scholarly journals Quantitative Assessment Model for the Effects of Drought Mitigation on Regional Agriculture Based on an Expectation Index of Drought Mitigation Effects

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliang Zhang ◽  
Juliang Jin ◽  
Shangming Jiang ◽  
Shaowei Ning ◽  
Yuliang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
Yield Loss ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Drought Risk ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Loss Mitigation ◽  
Drought Mitigation ◽  
Effects Of Drought

The extent of water deficit and drought loss mitigation, through human activities such as defense, mitigation, and resistance to drought risk, is revealed by its effects on agriculture. To analyze the distribution regularities of the effects of drought mitigation on agriculture and to provide better insight on drought mitigation actions, an expectation index of drought mitigation effects (EDRE) was formulated based on the definitions of the drought system. The crop yield when no drought mitigation measures were implemented was calculated via tests and simulations, and expectations of drought-related yield loss with and without drought mitigation measures (EDRL and EDRM, respectively) were calculated in the drought loss risk assessment model. Then, a quantitative assessment model for the effects of drought mitigation on regional agriculture was built. Using a case study from the Huaibei Plain in the Anhui Province of China, it was found that drought mitigation effects decrease gradually from North to South. Moreover, small values of drought mitigation effects correspond to large EDRM and small EDRL values. It is necessary to urgently improve drought mitigation measures in locations where EDRE is small and EDRL is large, or where EDRE is small and EDRM is large. The main drought mitigation measures were identified through correlation analysis. Additionally, the adaptation of drought mitigation measures to local conditions leads to a spatial distribution regularity.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Paleontological Museum as Geosite and Base for Geotourism. A Case Study

Heritage ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1208-1227
Author(s):  
Gricelda Herrera-Franco ◽  
Karla Erazo ◽  
Carlos Mora-Frank ◽  
Paúl Carrión-Mero ◽  
Edgar Berrezueta
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Improvement Strategies ◽  
History Of ◽  
Santa Elena ◽  
Very High ◽  
Delphi Analysis

The Santa Elena province in Ecuador has outstanding geological potential in petroleum, mining and geosite resources. All the wealth of palaeontological samples and their inherent link to the history of this territory require a recognised museum with educational and scientific material to support the potential and promotion of geotourism development. The Megatherium Palaeontological Museum is located in this province and was the first Palaeontological Museum in Ecuador. It exhibits samples corresponding to the Late Pleistocene Megafauna that inhabited the area. This study aims to evaluate the museum (a geoheritage element) as a possible (palaeontological) geosite by analysing its contributions to the geoheritage of the Santa Elena province. Thus, we also aim to enhance the geotourism of the area and promote its collections as a geotouristic attraction. The methodological process was based on: (i) information processing and systematisation in the museum and its environment; (ii) assessment of the museum’s geological interest through the method of the Geological Survey of Spain, the Brilha method and the Geosites Assessment Model; and (iii) a qualitative evaluation using the Delphi and the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats methodologies to define strategies and proposals for museum development. Based on the results of the applied quantitative assessment, the museum has a “very high” (277/400) degree of geological interest, due to the high values of scientific (310/400), academic (310/400) and touristic (210/400) interest. In this same way, the results obtained through the Brilha method reflect a high scientific (290/400), educational (280/400), and tourist (315/400) interest and a low degradation risk (190/400) value in the museum. Furthermore, the applied Geosites Assessment Model shows the museum as a geosite with high main and additional values, placing it between the Z23 and Z33 fields of the global valuation matrix. The evaluation approached through Delphi analysis and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats matrix allowed us to propose improvement strategies to take advantage of the museum resources as an alternative that strengthens the geotouristic development of the area.

Analysis and Calculation of Tourist Carbon Footprints — A Case Study of Hebei Yesanpo Scenic Area

2014 ◽  
Vol 02 (01) ◽  
pp. 1450009
Author(s):  
Ruiying ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Tourist Attractions

The National Tourism Conference in 2010 strongly promoted the concept of energy conservation and emission reduction in the tourism industry. Since then, low carbon travel has been the new direction in tourism industry. Great concern has been put on energy conservation and emission reduction of tourism related elements, such as hotels, transportations, tourist attractions, and most importantly, the tourists themselves. The quantitative assessment of tourist carbon footprint is the key topic. This research uses Yesanpo scenic area as the example and conducts the comparison and calculation of tourist carbon footprint from different places, attempts to organize different ideas on ways to analyze tourist carbon footprints, constructs a calculation and assessment model, analyzes and measures the levels of tourist carbon footprints from diverse modes of travel, origins, and purchasing power. This research has developed a system for quantitative assessment of tourist carbon footprints, with the hope of strengthening the theories and methods on low-carbon travel.

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 Optimizing the Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Remote Community Infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie E. Filer ◽  
Justin D. Delorit ◽  
Andrew J. Hoisington ◽  
Steven J. Schuldt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Study Results

Remote communities such as rural villages, post-disaster housing camps, and military forward operating bases are often located in remote and hostile areas with limited or no access to established infrastructure grids. Operating these communities with conventional assets requires constant resupply, which yields a significant logistical burden, creates negative environmental impacts, and increases costs. For example, a 2000-member isolated village in northern Canada relying on diesel generators required 8.6 million USD of fuel per year and emitted 8500 tons of carbon dioxide. Remote community planners can mitigate these negative impacts by selecting sustainable technologies that minimize resource consumption and emissions. However, the alternatives often come at a higher procurement cost and mobilization requirement. To assist planners with this challenging task, this paper presents the development of a novel infrastructure sustainability assessment model capable of generating optimal tradeoffs between minimizing environmental impacts and minimizing life-cycle costs over the community’s anticipated lifespan. Model performance was evaluated using a case study of a hypothetical 500-person remote military base with 864 feasible infrastructure portfolios and 48 procedural portfolios. The case study results demonstrated the model’s novel capability to assist planners in identifying optimal combinations of infrastructure alternatives that minimize negative sustainability impacts, leading to remote communities that are more self-sufficient with reduced emissions and costs.

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 Operational and Safety Management at Intersections: Can the Turbo-Roundabout Be an Effective Alternative to Conventional Solutions?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5103
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Gallelli ◽  
Giusi Perri ◽  
Rosolino Vaiana
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Pollutant Emission ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Union Policy ◽  
Union Policy

The European Union policy strategies on the sustainability of the transport system pursue the goals of maximizing safety and environmental benefits and reducing the severity and frequency of crashes, congestion, and pollutant emission rates. A common issue is the planning of the most effective solution for operational and safety management at intersections. In this study, an egg turbo roundabout is proposed as the alternative solution to a conventional roundabout in Southern Italy which suffers from traffic congestion. A comparative analysis is carried out using microsimulation techniques to investigate the safety effects and operational improvements of converting a traditional priority intersection into standard roundabout or turbo roundabout layout. In particular, the VISSIM software is used to explore the most relevant operational performance measures: queue length, travel times and delays. The lowest values of these measurements are recorded for the simulated turbo roundabout, thus making this scheme more appropriate in terms of operational performances. With regard to safety analysis, the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) is used to collect information on the predicted number of conflicts, the probability, and severity of the potential collisions. The results suggest that, for the specific case study, the safety levels of the standard roundabout and the turbo roundabout are approximately comparable.

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