scholarly journals Beyond the Expected—Residual Risk and Cases of Overload in the Context of Managing Alpine Natural Hazards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sönke Hartmann ◽  
Lydia Pedoth ◽  
Cristina Dalla Torre ◽  
Stefan Schneiderbauer
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Residual Risk ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Integrated Risk ◽  
The Status ◽  
Protection Goals ◽  
Protection Goal

AbstractStructural protection measures are designed to protect the population and infrastructure against natural hazards up to a specific predefined protection goal. Extreme events with intensities that exceed the capacity of these protection structures are called “cases of overload” and are associated with “residual risks” that remain after the implementation of protection measures. In order to address residual risks and to reduce the damages from overload events, a combination of structural protection measures with additional, nonstructural measures is required. Based on data collected through a literature review, a questionnaire survey, expert interviews, and an expert workshop we highlight the status quo as well as key challenges of dealing with residual risks and cases of overload in Alpine countries in the context of geohydrological hazards and gravitational mass movements. We present a holistic conceptual framework that describes the relationships of residual risks, cases of overload, and protection goals in the context of both risk governance and integrated risk management. This framework is valuable for decision makers aiming at an improved management of natural hazards that takes adequate account of residual risk and cases of overload in Alpine countries and mountain areas worldwide.

scholarly journals A Comeback of Wind Power in Shipping: An Economic and Operational Review on the Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1880
Author(s):  
Todd Chou ◽  
Vasileios Kosmas ◽  
Michele Acciaro ◽  
Katharina Renken
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Ship Propulsion ◽  
Fuel Savings ◽  
Technological Growth ◽  
The Status ◽  
Promising Solution

Wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP) technology seems to be a promising solution toward accelerating the shipping industry’s decarbonization efforts as it uses wind to replace part of the propulsive power generated from fossil fuels. This article discusses the status quo of the WASP technological growth within the maritime transport sector by means of a secondary data review analysis, presents the potential fuel-saving implications, and identifies key factors that shape the operational efficiency of the technology. The analysis reveals three key considerations. Firstly, despite the existing limited number of WASP installations, there is a promising trend of diffusion of the technology within the industry. Secondly, companies can achieve fuel savings, which vary depending on the technology installed. Thirdly, these bunker savings are influenced by environmental, on-board, and commercial factors, which presents both opportunities and challenges to decision makers.

Nonrepresentative Representatives: An Experimental Study of the Decision Making of Elected Politicians

2017 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 302-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
LIOR SHEFFER ◽  
PETER JOHN LOEWEN ◽  
STUART SOROKA ◽  
STEFAAN WALGRAVE ◽  
TAMIR SHEAFER
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Sunk Costs ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Policy Choices ◽  
The Status ◽  
Considerable Body

A considerable body of work in political science is built upon the assumption that politicians are more purposive, strategic decision makers than the citizens who elect them. At the same time, other work suggests that the personality profiles of office seekers and the environment they operate in systematically amplifies certain choice anomalies. These contrasting perspectives persist absent direct evidence on the reasoning characteristics of representatives. We address this gap by administering experimental decision tasks to incumbents in Belgium, Canada, and Israel. We demonstrate that politicians are as or more subject to common choice anomalies when compared to nonpoliticians: they exhibit a stronger tendency to escalate commitment when facing sunk costs, they adhere more to policy choices that are presented as the status-quo, their risk calculus is strongly subject to framing effects, and they exhibit distinct future time discounting preferences. This has obvious implications for our understanding of decision making by elected politicians.

A Survey on Privacy Preservation in Location-Based Mobile Business

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-39
Author(s):  
Ahmed Aloui ◽  
Okba Kazar
Keyword(s):  
Privacy Protection ◽  
Privacy Preservation ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Mobile Business ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
System Architectures ◽  
Protection Goals ◽  
Privacy Issues

In mobile business (m-business), a client sends its exact locations to service providers. This data may involve sensitive and private personal information. As a result, misuse of location information by the third party location servers creating privacy issues for clients. This paper provides an overview of the privacy protection techniques currently applied by location-based mobile business. The authors first identify different system architectures and different protection goals. Second, this article provides an overview of the basic principles and mechanisms that exist to protect these privacy goals. In a third step, the authors provide existing privacy protection measures.

scholarly journals Urinary incontinence as the socioeconomic problem

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-66
Author(s):  
Krystyna Klimaszewska ◽  
Mariola Bartusek
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Public Funds ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Costs Of Treatment ◽  
Social Discomfort

Abstract Introduction. Urinary incontinence, meaning irrespective of will leakage of urine, is a serious health problem, and has the status of social disease basing on the epidemiological data concerning number of affected populations suffering from it Taking into consideration the chronic character of the disease and increasing social discomfort including social exclusion, the costs of treatment and rehabilitation should be lower so patients could improve the quality of their lives in other aspects. That is why it is important to deeply analyze the costs of urinary incontinence in terms of diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation. Aim. Costs analysis related to diagnostics and treatment of urinary incontinence incurred by patient, or co-financed/funded by the National Health Fund on the basis of the literature review. Summary. The few but regularly prepared reports show that there is a clear need for changes in the funding of services provided to patients with health needs. Both the social and economic aspects are important for each patient and should be deeply analysed by public funds decision makers. It would be much easier to take an action if the probability of complete cure was high.

scholarly journals Conceptualizing community resilience to natural hazards – the emBRACE framework

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 2321-2333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Kruse ◽  
Thomas Abeling ◽  
Hugh Deeming ◽  
Maureen Fordham ◽  
John Forrester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Scientific Concept ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Community Forces ◽  
The One

Abstract. The level of community is considered to be vital for building disaster resilience. Yet, community resilience as a scientific concept often remains vaguely defined and lacks the guiding characteristics necessary for analysing and enhancing resilience on the ground. The emBRACE framework of community resilience presented in this paper provides a heuristic analytical tool for understanding, explaining and measuring community resilience to natural hazards. It was developed in an iterative process building on existing scholarly debates, on empirical case study work in five countries and on participatory consultation with community stakeholders where the framework was applied and ground-tested in different contexts and for different hazard types. The framework conceptualizes resilience across three core domains: (i) resources and capacities, (ii) actions and (iii) learning. These three domains are conceptualized as intrinsically conjoined within a whole. Community resilience is influenced by these integral elements as well as by extra-community forces comprising disaster risk governance and thus laws, policies and responsibilities on the one hand and on the other, the general societal context, natural and human-made disturbances and system change over time. The framework is a graphically rendered heuristic, which through application can assist in guiding the assessment of community resilience in a systematic way and identifying key drivers and barriers of resilience that affect any particular hazard-exposed community.

scholarly journals Quantifying the effectiveness of early warning systems for natural hazards

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sättele ◽  
M. Bründl ◽  
D. Straub
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Warning Systems ◽  
Integrated Risk ◽  
Framework Approach

Abstract. Early warning systems (EWSs) are increasingly applied as preventive measures within an integrated risk management approach for natural hazards. At present, common standards and detailed guidelines for the evaluation of their effectiveness are lacking. To support decision-makers in the identification of optimal risk mitigation measures, a three-step framework approach for the evaluation of EWSs is presented. The effectiveness is calculated in function of the technical and the inherent reliability of the EWS. The framework is applicable to automated and non-automated EWSs and combinations thereof. To address the specifics and needs of a wide variety of EWS designs, a classification of EWSs is provided, which focuses on the degree of automations encountered in varying EWSs. The framework and its implementation are illustrated through a series of example applications of EWS in an alpine environment.

scholarly journals A multi-factor model developed on residents’ opinions for the classification of urban residential areas

Geografie ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Péter Gyenizse ◽  
András Trócsányi ◽  
Gábor Pirisi ◽  
Zita Bognár ◽  
Szabolcs Czigány
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
The Status ◽  
Housing Needs

The process of social differentiation in post-communist states has had a clear impact on the status of neighbourhoods. Municipalities have tried to handle the problem, but planning in Hungary is still based on shallow analyses. This paper presents a method for examining and quantifying prevailing factors of residential areas, also being able of a spatial comparison. It detects problematic issues and locations and assists in the formulation of solutions. The model city for the presented study was Szeged, located in southeastern Hungary. Szeged is the economic center of the region and it was an ideal urban area for the evaluation of housing needs and for the mapping of various objects and social services. A field-collected qualitative database was processed using the Idrisi Selva GIS program, resulting in a classifying map of investigated areas. We have localized the properties of the lowest score and also determined the major issues responsible for low scores by analysing the spatial data of 27 GIS layers. The model can be used to detect the reasons causing differences in the perception of neighbourhoods, while it may serve as a tool for decision makers.

scholarly journals Brief Communication: Key papers of 20 years in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Animesh K. Gain ◽  
Yves Bühler ◽  
Pascal Haegeli ◽  
Daniela Molinari ◽  
Mario Parise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Earth System ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Major Subject ◽  
20Th Anniversary ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Twentieth Anniversary

Abstract. To mark the twentieth anniversary of Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS), an interdisciplinary and international journal dedicated to the public discussion and open-access publication of high-quality studies and original research on natural hazards and their consequences, we highlight eleven key publications covering major subject areas of NHESS that stood out within the past 20 years. The selected articles represent excellent scientific contributions in the major areas of natural hazards and risks and helped NHESS to become an exceptionally strong journal representing interdisciplinary areas of natural hazards and risks. At its 20th anniversary, we are proud that NHESS is not only used by scientists to disseminate research results and innovative novel ideas but also by practitioners and decision-makers to present effective solutions and strategies for sustainable disaster risk reduction.

scholarly journals Imaginary Worlds: The Status of Simulation Modeling in Claims for Cost-Effectiveness In Diabetes Mellitus

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C Langley ◽  
Taeho Greg Rhee
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Simulation Modeling ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact

Over the past 20 years a number of simulations or models have been developed as a basis for tracking and evaluating the impact of pharmacological and other interventions in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. These models have typically tracked the natural course of these diseases generating long-term composite claims for cost-effectiveness. These claims can extend over the lifetime of the modeled patient cohort. Set against the standards of normal science, however, these claims lack credibility. The claims presented are all too often either immune to failure or are presented in a form that is non-testable. As such they fail to meet the key experimental requirements of falsification and replication. Unfortunately, there is a continuing belief that long-term or lifetime models are essential to decision-making. This is misplaced. The purpose of this review is to argue that there is a pressing need to reconsider the needs of health system decision makers and focus on modeled or simulated claims that are meaningful, testable, reportable and replicable in evaluating interventions in diabetes mellitus.   Type: Commentary

scholarly journals Quantifying the Similarity in Perceptions of Multiple Stakeholders in Dingcheng, China, on Agricultural Drought Risk Governance

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3219
Author(s):  
Yaoyao Wu ◽  
Hao Guo ◽  
Jing’ai Wang
Keyword(s):  
Indicator System ◽  
Agricultural Drought ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Drought Risk ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Integrated Risk ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Regional Sustainable Development ◽  
Integrated Disaster Risk Governance ◽  
System Design Optimization

In recent years, integrated disaster risk governance of multi-stakeholders, multi-scales, and multi-measures has received great attention. The way different stakeholders perceive how the risk of drought is governed affects their coordination in dealing with drought. Quantifying the extent to which the perceptions of different stakeholders are similar will deepen understanding of how they cooperate; this will subsequently improve regional integrated drought risk governance and promote regional sustainable development of agriculture. An indicator system of perception similarity and a model were constructed around the perceptions of government managers (G), village committees (V), and households (H) in Zhoujiadian Town, of the drought risk governance. Based on perspectives of “bottom-up” and “horizontal-vertical”, the effort led to the following main conclusions: (1) The perception similarity of homogeneous stakeholders is quite different, sorted by the values as G > V > H; (2) The greater the hierarchical difference between stakeholders, the more marked the differences between their perceptions, as sorted by the values as G&V > V&H > G&H; (3) All stakeholders have obvious perception differences in the fairness of the allocation of disaster relief funds and the most suitable recovery methods. Considering the needs of multiple stakeholders in integrated risk governance, the paper quantified the differences between individuals through a study of perception similarity, which makes up for the shortcomings in the current research—which only considers the perception of stakeholders—and provides new ideas and references for further exploration of rational system design, optimization of cooperation efficiency, and consensus of multiple stakeholders in integrated drought risk governance.

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