Integrated Satellite System for Fire Detection and Prioritization

Several studies have shown the relevance of satellite systems in detecting, monitoring, and characterizing fire events as support to fire management activities. On the other hand, up to now, only a few satellite-based platforms provide immediately and easily usable information about events in progress, in terms of both hotspots, which identify and localize active fires, and the danger conditions of the affected area. However, this kind of information is usually provided through separated layers, without any synthetic indicator which, indeed, could be helpful, if timely provided, for planning the priority of the intervention of firefighting resources in case of concurrent fires. In this study, we try to fill these gaps by presenting an Integrated Satellite System (ISS) for fire detection and prioritization, mainly based on the Robust Satellite Techniques (RST), and the Fire Danger Dynamic Index (FDDI), an original re-structuration of the Índice Combinado de Risco de Incêndio Florestal (ICRIF), for the first time presented here. The system, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) data, provides near real-time integrated information about both the fire presence and danger over the affected area. These satellite-based products are generated in common formats, ready to be ingested in Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies. Results shown and discussed here, on the occasion of concurrent winter and summer fires in Italy, in agreement with information from independent sources, demonstrate that the ISS system, operating at a regional/national scale, may provide an important contribution to fire prioritization. This may result in the mitigation of fire impact in populated areas, infrastructures, and the environment.

Antropogeniczne przekształcenie rzek na Ponidziu Pińczowskim

One of the three basic components of assessing ecological state is the determination of hydromorphological conditions occurring in river channels and valleys. In this paper an effort has been taken to check usefulness for such evaluations River Habitat Survey (RHS) – British research method, which is used in Poland for classification of ecological quality of surface waters from the view-point of their actual hydromorphological state. The possibilities of using this method in field teaching of geography students were checked. For this purpose, the RHS method was modified and adapted to the needs of field exercises. Research was conducted in Nida Riverside region, near Pińczów (świętokrzyskie voivodeship, Poland). Collected material makes it possible to calculate synthetic indicator HMS (Habitat Modification Score) which allow the hydromorphological state of a river to be presented in numerical form and assessing river modification by human activities. The research released advantages of the RHS in field teaching of students. The method can also be used in field exercises with secondary school students.

Key factors in tourism management to improve competitiveness in Latin America

PurposeThis paper analyzes tourism competitiveness in Latin America, providing a country-level ranking of tourism competitiveness. The study also identifies which areas of management to focus on in order to increase competitiveness in each case.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on the variables used by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to measure tourism competitiveness. The DP2 distance method is used to create a synthetic indicator. This method helps identify which areas best explain differences in competitiveness between countries.FindingsIn tourism, the most competitive Latin American countries are Costa Rica, Chile, Panama, Mexico and Uruguay. The areas that best explain the differences between countries relate to cultural and natural resources, the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), international openness and transport infrastructure. These are therefore priority areas for tourism managers.Practical implicationsThis paper provides detailed analysis for each country. The situation in each country is presented in terms of the key areas highlighted by the analysis. This approach can aid the individual decisions of companies and public managers, thus enhancing tourism competitiveness. This greater competitiveness can strengthen the tourism sector, which is crucial in uncertain times.Originality/valueBased on a synthetic indicator, this research offers the first country-level analysis of tourism competitiveness in Latin America. The study is also novel in its ability to detect the areas where action should be taken to improve tourism competitiveness. This analysis offers an alternative to the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which has certain weaknesses. The results can help enhance tourism competitiveness in Latin American countries through the specific recommendations presented in this paper.

A DEA MCDM Approach Applied to ESS8 Dataset for Measuring Immigration and Refugees Citizens’ Openness

The current refugees’ crisis is undermining the main government coalitions of many countries in the European Union (EU), and tolerant attitudes and open admission policies toward immigrants seem to be part of the recent past history. The dilemma is gaining a lot of media attention as the public and political debate on migration is now playing an important role in all the European elections. Thus, the aim of this paper twofold. First, an analytical tool is developed to measure two synthetic indicators: (1) the citizens’ openness towards immigration for 23 countries—18 EU Countries, plus Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and Russia—included in the 2016 European Social Survey; and (2) the citizens’ openness towards immigrants and refugees for 22 countries (same set without Hungary). And second, the effects of political orientation of citizens over the last synthetic indicator (immigrants and refugees) are studied. The approach of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) will be adopted here, with the purpose of identifying which countries are more, or less, open to the phenomenon of immigration and refugees. The results show that the Nordic countries and leftist are those which show more openness to immigration and refugees.

Indicator Made from Countryside Flower Petals

Present research introduces on the natural indicator (Acid-Base). For this samples were collected from countryside flower petals. These are pink Madhabilata flower, violet Dahlia flower, yellowish red Miralibis Jalapa, light pink Nerium Oleander. With the help of pH meter colour changes were observed using Soxhlet extractor. Cold extract of the flower petals are prepared. For this study we use UV/Visible Spectrophotometer to determine the maximum wave length. The decreasing order of intercept from the above spectroscopic plots that pink Madhabilata> violet Dahlia>redish yellow Miralibis Jalapa> light pink Nerium Oleander. Natural indicators show prominent colour changes in acidic and basic solutions. So, it is easily replaceable to the synthetic indicator which is toxic in nature. These natural indicators are easily available, cheap, environment friendly and also nature friendly.

Objective and Subjective Determinants of Neighborhood Satisfaction in the Context of Retrofitting Suburbs

A strong preference for suburban living has led to extensively developed suburbs that need retrofitting by improving their compactness. However, an attempt to make suburban areas more sustainable only by shaping their spatial form, without considering individual demands and preferences, is usually ineffective. The aim of this research is to better understand the factors that are important for suburban neighborhood satisfaction and to determine the relationship between neighborhood satisfaction and both the objective spatial attributes reflecting different levels of spatial chaos and satisfaction with particular neighborhood characteristics. The factor analysis and a linear multiple regression model have revealed that there are four significant subjective factors explaining neighborhood satisfaction, namely: assessed suburban assets, assessed accessibility, assessed walkability, and assessed mental and social attitude towards the neighborhood. Among these, the assessed accessibility is the most important predictor of the neighborhood satisfaction and synthetic indicator of spatial chaos the least significant one. Although the research proved that subjective measures are more important determinants of neighborhood satisfaction, fighting urban sprawl should be based on the interference in both subjective evaluations and objective spatial attributes, since two of the four subjective factors are likely to be strongly influenced by improving accessibility in the process of retrofitting suburbs.

Trends in regional development in Slovenia in the light of the goals of sustainable development

Applying sustainable development into practice is an important national and regional policy goal in Slovenia; in addition, the country’s membership in the European Union further commits it to the goals of sustainable development. The research presented in this article is based on the use of a set of 32 economic, social and environmental indicators of sustainable development and the calculation of a synthetic indicator of sustainable regional development for all twelve Slovenian NUTS-3 regions in the period 2015–2019. In the final step, a synthetic assessment of the possibilities for implementing sustainable development in individual Slovenian regions is given, in which regions are classified into four different types. A comparison with the previous five-year period showed that Slovenia achieved progress in most of the socio-economic aspects of sustainable development analyzed, while the situation deteriorated with respect to environmental aspects. The largest differences among Slovenian regions were calculated in the economic area, and the smallest in the environmental area, which is also in line with the findings of previous research. There continues to be a development divide between the more prosperous western part of the country and the eastern part, which lags behind and for the most part also has poorer prospects for sustainable development. This trend is unfavorable for the balanced as well as sustainable development of Slovenian regions.

Palliative Care Coverage across European National Health Systems: Proposal of a Synthetic Indicator

Background: The coverage of palliative care (PC) may be understood as a country’s capacity to offer prevention and relief from serious health-related suffering in relation to an existing need. The aim of this study is to estimate European countries´ coverage capacities. Method: Secondary analysis of three indicators, including the number of specialized services (SSPC), integration capacity scores (ICS) and the PC needs. By means of a K-medians clustering supervised algorithm, three coverage profiles were obtained: (1) Advanced: countries with high ICS and SSPC, and low PC needs; (2) Limited: countries with low ICS and SSPC, and low PC needs; and (3) Low: countries with low ICS and SSPC and high PC needs. Results: On average, the ratio of specialized services per population was 0.79 per 100,000 inhabitants, the average ICS was 19.62 and the average number of deceased patients with SHS per 100,000 inhabitants was 5.69. Twenty countries (41%) reached an advanced coverage profile. Nine countries (18%) demonstrated a limited coverage profile; and 20 countries (41%) fell under a low-coverage capacity. Conclusion: The level of palliative care coverage across Europe shows that 59% of European countries have either limited or very low availability of PC resources as regards their palliative care needs.

Impact of Electrification on African Development‐Analysis with Using Grey Systems Theory

In this paper, the authors discuss the problem of the influence of the level of electrification in African countries on their sustainable development. The first aim of the article is to determine the relationship between changes in the electrification index and changes in the indicators showing individual components of sustainable development for African countries. The analyzed indicators of sustainable development include GDP per capita, Human Deveopment Index (HDI), and the CO2 emissions per capita indicator. The second goal of the article was to develop a synthetic indicator of sustainable development. This study uses the method of relationship research based on Gray Systems Theory—Gray Incidence Analysis. The main conclusion from the research carried out is that improving access to electricity is a necessary condition for the sustainable development of African countries. The lack of improvement in the availability of electricity is a basic barrier to development, especially in the poorest African countries.

A Synthetic Indicator for Sustainability Standards of Water Resources in Agriculture

The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability of water management for agriculture in a specific territory through the creation of a synthetic index resulting from the aggregation of multiple indices (environmental, economic, and social). The resulting synthetic index can be used to set sustainability standards and to guide the choices mandated by the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027. In this work we intend to show how the Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method facilitates a complex process such as establishing a degree of sustainability in a certain area and, therefore, provides support to national or regional policies and communities. The integration of MCDA and GIS increases the efficiency of the support activity. A case study is presented evaluating the level of sustainability in the Irrigation and Reclamation Consortium of Piacenza and Emilia Centrale, in the Emilia Romagna region.