Resource Management and Geography - Theses
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ItemTurbulence, habit and desire: life after two coal mine closures( 2020)This thesis investigates the experiences of workers and their families as they navigate disruptions to everyday life caused by workplace closure and job loss. Situated in the boom-and-bust world of extractive industry, it draws on qualitative fieldwork at two recently closed coal mines in Australia and China to explore the twists and turns of life after loss in restructuring economies. Picking up people’s lives several years after the mine closures, this thesis traces the cascading chain of changes catalysed by the event of closure. It explores how circumstances of life come to press upon bodies in the wake of loss, and how these intensities can come to reshape how people experience the world. It ultimately asks how people might weather the crisis of loss such that they regain a sense of life as an ‘ordinary’ timespace, reorienting from the past to the future. To do this, this thesis approaches loss as a non-relational force of interruption, showing how loss decomposes existing relations and exposes people to an unknown present. Drawing on postphenomenological theories of bodily change, it then tracks the shifts in concerns, anxieties, and orientations that emerge in this timespace of vulnerability and exposure. These processes of change are explored through three empirical chapters on the forces of turbulence, habit and desire. Turbulence shows how loss can bring ordinary life into disorder, leaving people exposed to the intrusions of unfamiliar and often unmanageable conditions. Habit suggests how melancholy durations of life can redraw everyday existence, allowing bodies to pick up different lines of the past to make sense of the present. Finally, desire describes how encounters after loss might begin to mobilise processes of repair, reorienting people from a lost past towards an unfolding future. By examining the relationship between self and other in the constitution of subjectivity, this thesis shows how transformations of the subject can come about through affective intensities that fold otherness into the self. It contributes to understandings of affect, embodiment, and relationality in geography, addressing how the turbulent circumstances of life after loss can speak to tensions in geographers’ understandings of connection and disconnection, presence and absence, relation and non-relation, activity and passivity. By focussing on how people come to live on after loss, this thesis moves beyond the melancholic tendencies of existing literatures on loss to foreground incipient processes of corporeal transformation. Its thrust is thus consolatory: it aims to recognise the gaps and tears that accompany ends, whilst refusing to forgo the vital and affirmative possibilities of life after loss.
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ItemCorporate Strategy and Ecological Modernization: Industrial Water Management in North China( 2020)In the ecological modernization of China, how firms respond to environmental constraints ought to be investigated to inform environmental reform in China. In industrial water management in particular, socio-economic development in China is boosting industrial water demand, yet water scarcity, severe in the drier north, has exacerbated the conflict between this natural resource and industrial need. While the Chinese government initiated various engineering projects, the largest being the South to North Water Transfer Project, to increase water supply in areas of demand, better management (e.g. changing consumption, reuse and recycling etc.) is argued to be of more urgency and sustainability in China. Positive changes in people’s values, attitudes and behaviours towards water could lead to efficient use of this limited resource. Therefore, this thesis takes a behavioural approach to investigate water management strategies in North China industrial organizations through the lens of ecological modernization. Empirical research is based on firms located in two regions, Beijing and Hebei. It investigates how industrial firms, one of the major market actors in ecological modernization, respond to both physical and regulatory environmental constraints. The methods used are primarily qualitative: semi-structured in-depth interviews and direct observation, supported by secondary data collection. The physical and institutional water availability in the study areas is firstly assessed. Then firm strategies in water management that patterned organizational behaviour are identified. Through analyzing strategies in different firms, the impact of firms’ own characteristics within their borders and the impact of locality attributes are disentangled. The thesis demonstrates ecological modernization a useful tool for understanding water management in China. It finds that North China’s industries are faced with both physical and regulatory water stress, though current prices fail to regulate industrial consumption. Environmental and institutional circumstances are driving environmental upgrading in this region. Firm-level adaptations featuring both upgrading and downgrading strategies include innovation, relocation, outsourcing, factory closure and rule breaking, depending on firm capabilities and orientations. I further argue that both firm characteristics (ownership, size/scale, financial status, market position, and sectoral character etc.) and locality factors (infrastructure and institution) play significant roles in shaping firm behaviour in water management, while interacting with each other. By building a tentative analytical framework to analyze the impact of firms’ own characteristics and locality on firms’ water strategy, this study contributes to both management and geographical theories within the framework of Chinese ecological modernization. And through the empirical analysis, water management suggestions for decision makers in both state and enterprise level are given.
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ItemPolitical trust in China: evidence from water consumption in Shanghai( 2017)This thesis aims to understand political trust in China through the lens of fresh water consumption in Shanghai. Research on political trust suffers from a case-selection bias. Most of the studies on political trust focus on liberal democracies and this problematizes the generalisability of those findings. In order to broaden the evidence and to test the relevance of existing theories of political trust in a different political context, this thesis answers three questions: 1. what is the influence of demographic factors on political trust? 2. what is the relationship between risk perception and political trust? and 3. what other factors help explain political trust? It answers these questions through an investigation of people’s trust in water management institutions in Shanghai, which grounds the analysis in a specific risk that requires people to trust in public authorities. A combination of qualitative (semi-structured interviews) and quantitative (questionnaire survey) methods is used, supported by secondary data collection. This thesis finds that that some of the explanations of political trust in democratic regimes also apply in China, but with some subtle differences. Demographic factors have a slightly different effect in China: more educated people and people with urban hukou tend to be less trusting than people with less education and rural hukou, while other individual characteristics, such as age, gender, and household income do not have significant influence on political trust. Risk perception and political trust are statistically correlated and seemingly bidirectional, but the association is moderated by some factors. The main difference between people who trust and distrust the government is whether they perceive the existing risks are reasonable and attribute those risks to the fault of the government. Another key finding of this thesis is that for various reasons political trust may not be a meaningful concept for many people in China, at least with respect to water consumption in cities.
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ItemPoverty alleviation, participation and the Chinese rural subject: voluntary resettlement on the Loess Plateau( 2016)Resettlement has featured as part of China’s development strategy since Mao adopted it in the 1950s as an ancillary project to major infrastructure works such as reservoirs. The history of the implementation of resettlement through that era is one of impoverishment and dislocation for affected people as a result of forced displaced. As the Chinese economy expanded market liberalism, governance of resettlement implementation adapted to reflect these changes in the economy. Currently resettlement is implemented as a poverty alleviation project which is ‘voluntarily’ undertaken by villages. Poverty Alleviation Resettlement policy states villages can only move if consensus is gained from the majority of the village and as a result, is implemented through the democratic structures of village governance. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the participatory resettlement process and identify problems that emerge when applying liberal or neoliberal forms of rule in authoritarian socialist states. To achieve the research aim a Foucaultian governmentality framework is chosen to analyse the evidence collected from two case study villages in the Yellow River catchment of southern Shanxi Province. The two villages differ with respect to their level of affluence. Yaotou is wealthier as it farms land on the banks of the Yellow River and is close to major cities and towns and hence markets and employment. This suggests Yaotou is of more strategic importance to town and county government for development than Tudi Miao that is situated in the mountains of the river catchment and is thus at a geographical disadvantage. The implications this has for voluntary participation of villages in development such as resettlement is of primary importance for understanding the problems encountered during implementation. Qualitative interviewing, a quantitative survey and policy analysis were undertaken to gather data on the political process during resettlement decision making and the technologies employed during village and livelihood reconstruction. The results reveal resettlement was forced in both villages but by county government in Tudi Miao and the village head in Yaotou. While resettlement was implemented through the democratic structures of village governance, the resilience of historical governance systems obscure effective implementation of participatory procedures. Yaotou as the model village received additional funds from the government but is also subject to the village head’s entrepreneurial plan to industrialise production which has led to economic displacement for households. By contrast in Tudi Miao, the village head is a full time farmer and has acted in the interests of his fellow villagers. He has fought to maintain the village on their land where they can preserve a number of local livelihood practices.
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ItemHousehold vulnerability to climate change in a rural Chinese county: does the local state matter?( 2014)The aim of this thesis is to understand the vulnerability of rural households to climate change in China and the influence of local government on that vulnerability. To achieve this aim, two research questions are addressed: 1) in what ways are rural households vulnerable to climate change?; and 2) in what ways does local government influence rural household vulnerability to climate change? The thesis applies a sustainable livelihoods approach to examining household vulnerability and is further informed by theories of vulnerability to climate change and theories of central-local government relations in China. It posits that local governments influence the vulnerability of rural households by mediating their access to livelihood assets and activities, and by shaping their coping and adaptive strategies. The research questions are addressed through the analysis of data collected in four apple-producing villages – two wealthier and two poorer – in a case study county called Jixian. Jixian is a nationally designated poverty county that lies on the Loess Plateau in Shanxi Province. The methods used are primarily qualitative: semi-structured interviews and direct observation, supported by secondary data collection. The thesis finds that all households in all villages are vulnerable to climate change due to water insecurity, but that some are more vulnerable than others as a result of differential access to land. Households in wealthier villages have better access to land such that they are better able to cope with climatic stress than households in poorer villages. In relation to local government influence, it is the county government that has the most influence through its allocation of resources to villages. Resource allocation is done in such a way as to favour the two wealthier, more developed villages, thus amplifying existing differences in access to resources between villages. Yet the county government’s influence on vulnerability is far from absolute, as the major drivers of household vulnerability in Jixian, which are access to land and water, lie beyond its control.
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ItemThe shaping and reshaping of low-carbon cities in China: coordinating local efforts on climate change with hierarchical control( 2014)China is not only the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, but it also takes the hierarchical approach of carbon management further than any other country. Since 2006, the national government has introduced an impressively comprehensive and sophisticated system of hierarchical control to steer local low-carbon action. However, this study shows that beneath the surface of uniformity and order there is much diversity and uncertainty in what the “control” in hierarchical carbon control has meant. Whilst the control over central-level state-owned enterprises is relatively robust, the management of local governments and local enterprises has been confronted by a myriad of problems and complications. The diversity in practice and outcome reflects the complexities and challenges of using hierarchical governance to achieve climate change objectives. Therefore, in spite of being appreciated as an important governance strategy for climate change, the impact of hierarchical control can be ambiguous and limited. Although hierarchy can be effective in overcoming free riding, which has become a prevalent problem in urban carbon governance, such advantages hold only when the challenges regarding target setting, outcome evaluation, and the administration of rewards and punishments are met.
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ItemFrom compensation to development: involuntary resettlement in the People's Republic of China( 2006)The restoration of livelihoods in the event of involuntary resettlement is commonly based on providing compensation to those who are displaced. The outcomes of these resettlements have been well documented around the world and provide a serial of recurring horror stories. For this reason, it is proposed that a new foundation for conducting involuntary resettlement is needed. Academics profess that by conducting resettlement as a development project in its own right, the performance of resettlements can be improved and the benefits will accrue to the local population. This concept is called Resettlement with Development (RwD). To this end, China was the first country to include RwD in its National policies on involuntary resettlement. However, it was not until the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River that the policy was translated into practice. This research is an attempt to determine whether RwD is a suitable model for livelihood restoration and improvement. In exploring the primary research aim, a year was spent in the resettlement region of the Three Gorges Dam, visiting resettlers and undertaking questionnaires, interviews and policy analysis. Two counties in Hubei province were chosen for comparison - Badong county and Zigui county. The application of RwD in these two locales was variable, with an uneven level of development intervention. The investment environment and county policy of Zigui attracted a greater degree of investment and related development than that of Badong. The capacity of these development initiatives to generate sustainable livelihood outcomes for the resettlers was central to this research. Through questionnaires, interviews and policy analysis, this research finds that although the RwD methods are applied more intensely in Zigui they do not necessarily translate into better outcomes for the resettlers at this locale. The data suggests that: (i) there is no difference in the degree of relative poverty in Zigui and Badong; (ii) Zigui is experiencing more relative poverty than Badong; (iii) there is no difference in vulnerability and resilience; (iv) the natural resource base is comparable in both counties; and (v) Badong and Zigui are both at risk of food insecurity. However, whilst the majority of households in all sites at Badong are experiencing declining incomes, there is no significant decline in incomes at Zigui. Although employment levels have declined at both Badong and Zigui, the decline is not so severe at Zigui. Finally, infrastructure in Zigui has improved in comparison to Badong after resettlement. Hence, although the RwD initiatives have not dramatically improved the situation for resettlers in Zigui, they have lessened the impoverishment effects that are synonymous with involuntary resettlement. Moreover, further analysis suggests that the outcomes seen in the TGP resettlement are not a consequence of the inadequacy of the RwD model. Instead, the RwD model is found to be only partially applied in the TGRA. Future attempts at RwD must endeavour to apply the RwD model more completely.
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ItemThe role of Export Processing Zones in East Asian development: South Korea, Taiwan, China and Thailand( 1992-07)Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are about thirty years old now (ILO and UNCTC. 1988). Their effects and influence on third world economic development and on international industrial restructuring have been criticised by different literatures. I wish to combine my practical experience of working in Shenzen Special Economic Zone for four years, with research to compare four EPZs’ development in four East Asian countries and area: Massan Zone in Korea, Kaohsiung Zone in Thailand, Shenzen Zone in China and Lat Krabang Zone in Thailand. This intended to explore the effect of EPZs on the economic development of those countries, and to provide a series of comparative data (especially on the zone of China about which there is little information).
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ItemBetween formality and informality: recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment in China( 2012)Informal recycling is a prevalent low-cost recycling practice in managing waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) in many developing countries. Nowadays the majority of e-waste in China is recycled by the informal sector, leading to a series of environmental and health consequences. This thesis explores informal e-waste management in China, focusing on the causes, applications and mechanism of informal recycling activities, and the linkages between the formal and informal sectors in the e-waste recycling system. The study offers new understanding of the informal sector, giving unique insights to its multiple roles and substantial influences on the current recycling patterns, and providing information for integrating the informal sector into the design of China’s e-waste management system. Through a case study in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province of China, this thesis investigates the participation of the informal sector and its interactions with the formal sector in the local recycling system. Considering the diversity of e-waste recycling activities and the ambiguous definition of “informal recycler” in China, this study goes beyond the current conceptual framework of informal sector and adopts own criteria to examine the informal attributes of certain recyclers in four major aspects: scope of business, employment of labour, recycling method, and production management. Besides, by looking into the collection and physical separation stages, the thesis discusses the codependency between the formal and informal sectors from perspectives of material interflow, organisational linkage, and division of labour. Based on a household survey, the study first analyses the formal and informal disposal channels of urban household e-wastes. It gives data about the household ownership of eighteen types of e-waste, presents the distribution of various disposal alternatives, analyses the dynamics driving different e-waste outflows, and highlights the advantage of informal collection. The site visits of recycling firms in the Fengjiang Secondary Metal Processing and Utilisation Base (an industrial park located in Luqiao District of Taizhou) have identified many innovative applications of informal recycling behaviors in formal establishments, proving the disparity between the regulatory and practical definitions of formal and informal e-waste recyclers in the market. According to information from interviews and participant observation, this thesis gives in-depth description of some key informal actors and explains how their diversified connections realise the completion of recycling steps. It identifies several casual recycling job categories, and emphasises the skill and transferability of those informally employed waste workers. Noticeably, there is obvious hometown-based distribution of labour in the recycling sector, and fellow villager (Laoxiang) relationship plays critical roles in bringing in and training of migrant waste workers in Taizhou. Through studying the actual manual separation process, the thesis also points out the efficiency of manual sorting and disassembly in handling the complex and heterogeneous e-wastes. The strength of such hand-based recycling is derived from the skills of workers, the special way of production organisation and the flexible arrangement among involved actors (such as foremen, overseers, and waste owners). This ensures the easy adjustability and high market adaptability of manual recycling approach, which responses well to the varying and mixed e-waste inputs and the changing downstream demands on outputs. The Taizhou case shows that in the real recycling chain the formal and informal sectors are highly related to each other. First of all, there are intensive flows of recyclates between the two sectors. Secondly, at organisational level, many recycling units are neither formal nor informal, but somewhere in between. Several features are commonly exhibited by both formal and informal recyclers, implying the continuity between the two categories. Thirdly, there are overlapping divisions between the formal and informal sectors in the e-waste recycling cycle, resulting in unnecessary competition and waste of resources. The informal sector is most efficient during the collection and pre-processing stages, whilst the formal sector performs much better in metal recovery operation. Therefore, it is important to exert the comparative advantages of each sector and to build cooperative relationships between them. Government may consider integrating informal collection with formal recycling system and utilising informal manual sorting and disassembly to improve the overall recovery rate of e-waste in China.