability and above all suitability for the practical use in off-grid locations were the main motivations and design objectives. The direct coupling of wind energy with membranes reduces the system costs as well as technical drawbacks associated with using intermediate energy storage systems. During this research, systematic experiments were performed using the Wind-ED system in order to determine desalination performance and clean water production, specific energy consumption (SEC) and current efficiency (ηc) under relevant conditions, such as varying: i) wind speed, ii) wind turbulence intensity, iii) oscillation periods, iv) varying NaCl concentrations and v) flow rates. Moreover, the competitive removal of four commonly available inorganic contaminants in brackish groundwater sources, nitrate (NO3-), fluoride (F-), sulphate (SO42-) and chloride (Cl-), were investigated. Firstly, to establish a systematic understanding of how and to what extent energy fluctuations influence the transport of the salt (i.e. NaCl) ions across the membranes, experiments were conducted using pulsed electric field assisted electrodialysis (pulsed-ED) over a wide range of frequencies (0.001 – 10 Hz) and duty cycles (20 – 80). The results showed that pulsation applied in the sub-limiting regime resulted in reduced water production, explained by the delays caused by the off-periods during the pulsed desalination process. At higher current densities, pulsation led to considerable improvements in current (e.g. up to 95%, for a feed solution of 500 mg/L and a pulse regime of 1 Hz at 50 V peak voltage) and significant reduction in water dissociation, explained by a reduction of concentration polarisation. Importantly, the pulsation had no significant effect on energy consumption or current efficiency suggesting that ED could be suitable for direct coupling to fluctuating energy sources such as wind energy. ED was consequently coupled to a wind turbine system and a series of desalination tests were performed over a wide range of wind speeds (2-10 m/s), turbulence intensities (TI of 0-0.6) and oscillation periods (0-180 s). Results showed that water production and SEC increased with wind speed. However, both the water production and SEC stopped increasing as the power output from the turbine levelled off at wind speeds above the rated value (vrated: 7.9 – 8.4 m/s). The impact of wind speed fluctuations on the system performance were insignificant up to a TI of 0.4. The desalination performance declined under high turbulence intensity fluctuations (TIs ≥ 0.5) and long periods of oscillation (> 40 s), as the wind-ED system periodically cycled off in response to operation below the cut-in wind speed of the wind turbine (vcut-in: ~ 2 m/s). The off-cycling of the system caused significant delays in the desalination process, and thus resulted in reduced water production. Further reduction in the water production resulted as the wind-ED system operated under intermittent wind speed conditions with off-wind periods longer than 10 s. It was concluded that the main challenge in direct coupling of ED to a wind resource was not the magnitude of the fluctuations but the impact of the power cycling off during long periods of oscillation and lengthy periods of no wind. Interestingly, the SEC of the process remained relatively unaffected by the fluctuations and intermittencies in the wind resource. The effect of energy fluctuations on the competitive transport of F-, Cl-, NO3- and SO42- from artificial brackish water (TDS ~4350 mg/L) was investigated using different sets of real wind data. The ion removal, independent of the wind regime tested, followed the order: NO3- ≥ Cl- > F- > SO42-. The competitive removal of the ions was linked to differences in physicochemical properties (i.e. hydration energy, ionic mobility and valence). The specific selectivity (e.g. preferential transport of NO3- over SO42- ions) was found to increase with concentration polarisation being either minimised (by lowering the mean wind speed) or disrupted (by fluctuations in the wind resource). The results from flow rate and feed concentration experiments, showed that power production of the wind turbine depended on not only the available wind energy but also the resistance of the load (i.e. the ED stack). Thus, increasing the feed concentration and the flow rate resulted in reduced resistance in the ED stack (Rstack), which inversely influenced the current induction counter torque force applied on the shaft of the wind turbine and caused the rotor to spin at a lower angular velocity. This led to increased sensitivity of the wind-ED system to wind speed fluctuations (e.g. system cycled off due to extreme fluctuations and intermittencies with low TDS feed concentration of 2400 mg/L) and hence a reduction of desalination performance. Impact of flow rate on the SEC was found to be negligible; this was attributed to the automatic voltage to current adjustments done by the wind turbine, in order to minimise the impacts of Rstack on the power production by the turbine at a given wind speed. Increased flow rate and resulting shrinkage of the boundary layer’s thickness, caused the concentration profiles at the solution-membrane interface to become steeper. This favoured the transport of ions with the highest diffusion coefficients in the mixture (i.e. Cl- and NO3-). Decreased flow rate favoured the transport of ions with larger valence numbers and higher electric mobility inside the electrolyte (i.e. SO42-); as the former property governed the faster migration of SO42- ions through the thick boundary layer and the latter property assisted with the improved affinity of the ion-exchange membrane to SO42- ions compared to the monovalent anions in the mixture. Increasing the feed concentration of Cl- from 500 to 2,550 mg/L led to reduced transport numbers for the other anions in the mixture and significantly reducing their removal rate. The results obtained from both the pulsed-ED and wind-ED experiments showed that, despite direct coupling to the fluctuating energy source the SEC of the process remained relatively unaffected by the energy fluctuations. Although the desalination process might require more time to be completed when operating under extreme wind speed fluctuations and intermittencies, the quality of the drinking water produced was always within the WHO standards. In conclusion, the findings from this research prove the wind-ED system to be an energetically robust and a reliable off-grid desalination technique suitable for the treatment of brackish groundwater in water stressed remote regions.

The launch of the Expanded Public Works Programme has led to preferential use of labour-intensive construction methods over conventional methods in construction and maintenance of public infrastructure assets. This report evaluated five bulk water infrastructure projects in Madibeng Municipality where labour-intensive construction methods were used. The research found that factors which adversely affected construction progress included: inability to transfer experience and lessons learnt from one project to the next, skills and experience shortcomings, administrative and management realities, negative interventions from stakeholders and failure of the Municipality to set specific objectives and monitor project achievements with respect to intended objectives. Appropriate training and support from local communities were found to enhance success during construction. It was concluded that labour-intensive construction methods are feasible for bulk water provision projects and can generate productive significant employment provided certain basic requirements were in place. Ultimately the findings led to the compilation of lessons learnt from the projects.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Administration Development Planning and Management)) -- University of LImpopo, 2017 / Whilst previous research has largely blamed inadequate finance as the cause of insufficient water provision and concomitant development implications such as poverty and food production; this thesis, took a slightly different turn and engaged on a critical deconstruction of the relationship between water infrastructure financing and water provision in South Africa. Archival data on South Africa between 1994 and 2014 were collected on water provision, water-asset finance, governance effectiveness, corruption, violence, accountancy and voice. Data were analysed using the OLS regression fixed effect. Findings from the analysis showed that against popular belief, there was lack of significant relationship between water asset finance and water provision. However, nonfinancial variables namely corruption, social violence, accountability and voice of citizens in development decisions showed a significant relationship with water provision. In addition, the analysis showed that water provision is significantly related to cereal production and incidence of poverty. Therefore, the thesis emphasized that rural development could be enhanced through an improved effort on water provision, which would increase cereal production and reduce the incidence of poverty. It stressed however, that provision of water asset finance without attention and control of nonfinancial variables might have the tendency to derail water provision initiatives in South Africa. The thesis made an original contribution by proposing a conceptual framework for employing and researching the catalyst for water provision in South Africa. It also developed three novel research models for future research. Key words: Infrastructure financing, water infrastructure, water provision, water and development, governance, accountability, poverty reduction

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-07-21T14:17:15Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Dissertacao_versaofinal.pdf: 1059482 bytes, checksum: c0a9d49ea4461e5f4da07fbfdfd5c83a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:17:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Dissertacao_versaofinal.pdf: 1059482 bytes, checksum: c0a9d49ea4461e5f4da07fbfdfd5c83a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-02 / CNPQ / Uma parte considerável da população rural nos países em desenvolvimento vive em um ambientedeescassezdeágua,responsávelporaltastaxasdemortalidadeinfantildevidoàsdoenças relacionadasàáguacontaminada. Aliteraturaexistenteteminvestigadooimpactodemelhorias nosistemadeágua(englobandooefeitodaexpansãodarededeabastecimentodeágua,qualidadedaáguaetratamentodeesgoto)sobreasaúdeinfantileoimpactodechoquesdechuvaem áreas secas. O presente estudo contribui para este debate por inferir o efeito causal isolado de expansãodaofertadeáguasobreamortalidadeinfantilpordoençasdiarreicas,particularmente para as zonas semiáridas, explorando um programa que distribui cisternas entre os municípios situadosnosemiáridomaisdensamentepovoadodomundo. Aoexploraravariaçãoexógenana intervençãodoprogramanosmunicípios,juntamentecomotempodetaldecisão,verificou-se queoprogramateveumimpactosignificativosobreataxademortalidadeinfantilpordoenças diarreicasparaafaixaetáriade0a4anos. / Aconsiderablepartofruralpopulationindevelopingcountrieslivesinawaterscarceenvironment,responsibleforhighratesofchildmortalityduetounsafewaterrelateddiseases. Previous literaturehasinvestigatedtheimpactoninfanthealthofwatersystemimprovements(confoundingtheeffectofwatersupplynetworkexpansion,waterqualityandsewagetreatment)andthe impactofrainfallshocksindryareas. Thepresentstudycontributestothisdebatebyinferring theisolatedcausaleffectofwatersupplyexpansiononinfantmortalityfromdiarrhealdiseases, particularly for semiarid zones, as it exploits a program that distributes cisterns among municipalities placed on the most densely populated semiarid zone in the world. By exploring exogenousvariationinmunicipalitiesprogramintervention,alongwiththetimingofsuchdecision,ithasbeenobservedthattheprogramhadasignificantimpactontheinfantmortalityrate fromdiarrhealdiseasesinthegroupof0to4yearso

Mathare as an informal settlement of the Global South which suffers from an inconsistent water supply and periods of scarcity, relies for its provision on water vendors. This dissertation strives to advance scholarly debates on understanding the production and governance of the ‘actual water supply’ beyond and in relation to the centralised piped water network, and to thinking the conditions for possible change to modes of water supply. An empirical investigation was conducted on certain temporalities of change and continuity in the relational practices of governance actors of the water provision, the water vendors, situated in the informal settlement of Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya. As such, experiences of water scarcity among the water vendors are suggested to contribute to shape Mathare’s water provision by motivating practices circulation, especially regarding water storage. The water vendors might also crucially sustain and re-configure rules, interact with, and be affected by artefacts involved in the water infrastructure through practices of maintenance, repair, but also decay through temporary events of water infrastructure disruption. In turn, looking at relations shaping the water governance, stable relations are suggested to be re-produced through ‘twilight’ actors and temporal modalities in the water infrastructure.

Inadequate resources have always been suspected to be the main cause of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in many developing countries. Water is one such resource that is not readily available to many in South Africa. South Africa is a water-scarce country; access to adequate water provisions requires expensive infrastructure which can only be provided by the Government for most of the population. It is not certain whether there is a direct link between access to water and development or poverty alleviation. This study evaluated the impact that state water provision has on development especially in rural communities. The study concluded that there is indeed potential for community development where there is improved access to water. Findings further revealed the nature of several other variables that have significant roles in the relationship between access to government provided water and development. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Inadequate resources have always been suspected to be the main cause of persistent poverty and underdevelopment in many developing countries. Water is one such resource that is not readily available to many in South Africa. South Africa is a water-scarce country; access to adequate water provisions requires expensive infrastructure which can only be provided by the Government for most of the population. It is not certain whether there is a direct link between access to water and development or poverty alleviation. This study evaluated the impact that state water provision has on development especially in rural communities. The study concluded that there is indeed potential for community development where there is improved access to water. Findings further revealed the nature of several other variables that have significant roles in the relationship between access to government provided water and development. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

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Dieses Dissertationsprojekt befasst sich mit der Bedeutung von urbaner Infrastruktur für syrische Stadtbewohner:innen vor Beginn des Krieges, der auf die friedlichen Proteste im Jahre 2011 folgte. Fokus der Arbeit liegt auf den Infrastrukturnetzwerken Wasserversorgung und Müllentsorgung in der Stadt Aleppo im Nordwesten Syriens. In den Interviews, die für die Forschungsarbeit mit aleppinischen Exilant:innen geführt wurden, zeigte sich, dass die beiden Netzwerke auch über ihren Zusammenbruch im Kontext kriegerischer Auseinandersetzungen in Aleppo (insbesondere zwischen 2012 und 2016) hinaus Funktionen im Leben der Befragten erfüllten – nun mehr weit weg von Aleppo im westeuropäischen Exil. Beispielsweise diente die Beschreibung von privaten Praktiken und institutionalisierten Abläufen der Müllentsorgung auch im Exil der Einteilung der aleppinischen Bevölkerung in bestimmte soziale Gruppen. Auch die politische Bedeutung der Wasserversorgung überdauerte den infrastrukturellen Kollaps. Vor diesem Hintergrund diskutiert diese Dissertation mit Hinblick auf insbesondere Literatur inspiriert durch die actor-network theory die zeitliche Verortung und Entstehung von Infrastrukturen. Insbesondere wird hinterfragt, ob die sozialen und materiellen Komponenten, die gemeinsam ein Infrastrukturnetzwerk bilden, notwendigerweise in Raum und Zeit koexistieren müssen. Hier schlägt die Arbeit ein Konzept von Infrastruktur vor, die zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten (dispersed in time) und, im Migrationskontext, auch an verschiedenen Orten entsteht. / This dissertation project focuses on the meaning of urban infrastructure for Syrian city dwellers before the beginning of the war that followed the peaceful protests in 2011. The project thereby focuses on the infrastructural networks of water supply and waste disposal in the city of Aleppo in northwestern Syria. Interviews conducted with Aleppans in exile showed how the two networks continued to play role in the interlocutors’ lives in Western Europe also beyond the infrastructural breakdown in the context of armed conflict in Aleppo (especially between 2012 and 2016). For example, the description of private practices and institutionalized processes of garbage disposal still served to divide the Aleppan population into specific social groups in exile. Likewise, the political meaning of water supply in Aleppo survived the infrastructural collapse of the provision of water in the city. Against this background, this dissertation discusses the temporality of the emergence of infrastructures with regard to literature inspired by actor-network theory. In particular, it questions whether the social and material components that in their interactions form an infrastructural network necessarily need to coexist in time and space. Here, the work proposes a concept of infrastructure that emerges at different points in time (infrastructure as dispersed in time), and, in the context of migration, also in different places.