Academic literature on the topic 'Conservation of natural resources Victorian Citizen participation'

Since the concept of sustainable development gained traction in the early 70s, there has been demand for new approaches, perspectives, and practices to the conservation of natural resources. The proposition that much of our modern environmental policies need citizen participation is widely accepted. In line with this standpoint, several concepts have emerged. They are shaped by Faith- Based Environmental Conservation, theoretical developments on environmental governance of the commons (e.g. Community Based Natural Resources Management), and social capital. The first and the second concepts indicate the integration of religious principles and social ecological wisdom into natural resources management. The third concept captures the idea that social bonds, norms, cultures, knowledge, attitudes, and information channels are central for a sustainable environment. In a highly organised group, where social capital is strong, the pace towards environmental sustainability has been expedited by successes in community-based programmes.

Background: Volunteers and citizen scientists have become an essential element of most nature conservation and restoration activities due to lack of resources but also due to the wish to engage and interact with local communities where conservation activities take place. Environmental or conservation volunteering is also considered to be a key resource in achieving much needed, ambitious nature restoration programs. Practical conservation work and various forms of environmental enhancement along with recreational and therapeutic use of natural or green and blue spaces have been studied for some time. The value of volunteers and the work is widely acknowledged but few studies have been carried out on the impacts of participating on the volunteers themselves. Using this protocol, a study will be undertaken to assess how impacts of participation have been assessed and reported in the literature; what these reported impacts are; how these are related to reported barriers and motivations for volunteering and whether they are affected by the region or country of study. Methods: This paper will identify studies that have described and assessed impacts of conservation and restoration volunteering on participants at an individual level, with a specific focus on physical, mental or societal wellbeing of individuals. Representative studies were sought from major search engines and relevant stakeholder publications, including both peer-reviewed and ‘grey literature’ in predominantly English language publications, published between 2000 and 2020. A priori inclusion criteria consisted of those publications and reports on studies with volunteer and community participants and which described impacts of, motivations for and barriers to participation. After a critical appraisal, a total of 105 articles were selected for further analysis to provide a narrative and mixed methods synthesis of the evidence base.

The implementation of Citizen Science in biodiversity studies has led the general public to engage in environmental actions and to contribute to the conservation of natural resources (Chandler et al. 2017). Smartphones have become part of the daily lives of millions of people, allowing the general public to collect data and conduct automatic measurements at a very low cost. Indeed, a series of Citizen Science mobile applications have allowed citizens to rapidly record specimen observations and contribute for the development of large biodiversity databases around the World. Citizen Science applications have a multitude of purposes, as well as target a variety of taxa, biological questions and geographical regions. Brazil is a megadiverse country that includes many threatened species and Biomes. Conversation efforts are urgent and the engagement of the civil society is critical. Brazilian dry and wet forests are dominated by members of the plant family Bignoniaceae, all of which are characterized by beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers and a big-bang flowering strategy. Species of the Neotropical Bignoniaceae trees are popularly known in Brazil as “Ipê” and are broadly cultivated throughout the country due to the showy flowers and strong wood. Different species have different flower colors, making its identification relatively easy. The showy and colorful flowers are extremely admired by the local population and the media. Flowering of “Ipês” is triggered by dry climate, lower temperatures and increasing day-light, making this group an excellent model for phenological and climatic studies involving Citizen Science. Here, we developed a multi-platform mobile application focused on the plant family Bignoniaceae that allows users to contribute phenological data for species from this plant family. More specifically, through this application the user is able to provide data about specimen locations, phenology and date, all of which can be validated by a photograph. This platform is based on React Native, a hybrid app framework that helps the developers to reuse the code across multiple mobile platforms, a development much more efficient and with efforts focused on the user experience. This technology uses Javascript as programming language and Facebook React as a basis for development. The system is similar to other CS apps such as iNaturalist. Namely, the overall observations improve the quality of the ranking through positive feedback from the community, strengthening the network of interactions between users and encouraging active participation. On the other hand, the application allows users to access all previously stored observations, which, in turn, can suggest improvements to that particular observation. Furthermore, observations without a correct ID can be stored until others can suggest a correct identification, maximizing the value of individual observations and data gathered. An important aspect of this mobile application is the participation of a network of experts on this plant family, allowing a rapid and accurate verification of individual observations. This team of Bignoniaceae experts is also able to make full use of the data gathered by correlating climate and phenological patterns. Results from these analyses are provided to the citizens gathering the data which will, in turn, stimulate the collection of new data, especially in poorly sampled locations. This is a very dynamic mobile application, that aims to engage the civil society with true scientific research, stimulating the management of natural resources and conservation efforts. Through this mobile app, we hope to engage the general public into biodiversity studies by improving their knowledge on an iconic group of Brazilian plants, while contributing data for scientific studies. The system is expected to be released in May and will be available at ipesdobrasil.org.br.

The unplanned development of a port city generates urban growth in its coastal zone that stresses the local biotic and abiotic resources, affecting the nesting beach areas of sea turtles. This work evaluated the impact of social collaboration on sea turtle conservation in response to coastal rigidization. Over the past twenty years, the Manzanillo Port (Colima), located in the Mexican Central Pacific, underwent vigorous development and urbanization. This growth has produced stressors including increasing levels of marine noise pollution due to the transit of merchant ships, the decrease in 4.3 ha in beach areas, and increased light pollution, which likely reduced the number of turtles that reached the nesting stage. Despite the above, the number of turtle nests has increased thanks to social collaboration through protection actions, education programs, and the participation of volunteers along with public and private organizations supported by the media and social networks. These actions are part of citizen science and contribute to the balance between urban development and the protection of sea turtles, reducing environmental vulnerability in the coastal zone. This success story can be reproduced in coastal cities for other wildlife species to achieve a social-ecological benefit through advocacy projects that involve the empowerment of local inhabitants and the appropriation of their landscapes and natural elements. These projects will contribute to alleviating the effects of coastal rigidization in the face of future challenges that will require solutions to different environmental aspects of imminent climate change.

The energy crisis is the foremost concern for the developing world, predominantly in European countries. The global energy demand will increase significantly by 2050, while natural resources dramatically decrease every day. However, net-zero emissions targets, climate emergency calls (1.5 °C global warming limit), smart environmental transformations, and energy transition efforts bring hope for fundamental changes in climate action globally. One of the best and most cost-effective strategies to achieve reduced energy consumption is encouraging energy conservation actions, which should begin at the household level and further spread to the community level. Therefore, this study aims to point out the critical role and growing importance of the ‘human’ dimension of smart cities via a behavior-based approach. The main purpose of the study is to measure the effect of feedback and intervention mechanisms on the energy conservation behavior of 100 volunteers who live in Kadikoy, Istanbul, over eight months through a behavioral questionnaire. The findings indicate that the feedback and intervention mechanisms affect volunteers’ energy conservation behaviors in the following behavioral groups: intention (t(99) = −2.75, p = 0.00), attitude (behavioral beliefs and outcome evaluations) (t(99) = 2.29, p = 0.02), subjective norms (t(99) = −4.07, p = 0.00), and perceived behavioral control (control beliefs and influence behavior) (t(99) = 3.60, p = 0.00). Moreover, among the four variable groups, participants’ intention, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control scores are relatively high in favor of actual energy conservation behavior. Hence, the findings of the study will provide valuable insights for the local government in terms of empowering citizen participation and data-driven feedback loops, from the bottom-up energy transition perspective, via smart technologies in smart cities.

ABSTRACTCommunity-based ecotourism is one of the efforts of rural development through the tourism sector, which not only presents natural tourism resources, but also contributes to environmental conservation, and the community as the main controller in its development. Rejowinangun Tourism Village is a village with a lot of potential and began to be developed as an ecotourism area, but still has many problems, both from the environmental aspects, management aspects, to aspects of human resources, so that tourism activities in the region have not developed. Therefore, a study is needed to analyze the potentials of community-based ecotourism development in Rejowinangun Tourism Village, and to achieve these objectives, an analysis is conducted on all aspects, namely analysis on aspects of tourist objects and attractions,social aspects, management aspects, up to aspects of organizing community empowerment. In collecting data, the method used is community participatory. In this method the community is the central focus and the ultimate goal of the activity, citizen participation will increase citizens' self-esteem and the ability to be able to participate in the mission concerning the community and village. Citizen participation will foster an environment that is conducive to increasing environmental potential and community growth. Keywords: Community-Based Ecotourism, Ecotourism, Rejowinangun Tourism Village ABSTRAKEkowisata berbasis masyarakat merupakan salah satu upaya pengembangan pedesaan melalui sektor pariwisata, yang tidak hanya menyuguhkan sumber daya wisata yang masih alami, namun juga berkontibusi terhadap konservasi lingkungan, dan masyarakat sebagai pengendali utama dalam pengembangannya. Kampung Wisata Rejowinangun merupakan kampung dengan banyak potensi dan mulai dikembangkan sebagai kawasan ekowisata, namun masih memiliki banyak permasalahan, baik dari aspek lingkungan, aspek pengelolaan, hingga aspek sumberdaya manusia, sehingga aktivitas wisata di kawasan tersebut belum berkembang. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan suatu kajian untuk menganalisis potensi-potensi pengembangan ekowisata berbasis masyarakat di Kampung Wisata Rejowinangun, dan untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, dilakukan analisis pada semua aspek, yaitu analisis pada aspek objek dan daya tarik wisata, aspek kemasyarakatan, aspek pengelolaan, hingga aspek penyelenggaraan pemberdayaan masyarakat. Dalam pengumpulan data, metode yang digunakan adalah partisipatoris masyarakat. Di dalam metode ini masyarakat adalah fokus sentral dan tujuan terakhir kegiatan, partisipasi warga akan meningkatkan harga diri warga dan kemampuan untuk dapat turut serta dalam keutusan yang menyangkut masyarakat dan kampung. Partisipasi warga dapat menumbuhkan lingkungan yang kondusif bagi peningkatan potensi lingkungan dan pertumbuhan masyarakat.Kata kunci: Ekowisata Berbasis Masyarakat, Ekowisata, Kampung Wisata Rejowinangun

In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the main management tool used to identify and prevent the impact of productive activities on the environment and human health and promote compensation measures. Metallic mining is the main productive sector in Chile. In 2021, Chile was the highest global producer of copper, the second-highest producer of molybdenum, and the third-highest producer of silver. Other types of non-metallic mining, such as siliceous aggregates, iodine, and hydrocarbons, are also notable. Mining activity requires robust and flexible environmental legislation. This paper analyzes the performance of the Chilean EIA system regarding mining projects entered into the system as Environmental Impact Declarations (EIDs) for low-incident projects and Environmental Impact Studies (EISs) for high-incident projects. The 2867 mining projects submitted to the Chilean EIA system as EIDs (91.8%) and EISs (8.2%) between 1994 and 2019 were compiled. For a proper performance evaluation, a representative sample of 68 projects (61 EID and 7 EIS) was studied through a principal coordinate analysis using eleven indicators widely used in the EIA scientific literature. The results do not show significant differences between the EID and EIS projects or remarkable differences regarding the increasing restrictions introduced by the successive regulatory periods SD30, SD95, and SD40. Based on the observed weaknesses, four opportunities for improvement are proposed focused on creating a simplified sanctioning procedure, upgrading the form of delivery of the project monitoring information, early citizen participation, and incorporating the climate change variable into the projects. This paper extends the methodology introduced in previous papers to evaluate the performance of the Chilean EIA system in mining projects, seeking also to offer a feasible methodology to other countries with a similar socio-economic context or other productive sectors potentially impacted by the degradation of land and renewable natural resources.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find a balance between tourism development and environment, on the one hand, and achieve a consensus between the profitability and development of local community, on the other hand. Design/methodology/approach The research model presented is a model of structural equations with three variables (tourists, local population and resources); these variables attempt to explain how we can develop ecotourism in Farasan Island. This study is based on a survey conducted in June 2015 of 600 Saudi citizens and residents. A list comprising 900 potential participants was created from various public sources as well as from the researchers’ professional and social contacts. The interviewees were contacted to alert them to participate in the survey. A total of 600 completed responses were received within 10 weeks of launching the survey, and these responses are analyzed and reported in the present study. The questionnaire consists of a series of questions with a five-point Likert scale for each concept in the model. The authors also used a set of demographic questions that delved into respondents’ tourism and ecotourism knowledge. Findings The results of this study indicate that the impact of local population and resources toward ecotourism is statistically significant and that they positively influence ecotourism as hypothesized. However, it was surprising that tourist was negatively related to ecotourism. This may be because the benefits of tourist are more apparent at leisure and social level rather than at the environmental level. The data were analyzed using factor, correlation and multiple regression analyses. Factor analysis was used to determine the dimensionality of each construct. The reliability and validity of the constructs resulting from the factor analysis were evaluated before they were used in the regression analysis. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha, where the degree of acceptance of reliability is 0.70 (Nunnally, 1978). Research limitations/implications Negative attitudes toward a potentially empowering tourist need further investigation and attention from policymakers. One possible explanation for this result may be that ecotourism through foreign tourist is not entirely anonymous, and this may dissuade people for fright of negative effects. It can be explained by the conservative culture of Saudi Arabia and the so-called “intermediate paradox” (Persson and Lindh, 2012), where the same people who are responsible for new forms of ecotourism explicitly or implicitly oppose these reforms. Practical implications From a practical perspective, the findings regarding attitudes toward ecotourism lend support to the notion that the government is doing a relatively good job and this work should be sustained. The respondents recognize that significant benefits can be derived if the government uses ecotourism to develop and increase livelihood of citizen. These benefits include more efficient policy- and decision-making processes and outcomes and greater engagement of citizens in government initiatives and priorities for ecotourism. This perception is in accord with the pervasive thinking in the literature regarding the transformative potential of ecotourism. The lack of interest or discomfort in engaging with the government via ecotourism has profound implications for the development of Farasan Island in Saudi Arabia. The finding suggests that regardless of the level of government investment in ecotourism, uptake may remain low. The study has also proposed and empirically tested a model of ecotourism that provides fertile grounds for further testing in other contexts and socio-political environments. From a practical perspective, the findings reported here could help shape the strategies and tactics the government could use to increase the rate of ecotourism in Saudi Arabia. Social implications From an original exploratory study that puts in perspective of Island experience, this study examines the scope of ecotourism as an alternative to tourism to the Farasan Island in Saudi Arabia. Considering the tourism potential existing on Farasan Island and its socio-cultural consequences discussed, we think of making tourism otherwise based on conservation of ecology and participation of local people. It is then shown that the position of the authorities in terms of alternative tourism, which remains the order of discourse, encourages local actors to pursue their own projects. But in terms of local development, the impact of these local initiatives, scattered and disjointed, are altogether very low. The authors try, through well-designed questionnaire, to explore and to take measures leading to the expected sustainable management of resources, while investments are gradually encouraging ecotourism in Farasan Island. The results indicate that the impact of local population and resource toward ecotourism is statistically significant and that they positively influence ecotourism. However, it was surprising that tourist was negatively related to ecotourism. Originality/value Research on ecotourism in Saudi Arabia is virtually non-existent, particularly research relating to tourist as opposed to the technological aspects of fostering ecotourism. The results of this study indicate that two variables positively influence ecotourism: local population and resource, through the use of nature and social tradition. The perceived benefits of ecotourism were statistically significant but negatively related to tourists. Moreover, both age and gender influence the level of ecotourism – age positively and gender negatively. These findings suggest that as people become more mature, they are more willing to encourage ecotourism of the country via natural and cultural channels. Also, it appears that women are not likely to use ecotourism more because of traditional practices of the role of women. Moreover, participants have a favorable attitude toward the progress and efforts made by the government to encourage greater ecotourism. Finally, while participants recognize the benefits of interacting with the government through programs and that program is likely to play a major role in future efforts, they currently do not see the need to use ecotourism or are not comfortable to engage with the government.

The Mangrove ecosystem offers a range of benefits and opportunities for local and national economic development such as fisheries, shoreline stability, and resource sustainability hence they should be protected and conserved. In Kenya Mangroves were declared government reserve forests by the Proclamation No. 44 of 30th April 1932, and later by Legal Notice No. 174 of 20th May 1964. Under this “Gazette Notification for Mangrove Forests in Kenya” all land between high water and low water marks (ordinary spring tides) are described as mangrove areas. These forests cover about 61,279ha representing approximately 3% of the natural forest cover or less than 1% of the national land area. Mangrove forests are found in tidal estuaries, creeks, and protected bays along the 536 km long Kenyan coastline that extends from the Kenya-Tanzania border in the south to the Kenya-Somalia border in the north; between latitudes 1°40΄S and 4°25΄S and longitudes 41°34΄E and 39°17΄E. Mikoko (Mangrove in Swahili) is the first project specifically developed for mangrove areas in Kenya. Driven by the Kenya Forest Service, the project takes into account the recommendations of the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan 2017-2027. For effective management of mangroves in the country, the Plan is organised around six programmes including; forest conservation and utilization; fisheries development and management; community; tourism development; research and education; and human resource and operations. These programmes prescribe measures for rehabilitation, conservation, and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems in Kenya. Implementations of this Plan will be led by Kenya Forest Service (KFS); but will also include other key actors such as Kenya Wildlife Service, State Department of Fisheries, Research Institutions, Academia and Community Forest Associations through a specially constituted National Mangrove Advisory Committee. The project is for a 2-year period during which it shall develop an effective system for management of mangrove resources in Kenya. This will be done through the development of management prescriptions, skills improvement and provision of adequate infrastructure as recommended by the mangrove plan. Biodiversity information on mangroves, covering species descriptions and distribution, is essential for understanding the ecology and distribution of this endangered ecosystem and its management. Nowadays, very few is done in that domain. If the mangroves location are well know, it's not the case regarding the species distribution. Citizen science is a way to address this important issue. MIKOKO, a French FSPI funded project, is focused on Kenya to develop species information systems on mangrove species. Mikoko aims to assimilate knowledge through its participatory portal to strengthen a science and technology network of stakeholders such as scientists and parataxonomists in the African region. The portal platform will contain a Citizen Science module, a graphic driven species identification module, a species pages module conforming to Species Profile Model and a spatial module. Subscribing to open data paradigm, all the data on the portal will be covered by Creative Commons license framework. Mobile applications for identifying 60 plant species and contributing to citizen science module will be deployed. The oral presentation will expose the portal features and related apps seeking participation from the environmentalists from the African region.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a shift by conservation authorities in post-apartheid South Africa away from management strategies based on law enforcement towards strategies aimed at facilitating local community participation in the management of natural resources. South African National Parks has established community forums in order to facilitate better communication with the communities neighbouring it parks, especially around issues of natural resource consumption. However, at its largest Park, the Kruger National Park, a pervasive miscommunication between the Park and the communities appears to exist despite the ongoing activities of its forums. This study attempted to identify what miscommunication, if any, was occurring between three groups of participants in the Conservation Discourse related to the Kruger National Park environment. The participants were (i) South African National Parks (SANParks) conservation managers, (ii) Kruger Park community outreach officials, and, (iii) members of local communities settled on the borders of the Kruger Park. Specifically, the study was interested in how different perceptions of various participants, who also represent different cultural communities, were foregrounded in relation to different communicative goals. It is suggested that an understanding of where the different Discourses diverge can help identify where possible misunderstandings are occurring which may be resulting in communicative problems. My primary research questions were: (1) how do different communities of practice take part in and construct Conservation Discourse related to the Kruger Parks conservation goals, in particular, those related to the use of natural resources; and, (2) how do members of at least three interest groups construct their own identities in relation to conservation matters in the course of various discursive events where SANParks conservation programmes, particularly those related to the use of natural resources, are topicalised. My assumption was that the Parks conservation officers would have a common Conservation Discourse, and that the local communities would have a common discourse but one which deviates entirely from that of the Parks. From 23 September 2008, I conducted three semi-structured interviews with the Parks conservation officers, I was an observer of a Park departmental meeting as well as a Park Forum, and I conducted a focus group with eight members from one of the local communities. This approach enabled me to collect data from a number of different types of communicative events in order to collate a multidimensional picture of the complete Discourse on Conservation. A number of different Conservation Discourses were identified, some of which present significant discrepancies, and which, as in the case of the two of the departments, may be contributing towards what appears to be a serious breakdown in communication. The communities show that while they are supportive of the populist concept of nature conservation, they are completely unaware of the Parks conservation policies. This lack of awareness indicates a failure of the existing communication between the Park and its neighbouring communities despite the Park Forums having been set-up. Finally, the different discourses also appear to be resulting in misunderstandings and feelings of animosity between the different participants.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In post-apartheid Suid-Afrika beweeg bewaringsliggame weg van bestuurstrategieë wat op wetstoepassing gebaseer is, na strategieë wat daarop gemik is om die plaaslike gemeenskap se deelname in die bestuur van natuurlike hulpbronne, te fasiliteer. Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Parke het gemeenskapsforums in die lewe geroep om beter kommunikasie met die gemeenskappe wat aan sy parke grens, te bewerkstellig, veral rakende kwessies rondom die verbruik van natuurlike hulpbronne. By die grootse Park, te wete die Kruger Nasionale Wildtuin, kom dit egter voor asof miskommunikasie endemies is tussen die Park en sy aangrensende inheemse gemeenskappe, ten spyte van die forums se aktiwiteite. Hierdie studie het nagegaan watter miskommunikasie, indien enige, tussen drie groepe deelnemers aan die Bewaringsdiskoerse rondom die Krugerpark, plaasgevind het. Die deelnemers was (i) Suid- Afrikaanse Nasionale Parke (SANParke)-bewaringsbestuurders, (ii) Krugerpark Gemeenskapsuitreikbeamptes, en (iii) lede van plaaslike gemeenskappe wat op die grense van Krugerpark gevestig is. Die studie het spesifiek gekyk na hoe verskillende persepsies van die onderskeie deelnemers, wat ook verskillende kulturele gemeenskappe verteenwoordig, in die diskoerse op die voorgrond geplaas is afhangende van verskillende kommunikatiewe doelwitte. Daar word voorgestel dat begrip van waar die verskillende diskoerse uiteenloop, kan help om te identifiseer waar moontlike misverstande wat tot kommunikasie-probleme lei, ontstaan. My primêre navorsingsvrae was: (1) hoe neem verskillende gemeenskappe wat rondom gedeelde praktyke gevestig is deel aan Bewaringsdiskoerse wat die Krugerpark se bewaringsoogmerke (en veral daardie oogmerke wat met die gebruik van natuurlik hulpbronne te make het) en hoe konstrueer hulle daardie Diskoerse; en (2) hoe konstrueer lede van ten minste drie belangegroepe hul eie identiteite vis à vis bewaringskwessies in die loop van verskeie diskursiewe gebeurtenisse waar SANParke se bewaringsprogramme, veral daardie wat met die gebruik van natuurlike hulpbronne te doen het, bespreek word. My aanname was dat die Park se bewaringsbeamptes 'n gemeenskaplike Bewaringsdiskoers sou hê, en dat die plaaslike gemeenskappe 'n gemeenskaplike Diskoers sou hê wat heeltemal van die Park s'n verskil. Ek het van 23 September 2008 drie semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met die Park se bewaringsbeamptes gevoer, ek was 'n nie-deelnemende waarnemer by een van die Park se departementele vergaderings asook by 'n Park Forum, en ek het 'n fokusgroep met agt lede van een van die plaaslike gemeenskappe gelei. Hierdie benadering het my daartoe in staat gestel om data van verskeie tipes kommunikatiewe gebeurtenisse in te samel, om sodoende 'n multi-dimensionele beeld van die volledige Bewaringsdiskoers saam te stel. 'n Aantal verskillende Bewaringsdiskoerse is geïdentifiseer, waarvan party noemenswaardige diskrepansies toon en wat, soos in die geval van die twee departemente, moontlik bydra tot wat lyk na 'n ernstige breuk in kommunikasie. Die gemeenskappe toon dat, hoewel hulle die algemene konsep van natuurbewaring ondersteun, hulle heeltemal onbewus is van die Park se formele bewaringsbeleid. Hierdie gebrek aan 'n bepaalde soort bewussyn dui op mislukking van die bestaande kommunikasiestrukture tussen die Park en aangrensende gemeenskappe, ten spyte van die instelling van die Park Forums. Uiteindelik blyk dit dat die verskillende Diskoerse ook lei tot misverstande en gevoelens van vyandiggesindheid tussen die verskillende deelnemers.

Bibliography: pages 53-57.
This dissertation has four main aims: 1. To assess whether multi-media (particularly interactive video) can be used in illiterate and semi-literate communities as a tool for both increased environmental awareness and increased participation in various stages of the development process. 2. To assess whether interactive video as an approach in itself facilitates empowerment of target communities. 3. To create a visual communication experience which combines the rigours of academic research with the practical application of academic theories in the field. 4. To foster a sensitivity in the "reader" towards access to information.

The growing numbers of environmental volunteers indicates that more and more citizens in Hong Kong are aware of environmental issues and willing to contribute their efforts to help protecting the environment. Previous studies indicated that environmental volunteering could raise environmental awareness and foster environmentally friendly behaviors among volunteers, given that they volunteered long and frequent enough. In addition, environmental volunteers are driven by different motivations to obtain certain benefits from their engagement. Therefore, understanding these motivations is essential to the design and management of volunteering programs. However, information about the motivations and attitude of environmental volunteering, especially in Hong Kong, is very limited. In order to provide an insight of the issue, this study assessed the motivations and benefits of environmental volunteers in Hong Kong. On top of this, the attitude of volunteers towards the environment was also examined to reveal its relationship with duration and frequency of volunteering. View points from volunteer managers were also gathered to obtain a better understanding of the issues. Information and data was collected from 205 local environmental volunteers and 5 volunteer managers through questionnaire survey and focused interviews. The results of the study revealed that interest in nature and learning are the most important motivations for volunteers, while social factor becomes more important with ongoing engagement. Learning is an important element in volunteering experience due to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills which are beneficial to personal development of the volunteers. Therefore, outdoor experience in nature and training opportunities should be included in the volunteering program, and the establishment of social network among volunteers should also be facilitated, to raise the satisfactory level and foster the sense of belonging of the volunteers. The results also indicated that longer term volunteering and higher frequency of service fostered better environmental awareness and more frequent conformation to environmentally friendly behaviors. Therefore, retaining volunteers and encouraging frequent participation not only ensure stable manpower supply for green groups, but also help the environment by changing people’s behaviors. In other words, environmental volunteering is not only an instrument to acquire work force, it also serves educational functions to change the mindset of volunteers, if the volunteering program is well managed. In order to achieve this, the factors contributing to the participation of volunteers should be realized, and the results of this study can assist environmental managers to establish volunteering programs addressing the motivations and benefits of volunteers which best suit the situation in Hong Kong. This is beneficial to the development and popularization of environmental conservation in Hong Kong.
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Environmental Management
Master
Master of Science in Environmental Management

Internationally there is an increasing focus on involving local communities in natural resource management and monitoring. Monitoring methods which are professionally driven appear to be inadequate to deal with the monitoring of natural resource use and biodiversity conservation, globally. This is especially evident in areas such as South African rural communal land. Two community based natural resource management (CBNRM) programmes in areas which are communally governed in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, namely Nqabara and Machubeni, were used as part of this research study. This thesis identified and tested potentially simple and cost effective monitoring methods related to the utilization of the local rangelands and indigenous forests. The criteria that were tested include 1) appropriateness and effectiveness in measuring change, and 2) contribution to building adaptive capacity among local land managers through learning. The criteria were assessed using a scoring system for each monitoring method in order to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses . This was done by using both quantitative and qualitative data. Contribution to building adaptive capacity was assessed by evaluating technical capacity gained, local ecological knowledge contributed and learning by participants. This was done using qualitative data. The results show that the monitoring methods had different strengths and weaknesses in relation to the criteria, making them more appropriate for different priorities such as effectively measuring change or building adaptive capacity. It is argued that an adaptive approach is a useful component in the participatory monitoring process. An adaptive framework was developed from lessons learnt in this study for collaborative monitoring. Challenges such as low literacy levels and adequate training still need to be addressed to strengthen efforts towards participatory monitoring. Factors such as incentives, conflict and local values may negatively affect the legitimacy and sustainability of participatory monitoring and therefore also need to be addressed.

Thesis (MScAgric (Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
This study assessed (a) the inclusion of local communities in the process of the establishment and management of Parque Nacional do Limpopo (PNL); (b) local community resources use practices, livelihoods strategies, land resources use and ownership and institutional arrangements at the grassroots; and (c) attitudes and perceptions of local communities towards the park and its implications for the sustainability of the park. The study shows that local stakeholders were left out in the planning and implementation processes of the park, which was through top-down approach. There was a lack of involvement of local communities and co-ordination with local stakeholders concerning on-the-ground activities. Local community participation occurs through consultation, thereby depriving primary stakeholders of any decision-making power. However, the study notes that the ongoing interaction between the park management, community advocacy organisations and local communities in the park represents a positive step towards the evolving practice of participatory governance of the protected area. It is also shown that local communities have diverse livelihood strategies, including subsistence agriculture, livestock herding, forest products harvesting, small businesses, handicrafts and cash remittances by migrate labourers. It is worth noting that land and forest resources use constitutes the foundation of their livelihood strategies. Local communities considered land to belong to traditional land chiefs who head local socio-cultural and political organizations in rural areas. They allocate land and control access to natural resources. Other community members asserted that the land belongs to the respective families that inherited and use it. The legal framework in Mozambique authorises the establishment of new institutions at the grassroots. This overlaps with the pre-existing traditional institutions in the rural areas, resulting in power conflicts and in some cases disruption of local institutions for governance ...

The Botswana Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) programme started in 1989. Its aims were to promote sustainable development through sustainable natural resources management and utilisation to improve rural livelihoods. The country CBNRM programme has recorded mixed outcomes and this has raised questions on the programme performance throughout the country. Since the programme has been recognised as one of the eight main livelihood strategies for rural communities in Botswana, there was a need to evaluate the programme performance and determine the factors that influence it. This thesis therefore evaluated the performance of CBNRM projects along an aridity gradient in Botswana and by so doing answered the two research questions of: (1) What factors influence the performance of CBNRM? And (2) how does aridity influence the performance of CBNRM programmes? Performance was determined in terms of financial benefits generated by CBNRM projects and the projects adherence to the CBNRM principles. Data were collected from seven selected CBNRM projects covering three aridity zones (wet, medium rainfall and dry areas) in the country. Data were also collected from key informants and community based organisations (CBO) project managers. Research findings have indicated differences in the performance of CBNRM projects across the identified three aridity zones. Factors that influenced the performance of CBNRM projects varied among the three aridity zones. These factors included: existence of complimentary rules and regulations for managing CBNRM projects; literacy levels of communities involved in CBNRM; ethnic composition of the project communities; historic and current socio-economic trends within communities; collaboration between CBNRM institutions and other local level institutes; amount of benefits generated through the projects; ability of institutions to resolve outstanding issues in time and type of CBNRM project. Research results also indicated that there was variation in the performance of CBNRM projects across the three aridity zones. Aridity was found to directly influence the performance of CBNRM projects through its influence on the amount of revenues that projects generated.

This thesis describes the sections in the Resource Management Act 1991 of particular relevance for nga Iwi Maori and assesses how well these facilitate involvement for Maori in the management of New Zealand�s resources. The method of assessment used is one of comparison between the schemes and philosophies of 1991 Act, and the active involvement of Maori in decision-making for their resources which is requires by Article ii of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi). Part i describes the Maori world view of the environment and outlines the Treaty of Waitangi and its relevance to resource management law. Part ii describes the purpose and principles contained in sections 5, 6(e), 7(a), and 8 of the 1991 Act. Chapter Three provides an overview of the relationship between the purpose and principles. Chapter Four discusses the purpose in section 5 and proclaims that the inclusion of sustainability as a purpose in resource management legislation is advantageous in terms of the indirect furtherance of Maori conservation aspirations for the enviroment. It also describes how the cultural wellbeing of Maori has been interpreted to be an express part of the purpose of the Act. Chapter Five provides an analysis of section 6(e) which makes the relationship of Maori and their culture and traditions with their taonga a matter of national importance under the Act. Chapter Six describes section 7(a) and kaitiakitanga which must be given particular regard under the Act. Chapter Seven discusses section 8 and the content and meaning of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Part ii concludes that while the facilitation of Maori involvement in the management and protection of natural and physical resources is improved under this Act, these sections are an insufficient safeguard for Maori interests. Part iii assesses the other sections in the Act which have a bearing on Maori involvement in resource management processes. Chapter Eight explores the planning system. Chapter Nine describes the resource consent processes in the 1991 Act. Chapter Ten comments on various procedural provisions which introduce tikanga Maori into the Act, and Chapter Eleven is devoted to exploring the sections in the Act which in the writer�s opinion provide the most potential for recognition of rangatiratanga in a limited form. This Part proclaims that the emphasis in the Act is very much on consultation with nga Iwi Maori as an effective means for their involement in resource management. It is submitted that this is not the active participation in decision-making that Maori seek and which is guaranteed under Article ii of the Treaty of Waitangi. Chapter Twelve acknowledges that involvement of nga Iwi Maori in processes under the 1991 Act will rely to some extent on the content of policy statements and plans produced by the local authorities. An analysis of the Proposed Otago Regional Policy Statement is undertaken to explore how the concerns of Kai Tahu have been incorporated into the statement. Chapter Thirteen ends by concluding that while the 1991 Act does provide for increased Maori involvement in resource management processes in New Zealand it does not facilitate the decision-making role guaranteed by Article ii of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The present project analyzes the conditions of the actual construction regulations and their relation with the conditions of sustainability of the western zone of Mexico. The human activity of production and occupation of the housing activity, has contributed important percentage in the problem of the global warming. The waste production and deterioration of the natural resources force to consider technological alternatives for the production and occupation of the sustainable buildings that incorporates low energy technologies and systems for the water consumption, as well for the energy efficiency using the advantage of the natural lighting, natural ventilation and the treatment of outer areas. The analysis of the energy efficiency will be based mainly on the conditions of sustainability, understanding that the consumption of the energy and the water is certain determined for the conditions of habitability. A sustainable construction can be a space completely integrated to the natural landscape and the natural flows of an ecosystem, or can be an artificial place with a high energy performance, built with low environmental impact materials. The primary objective is to maximize the energy efficiency, to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions, the conservation of the natural resources, as well as to integrate sustainable technologies and to make integral an urban planning with citizen participation in the different phases from the project.