scholarly journals Usage of Man-Made Underpass by Wildlife: A Case Study of Narayanghat-Muglin Road Section

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 184-195
Author(s):  
Santosh Poudel ◽  
Bishal Prasad Devkota ◽  
Babu Ram Lamichhane ◽  
Suman Bhattarai ◽  
Pratikshya Dahal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Lines ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Population Isolation ◽  
Road Section ◽  
Key Informant

Natural areas are increasingly fragmented and degraded globally due to increasing anthropogenic pressure. Linear infrastructures such as roads, railways, canals, and transmission lines are major causes for such fragmentation resulting in population isolation, habitat connectivity loss, and gene pool shrinkage. Various mitigation measures are adopted to minimize such effects. The first such mitigation measure (an underpass) has been constructed along the Narayanghat – Ramnagar, and Ramnagar – Jugedi section of the Narayanghat-Muglinroad (section connecting two national highways; Prithvi and Mahendra highway). The effectiveness of these underpasses was assessed using a camera trap picture of wildlife movement during March and April 2019. Key informant interviews (n=14) were also carried out to understand the abundance of recorded species in the local forest. With 37 trap nights of sampling effort, seven mammalian species were recorded and among them, wild boar was found with the highest independent images (35). A total of 31 independent images (70.4 %) captured during the night hours showed that manmade underpasses were used more during the night. Confirmation of usages of these underpasses supports the study to indicate the necessities of underpasses while constructing roads that pass and traverse the wildlife habitat.

scholarly journals Evaluating the efficacy of flashing lights in deterring livestock attacks by predators: a case study of Meibae Community Conservancy, Northern Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Wanjira ◽  
Titus C. Ndiwa ◽  
Nathan Gichuki ◽  
Mary Wykstra
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Northern Kenya ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Number Of Visits ◽  
Human Wildlife Conflict

Pastoralists living in the arid and semi-arid areas of Africa have for centuries coexisted with wildlife. They frequently share the same environmental resources with wildlife, are exposed to common risks including disease and drought, and in some cases, and are antagonistic to one another, particularly when competing for limited resources. In recent years, negative interactions between wildlife and humans have increased due to the decline of wildlife habitat, which has led to greater conflict. In the Meibae Community Conservancy, there has been a concern in recent years over increased human-wildlife conflict. Retaliatory killings raised concerns for the conservation of carnivore species. This study evaluated the effectiveness of non-lethal mitigation measures, in particular the use of predator deterrent lights, in reducing night attacks on livestock by large carnivores in Meibae Community Conservancy. The study assessed the effectiveness of the technique by determining the number of predator visits using tracks and sightings both at homesteads fitted with light units, and those without deterrents. The findings indicate that homesteads fitted with flashing deterrent lights recorded a lower number of visits by predators (2.4 visits/homestead) compared to those without lights (3.4 visits/homestead). Despite finding no significant difference (p>0.05) in the number of visits for homesteads with lights and those without lights, this study concluded that flashing deterrent lights have the potential in reducing cases of successful livestock attacks at bomas even though predators remained inquisitive. Flashing lights can contribute to the conservation of large carnivores by reducing conflicts between predators and livestock owners.

Case study and event analysis for mitigation of unpredictable volcanic hazard

Impact ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (3) ◽  
pp. 26-28
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Ohba
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Graduate School ◽  
Volcanic Hazard ◽  
Hazard Mitigation ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Event Analysis ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Risk Communities

Volcanology is an extremely important scientific discipline. Shedding light on how and why volcanoes erupt, how eruptions can be predicted and their impact on humans and the environment is crucial to public safety, economies and businesses. Understanding volcanoes means eruptions can be anticipated and at-risk communities can be forewarned, enabling them to implement mitigation measures. Professor Tsukasa Ohba is a scientist based at the Graduate School of International Resource Studies, Akita University, Japan, and specialises in volcanology and petrology. Ohba and his team are focusing on volcanic phenomena including: phreatic eruptions (a steam-driven eruption driven by the heat from magma interacting with water); lahar (volcanic mudflow); and monogenetic basalt eruptions (which consist of a group of small monogenetic volcanoes, each of which erupts only once). The researchers are working to understand the mechanisms of these phenomena using Petrology. Petrology is one of the traditional methods in volcanology but has not been applied to disastrous eruptions before. The teams research will contribute to volcanic hazard mitigation.

scholarly journals A Conflict between Traditional Flood Measures and Maintaining River Ecosystems? A Case Study Based upon the River Lærdal, Norway

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 1884
Author(s):  
Ana Juárez ◽  
Knut Alfredsen ◽  
Morten Stickler ◽  
Ana Adeva-Bustos ◽  
Rodrigo Suárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
River Channel ◽  
Flood Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
River Ecosystems ◽  
Hydraulic Models

Floods are among the most damaging of natural disasters, and flood events are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency with the effects of climate change and changes in land use. As a consequence, much focus has been placed on the engineering of structural flood mitigation measures in rivers. Traditional flood protection measures, such as levees and dredging of the river channel, threaten floodplains and river ecosystems, but during the last decade, sustainable reconciliation of freshwater ecosystems has increased. However, we still find many areas where these traditional measures are proposed, and it is challenging to find tools for evaluation of different measures and quantification of the possible impacts. In this paper, we focus on the river Lærdal in Norway to (i) present the dilemma between traditional flood measures and maintaining river ecosystems and (ii) quantify the efficiency and impact of different solutions based on 2D hydraulic models, remote sensing data, economics, and landscape metrics. Our results show that flood measures may be in serious conflict with environmental protection and legislation to preserve biodiversity and key nature types.

scholarly journals Qualitative Fire Vulnerability Assessments for Museums and Their Collections: A Case Study from Kosovo

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Charlotte Fafet ◽  
Erinë Mulolli Zajmi
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Vulnerability Assessments ◽  
Suppression Systems ◽  
Simulation Exercises

Fires are among the most frequently recurring hazards affecting museums and cultural heritage sites. The fires of the National Museum of Brazil in 2018 and of Notre Dame de Paris in 2019 showed that the consequences of such events can be heavy and lead to irreversible heritage losses. In Kosovo, few studies were made about the risks that can affect cultural heritage sites. A project led by the NGO Kosovo Foundation for Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB Kosova) in 2018 explored the most prevalent risks for the cultural heritage sites of the country and highlighted fire as a predominant risk in Kosovo. In order to better understand it, vulnerability assessments were conducted in several museums in Kosovo. Data were collected through field visits in the different museums, in which interviews with staff members as well as observations were conducted. The aim of this paper is to present the main results of the fire vulnerability assessments conducted in Kosovo’s museums in 2018. An important aspect of this project is the approach to collect information in data-scarce environments. It is believed that the questionnaires used to lead interviews with museums’ staff members could help other practitioners to collect data in such contexts and evaluate more easily the risk of fire for the museums and their collections. In the context of Kosovo, one of the main findings is the identification and prioritisation of measures to ensure better protection of Kosovar museums. Structural mitigation measures such as alarm and fire suppression systems are not the only elements necessary to improve the resilience of Kosovar museums to fire. Indeed, the promotion of risk awareness, the training of staff members and the realisation of crisis simulation exercises are just as important in order to prevent and detect a fire, and above all, to respond quickly and accurately if a fire occurs.

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

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.

Coupling compositional data analysis (CoDA) with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for preliminary understanding of the dynamics of a complex water distribution system: the Naples (south Italy) case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooria Ebrahimi ◽  
Stefano Albanese ◽  
Leopoldo Esposito ◽  
Daniela Zuzolo ◽  
Domenico Cicchella
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Compositional Data ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Compositional Data Analysis ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
South Italy ◽  
Global Concern

Providing safe tap water has been a global concern. Water scarcity, the ever-increasing water demand, temporal variation of water consumption, aging urban water infrastructure and anthropogenic pressure on the water...

Retrofit of Aerodynamic Cable Instability on a Cable-Stayed Bridge: Case Study

2000 ◽  
Vol 1740 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niket M. Telang ◽  
Charles M. Minervino ◽  
Paul G. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Mobile Bay ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Light Rain ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Cable Stays ◽  
Large Amplitude Vibrations

Elegantly poised over the Mobile River, the twin pylons and the semi-harped cable stays of the Cochrane Bridge subtly complement the vast and undulating landscape of the Mobile Bay as the bridge carries US Route 90 over the Mobile River in Alabama. In February 1998, light rain drizzled on the bridge, and a weather station nearby recorded wind speeds of about 48 km/h (30 mph). Under these seemingly mild weather conditions, the normally immobile cable stays started to vibrate, and within moments, these nascent vibrations reached amplitudes of more than 1.2 m (4 ft). Alarmed by this event, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) took immediate action to ensure the continued safety and serviceability of the bridge. A team of consultants was selected by ALDOT to investigate mitigation measures for the large-amplitude cable-stay vibrations. The fast-tracked comprehensive program planned and implemented to inspect, test, document, and evaluate the effects of the large-amplitude vibrations and the recommendation of retrofit measures that would limit future occurrences of such cable-stay vibrations on the Cochrane Bridge are described in detail.

scholarly journals Modeling and planning of bentonite clay mining: a case study at Bañado de Medina, Melo, Uruguay

2013 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-528
Author(s):  
Renato da Silva Marques ◽  
Luis Eduardo de Souza ◽  
Luiz Delfino Albarnaz ◽  
Raul Oliveira Neto
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Bentonite Clay ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Mineral Deposit ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Geological Complexity

Mining planning and its correct sequencing are essential to facilitate the exploitation of minerals both economically and environmentally, thus ensuring the feasibility of the mining in operational and economic terms. The small geological complexity or the low aggregate value of a mineral deposit tends to result in the planning stages being neglected, so the mining begins without the necessary detailing or it is only scheduled for a short period of time. Thus, in order to ensure a sustainable sequence of operations, and to predict the environmental impacts caused by mining activities and suggest options that would allow the establishment of mitigation measures for these impacts, the feasibility of the technical and economic utilization was evaluated for an occurrence of bentonite in the Bañado de Medina deposit located in the Department of Cerro Largo, Uruguay, respecting the local environment in the process so as to give the project a strong character of sustainability.

Improving effectiveness of mitigation measures in EIA follow-up

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amarilis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo Gallardo ◽  
Caio Pompeu Cavalhieri ◽  
Sofia Julia Alves Macedo Campos ◽  
Omar Yazbek Bitar
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Water Quality Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Phase Water

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of mitigation measures adopted in a scheme of EIA follow-up by examining their performance in reducing geo-environmental impacts in earthwork activities during the Rodoanel southern section construction in São Paulo, Brazil. This environment is fragile in terms of affected watersheds because the highway crosses two important reservoirs that supply most of the metropolitan water demand. Therefore, this research also aims at promoting water quality control. Design/methodology/approach – This study combines complementary sources as evidences in the literature and field checks, tests and monitoring. The methodology was supported by criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures in the case study approach. Findings – The EIA follow-up activities contributed to the maintenance of environmental conditions in the majority of the control points at the end of the construction phase. Water quality parameters were not statistically different before and during the construction of the highway. The choice and arrangement of mitigation measures were successful in ensuring water quality control by avoiding siltation. Practical implications – A robust scheme for designing and evaluating mitigation measures contributes to the improvement of their effectiveness and is pivotal to the success of the EIA follow-up. Originality/value – This case study serves as an example for extending EIA follow-up practice in special to the improvement of the design and evaluation of mitigation measures in similar contexts.

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