|
|
Analysis of the Commitment to Development Index
Syrovátka, Miroslav ; Hák, Tomáš (advisor) ; Nováček, Pavel (referee) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
Analysis of the Commitment to Development Index Miroslav Syrovátka ABSTRACT The Commitment to Development Index aims to measure the effects of wide range of rich countries' policies that support or limit development prospects of poor countries. These policies are grouped into seven components of the index. The thesis analyzes and assesses the methodology of the index construction with the main focus on its environmental component. It is argued that although the environmental component is a legitimate part of the concept behind the index, the difficulties of its implementation limit its information value. This is due to the specific shortcomings of component indicators and the necessity to combine environmental policy indicators with indicators of exploitation of global environmental resources. The scores of Visegrad countries and correlation analysis show the specificity of the environmental component within the whole index and indirectly support the conclusions about its reduced information value. The thesis discusses the options for modification, both at the level of composite index construction and presentation, and at the level of individual indicators of the environmental component.
|
|
|
Environmental sustainability of Africa in the context of global efforts for sustainable development (with emphasis on good governance)
Hlaváček, Jiří ; Šauer, Petr (advisor) ; Nováček, Pavel (referee) ; Verner, Petr H. (referee)
1 Title: Environmental Sustainability of Africa in the Context of Global Sustainable Development Efforts with a Focus on Good Governance Abstract This research has been conducted with the aim of analyzing African countries sustainable developmental problems at the beginning of the 21st century and contributing to a better understanding of the sustainable development concept and its related politics application, especially environmental ones, as well as of contradictory factors of African continent realities. Due to the scope of this topic and to currently increasing interest of the international community, theorists and practitioners working in the field of sustainable development the research concentrates on governance issues in general and in the field of environmental protection in particular. The governance can be understood as a new cross-cutting issue in sustainable development theory and practice. Based on meta-analysis of a substantial number of relevant sources and literature, African academia studies and scholarly publications in the field of developmental and sustainable developmental theory have been classified into three categories: 1) "global" research performed in the framework of political philosophy of neo-liberalism and institutionalism; 2) "continental" research traditionally affirmative...
|
|
|
Material flow indicators for the Czech republic: trends, decoupling analysis and uncertainties
Kovanda, Jan ; Moldan, Bedřich (advisor) ; Plesník, Jan (referee) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
11 Abstract In order for an economic system to function and produce goods and services necessary for meeting human needs, it behaves similarly to a living organism. It absorbs materials from the surrounding environment and transforms them into products, but ultimately all the materials are transformed into some kind of waste and emitted back into the environment. This flow of materials is referred to as industrial or socio-economic metabolism (Baccini and Brunner, 1991; Fischer-Kowalski and Haberl, 1993; Ayres and Simonis, 1994). Extraction of resources, consumption of materials and related emissions exert some pressure on the environment. So far, there has been a positive relation between meeting human needs and this pressure. The overall goal of developed countries within their strategies of sustainable development is to break the relation between pressure exerted on the environment and economic growth, which represents meeting of human needs and improvements in the standard of living. This phenomenon is called decoupling (EC, 2002, 2005, 2006; OECD, 2002; UN, 2002). One of the methods for assessing environmental pressure related to extraction and consumption of resources and materials is material flow analysis. In the case of economy- wide material flow analysis (EW-MFA), this method aims at...
|
|
|
Aggregated Indicators in Ecological Economics
Syrovátka, Miroslav ; Brůha, Jan (advisor) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
The aim of the thesis is to analyze three aggregated indicators and put them into the context of Ecological Economics. The second chapter points out that different sustainability perspectives imply distinct sustainability policies. Ecological Economics is outlined in contrast to Environmental Economics. Following three chapters analyze selected aggregated indicators. Aggregated indicators can provide quick insight into complex problems; however, their virtue depends to a large extent on the method of aggregation. Therefore, the interpretation of aggregated indicators should always be conditioned by their specific methodology. The Ecological Footprint is called technologically skeptical indicator of sustainability, applicable rather on a global than a national scale. Even on a lower scale the Ecological Footprint can illustrate demands of a given population for renewable natural resources. A major shortcoming of the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare is the integration of welfare and sustainability into one indicator since it does not allow for a simple interpretation of its results. High correlation between the Human Development Index and the indicators of economic activity limits the usefulness of the former. Yet, it can serve as a basis for further evolution of the concept and measurement of human...
|
|
|
Assessment of Policy Changes of the Impacts of Urbanization, Economic Growth and Decentralization of Water Services with Regard to Water Quality in Mexico
Lara Cervantes, René Fernando ; Šauer, Petr (advisor) ; Dvořák, Antonín (referee) ; Hájek, Miroslav (referee)
The thesis studies the case of water quality in Mexico as a crucial factor to prevent water scarcity. This is an important issue for Mexico since more than half of its territory is arid or semi-arid; moreover, the most productive regions are located in areas with significant water resources stress. In this regard, the current situation of water scarcity is studied from the changes in water management derived from the evolution of institutions in the country. The institutional changes were analyzed mostly in the transition from a centralized water supply and sanitation services with strong state intervention to the decentralization of such services that were transferred to municipalities. Decentralization was addressed by analyzing the performance of water supply and sanitation services in urban areas that are expected to continue growing in the near future. The literature shows that the decentralization process has been partial and has not improved as expected the performance of water supply and sanitation services, moreover, due to political reasons, limited human and financial resources it introduced more challenges to the accomplishment of sustainable water management. More importantly, the federal government is still the main agent for the development of the water sector in Mexico. The next part of the analysis consist of a quantitative and qualitative evaluation regarding water quality for the three most productive Hydrological-Administrative Regions (HARs) of Mexico in the period of 2003-2013. The HARs chosen are the HAR VI Río Bravo, HAR VIII Lerma Santiago Pacific and HAR XIII Waters of the Valley of Mexico which are very similar in terms GDP share and water stress degree. Through OLS regression models for each HAR the impacts of demographic, economic, water supply and sanitation services aspects were tested to known their effects on water quality. In order to improve the discussion of the results, additional to the comparison with the results of the literature review, three experts were asked to answer a questionnaire about the regressions outcome. The discussion showed different impacts of the independent variables in the dependent variable of each HAR, sometimes leading to unexpected results. The main conclusions of the thesis relate to the improvement of decentralization of water and sanitation services, to the need to improve data for future analyses and pay more attention to water quality issues. In this regard, decentralization requires to consider contextual differences in order to seize its advantages to improve the performances of water supply and sanitation services, moreover, at the operative level water management decisions must be taken without political interests involved. The statistical analyses stressed the need to develop more reliable data about water management issues to improve the understanding of factors that could potentially affect water quality. In this regard, the creation of useful statistical indicators to assess the evolution towards sustainability in water management. The considerations for future research must consider more seriously water quality issues. This topic has been often ignored, however, it is crucial for water scarcity abatement.
|
|
|
Synthesis of astronomical images
Sauer, Petr ; Babinec, Tomáš (referee) ; Červinka, Luděk (advisor)
The aim of this work is to create a program for fitting astronomical images. The input image is corrupted by atmospheric influences. The work describes the way the alignment and fitting methods. To select appropriately aligned images are used filtration method "Lucky imaging". The program is created in the "Matlab" and is controlled via a graphical user interface.
|
|
|
EKONOMICKÉ ASPEKTY STARÝCH EKOLOGICKÝCH ZÁTĚŽÍ
Aguilar Bobadilla, Silvia E. ; Šauer, Petr (advisor) ; Hadrabová, Alena (referee) ; Dubová, Markéta (referee) ; Čermáková, Hana (referee)
The main scope of the work is to support a wider understanding of the achievements and limitations of economic analysis in historical contamination issues. The work describes how various schools of economics focus their study on environmental problems, specifically on Brownfields redevelopment. It presents the ideas of environmental economics, resource economics, free market environmentalism, institutional economics, political economy and ecological economics. The work includes a case study from the region of Ralsko in North Bohemia.
|
|
|
Impact of taxation of electricity, natural gas and solid fuels on sectors of NACE in the Czech Republic
Zimmermannová - Ottová, Jarmila ; Jílková, Jiřina (advisor) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
The main target of the thesis is analysing of short-term indirect cross-sectoral impacts of taxation of electricity, solid fuels and natural gas on particular sectors of NACE in the Czech Republic, especially impacts on production prices. The key instrument for the analysis is the short-term price model for the Czech Republic, created as a component of the thesis. A secondary target is focused on the analysis of direct impacts, especially impacts on prices and expenditures of particular sectors of NACE. Within the scope of the main target, there are five different variants of taxation. For each of them the impact of taxation of particular commodities on changes in production prices of particular sectors of NACE is simulated. Than two different variants, both of them including taxation of all commodities, are compared. The thesis includes also two hypotheses, which are going to be confirmed or disproved on the basis of obtained results. For achieving the main target the methodology of Leontief input – output analysis was chosen (Leontief, 1966). This is the key instrument for creating short-term price model for the Czech Republic. This method is suitable especially for analysing short-term cross-sectoral impacts, however under necessary condition of no changes in current technologies, agreements and cross-sectoral relations. This condition represents strict limitation for the price model created for the thesis. Regarding scientific contribution, the main asset of this thesis is creation of macroeconomic short-term price model for the Czech Republic, which is based on methodology of Leontief input – output analysis. The additional contribution is calculation of the short-term impacts of new environmental taxation on production prices of particular sectors of NACE. Considering available information, environmental taxes in the Czech Republic have not been analysed by Leontief input - output methodology yet. There is not also sufficient analysis of environmental taxes impacts on particular sectors of NACE in the Czech Republic. The thesis is divided to seven chapters. The first chapter focuses on introduction to environmental tax regulation issue. The second chapter presents theories and concepts of taxation impact analysis. The third chapter focuses on models and empirical research in environmental taxation area. The fourth chapter is dealing with basic practical aspects of introduction of new energy taxation in the Czech republic and presents data useful for the following analysis. The fifth chapter consists of describing of applied methodology and describing of creation of the price model. The sixth chapter summarises results of simulation of direct impact of taxation on average prices for companies and on expenditures of particular sectors of NACE. The seventh chapter presents results of cross-sectoral analysis of indirect macroeconomic impacts for all variants; the chapter includes also testing of hypotheses and comments of final results.
|
|
|
Environmental information systems
Kvasnička, Tomáš ; Mildeová, Stanislava (advisor) ; Šauer, Petr (referee)
This thesis compares the environmental information systems and the providing of environmental information from the government institutions. The objective of this work is to analyze current information systems under the Integrated environmental information system (JISZP) and verify the hypothesis that all these information systems are integrated. The further goal is to prove whether or not the Act No. 123/1998 is fulfilled in practice. The first part contains an analysis of JISZP systems according to various criteria. The second part maps the legislation of information providing and verifies the compliance with the Law No. 123/1998. The final part contains an evaluation and recommendations for further action.
|
|
|
Optimalizace nákladů na ochranu životního prostředí: Náklady na ochranu životního prostředí. Pojetí, efektivnost a optimalizace
CENIA, česká informační agentura životního prostředí, Praha ; Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, Fakulta národohospodářská, Katedra životního prostředí, Praha ; Vojáček, Ondřej ; Urbanová, Tereza ; Prchal, Jaroslav ; Medková, Marcela ; Lisa, Aleš ; Kovář, Jaromír ; Klusák, Jaroslav ; Geuss, Erik ; Dvořák, Antonín ; Šauer, Petr
Publikace vydaná v rámci řešení projektu je rozdělena do dvou částí. Část I Optimalizace nákladů na ochranu životního prostředí tvoří kapitoly Pojetí životního prostředí, jeho ochrany a základních ekonomických souvislostí, Náklady a výdaje na ochranu životního prostředí na národohospodářské úrovni, Náklady na ochranu životního prostředí ve veřejné správě, Náklady na ochranu životního prostředí a jejich optimalizace na podnikové úrovni, Náklady na ochranu životního prostředí a spotřebitelé, domácnosti a nevládní neziskové organizace, Schéma řešení nových problémů ochrany životního prostředí. Část II Optimalizace nákladů na ochranu přírody - případové studie popisuje dvě případové studie: Třeboňsko - CHKO a Natura 2000 a Jizerské hory.
|
guest ::
RSS feed.