Economic Feasibility of Common Utility Tunnel based on Cost-Benefit Analysis

Urban heat islands are an increasing concern even in small- to medium-sized cities, although these areas are still understudied especially in terms of the economic feasibility of adaptation options. This paper uses adaptation scenarios produced by an urban climate model as inputs to a social cost–benefit analysis in three small- to medium-sized cities in Austria: Mödling, Klagenfurt, and Salzburg. The adaptation scenarios, which consider measures such as increasing the reflectivity of different sealed surfaces (referred to as the White City scenario) as well as greening measures (i.e. the Green City scenario), show decreases in the number of hot days (Tmax ≥30°C) when implemented. Benefits include reductions in heat-related mortality, which are modeled based on trends of daily mortality and climate data, reduced morbidity, productivity loss, and numerous urban ecosystem services. The results demonstrate favorable benefit–cost ratios of a combination of measures (White and Green City) of 1.27, 1.36, and 2.68 for Mödling, Klagenfurt, and Salzburg, respectively, indicating positive economic grounds for supporting policies in line with the adaptation scenarios. Furthermore, results of the Green City vs. White City showed higher benefits for the combined and Green City scenarios despite higher costs for each of the cities.

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The Economic Feasibility of the Valorization of Water Hyacinth for Bioethanol Production

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11030905 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 905 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Zanxin Wang ◽

Fangyuan Zheng ◽

Shiya Xue

Keyword(s):

Water Hyacinth ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Rapid Expansion ◽

Emissions Reduction ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Control Approach ◽

Green Development ◽

Carbon Emissions Reduction

One approach to effectively control the rapid expansion of water hyacinth is to use it as a feedstock in producing valuable goods. While it is technically feasible to produce bioethanol using water hyacinth, the economic feasibility of this valorization is yet unknown. This article conducted an ex-ante cost-benefit analysis of the production of bioethanol from water hyacinth. The results show that in comparison with the active control approach of collection and landfill, it is economically feasible to produce bioethanol from the collected biomass. In addition to its contribution to energy diversification, the production of bioethanol using water hyacinth as a feedstock cannot only control the rapid expansion of water hyacinth but can also contribute to carbon emissions reduction and water quality improvement. While the production cost of bioethanol is high, environmental values play an important role in the economic justification of the production. The coupled use of water hyacinth as a phytoremediation plant and bioethanol feedstock is a potential response to green development strategies.

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Economic Feasibility Study for Pavement Monitoring Using Synthetic Aperture Radar-Based Satellite Remote Sensing: Cost–Benefit Analysis

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.3141/2645-01 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2645 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mingxin Li ◽

Ardeshir Faghri ◽

Abdulkadir Ozden ◽

Yixiang Yue

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Synthetic Aperture Radar ◽

Satellite Remote Sensing ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Synthetic Aperture ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Pavement Monitoring ◽

Aperture Radar

Recent developments in satellite remote sensing and the availability of high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) products have created an opportunity for the use of SAR-based monitoring for pavement and infrastructure management. No previous studies have performed a detailed cost–benefit analysis to analyze the economic feasibility of pavement monitoring through the use of SAR-based satellite remote sensing. The aim of this study was to fill this knowledge gap by proposing a comprehensive methodology to estimate the most important benefits and expenses associated with the use of data obtained from satellites by SAR and interferometric SAR for advanced monitoring of the infrastructure and to gain a better understanding of the strategies used to identify their effects. A general cost–benefit analysis framework that could serve as a pavement management tool for assessment of pavement deformations and deformation velocities with millimeter accuracy was developed. The results of a case study performed in the state of Delaware to demonstrate how the proposed approaches can be used to assess the impacts of SAR-based monitoring projects are also presented.

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Economic Feasibility of Iodine Agronomic Biofortification: A Projective Analysis with Ugandan Vegetable Farmers

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su131910608 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (19) ◽

pp. 10608

Author(s):

Solomon Olum ◽

Xavier Gellynck ◽

Joshua Wesana ◽

Walter Odongo ◽

Nathaline Onek Aparo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Production Practice ◽

Vulnerable Consumers ◽

The Cost ◽

Benefit Cost ◽

Managerial Capabilities ◽

Agronomic Biofortification

Cost–benefit analysis of (iodine) biofortification at farm level is limited in the literature. This study aimed to analyze the economic feasibility of applying iodine-rich fertilizers (agronomic biofortification) to cabbage and cowpea in Northern Uganda. Data on costs and revenues were obtained from a survey of 100 farmers, and benefits that would accrue from using iodine fertilizers were elicited using consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the iodine-biofortified vegetables. The cost–benefit analysis demonstrated iodine agronomic biofortification as a highly profitable effort, generating average benefit–cost ratios (BCRs) of 3.13 and 5.69 for cabbage and cowpea production, respectively, higher than the conventional production practice. However, the projective analysis showed substantive variations of economic gains from iodine biofortification among farmers, possibly due to differences in farming practices and managerial capabilities. For instance, only 74% of cabbage farmers would produce at a BCR above 1 if they were to apply iodine fertilizer. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to estimate the effect of subsidizing the cost of iodine fertilizer showed that a higher proportion of farmers would benefit from iodine biofortification. Therefore, as biofortification is considered a health policy intervention targeting the poor and vulnerable, farmers could be supported through fertilizer subsidies to lower the production cost of iodine-biofortified foods and to avoid passing on the price burden to vulnerable consumers.

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The Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Evaluation of Public Infrastructure Projects - The Case of the Subway of Potenza

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1073-1076.1362 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1073-1076 ◽

pp. 1362-1367

Author(s):

Benedetto Manganelli

Keyword(s):

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Savings ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Transport Infrastructure ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Public Infrastructure ◽

New Public ◽

The Cost ◽

The City

In the present work the economic feasibility of a project of public infrastructure, the expansion of the subway of the city Potenza, is estimated. The assessment has been developed through the application of the Cost-Benefit Analysis. As is known the advantage of this technique is the ability to express in monetary terms the externalities (positive and negative) generated by the project. In this case, the external cost savings related to the improvement of the mobility in the city have been internalized. The research has shown that the valuation of the externalities can be an effective way to manage the planning of new public transport infrastructure.

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Economic feasibility study for wastewater treatment: A cost–benefit analysis

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.07.014 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 408 (20) ◽

pp. 4396-4402 ◽

Cited By ~ 166

Author(s):

María Molinos-Senante ◽

Francesc Hernández-Sancho ◽

Ramón Sala-Garrido

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Benefit Analysis

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Feasibility of mulching technology as an alternative to slash-and-burn farming in eastern Amazon: A cost–benefit analysis

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170507001639 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 125-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

John Mburu ◽

Jan Börner ◽

Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst ◽

Arisbe Mendoza-Escalante ◽

Klaus Frohberg

Keyword(s):

Crop Yields ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Labor Demand ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Inorganic Fertilizers ◽

Slash And Burn ◽

Land Preparation

AbstractThis paper addresses the question as to whether it is profitable to apply a mechanical mulching technology (MT) in the Bragantina region of Brazil and assesses the technology's feasibility as an alternative to the slash-and-burn practices of the Amazon. Using empirical data collected from a prototype assessment and a few secondary sources, the paper employs a cost–benefit analysis of ‘with’ and ‘without’ technology cropping systems (plots that applied the technology are compared with those that did not) to assess the financial and economic feasibility of investing in the MT. The analysis showed that the technology is profitable, both financially and socially, mainly because it is able to produce yields that are high enough to offset the costs, including the hiring of the mulching equipment. However, it may not be a feasible alternative to slash-and-burn farming unless certain conditions are fulfilled by farmers. Most of these conditions relate to farmers' adherence to a set of rules for the successful application of the technology. These rules include the abandonment of a single cropping cycle, typical for the traditional slash-and-burn system, and the adoption of two cycles of crop cultivation. In addition, farmers have to choose profitable crop combinations, such as cassava and beans for both cycles. Since most of the trial farmers did not meet these conditions, the technology received a notably low acceptability (8%). Further analysis indicated that the main reason for this trend was the increase of total labor requirement (by 32%), though the technology reduced labor demand during land preparation to almost zero. Similarly, there was a 22% increase in requirement for inorganic fertilizers. Thus, compared with the slash-and-burn practices of the Amazon, the MT can be regarded as a more intensive method of farming which gives higher crop yields but demands higher quantities of inputs such as labor and inorganic fertilizers. The paper concludes by deriving policy implications for the feasibility of the MT as an alternative to slash-and-burn agriculture in the Amazon. Among these is the importance of creating incentives to extend the cropping period from one to two consecutive cycles. Moreover, the necessity to conduct further studies after the technology has been adopted by the farmers is underscored.

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Quantitative Cost-Benefit Analysis of Direct Disposal and Pyroprocessing in Korea’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147789 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7789

Author(s):

Sungki Kim ◽

Jinseop Kim ◽

Dongkeun Cho ◽

Sungsig Bang

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Power ◽

Fuel Cycle ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Economic Viability ◽

Maintenance Cost ◽

Benefit Analysis ◽

Spent Fuel ◽

The Difference

The purpose of this study is to compare the economic viability of direct disposal and pyroprocessing. This is because the selection of an alternative cannot be justified without a guarantee of economic feasibility. This paper sets the KRS (Korea Reference System) spent fuel repository and KAPF+ (Korea Advanced Pyroprocess Facility plus) as the cost objects, administers a cost-benefit analysis, and presents the results on the net cost. The results of the calculation demonstrate that the net costs of direct disposal and pyroprocessing are USD 17,719,319,040 and USD 19,329,252,755, respectively. The difference in the net cost for the two alternatives is thus not insignificant. However, the economic viability of direct disposal was found to be superior compared to that of pyroprocessing. In the end, it was found that the operating and maintenance cost of a pyroprocessing facility is comparatively high. Accordingly, direct disposal costs less than pyroprocessing. The direct disposal option is advantageous in terms of economical nuclear power sustainability.

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