Analysis of institutional arrangements and common pool resources governance: the case of Lake Tana sub-basin, Ethiopia

Although Common Pool Resources (CPRs) make up a significant share of total income for rural households in Ethiopia and elsewhere in developing world, limited access to these resources and environmental degradation threaten local livelihoods. As a result, the issues of management, governance of CPRs and how to prevent their over-exploitation are of great importance for development policy. This study examines the current state and dynamics of CPRs and overall resource governance system of the Lake Tana sub-basin. This research employed the modified form of Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. The framework integrates the concept of Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) and Interactive Governance (IG) perspectives where social actors, institutions, the politico-economic context, discourses and ecological features across governance and government levels were considered. It has been observed that overexploitation, degradation and encroachment of CPRs have increased dramatically and this threatens the sustainability of Lake Tana ecosystem. The stakeholder analysis result reveals that there are multiple stakeholders with diverse interest in and power over CPRs. The analysis of institutional arrangements reveals that the existing formal rules and regulations governing access to and control over CPRs could not be implemented and were not effective to legally bind and govern CPR user’s behavior at the operational level. The study also shows that a top-down and non-participatory policy formulation, law and decision making process overlooks the local contexts (local knowledge and informal institutions). The outcomes of examining the participation of local resource users, as an alternative to a centralized, command-and-control, and hierarchical approach to resource management and governance, have called for a fundamental shift in CPR use, management and governance to facilitate the participation of stakeholders in decision making. Therefore, establishing a multi-level stakeholder governance system as an institutional structure and process is necessary to sustain stakeholder participation in decision-making regarding CPR use, management and governance.

Non-product related environmental process and production methods (NPR-PPMs): a view from international trade law and international environmental governance

The primary aim of this thesis is to analyse legal and governance issues in the use of Environmental NPR-PPMs, particularly those aiming to promote sustainable practices or to protect natural resources. NPR-PPMs have traditionally been thought of as being incompatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, the issue remains untouched by WTO adjudicatory bodies. One can suggest that WTO adjudicatory bodies may want to leave this issue to the Members, but the analysis of the case law also seems to indicate that the question of legality of NPR-PPMs has not been brought ‘as such’ in dispute settlement. This thesis advances the argument that despite the fact that the legal status of NPR-PPMs remains unsettled, during the last decades adjudicatory bodies have been scrutinising environmental measures based on NPR-PPMs just as another expression of the regulatory autonomy of the Members. Though NPR-PPMs are regulatory choices associated with a wide range of environmental concerns, trade disputes giving rise to questions related to the legality of process-based measures have been mainly associated with the protection of marine wildlife (i.e., fishing techniques threatening or affecting animal species). This thesis argues that environmental objectives articulated as NPR-PPMs can indeed qualify as legitimate objectives both under the GATT and the TBT Agreement. However, an important challenge for the their compatibility with WTO law relate to aspects associated with arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination. In the assessment of discrimination procedural issues play an important role. This thesis also elucidates other important dimensions to the issue from the perspective of global governance. One of the arguments advanced in this thesis is that a comprehensive analysis of environmental NPR-PPMs should consider not only their role in what is regarded as trade barriers (governmental and market-driven), but also their significance in global objectives such as the transition towards a green economy and sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

Integrating mobile and cloud resources management using the cloud personal assistant

The mobile cloud computing model promises to address the resource limitations of mobile devices, but effectively implementing this model is difficult. Previous work on mobile cloud computing has required the user to have a continuous, high-quality connection to the cloud infrastructure. This is undesirable and possibly infeasible, as the energy required on the mobile device to maintain a connection, and transfer sizeable amounts of data is large; the bandwidth tends to be quite variable, and low on cellular networks. The cloud deployment itself needs to efficiently allocate scalable resources to the user as well. In this paper, we formulate the best practices for efficiently managing the resources required for the mobile cloud model, namely energy, bandwidth and cloud computing resources. These practices can be realised with our mobile cloud middleware project, featuring the Cloud Personal Assistant (CPA). We compare this with the other approaches in the area, to highlight the importance of minimising the usage of these resources, and therefore ensure successful adoption of the model by end users. Based on results from experiments performed with mobile devices, we develop a no-overhead decision model for task and data offloading to the CPA of a user, which provides efficient management of mobile cloud resources.

Engineering design of an integrated sustainable process system for cassava biobased materials

Cassava contributes significantly to biobased material development. Conventional approaches for its bio-derivative-production and application cause significant wastes, tailored material development challenges, with negative environmental impact and application limitations. Transforming cassava into sustainable value-added resources requires redesigning new approaches. Harnessing unexplored material source, and downstream process innovations can mitigate challenges. The ultimate goal proposed an integrated sustainable process system for cassava biomaterial development and potential application. An improved simultaneous release recovery cyanogenesis (SRRC) methodology, incorporating intact bitter cassava, was developed and standardized. Films were formulated, characterised, their mass transport behaviour, simulating real-distribution-chain conditions quantified, and optimised for desirable properties. Integrated process design system, for sustainable waste-elimination and biomaterial development, was developed. Films and bioderivatives for desired MAP, fast-delivery nutraceutical excipients and antifungal active coating applications were demonstrated. SRRC-processed intact bitter cassava produced significantly higher yield safe bio-derivatives than peeled, guaranteeing 16% waste-elimination. Process standardization transformed entire root into higher yield and clarified colour bio-derivatives and efficient material balance at optimal global desirability. Solvent mass through temperature-humidity-stressed films induced structural changes, and influenced water vapour and oxygen permeability. Sevenunit integrated-process design led to cost-effectiveness, energy-efficient and green cassava processing and biomaterials with zero-environment footprints. Desirable optimised bio-derivatives and films demonstrated application in desirable in-package O2/CO2, mouldgrowth inhibition, faster tablet excipient nutraceutical dissolutions and releases, and thymolencapsulated smooth antifungal coatings. Novel material resources, non-root peeling, zero-waste-elimination, and desirable standardised methodology present promising process integration tools for sustainable cassava biobased system development. Emerging design outcomes have potential applications to mitigate cyanide challenges and provide bio-derivative development pathways. Process system leads to zero-waste, with potential to reshape current style one-way processes into circular designs modelled on nature's effective approaches. Indigenous cassava components as natural material reinforcements, and SRRC processing approach has initiated a process with potential wider deployment in broad product research development. This research contributes to scientific knowledge in material science and engineering process design.