School of Geography - Theses
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ItemThe fragmentation of the radical social movements in the Philippines: development processes and the state( 1999)This thesis examines the relationship between national processes of economic change and the relative decline and fragmentation of radical social movements in the Philippines. Specifically it examines a recent course of political debate and conflict in the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its associated organisations. Processes of agrarian and industrial transition, combined with new class formations, have undermined this movement's understanding of basic strategy for social change. The growth of a service and industry based proletariat, differentiation of the peasantry, changes in the political regime and internationally based ideological challenges make it impossible for the organisation's traditional Maoist focus of protracted people's war to succeed. New organisations and splits from the old CPP have established a base in what can be characterised as primarily urban based protest movements and trade unions. The thesis reviews the ideological development of the CPP and the political crisis that resulted from the attempts by sections of the leadership to re-emphasise the party's Maoist orthodoxies in the early 1990s. The resulting debates and political changes are scrutinised. A more general analysis of processes of social and economic change emphasises the role of rent capitalism in facilitating a distorted form of development that has increasingly proletarianised, impoverished and urbanised a large portion of the population. Local case studies illustrate these trends. Finally, the new forces on the political terrain of the left are assessed. A renewed focus on the organising of urban workers and other sectors constitutes the greatest potential to enact progressive social and political change in the country.
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ItemThe role of valley deposits in modifying runoff delivery through catchments( 1999)The management of near-stream areas to reduce sediment and associated nutrient delivery to stream networks involves the management of runoff delivery. The efficiency with which runoff is delivered from hillslopes into the stream network, and subsequently through the stream network is a reflection of a catchment's hydrologic connectivity. The role of valley fill deposits in modifying catchment runoff delivery is examined in this study to assess their significance as hydrologic buffers. Preliminary modeling of controls on near-stream hydrologic buffering suggest that buffering response is sensitive to convergence of the contributing area and to the antecedent moisture conditions of the buffer zone itself. Consistent with partial area models of surface runoff generation, the results imply that near-stream areas will be source areas of mnoff if they accumulate and store runoff. However, near-stream areas below planar and divergent slopes have greater buffering potential because specific catchment areas are lower. The identification of convergent areas as significant source areas of runoff, and hence pollutants, helped guide the selection of a buffer for hydrologic monitoring. An alluvial fan was selected because of its dispersive morphology and position at the mouth of a discontinuous stream. The 0.44 ha study fan-valley flat dispersal area subtends a 26 ha catchment. Hydrologic buffering by the fan was highly variable during the 20 month monitoring period, ranging from complete buffering during some of the smaller runoff events to about a 25% reduction in runoff inputs in one of the larger events. Response variability reflects antecedent moisture conditions on the fan. Under 'wet' conditions, runoff delivery from the catchment is rapid and represents a relatively large proportion of total rainfall. Under dry conditions the entire catchment is a significant store for rainfall, and catchment runoff yields are lower. Runoff losses on the fan are significant because of the greater available storage capacity. Results suggest that the potential for near-stream buffering is good where rain events are sufficiently spaced to permit catchment and near-stream drying. The buffering potential of alluvial deposits in the area is found to reflect their contributing area to dispersal area ratios. A small CA:DA suggests that buffering by the deposit will be significant across a wide range of rainfall events and catchment conditions. Small ratios are associated with interlink areas and low order tributary catchments feeding into high order streams (i.e. where valley floors are wide). As a proportion of total drainage area, the significance of fan buffering along a 5th order stream is found to be relatively minor (16%) compared to runoff contributions from sub-catchments drained by continuous streams (75%). Since runoff from continuous tributaries represents net yields following hydrologic buffering at the sub-catchment scale, however, it is argued that catchment hydrologic connectivity reflects the spatial extent and distribution of alluvial deposits throughout the catchment. A general pattern of increasing valley fill width with increasing stream order is found, which is consistent with the general pattern described in the literature. On average, hillslope-stream hydrologic connectivity decreases with increasing stream order, although there can be significant intra-order variability. The mean CA:DA for 1st order catchments is 70, indicating generally poor buffering potential. Mean CA:DAs for the higher order catchments are significantly lower. Once in the stream network, fans and floodouts below 1st and 2nd order streams are potentially significant buffers. Approximately 40% of 1st order streams discontinue. The area they drain constitutes 65% of the total 1st order stream drainage area and >40% of total drainage area. Fans and floodouts below 66% of 2nd order streams are potential buffers to >40% of total drainage area also. hi
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ItemThe regeneration dynamics of Araucaria laubenfelsii in maquis and forest, Mont Do, New Caledonia( 1999)Many of the southern hemisphere conifers occur as emergent trees in high diversity angiosperm forests. Despite it's small size, New Caledonia has a flora which includes 43 endemic species of conifer. This study examines the regeneration ecology of the New Caledonian conifer, Araucaria laubenfelsii Corbasson, a species which occurs on ultramafic soils as an emergent tree in rain forest and in an unusual structural association with maquis vegetation. The hypotheses focus on the processes which create and maintain the structure of the maquis-conifer community and the stand dynamics of these conifers within closed forest. The establishment, growth, survival and reproduction of approximately 2,500 individuals was followed in permanent plots, within the Mont Do Botanical Reserve. This study utilized accepted demographic techniques to examine the regeneration status of Araucaria laubenfelsii in both maquis and forest. Community vegetation was also sampled and analysed and several environmental variables were explored including light environment and soil properties. The ability of Araucaria laubenfelsii to regenerate continuously in both maquis and some forest plots, given a lack of disturbance, is clear from the reverse-J shape of the size class distributions. Seedling and sapling densities in maquis plots suggest that Araucaria laubenfelsii is able to establish within the maquis environment, while densities in forest suggest more limited establishment success. Forest stands represent a successional gradient from immature sites dominated by Araucaria laubenfelsii, to more mature sites where Nothofagus codonandra or mixed species dominate. Within forest light may be the limiting factor, while in maquis cloud-combing of moisture may contribute to the successes of germination and establishment. Araucaria laubenfelsii seems able to tolerate poor soil conditions showing no signs that soil limits establishment success. Forest/maquis boundaries are maintained by disturbance and topography rather than by edaphic factors, with data showing evidence of forest expansion into maquis. Growth rates suggest Araucaria laubenfelsii is a slow growing species, showing evidence of suppression in the sapling size classes in forest environments. Growth rates in the maquis are generally faster than in the forest, for all size classes. Seedfall was minimal during the period of study and a mast year was not recorded, therefore estimates of fecundity from in-field germination probably underestimate actual fecundity for the species. Araucaria laubenfelsii on Mont Do can be considered a longlived pioneer, able to thrive under high light conditions, reflected by estimated X values in maquis consistently > 1. Araucaria laubenfelsii on Mont Do is able to survive fire once it reaches a critical size leaving adults to act as a seed source for the establishment of a new cohort. Most of the existing seedlings and saplings are killed by fire. Cyclonic disturbances are infrequent and may result in blow-down of large individuals within both maquis and forest. All of the individuals which were blown-down during the study were previously fire scarred. Around fallen stumps, seedling densities can be high, reflecting both the low dispersability of Araucaria seeds and enhanced moisture from the shading of the adult, when it was alive. Disturbance by fire and wind, seed dispersal, and slow growth rates play a role in the regeneration dynamics of Araucaria laubenfelsii on Mont Do, New Caledonia.
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ItemMunicipal solid waste management in Indian cities: towards a joint public, private and community partnership( 1998)Inadequacies in the waste management systems in Indian cities have been evident from its impact on the urban environment. The role of private sector and the community in waste management in urban India has been neglected by the respective governing bodies. This thesis first, examines the environmental impact of the waste management systems in Indian cities. Second, it suggests how the private sector and the community might be involved together, with the government, in improving the waste management services. Taking two case studies, Mumbai and Banglore, this study demonstrates that how the waste management systems operate in these two cities. It is argued that involving private sector and the community (through non government and community based organisations) can improve the operation and monitoring of waste management services in Indian cities. This study also suggests a model for operating and monitoring waste management services in Indian cities.
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ItemAsian migration and changing employment and occupation in Melbourne( 1997)This thesis examines the employment and occupation of South Asian migrants in Melbourne. To this end, census and cross sectional data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Bureau of Immigration and Population Research (0FR) as well as the survey data collected for this study, are used. In this study special attention is paid to South Asian migrants in terms of their demographic and economic characteristics, occupational adjustment, job quality and process of self-employment. The analysis of South Asian migrants is made according to birthplace, gender and policy category under which they enter into Australia. In examining the South Asian migrants, the study reviews the relevant literature and existing theories and models about their economic success and occupational adjustment overseas and in Australia. In this regard the main factors that influence migrants' occupational adjustment and economic success in the host country have been identified at and applied to the study of South Asian migrants in Melbourne. The study also reviews the Victorian economy in this context. The study describes demographic and economic characteristics, general flow and skill composition of South Asian migrants in Australia. According to the BIPR and survey data, most of the migrants from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are professional and came under the skill migration category. The data also show that South Asian migrants are distinctively different from other non-English speaking background migrants or other Asian migrants in respect of education, professional and occupational backgrounds and skills. The study examines transition and occupational adjustment, quality of jobs and experience of unemployment held by South Asian migrants in the local labour market. The data reveal that the majority of the qualified migrants from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka have adjusted well in their own profession through a sequence of jobs. A considerable number have regained either the same or higher status jobs compared to their pre-migration position. Although a considerable number of South Asian migrants have adjusted into occupations similar to their pre-migration occupations, the data show that they in fact status lost. The data also provide evidence that a significant number of migrants have shifted from professional and managerial to non-professional blue collar jobs in the process of their occupational adjustment in Melbourne. The findings reveal that the economic success and occupational adjustment of the migrants in the labour market vary according to birthplace and gender. Although the statistical test indicated that there is no significant difference between the present occupation status and policy category of the migrants, the chi square test indicates that there is some difference between birthplace groups in terms of the distribution of migrants' present occupation and industry. The chi-square test confirmed the significant difference between gender in terms of the distribution of migrants' present occupation. The evidence also shows that a significant number have not been able to enter the labour market since their arrival in Australia and were not able to utilise their professional, technical and academic skills.The study also examines the experiences of self-employed South Asian migrants. Again, the evidence suggests that the majority of these migrants are able to utilise their skills and potentials in their business. However, the case studies indicate that the career advancement of some migrants has been blocked due to this self-employment. The study also analyses the influence of structural change, particularly changes in employment and labour force characteristics, upon the participation of Asian migrants in different industries and occupations. The evidence reveals that South Asian migrants have been affected in terms of their participation according to industry and occupation due to the structural changes occurred in the 10 years to 1996. In conclusion, the study of South Asian migrants discussed relevant theories and models in the light of ABS and survey data. The examination of these data provides evidence that the human capital of migrants plays a significant role in their economic success and occupational adjustment particularly in terms of income and /or employment. In this regard they are able to utilise their skills and potentials in the local labour market. However, the theory of migrants has not paid attention to occupational status which this study identifies as an important indicator for economic success and occupational adjustment of South Asian migrants. The theory of migrants mainly focused on the overall labour market outcomes of the migrants in relation to employment, income differences, participation and unemployment rates.
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ItemThe role of public participation in the Philippine environmental impact assessment (EIA) process : an analysis of the Batangas coal-fired thermal power project( 1998)The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in the Philippines has been evolving gradually from a technical exercise in decision-making based on objective data to a procedure which emphasises public views. Its objective now is to address fully the social dimension of project development review procedures and the need for effective public participation. This thesis utilises ? case study of a coal-fired power plant located in the coastal town of Calaca, province of Batangas t? document and highlight the values and constraints of public participation in the Philippines EIA process. The thesis argues that public participation played a crucial role in the evaluation and decision-making process for the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) approval of the Batangas Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant. Following considerable delays experienced by the developer, the National Power Corporation (NPC), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) put into place the necessary procedural guidelines. The lessons to be learned from the case study are: how to resolve issues through amicable agreements, how to create acceptance of the project with minimum levels of impacts, share decision-making and responsibilities through multisectoral monitoring, and several others. This thesis concludes that such participation paved the way for improvements and innovative changes in the procedural requirements of the EIA process. Most importantly, acceptance by the local community must be secured before the approval of the project. This will tend to make the development of the project environmentally sound and socially acceptable.
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ItemAn impact analysis of enhanced-greenhouse climate change on the Australian alpine snowpack( 1997)This Thesis is concerned with the sensitivity response of the Australian alpine snowpack to the onset of possible enhanced-greenhouse climatic conditions in the 21st Century. The analysis procedure involved the use of both physical and empirical simulation models, and the various caveats associated with each of these components should be assessed when interpreting the results. A statistical downscaling model was constructed, which converted large-scale synoptic data into daily changes in the alpine snowpack. This snow model was calibrated for the Falls Creek site in the Victorian Alps (elevation 1649 m). The model was able to reproduce observed fluctuations in the observed snowpack when it was driven by largescale atmospheric temperature, humidity and airstream inputs. The research methodology used an extensive archive of daily output from the CSIRO 9- level General Circulation Model (GCM). This model incorporated a Mixed Layer Ocean, and operated at an R21 horizontal resolution. A daily-scale validation of a 24- year 1xCO2 control climatology revealed the existence of a number of biases within the simulated atmospheric fields. The most serious of these was a negative bias in tropospheric temperatures of between 2 C and 5 C. These biases were adjusted, and the GCM was used to drive the statistical snow model. The resulting simulation was successfully validated against observed data. The climate change sensitivity evaluation was conducted by applying a 29-year doubled-CO2 data-set from the CSIRO 9-level GCM to the statistical snow model. The resulting simulation showed an extremely high sensitivity response from the model site, with values such as mean snow cover duration and peak seasonal snow depth decreasing by over 90%. This was largely attributed to a particularly strong warming in the driving GCM of around 4.8 C. A range of further sensitivity perturbations were conducted by varying the input temperature fields (in both the GCM and observed atmospheric data-sets) by one degree Celsius increments. The mean snow model response suggested a quasi-exponential decay relationship, with the first degree of warming producing the strongest reduction in snow duration and snowpack depth. For example, mean maximum snow depths decreased by around 40% when the observed atmosphere was increased by 1 C. These changes were caused by a simultaneous decrease in snowfall and a very strong increase in ablation. Some preliminary impact analysis was conducted on various snow-affected sectors. Within the biophysical context, the snowmelt runoff into the Dartmouth Reservoir of northeast Victoria was calculated using a relatively simple terrain interpolation/snowmelt scheme. The seasonal runoff pattern was then perturbed to simulate an environment in which no alpine snowpack existed. The resulting runoff pattern contained an abnormally high mean winter maxima and a depressed spring inflow volume. A socioeconomic analysis was also conducted into the viability of the Australian winter tourism industry under a range of scenario conditions. A statistical regression relationship was delineated between the duration of the snowpack and visitation numbers at various alpine resorts. The analysis suggested that revenue generation and hence commercial feasibility could be threatened by a moderate reduction in the mean size of the Australian snowpack.
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ItemCasa mia : home ownership, identity and post-war Italian Australian migration( 1996)This thesis begins with an inquiry into the high rates of home ownership for Italian Australian post-war migrants and second generation Italian Australians. This inquiry points to the importance of home ownership to Italian Australians and suggests a connection between Italian Australian home ownership and migration. An examination of urban and geographical literature establishes the argument that the experiences and meanings of home ownership are not homogenous but are variously influenced by class, gender and ethnicity. Further, it is argued that the meanings, rates and importance of home ownership cannot be attributed to being Italian. This argument is based on feminist poststructural debates about the formation of identity and arguments within recent cultural geographies against the use of culture as an explanatory tool. The methodology is developed from feminist discussions on standpoint epistemologies and feminist geography debates on research methods. Qualitative data from 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with first generation Italian Australian post-war migrants and 20 interviews with second generation Italian Australians answer the research question: what does home ownership mean to Italian Australians? This thesis argues that to first generation Italian Australian post-war migrants home ownership means security, independence, privacy and autonomy, control, success, responsibility, place and a future. It is argued that these meanings are unique because they take on a distinctive character within the notion of sistemazione, best translated as 'settling down'. This thesis demonstrates how the desire for sistemazione comes out of a specific migration experience. The relationship between sistemazione, immigration, identity and home ownership for first generation Italian Australians is represented as a heterosexual home ownership matrix'. Within the matrix the desire for home ownership is naturalised by connecting it to a specific set of heterosexual household relations. It is argued that second generation Italian Australians naturalise home ownership further, by defining it as an Italian tradition. The matrix is one site around which second generation Italian Australians negotiate their gender, class, sexual and ethnic identities. The nature of these negotiations is reflected in four separate lists of meanings of home ownership for second generation Italian Australians. This thesis shows that the experience and meaning of home ownership are not homogenous but are influenced by the complex relationships between immigration and identity.
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ItemAttitudes to tourism in Victoria's Alpine National Park( 1996)Tourism is the next big issue facing managers, advocates and users of Victoria's Alpine National Park (ANP). While the logging and cattle grazing battles have been largely resolved, the debates over the acceptability of tourism, the appropriateness of a range of tourism activities and the desirability of attracting large numbers of people to the ANP are just beginning. A combination of Victorian government policy promoting greater use of its natural assets, increasing competition for access to the park from recreational users and the emergence of ecotourism as a commercial and consumer activity has resulted in increased pressures to develop the park as a tourist destination. At the same time, however, existing user groups may be at risk of being alienated by tourism activities and fear they will be displaced from the park. The thesis explores the attitudes to tourism of leaders of public and special interest groups who have become involved in the political debate about tourism in the Alpine National Park. It examines whether or not a state of conflict exists with tourism by exploring which user groups feel that tourism is or is not an appropriate ANP activity and which tourism activities are felt to be acceptable. More significantly, it strives to understand the causes of concerns about tourism by examining the similarities and differences in attitudes and ideal roles of the ANP that exist among stakeholders, including the opinion leaders of public and special interest groups, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources management staff and the tourism industry. In doing so, it examines the causes of these attitudinal differences to see if they are driven by identifiable differences towards the role and management of the park, identifiable value clash between user groups or by emotive perceptions that tourism and tourists are simply less appropriate user groups. At the time the study was completed, about half the opinion leaders surveyed expressed some level of opposition to tourism. Suspicion about tourism was evident, however, even among those people who expressed support for it. At its core, leaders of other park user groups fear that increased tourism activity will lead to their expulsion from the ANP. This displacement process could occur overtly, through the granting of exclusive or preferential use territories to tourist operators, or covertly, through a changed park experience that renders the Alps less attractive to non-tourism visitors.
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ItemDecline of manufacturing in Poland 1989-1994( 1996)This thesis describe the causes and effects of the decline of manufacturing industry in Poland between 1989 and 1994. The major cause of this decline was an attempt to quickly restructure Polish economy during the major recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s (so called 'Big Bang' approach by the Sachs-Balcerowicz Plan). As manufacturing industry is a major factor of long-term sustainable economic growth in a relatively small and resource poor country like Poland, the results are almost catastrophic. The industry, which was built in Polish lands since the late 18th century is in a decline compared only to the crisis of the 1930s. External factors like the shortage of demand and internal factors like restrictive monetarist stabilisation policy and attempts to quickly demonopolize and privatize the economy reduced output by more than 20% in just one year (1990). Real wages are on the decline and in 1992 they were back to the 1966 level (less than 60% of the 1989 level). Some industries, like heavy engineering, were hit harder than others, and some (like manufacturing of trucks) can totally disappear. Many smaller and medium-sized manufacturing centres are in serious decline - especially so called factory-towns like Mielec and Starachowice (in the latter the unemployment rate was above 30% in 1993). A shortage of labour in the 1980s changed dramatically to shortage of jobs in the 1990s. The unemployment rate which was virtually zero in 1988 exceeded 6% in 1990 and stabilised above 16% in 1994, which means that there are at least 3 million unemployed in Poland and almost half of them have been without a job for more than a year. The decline of manufacturing has changed to the worse the quality of life in the whole country and specially in the depressed regions. GDP per head declined by almost 30% in just two years (1990 and 1991). As a result of falling living standards population growth and the marriage rate declined. Drastic cuts of military expenditure (by almost 80% in 3 years) did not compensate for the effects of declining GDP but left Poland virtually defenceless in an unstable region. Crime is on the rise: for example manslaughters increased by almost 80% and serious assaults more than twice between 1989 and 1992. The gap between rich and poor widens, while market forces are allowed to act without restraint. Regions, which were for historical reasons less developed are hit harder than better developed regions around the biggest urban agglomerations. Large social groups like factory workers and the majority of peasants are pauperised while only small groups like money market players or real estate agents are better off. Financial strain and lack of prospects cause breakdown of traditional family life. This does not translate into increases in the divorce rate only due to the changes in law introduced because of Catholic Church pressure, which made divorce extremely difficult. As the chances of finding a job are negligible for recent graduates, many young people do not see a future in the existing system: witness the rising number of gangs and even the emergence of extreme right-wing fighting squads made up of unemployed youth. "Solidarity" governments allowed Polish manufacturing to decline in the name of the principles of economic rationalism. While the mistakes of the period 1944 to 1989 were due to strict adherence to the dogmatic left-wing ideology, the present mistakes are due to the equally dogmatic interpretation of neoclassical and monetarist economics and ideology of the so called "new right". In both cases authors of the mistakes live a relatively comfortable life, while the majority of Poles have to suffer the consequences of social and economic experiments made not in a laboratory but on a living society.