Environment, Enterprise and Development

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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Applicability of Adaptive Co-Management within Indonesian Small-Scale Fisheries.
(University of Waterloo, 2025-05-12) Lister, Murray
Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) governance has historically excluded small-scale fishers from participating in decision-making processes, negatively influencing millions of livelihoods. Governance of SSF is complex due to interactions between users and the environment, both with varying influence on the system. Indonesia is of particular importance for SSF governance due to its archipelagic structure, fishing culture and the direct link between economic viability and SSF. Indonesian SSF provide livelihood, nutrition, and economic security to millions of fishers. Indonesian SSF however face, illegal and unreported fishing practices, fishing location disputes, pollution, poor living conditions, declining fish stocks and extreme volatile weather conditions. Effective governance strategies for SSF that can adapt to dynamic conditions within Indonesian SSF are critically needed. This thesis aims to explore the strength of adaptive co-management indictors present within Indonesian SSF, and how current governance of SSF can be transitioned, aiding in the transition of these fisheries from vulnerability to viability. Adaptive co-management is a governance approach that combines co-management and adaptive management, while integrating the practices of learn-by-doing, social memory and social networks into governance proceedings. This thesis indicates that adaptive co-management is an effective governance approach for complex social-ecological systems such as SSF. With adaptive co-management providing an avenue to facilitate vulnerable to viable SSF transitions. Long-term institutional support, effective capital building and social capital, were the strongest indicators of adaptive co-management, marking these critical for future development in SSF.
Rethinking Sustainable Tourism Certification: A Bottom-Up Evaluation of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Framework as Measured by Certification Systems
(University of Waterloo, 2025-05-06) Mic, Monica
For over 25 years, sustainable tourism certification, a market-driven mechanism designed to regulate production and consumption, has struggled to effectively serve small-scale ecolodges in the ecotourism sector. This challenge stems from certification programs failing to account for the operational realities and motivations of small business owners, leading to low adoption rates, impractical compliance expectations, and weakened trust in certification systems. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the dominant authority in sustainable tourism certification, reinforces a top-down, universalist approach that limits flexibility and innovation. This study critically examines the GSTC system through a bottom-up framework that identifies sustainability practices more applicable to ecolodges, addressing the structural barriers embedded within certification. This research follows a three-step methodology to investigate the power dynamics, governance structures, and operational constraints of tourism certification. Step 1 (Chapter 4) employs a descriptive analysis of industry reports, certification audits, and governance frameworks to assess how sustainability certification operates as an instrument of Private Environmental Governance (PEG) (RQ-1). By using Costa Rica’s tourism certification system as a case study, this step examines how organizations such as ISO, IEC, and ISEAL have influenced certification governance and credibility mechanisms. This global context highlights the GSTC’s regulatory dominance and the structural constraints it imposes on ecolodge certification. Step 2 (Chapter 5) applies qualitative thematic analysis to expert interviews, synthesizing academic and industry perspectives on GSTC’s influence over certification management (RQ-2). The findings reveal that GSTC’s market control has led to monopolistic tendencies, positioning it as a de facto regulator in sustainable tourism governance. This study contributes to Monopoly Theory by demonstrating how GSTC exercises control over certification systems, reinforcing economic barriers and limiting competition in ecolodge sustainability models. The findings illustrate how PEG-driven certification, though intended to create market accountability, has instead produced unintended exclusionary consequences by prioritizing market influence over operational feasibility. Step 3 (Chapter 6) builds on these findings to examine tourism experts’ assessments of GSTC’s criteria and the feasibility of ecolodge certification. This step integrates Club Theory vii perspectives to explore alternative ecolodge governance models (RQ-3), proposing a two-tier bottom-up framework to reduce certification hierarchy and increase accessibility for small-scale ecolodges. Tier 1 introduces 13 multi-dimensional indicators designed to ensure practical, transparent impact measurement for ecolodges with limited management scopes. Tier 2 integrates five adaptable sustainability components, addressing critical operational challenges for ecolodges with advanced management capacities. This tiered approach prioritizes transparency, accessibility, and regional flexibility, improving trust among ecolodges, customers, and regulators. While cost remains a major barrier to certification, this study demonstrates that ecolodges provide an opportunity for governance innovation, particularly for affordability-driven models. By examining certification through the lens of PEG and Monopoly Theory, this research reveals that current governance models disproportionately serve large businesses while overlooking small, sustainability-driven enterprises. The findings suggest that adapting GSTC certification criteria to account for operational diversity is essential for developing a more effective, equitable certification model for tourism markets that prioritize sustainability and inclusivity.
How Stakeholder Interactions Influence the Transitions between Vulnerability and Viability in a Co-Management Setting: A Case-Study in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-28) Kar, Akash
Small-scale fisheries provide immense socioecological value to Bangladesh and exist as a significant component of the national economy. Despite their importance, small-scale fishers in Bangladesh remain amongst the most vulnerable populations in the world. Not only do fishers deal with food insecurity, poor water access, little education opportunity, limited access to healthcare, among a variety of other traits limiting the social mobility of fishers but fishing itself as a practice has become less viable over time. Small-scale fishers have been impacted by increased competition, decreased fish stock, poor regulation, a rapidly changing ecology, among other conditions which make small-scale fishing practices vulnerable. These conditions are consistent throughout the country, however, specifically in the Sundarbans they are amplified. Originally adopted to increase local participation in decision-making processes, community-based management institutions were introduced to Bangladesh in the late 1990’s and officially came to the Sundarbans in 2009. This study aims to analyze stakeholder interactions in the current co-management structures present in Satkhira, the largest district of the Sundarbans, to better understand how the institutions work to impact small-scale fishers and their livelihood practices. Case-studies were conducted in four unions in Satkhira and a legal pluralism framework was applied in the fifth chapter to contextualize the relationships between statutory and customary institutions. This study found reach to be a relevant measurement when analyzing co-management institutions and further found a relationship between the factors of reach, transparency, and empowerment. The findings of this study further support that strong legal pluralism is unlikely through neoliberal conservation.
Systematic Review on Information Systems and Their Applicability in Transitioning Small-Scale Fisheries from Vulnerability to Viability.
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-28) Nyarku, Kwamina
This study explores the application of information systems in transitioning small-scale fisheries (SSF) from their current state of vulnerability to socio-economic viability. The research employs a systematic review approach, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, to synthesize existing literature on the topic. The theoretical foundation is built on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, which provide insights into the adoption and diffusion of information systems within SSF. The study reviews key concepts, including SSF, vulnerability, and viability, to establish a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by fishing communities. Empirical studies are analyzed to highlight the benefits of various information systems, such as management information systems, decision support systems, data warehouses, and transaction processing systems. These systems play a crucial role in enhancing data-driven decision-making, technological adoption, and community involvement, ultimately contributing to the sustainability and resilience of SSF. Despite the reliance on secondary data, the study emphasizes the importance of integrating advanced information systems to mitigate vulnerabilities and achieve operational viability. The findings underscore the need for targeted policies, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building initiatives to support the effective implementation of information systems in SSF. This research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable fisheries management and offers actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.
Adapting to climate change: Canadian skiers' behavioural responses and perceptions of snowmaking
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-25) Lopez Franco, Ana Beatriz
Ski tourism is predicated on low temperatures and natural snowfall, with climate change directly impacting the multibillion-dollar ski industry. As the ski industry continues to invest in snowmaking technology in response to warming climatic conditions, concerns regarding the sustainability of snowmaking are amplifying, including high levels of water and energy consumption required to produce snow, as well as associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by snowmaking equipment. During the 2023/2024 ski season, Canada experienced a record-warm winter that generated country-wide impacts in the form of late openings, temporal closures, and an early end to the season. The presented thesis is the first to explore skier/snowboarder experiences and behavioural responses immediately following a record-warm winter, and is the first to provide an empirical assessment of Canadian skier perceptions of snowmaking as an environmentally sustainable climate adaptation strategy. Using an online survey administered to active skiers and snowboarders across Canada from March through June 2024, a total of 209 surveys were collected and analyzed. The results reveal that during the 2023/2024 season, skiers have a high tolerance for marginal conditions (e.g., 59% would ski regardless of snow coverage), with most (57%) opting to ski less often (i.e., temporal substitution) versus a spatial (i.e., travelling elsewhere) or activity substitution (i.e., stop skiing). The frequency with which certain conditions were experienced statistically differed by region (e.g., machine-made snow), gender and age (e.g., warm temperatures, thin/bare patches, narrow snow coverage), with women and younger skiers more likely to have experienced these marginal conditions compared to men and older skiers. Older generations were also found to be less accepting of crowding conditions, more tolerant of poor snow conditions, and more in favour of snowmaking as a necessity to maintain ski seasons when compared to younger skiers. Most respondents (80%) are concerned about climate change negatively impacting current and future ski conditions, with a link between reported (i.e., behavioural response in 2023/2024) and projected future behaviours, suggesting a high reliability of using current behaviours following a record-warm season to predict future intentions. Moreover, almost all (90%) of respondents agreed that snowmaking is necessary, and over 80% agree snowmaking capacity must increase in the next five years. The results show the majority of skiers believe snowmaking requires significant water and energy to produce (82% and 80%, respectively), which negatively impacts water resources (36%) and results in significant GHG emissions (28%). Importantly, over one-third of skiers are undecided as to whether or not snowmaking negatively impacts water resources (38%), results in GHG emissions (43%), contributes to climate change (35%), and negatively impacts human health (59%), with women reporting significantly higher uncertainty than men, and older respondents agreeing less to the negative environmental and health impacts of snowmaking than young skiers. Emerging research suggests snowmaking can be compatible with climate action plans, underscoring an important opportunity for mountain destinations engaged in sustainable development to better communicate their adaptation-mitigation efforts to minimize uncertainty.
How can information systems assist vulnerable communities in their transition toward viability?
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-25) Mohammadi, Elham
Information Systems (IS) have the potential to play a crucial role in addressing complex global challenges, from climate change and resource management to social inequality and food insecurity. Despite their widespread applications in numerous sectors, the use of IS to support the sustainability of small-scale fisheries (SSF) remains underexplored. SSF are critical to global food and nutrition security, particularly on islands, where they are essential for local economies and cultural identity. These communities face significant vulnerabilities due to their geographic position, environmental uncertainties, and socio-economic constraints. Existing systems for fisheries are often generic, insufficiently localized, or not tailored to the specific needs of these communities. These gaps limit the ability of the fishers to adapt to changing conditions, optimize resource use, and ensure long-term sustainability. There is a growing need to design and implement IS that are not only accessible but also relevant for SSF. Such systems are crucial for empowering fishing communities, helping them navigate their challenges and fostering a transition toward sustainability. To address the existing gaps, the main objective of this research is to identify the key principles for designing IS tailored to vulnerable small-scale fishers, supporting their transition toward viability and sustainability. The first part of the study examines SSFs’ food systems in island communities, identifying critical factors that influence their vulnerability and viability with regard to food and nutrition security. The second and third parts of the study focus on IS, specifically identifying the requirements of users within these communities and evaluating whether existing systems adequately address these requirements. Finally, the study proposes key design principles for developing IS that can effectively support the sustainability of SSF. The first part of this thesis focuses on fishers in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), identifying their vulnerabilities and potential viabilities concerning food and nutrition security. The second and third parts of the research focus on fishers in Kumirmari Island, India. Data for the latter sections are collected through surveys and interviews. Interviews are conducted with the members of the information system development team behind the Fisher Friend app. The study introduces the User-Requirements Hierarchy (URH), which is developed based on the Contextual Participatory Design approach. Then, it suggests PUCT Dimensions—including Polycentricity, User-Centricity, Contextuality, and Technicality— as key elements for Information System design for vulnerable communities. This study contributes to the information system field, particularly in its role in supporting vulnerable communities. It advances the discourse on context-driven design by highlighting the importance of considering both vulnerabilities and viabilities. The study underscores that vulnerability and viability exist on a continuum, and to help communities overcome their vulnerabilities, their long-term decisions as well as viabilities must be recognized and invested in. While community empowerment and agency have emerged in the literature as core principles of technologies for vulnerable populations, their practical application remains unclear. A gap exists between the theoretical understanding and the practical guidance needed to implement it effectively in real-world situations. This research aims to address this gap by introducing the URH and PUCT Dimensions. The study presents design principles that ensure IS align with fisheries' realities and requirements. Drawing from field-based evidence from Kumirmari, the research provides novel insights into designing digital tools, uncovering unrecognized challenges and barriers, and emphasizing the need for polycentric approaches in system development. Practically, this study informs the design of new technologies, ensuring that they are not imposed on communities but are instead developed collaboratively. The findings of this thesis aim to assist in developing IS that support vulnerable communities in moving toward viability, with a specific focus on food and nutrition security. The findings support creating systems that align with the complex contexts of these communities. The suggested approaches can set the stage for future data collection, knowledge creation, and information system design efforts; helping ensure that the delivered systems are equitable, sustainable, and contextually relevant for vulnerable communities. Ultimately, these systems transform information into actionable knowledge, empowering communities to make informed decisions that drive more sustainable practices.
Impact of Climate Transition Risk on Banks: Regulatory Frameworks, Carbon Pricing and Credit Risk
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-25) Oyegunle, Adeboye
As the risk associated with climate change intensify, there is an observed trend of increased government and regulatory intervention targeted at mitigating the economic impacts of climate risk and facilitating the decarbonization process. These interventions primarily manifest in two ways. First is through government-imposed market-based instruments, such as carbon pricing, which apply a cost on carbon emissions to discourage pollution and ensure that emitters pay for their environmental impact. The other is through regulatory disclosure requirements that mandate specific sectors to disclose their climate-related actions, with regulatory authorities overseeing compliance within their respective jurisdictions. This research addresses these interrelated yet distinct approaches to managing climate transition risks by examining how market-driven policies, such as carbon pricing, influence bank lending practices and identifying gaps between emerging climate risk regulations and scientific research. It achieves this by assessing the impact of market-based tools, like carbon pricing, on key economies, especially those with high carbon emissions and substantial GDP reliance on carbon-intensive sectors and the impacts on various economic sectors across regions. It also evaluates how emerging regulations align with these policies by synthesizing and analyzing academic evidence on their effectiveness. Theoretically, this research contributes to the theories of credit risk, financial stability and adaptive governance, particularly in strengthening the economic resilience of critical sectors exposed to climate transition risk and enhancing the capacity of regulators and financial institutions to adapt and align their operations with the evolving climate risk regulatory landscape. This analysis provides insights into how lenders to critical sectors can improve their operational frameworks and how regulators can enhance climate regulations in response to the dynamic challenges posed by climate change.
From Intention to Impact: Forestry-related Sustainability Provisions in Trade Agreements
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-23) Ajayi, Blessing
Forestry-related sustainability provisions in trade agreements are important policy instruments for aligning international trade with sustainable forestry management. This dissertation conducts a sector-specific analysis by first mapping the academic landscape on sustainability provisions in trade agreements using bibliometric methods. It then develops a classification framework that disaggregates forestry-related sustainability provisions based on their depth and coverage. Employing content and textual analysis together with a results-based conceptual model, the study evaluates both the design of forestry provisions and the outputs, outcomes and impacts of associated cooperative activities. The findings reveal considerable variation in the scope and nature of forestry-related provisions across agreements. In addition, the study demonstrates that cooperative activities, when supported by strong institutions, adequate funding, capacity-building measures, and stakeholder participation, lead to measurable improvements in sustainable forest management. By integrating issue linkage theory and norm diffusion theory, this study explains how sustainability provisions can facilitate the internalization of sustainable development norms and influence trade practices. The results contribute to academic discussions and policy debates by providing a structured framework for assessing forestry-related sustainability provisions and offering recommendations to enhance their effectiveness in supporting sustainable forestry management.
The Great Migration, Urban Spatial Structure, and Their Economic and Environmental Impacts in the U.S.
(University of Waterloo, 2025-02-05) Shen, Zixing; Moreno-Cruz, Juan
This thesis investigates the transformative impact of the Great Migration on urban spatial structure in the United States and its subsequent economic and environmental consequences. The Great Migration (1910-1970), marked by significant African American migration from the South to Northern and Western cities, reshaped the demographic and spatial landscape of receiving cities. Yet, the long-term spatial dynamics and their implications remain underexplored, a gap this study aims to address. Using a novel dataset constructed through the City Clustering Algorithm (CCA), this research redefines historical urban boundaries, creating “synthetic cities” (Syncities) that more accurately reflect urban development from 1900 to 1970. The analysis reveals how demographic shifts influenced the size and shape of cities, with implications for their economic performance and environmental quality. By employing instrumental variable regression and mediation analysis, this thesis identifies the causal pathways through which these spatial transformations affected income levels and air quality, both immediately following the migration and decades later. The findings highlight both economic growth and environmental challenges linked to urban expansion. Cities with larger and more dispersed urban forms benefited economically in the short term but faced greater environmental degradation over time. These results underscore the importance of urban spatial structure in shaping sustainable development trajectories. By bridging historical demographic changes with contemporary urban outcomes, this study offers valuable insights for urban planning and policy, demonstrating how historical conditions continue to shape modern challenges. This work also provides a methodological foundation for future research on the interplay between migration, urban form, and sustainability. This thesis is organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the research goals and questions, explaining the importance of the study. Chapter 2 describes how the new urban spatial dataset was created and provides an overview of the key data. Chapter 3 looks at how urban areas in the U.S. changed between 1900 and 1970, providing background for the main analyses. Chapter 4 studies how the Great Migration affected the size and shape of cities, while Chapter 5 examines the economic and environmental effects of these changes. Chapter 6 explains how changes in urban areas connected the Great Migration to economic and environmental outcomes. Finally, Chapter 7 brings the findings together, discusses what they mean for policy, highlights limitations, and suggests ideas for future research. These chapters work together to show how the Great Migration reshaped American cities and what that means for sustainability today.
Examining Applications of Earth System Law in Canada's Species at Risk Act
(University of Waterloo, 2025-01-22) Rygus, Matthew; Craik, Neil
The worsening biodiversity crisis poses urgent questions regarding the capabilities of our legal systems to address ecological issues in the face of increasing human pressures and rapid environmental change. Earth System Law (ESL) is a novel approach to legal regulation that embeds the principles of inclusivity, complexity and interdependency according to an Earth-system perspective into legal systems. Such an approach better accounts for the larger spatial and temporal scales of Earth systems while utilizing a less anthropocentric orientation. To date, ESL research has generally been limited to conceptual analysis, however this study explores the empirical application of ESL by developing an assessment tool that incorporates ESL characteristics. The tool is then used to critically assess Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA). Drawing on the ESL literature, the study develops detailed criteria which are used to conduct a directed content analysis of a selection (n=sixteen) of SARA documents, consisting of five recovery strategies, five multi-species action plans, five management plans and the SARA legislation itself. The specific ways and extents that SARA, via its instruments, aligns and misaligns with ESL are outlined. Results from the content analysis indicate that SARA exhibits only select ESL characteristics, particularly the meaningful inclusion of present-day beings, the recognition of unknowns in a complex world and the consideration of adaptation and precaution as productive responses to complexity. SARA is misaligned with ESL by working against many of its characteristics, such as the meaningful inclusion of both future humans and geographic areas, complete acceptance of Earth-system complexity, full commitment to adaptation and the acknowledgement of Earth-system interdependencies, outlining an anthropocentric orientation. Overall, the study offers contributions regarding the conceptual development and real-world application of ESL, the shortfalls of SARA and measures to improve outcomes for biodiversity through legal systems.
Governing for Energy Transition in Rentier States
(University of Waterloo, 2025-01-14) Ohadi, Alireza; Craik, Neil; Murray (Co-supervisor), Dan
Climate change has led to increasingly strong pressures for all states to decarbonize their energy systems and economies. Energy system decarbonization faces socio-institutional barriers to phase out of hydrocarbons, which are highly integrated into global energy and economic systems. To address these barriers, the energy governance literature provides insights into the factors that influence socio-technical transitions, including the transition from hydrocarbon to low-carbon energy. Yet, when it comes to country scales, many of these studies focus on the transition pathways from the perspective of the energy importer and developed countries, leaving perspectives of the hydrocarbon rich developing states relatively unexplored. Unlike the importer countries, hydrocarbon rich countries have local access to fossil fuels, which they subsidize for domestic use, and export for fiscal revenues. These conditions make energy transition a uniquely challenging and path-dependent process for the hydrocarbon exporting countries. This thesis identifies the salient factors for energy transition to a low-carbon energy system and economy for the hydrocarbon rich-nations that rely heavily on fiscal incomes from fossil fuel exports – referred to as “rentier states” (Mahdavy, 1970). The identification of factors consists of universal, rentier, and country-levels, using a multi-level perspective (MLP) framework. The universal and rentier aspects aim at identifying the factors that increase pressure for (i.e. landscape factors) and resist against (i.e. regime factors) decarbonization of the energy systems and economies, respectively, at global and rentier state levels. The country-level aspect of the research is a case study on Iran – which is a rentier state. The Iranian case study allows to analyze interactions between the identified landscape and regime factors, in the real world-context of a rentier state. The case study identifies the influences of those factors on the path for decarbonizing the energy system and economy in Iran. To fulfil these objectives, the research analyzes the literature and relevant global, regional and national documents in the realms of energy governance, climate, technologies, and political economy. The research uses interviews with former Iranian officials in senior governmental positions to compensate for the scarcity of Iran-related documents and literature relating to energy transition, and to reduce the gap between the academic and real-world standpoints in the research. The thesis’ findings on MLP dynamics among the influential factors on Iran’s path for decarbonization identify the centralized governance of the energy system as a leverage regime factor that impedes rentier states’ efforts in decarbonizing their economy. Moreover, the thesis concludes that while energy mix and economic diversifications are both necessary approaches for phasing out of hydrocarbon resources and revenues, these strategies may be difficult to be pursued in parallel in the rentier states. In addition, the thesis finds that phasing out of fiscal crude revenues at the upstream of the energy sector [through economic diversification] could obstruct the path for phasing of fossil fuels in the downstream [under energy mix diversification].
Explaining Water Conservation Behaviour with the Big Five Personality Traits
(University of Waterloo, 2025-01-02) Bland, Autumn; Drescher, Michael
Climate change has led to increased levels of water scarcity around the globe and heightens the attention paid to the importance of water conservation. Water conservation behaviour, just like other behaviours, is likely to be affected by personality psychology, specifically the Big Five personality traits. However, the current scholarly understanding of how peoples’ intentions toward water conservation are affected by their personality traits is limited. The current research helps close this knowledge gap by clarifying how people vary in their intentions toward water conservation and how differences in their personality traits are related to the observed variation in their water conservation behaviour intentions. In pursuit of this goal, the current study examined the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (i.e., openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism) and water conservation intent and, used the Theory of Planned Behaviour as an analytical framework. Data were collected with an online survey of students at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The results suggest significant relationships between various Big Five personality traits and several of the Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs. These relationships were tested for demographic effects (i.e., program of study and gender) on their strength or direction. However, the results indicate that most of the relationships were not affected by demographic variables, suggesting that the identified relationships are universal based on the survey population and investigated demographic variables. The results from this study further our understanding of the factors that affect water conservation behaviour.
Diffusion Of Technology in Vulnerable Communities: An Analysis of the Role of Technology in Making Small-Scale Fisheries Viable
(University of Waterloo, 2024-12-18) Yousaf, Muhammad Tahir bin; Nayak, Prateep
This thesis investigates the diffusion of technology in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), focusing on how technological innovations can enhance their sustainability and viability, particularly within marginalized communities. SSFs play a vital role in global food security and livelihoods, yet they face significant challenges such as limited market access, environmental degradation, and overfishing. The research explores the diffusion of key technologies, including GPS monitoring devices, smartphone applications, and real-time monitoring systems, which hold the potential to improve resource management, operational efficiency, and market connectivity in SSFs. The study is framed within theoretical models like Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), offering a comprehensive analysis of how these technologies spread within vulnerable SSF communities. Case studies from Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Africa illustrate both the successful diffusion of technologies and the challenges encountered, such as financial barriers, lack of technical capacity, cultural resistance, and inadequate institutional support. The thesis highlights that the successful diffusion of technology depends not only on the innovations themselves but also on factors like community participation, tailored training programs, access to financial resources, and supportive governance frameworks. The study concludes that while technological diffusion can transform SSFs operations by improving sustainability and resilience, overcoming socio-economic and infrastructural challenges is crucial. This research provides a nuanced understanding of technology diffusion in SSFs and offers practical insights for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to promote sustainable fisheries through technological innovation.
Transitioning from Vulnerability to Viability: Small-Scale Fisheries in Marine Protected Areas of Sri Lanka
(University of Waterloo, 2024-12-12) Niyagama Gamage, Nilushika Madhubhashini; Nayak, Prateep Kumar
Small-scale fisheries (SSF) play a vital role in poverty reduction and food security in developing countries, providing livelihoods for millions while supplying essential nutrition to billions and contributing to local and national economies. However, small-scale and traditional fishing and coastal communities face increasing challenges due to the establishment of conservation measures, such as marine protected areas (MPAs), which directly affect their livelihoods, food security, culture, and survival. Highly protected MPAs, which ban extractive and destructive maritime activities, are effective in protecting and restoring marine biodiversity. MPA governance, however, often results in nearby coastal communities losing their rights and access to resources. While setting science-based limits on fish catch is an effective management practice, fisheries' biological, socioeconomic, cultural, and governance contexts need to be concerned for the most appropriate conservation interventions. This research aims to examine the effects of the governance of marine protected areas that exacerbate the vulnerability of small-scale fisheries. The study’s objectives are, 1) to characterize MPAs, SSF, and their interactions, 2) to examine the key drivers that exacerbate the vulnerability of SSF in MPAs, 3) to examine the key drivers that facilitate the viability of SSF in MPAs, and 4) to examine the key attributes of an appropriate MPA governance arrangement that is effective to facilitate the transition of SSF from vulnerability to viability. The study is focused on the Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary (BRMS), the largest MPA in Sri Lanka. The study was conducted in four purposefully selected study sites, Kudawa, Kandakuliya, Kalpitiya, and Uchchimunei. Following a qualitative case study approach, the study collected data through semi-structured interviews (n=51), two focus group interviews (n=2), observations, and literature review. The key research findings identified Kalpitiya SSF as a low-tech, labor-intensive occupation inherited from previous generations, mainly focusing on the domestic market. Further, the BRMS in Kalpitiya is significant in terms of biodiversity, ecosystem, and economic benefits. However, it has encountered challenges from past natural disasters and unsustainable fishing practices. These two social and natural systems are highly interconnected and complex regarding ecosystem dynamics and human interventions. Moreover, the major domains affecting the vulnerability of Kalpitiya SSF are governance and management, while the ecological and environmental domain have more viable impacts. However, the economic and development domain has both vulnerable and viable effects on SSF. The key recommendations for future governance implications to facilitate the transition from SSF vulnerability to viability include incorporating SES characteristics in policy developments, enhancing community involvement in governance, and the improvements in governance institutions.
Attributing Corporate Carbon Mitigation Outcomes to Substantive Decarbonization Actions through Change Analysis
(University of Waterloo, 2024-11-12) Lin, Meijie; Wilson, Jeffrey
Abstract As corporations increasingly disclose their environmental performance and claim to decarbonize their operations, it becomes challenging to distinguish substantive decarbonization actions from symbolic gestures that obscure business-as-usual operations. Despite numerous studies highlighting the prevalence of symbolic corporate carbon management, a clear method for measuring and comparing substantive corporate decarbonization action is still not well established. This study develops an outcome attribution framework using decomposition and decoupling analysis to measure substantive decarbonization actions that effectively reduce emissions. Using secondary panel data from a sample of firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange from 2018 to 2023, this study aims to: 1) analyze how changes in emissions can be broken down into changes in carbon intensity, energy intensity, and revenue; 2) evaluate the extent of effective corporate carbon mitigation outcomes that can be attributed to substantive corporate decarbonization actions; and 3) examine the correlation between substantive actions and emission reductions. The findings reveal a generally low level of substantive actions, aligning with previous research that suggests corporate climate actions are often more symbolic than substantive. More notably, the weak correlation between substantive actions and emission reductions underscores the limitation of using mitigation outcomes as a proxy for the effectiveness or substantiveness of corporate climate actions. This result emphasizes the influence of unintended external driving factors that may obscure symbolic actions and enable business-as-usual operations to persist under seemingly positive mitigation outcomes. The outcome attribution framework developed in this study offers a novel approach for researchers and decision-makers to measure and compare substantive decarbonization actions at scale, which enhances the decision-usefulness of the commonly disclosed metrics, provides clarity on the effectiveness of corporate decarbonization initiatives, and ultimately guides resources towards meaningful climate actions and advances best practices.
Neolocalism Strategies in Ontario Craft Brewing
(University of Waterloo, 2024-10-24) Bridges, Callum; Geobey, Sean
While we may live in a globalized society, it is human nature to crave local connection. The theory of Neolocalism helps us understand how businesses try to harness this, and can be defined as “a conscious effort by businesses to foster a sense of place based on attributes of their community” (Holtkamp et al., 2016, p. 66). In particular, there is a direct association between the theory of Neolocalism and businesses that sell food or beverage products as a way of creating a local identity for themselves. Craft or “Microbreweries” have emerged as the most common example of local businesses that embody Neolocalism as a way of building a successful business model through attributes and interactions with their local community. The purpose of this research is to understand what the most common approaches to Neolocalism are amongst Craft Breweries in Ontario. This research contributes to neolocal literature as it expands upon previous methods of understanding neolocal approaches carried out by businesses. Therefore, it will continue to advance the measurement framework that has been utilized to evaluate the business practices affiliated with the concept of Neolocalism. It also identifies trends in businesses approaches to Neolocalism that were previously overlooked or undervalued as the ability to collect information on certain variables and indicators had been limited. By doing this, it will determine more ways for businesses to embed themselves in their community, as it will allow them to evaluate their decision making process and identify further opportunities to create a stronger sense of place in their community. An explanatory mixed-methods approach was used for this study to gain a comprehensive understanding of Neolocalism within the Ontario Craft Brewery industry. Utilizing measurement framework for the business practices will provide clear trends and empirical measurement of neolocal approaches, while the inclusion of actual members from each brewery will ensure results are coming from their perspective and strategic thought process. The inclusion of brewery workers as participants instead of the use of customers or websites for data collection demonstrates the importance of gathering information from stakeholders who are privy to all aspects of the business. Given their knowledge and ability to comment on all indicators of Neolocalism is far greater, it aligned with the methodology for creating a comprehensive study on this theory. As well, the opportunity for qualitative discussion allows anyone who wishes to provide further context regarding their situation and decision making. Future studies should consider reducing the number of variables used in their assessment tool. This will create a more concise measurement of business practices and maintain one way of measuring variables to create a standardized measurement across all indicators.
Wetland Offsetting: A Policy tool for Sustainable Wetland Management in the Grand River Watershed?
(University of Waterloo, 2024-10-24) Movoria, Ejiro; Swatuk, Larry; Thistlewaithe, Jason
Wetlands, once considered wastelands, are crucial ecosystems that sustain biodiversity, regulate water resources, and provide essential services. Functioning as the "kidneys of the biosphere," they purify contaminants and maintain water quality. However, land conversion for industrial, residential, and farmland development has been identified as a major threat to wetland sustainability in Ontario. Other threats that have been identified include invasive species, natural water level alterations, pollution, and climate change. The wetlands of Ontario are further threatened by several policy changes that have been implemented by the Ontario Government in support of ‘Bill 23’, which is the government's plan to build 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years. Wetland offsetting is being positioned as the solution to wetland loss in the province and four conservation authorities have developed detailed offsetting policies. This thesis evaluates wetland offsetting policy as a viable tool for promoting sustainable wetland management and conservation in the Grand River Watershed. It theorizes that as part of a collaborative governance framework, wetland offsetting can function as a government-regulated mechanism that unites all stakeholders or enables a satisfactory compromise in favour of sustainability. The research data was gathered through an examination of academic and non-academic literature, alongside semi-structured interviews with key representatives from Ontario conservation authorities implementing wetland offsetting policies, the Grand River Conservation Authority, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Alberta Land Institute, Fiera Biological Consulting, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, the City of Guelph, and the County of Brant. The study reveals that the shift in responsibilities from conservation authorities to municipalities, coupled with weakened regulatory frameworks, has created significant challenges for effective wetland management. While ecological offsetting offers a potential solution for mitigating wetland loss, its effectiveness is limited by current monitoring practices, land unavailability, resource constraints and the uneven implementation of policies across different regions. The study concludes that there is a need for a more integrated and collaborative approach to wetland conservation, one that involves all relevant stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, municipalities, and conservation authorities, prioritizing direct protection and restoration of wetlands, with offsetting used as a complementary tool rather than a primary strategy. Recommendations include developing and implementing more robust monitoring frameworks that go beyond visual inspections and presence/absence data but include detailed functional assessments that can provide a clearer picture of the ecological success of wetland offsetting projects.
Cross-Sector Partnerships as an Implementation Strategy in Achieving Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(University of Waterloo, 2024-10-17) Isabu, Ebosetale; Clarke, Amelia
Following the emphasis on the need for cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, CSP approaches have gained recognition internationally and have been integrated into development agendas such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CSPs enable expertise mobilization, adoption of technology, and leveraging of funding to support the achievement of the SDGs. Local partners engaging in CSPs can make significant progress toward achieving their local sustainability goals while contributing to the global SDGs. In recent years, empirical studies have identified CSPs as a strategy for achieving deep decarbonization, including at the local level. Furthermore, existing literature highlights a positive correlation between partnership structural features and sustainability progress (i.e., plan outcomes), particularly regarding climate action. However, the potential relationship between the size and design of local CSPs working on achieving net-zero climate plans remains understudied. Additionally, the documentation of best practices of partnerships allows for replication within similar contexts. Thus, this research identifies the similarities and differences in the structural features of small and large CSPs that contribute to mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The research uses a qualitative cross-case comparison approach, involving two cases: one small CSP in the City of Markham (3 partners) and one large CSP in the City of Montreal (over 100 partners). The cases are focused on climate mitigation, involve the city, were in the implementation or completion phase, and were selected based on detailed selection criteria following recommendations from the Municipal Net-Zero Action-Research Partnership (NZAP). Data were collected from archival documents and interviews with partners and dedicated staff of the partnerships to get broader insights into the nuances of the partnerships. Analysis was done using a deductive analytical framework on partnership structures and outcomes, and an inductive analysis on partner and partnership’s perspectives about the implications of their structure on outcomes. The results show that to achieve community-wide action, a large CSP is needed, but to achieve a focused project, a small CSP is ideal. The design of the partnership’s decision-making, coordination, communication, multi-level integration, monitoring & reporting, financing, and partner engagement are all critical structural features to consider in ensuring the partnership can achieve its climate goals, regardless of size, but the size will influence the design. The findings of this research are significant for organizations focused on local climate mitigation, including private, public, and civil society organizations. The thesis contributes to future cities' research area by conducting an empirical investigation to advance the literature on the role of cross-sector partnerships in advancing the implementation of climate action plans in municipalities. The findings will also be useful to academic researchers focusing on net-zero climate action, climate change, sustainable economy, CSPs, and local climate action plans.
Integrating Sustainability and Nutrition through Dietary Pattern Optimization: A Life Cycle Assessment of Canada’s Food Guide
(University of Waterloo, 2024-10-17) Guo, Xuyang; Dias, Goretty
An ideal diet should meet nutritional needs, promote health, while have less of an environmental impact. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of environmental impacts of food consumption in the context of climate change. However, research examining the environmental impacts of dietary choices in Canada is limited. The 2019 Canada’s Food Guide (CFG), despite being the official and most authoritative food guide in Canada, does not evaluate its environmental impacts. Furthermore, existing studies on sustainable diets often rely on hypothetical dietary patterns (DPs), lacking real-world data on Canadians' dietary intake. This study aims to address these gaps by (1) evaluating the environmental impacts and nutritional aspects of dietary patterns (DPs) based on the 2019 CFG for Ontarian adults from linear optimization, (2) comparing the nutrition quality and environmental impacts of these optimized diets with those of Ontario average consumption from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey – Nutrition (CCHSN) and National Nutritious Food Basket (NNFB), and (3) exploring the trade-offs between nutrition and multiple environmental impacts. The Nutrient Rich Foods Index 9.3 (NRF 9.3) was applied to assess nutrition quality, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication (EU), and water footprint (WF) from farm to fork. Results showed that optimized diets significantly reduce meat and dairy intake while increasing plant-based proteins. Optimized diets achieved a 36.1% to 51.1% reduction in GWP (3.2-4.1 kg CO2 eq) and a 34.3% to 54.2% reduction in EU compared to the Ontario average consumption, while maintaining a high nutritional quality. However, the study also identified trade-offs, such as an increased WF due to the higher inclusion of water-intensive foods like nuts. This research contributes to the development of dietary guidelines that align with both human health and planetary boundaries, providing valuable insights for future updates to the CFG and informing policy decisions aimed at fostering healthier and more sustainable food systems. However, the study is limited by the data availability and the focus on specific environmental impact categories. Future studies should explore a broader range of food items as well as environmental indicators, expand to other regions in Canada, and consider the cultural and economic factors that influence food choices. Overall, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of food consumption in Canada and supports efforts to promote sustainable food systems.
The Feasibility of Applying Pescatourism to the Small-scale Fisheries in Japan
(University of Waterloo, 2024-09-13) Song, Yinghao; Nayak, Prateep
Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) often receive insufficient attention and are undervalued by governments and the public worldwide, including coastal areas in Japan. The small-scale fisheries communities in Japan face various problems such as ageing population, low income, and environmental degradation. In light of this, Pescatourism, a popular type of fishing tourism in Europe, has the potential to alleviate the vulnerabilities and adhere to the current sustainable regulations in Japan. Japan is also expanding its Umigyo industry, which enables fishers to engage in economic activities utilizing all regional marine-related resources. This initiative encourages SSF communities to develop their tourism industry as an element of Umigyo, providing tourists with an immersive experience of fishers’ lives in these communities, similar to Pescatourism. Thus, this study aims to explore the extent of the existence of SSF communities in Japan and the potential role of Pescatourism in addressing their vulnerability and creating governance arrangements for viability. Case studies, including literature reviews, observations, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted in five ports in Shizuoka Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. There are gradually increasing SSF tourism markets supported by legislation, owing to the recognised economic, ecological, and social benefits from stakeholder cooperations in Japan. This study can help reflect Japan's efforts and attempts at achieving viability in SSF tourism and its adaptation to Pescatourism, with governance concerns.

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