Planning and Suitability Assessment of Large-scale Nature-based Solutions for Flood-risk Reduction

AbstractAdverse effects of climate change are increasing around the world and the floods are posing significant challenges for water managers. With climate projections showing increased risks of storms and extreme precipitation, the use of traditional measures alone is no longer an option. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) offer a suitable alternative to reduce the risk of flooding and provide multiple benefits. However, planning such interventions requires careful consideration of various factors and local contexts. The present paper provides contribution in this direction and it proposes a methodology for allocation of large-scale NBS using suitability mapping. The methodology was implemented within the toolboxes of ESRI ArcMap software in order to map suitability for four types of NBS interventions: floodplain restoration, detention basins, retention ponds, and river widening. The toolboxes developed were applied to the case study area in Serbia, i.e., the Tamnava River basin. Flood maps were used to determine the volume of floodwater that needs to be stored for reducing flood risk in the basin and subsequent downstream areas. The suitability maps produced indicate the potential of the new methodology and its application as a decision-support tool for selection and allocation of large-scale NBS.

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The Importance of Environmental Factors in the Planning of Container Terminals: The Case Study of the Port of Augusta

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11052153 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 2153

Author(s):

Nadia Giuffrida ◽

Maja Stojaković ◽

Elen Twrdy ◽

Matteo Ignaccolo

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Container Terminal ◽

Decision Support Tool ◽

Container Terminals ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Support Tool ◽

Clean Environment ◽

Different Levels

Container terminals are the main hubs of the global supply chain but, conversely, they play an important role in energy consumption, environmental pollution and even climate change due to carbon emissions. Assessing the environmental impact of this type of port terminal and choosing appropriate mitigation measures is essential to pursue the goals related to a clean environment and ensuring a good quality of life of the inhabitants of port cities. In this paper the authors present a Terminal Decision Support Tool (TDST) for the development of a container terminal that considers both operation efficiency and environmental impacts. The TDST provides environmental impact mitigation measures based on different levels of evolution of the port’s container traffic. An application of the TDST is conducted on the Port of Augusta (Italy), a port that is planning infrastructural interventions in coming years in order to gain a new role as a reference point for container traffic in the Mediterranean.

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Performance assessment of alternative SSS networks by combining KPIs and factor-cluster analysis

European Transport Research Review ◽

10.1186/s12544-020-00449-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Patrizia Serra ◽

Gianfranco Fancello

Keyword(s):

Cluster Analysis ◽

Performance Assessment ◽

Decision Support Tool ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Quantitative Methodology ◽

Support Tool ◽

Performance Benchmarking ◽

Relevant Variables ◽

Quantitative Results

Abstract Performance assessment is a fundamental tool to successfully monitor and manage logistics and transport systems. In the field of Short Sea Shipping (SSS), the performance of the various maritime initiatives should be analyzed to assess the best way to achieve efficiency and guide related policies. This study proposes a quantitative methodology which can serve as a decision-support tool in the preliminary assessment and comparison of alternative SSS networks. The research is executed via a Mediterranean case study that compares a hypothetical Mediterranean ro-ro SSS network developed in the framework of a past Euro-Mediterranean cooperation project with the network of existing ro-ro liner services operating in the area. Performance benchmarking of the two networks is performed using a set of quantitative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and applying a factor-cluster analysis to produce homogeneous clusters of services based on the relevant variables while accounting for sample heterogeneity. Quantitative results mostly confirm the overall better performance of the prospective network and demonstrate that using KPIs and factor-cluster analysis to investigate the performance of maritime networks can provide policymakers with a preliminary wealth of knowledge that can help in setting targeted policy for SSS-oriented initiatives.

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Simulation in food catering industry. A dashboard of performance indicators

Proceedings of the 4th International Food Operations and Processing Simulation Workshop (FoodOPS 2018) ◽

10.46354/i3m.2018.foodops.003 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Alessandro Tufano ◽

Riccardo Accorsi ◽

Andrea Gallo ◽

Riccardo Manzini

Keyword(s):

Decision Support Tool ◽

Point Of View ◽

High Price ◽

Main Concern ◽

Support Tool ◽

Safety Control ◽

Catering Industry ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Single Production

"Contract catering industry is concerned with the production of ready-to-eat meals for schools, hospitals and private companies. The structure of this market is highly competitive, and customers are rarely willing to pay a high price for this catering service. A single production sites may be demanded up to 10.000 meals per day and these operations can hardly be managed via rule of thumbs without any quantitative decision support tool. This situation is common at several stages of a food supply chain and the methodologies presented in this paper are addressed to any food batch production system with similar complexity and trade-offs. This paper proposes an original KPI dashboard, designed to control costs, time and quality efficiency and helping managers to identify criticalities. Special emphasis is given on food safety control which is the management’s main concern and must be carefully monitored in each stage of the production. To calculate the value of KPIs a Montecarlo simulation approach is used to deal with production complexity and uncertainty. A case study showcases the potential of simulation in this complex industrial field. The case study illustrates an application of the methodology on an Italian company suffering local recipe contamination. The company aims at defining the best standard for production, identifying cycles being sustainable from an economic and environmental point of view."

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A Data-Driven Decision Support Tool at the service of Energy suppliers and Utilities for Tackling Energy Poverty: A case study in Greece

10.1109/iisa52424.2021.9555540 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Apostolos Arsenopoulos ◽

Elissaios Sarmas ◽

Andriana Stavrakaki ◽

Ioanna Giannouli ◽

John Psarras

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Decision Support Tool ◽

Data Driven ◽

Energy Poverty ◽

Support Tool

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Changes in flood risk impacted by river training – case study of piedmont section of the Vistula river

Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW Land Reclamation ◽

10.1515/sggw-2015-0006 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 317-335

Author(s):

Adam Łajczak

Keyword(s):

Flood Risk ◽

Large Scale ◽

River Flow ◽

Vistula River ◽

Current State ◽

River Stretch ◽

River Training ◽

The 19Th Century ◽

Training Case

Abstract Changes in flood risk impacted by river training - case study of piedmont section of the Vistula river. Main problems concerning the flood risk in piedmont section of the Vistula, Southern Poland, are discussed. This stretch of the river is channelized since the middle of the 19th century. It is part of the mainstream discussion of the effectiveness of existing river channelization methods. The following problems are analysed: (1) current state of flood risk, (2) the rate of river flow, (3) changes in flood risk since the start of channelization efforts with respect to changing channel geometry and changing rates of river flow reflecting the effects of channelization work. Substantially increased bankfull discharge in a channelized river may be considered as a stable hydrologic feature of the river stretch analysed. This means that the river is effectively reducing the quantity of water available for flooding the inter-embankment zone. This statement is the basis for analysis of changes in flood risk in the river studied. An assessment of changes in flood risk for the piedmont section of the Vistula cannot be categorical. Some changes in discharge help reduce flood risk, while others increase it. The paper is based mainly on the State Hydrological Survey data over more than the last 100 years, a large-scale maps over the last 230 years, and fieldwork conducted by the author.

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