Methodology of integrated land and water resources management

The problem of creating a methodology for integrated management of land and water resources as one of the important components of the methodology of sustainable development is considered. The existing methodological approaches to integrated land and water resources management are analyzed and their main shortcomings are revealed. The methodology of integrated land and water resources management is based on contour-reclamation and functional-cost management principles. Analogs of the first, contour-ameliorative, principle are chosen the basic provisions of contour-ameliorative agriculture and the basin principle of water resources management. This principle consists of the contour principle, according to which integrated land management is carried out in the contours of certain land plots, and water resources – in the contours of river basins or sub-basins, and reclamation principle, according to which integrated management is carried out by developing and implementing measures to improve social, environmental and economic indicators of land and water use, using the term "reclamation" in a broader sense (Latin melioratio – improvement). The functional-cost principle is chosen as the main principle of the methodology of integrated resource management. The foundations of scientific and methodological tools of integrated management of land and water resources in the form of algorithms of local, zonal and regional integrated management of land and water resources are laid. The obtained research results are recommended for research institutions, design and environmental organizations, as well as specialists who deal with the problem of identifying and implementing strategic priorities for sustainable development of land and water resources.

Integrated resource management pipeline for dynamic resource-effective cloud data center

Cloud computing is a popular emerging computing technology that has revolutionized information technology through flexible provisioning of computing resources. Therefore, efforts to develop an effective resource management approach have found that implementing efficient resource sharing among multiple customers that considers power saving, service-level agreements, and network traffic simultaneously is difficult. This paper proposes a practical integrated pipeline that can use various algorithms. The performance of each algorithm is evaluated independently to obtain the combination of algorithms that guarantees a resource-effective cloud data center framework. This integrated resource management pipeline approach would optimize performance based on several key performance indicators, such as power saving, network traffic, and service-level agreements, for either the whole system or the end-user. The performance of the proposed resource management framework was evaluated using a real testbed. The results demonstrated that the proactive double exponential smoothing algorithm prevents unnecessary migrations, the MMTMC2 VM selection algorithm improved the quality of service for end-users and reduced overall energy consumption and network traffic, and the medium-fit placement algorithm provided load balancing between active servers and decreased service level agreement violations. The performance comparison illustrated that the combination of these algorithms was considered to be the best solution toward a dynamic resource-effective cloud data center. Our results showed that energy consumption and the total number of migrations decreased by 16.64% and 49.44%, respectively.

The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Index: A Tool for Integrated Resource Management and Sustainable Development

The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus has, in the past decade, gained prominence as an approach for assessing integrated resource management. One challenge related to the WEF nexus approach is how to represent and monitor it since a system that includes water-, energy- and food-related parameters is complex. Not only are these resources quantified utilising different units, but they vary both spatially and temporally.This paper presents a national-level composite indicator that has been established for 170 countries, utilising the methodology developed by the Joint Research Centre: Competence Centre on Composite Indicators and Scoreboards. Following an assessment of 87 globally applicable water-, energy- and food-related indicators, 21 were selected to constitute the WEF Nexus Index. This index is made up of three equally weighted pillars representing the three constituent resource sectors, and six sub-pillars. A core element in the development of this index is equitable access to resources, which is characterised by each resource sector's ‘access’ sub-pillar. The WEF Nexus Index provides a quantitative perspective and offers a lens for evaluating trade-offs to be considered in the pursuit of sustainable development. To this end, it is intended for assessing national progress relating to integrated resource management as well as supporting decision making and policy development. The relevance and usefulness of the outcomes are demonstrated through an assessment of South Africa. The development of the WEF Nexus Index has demonstrated that no country is undertaking integrated resource management flawlessly. Every nation has the potential for improvement; which is evidenced by, for example, the top-ranking country for the index needing to reduce CO2 emissions. Neither the composite indicator nor the WEF nexus approach is, however, the panacea that will solve all the significant development or environmental challenges facing the global society. It can, however, contribute to integrated resource management and is complementary to the Sustainable Development Goals. It should ideally be utilised as an entry point into the underlying pillars, sub-pillars and indicators, in parallel with other qualitative and quantitative studies.

Planning Framework Options for The Massachusetts Ocean Plan

This report draws from research compiled in the preceding Ocean Management and Integrated Resource Management Programs from Around the World to propose nine key elements for consideration in the MA Ocean Plan framework and implementation.

A Review of Ocean Management and Integrated Resource Management Programs from Around the World

This draft report is one of several prepared under contract to the Massachusetts Ocean Partnership (MOP) to support the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) in its development of the integrated coastal ocean management plan mandated by the Massachusetts Oceans Act of 2008. The purpose of this report was to inventory and review ocean management and integrated resource management programs from around the world, including the United States, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere, and ultimately to inform the development of a framework for integrated ocean planning and management suitable for Massachusetts. Drawing from these reviews, this report identifies applicable approaches to ocean management planning and examines their relevance to Massachusetts. The information gathered from the program reviews (displayed in tables) primarily focuses on the following factors: planning authority, stakeholder participation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and adaptation, financing, and research. Information from these reviews was used to develop the related report, “Planning Framework Options for The Massachusetts Ocean Plan,” which provides a more in‐depth look at the applicability of certain planning framework options for Massachusetts. This report was prepared for Massachusetts ocean planning purposes but contains information that may be useful to coastal ocean resource managers in other locations.