611,906 research outputs found

    Risk-based Decision Support for Protective Forest and Natural Hazard Management

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    Protective forests are an effective Forest-based Solution (FbS) for Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) and are part of an integrated risk management (IRM) of natural hazards. However, their utilization requires addressing conflicting interests as well as considering relevant spatial and temporal scales. Decision Support Systems (DSS) can improve the quality of such complex decision-making processes regarding the most suitable and accepted combinations of risk mitigation measures. We introduce four easy-to-apply DSS to foster an ecosystem-based and integrated management of natural hazard risks as well as to increase the acceptance of protective forests as FbS for Eco-DRR: (1) the Flow-Py simulation tool for gravitational mass flows that can be used to model forests with protective functions and to estimate their potential for reducing natural hazards’ energy, (2) an exposure assessment model chain for quantifying forests’ relevance for reducing natural hazard risks, (3) the Rapid Risk management Appraisal (RRA), a participatory method aiming to identify IRM strengths and points for improvement, and (4) the Protective Forest Assessment Tool (FAT), an online DSS for comparing different mitigation measures. These are only a few examples covering various aims and spatial and temporal scales. Science and practice need to collaborate to provide applied DSS for an IRM of natural hazards

    Assessing Disaster Risk of Building Stock

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    This work describes a methodology to assess ¿risk to disaster¿ due to natural hazards, particularly in data poor communities. It is to be used by (1) international organizations and donors to size development programs aiming to reduce risk to disasters and (2) by local authorities as a disaster management tool for implementing risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness programs. The methodology provides the guidelines to assemble a disaster risk information system that incorporates knowledge on natural hazards, construction science and disaster dynamics and is aimed for use by decision makers with the support of technical staff. The methodology is based on Geographical Information System (GIS) technology for the development of a database of disaster related information including built-up infrastructure, population, vulnerability and the occurrence of natural hazards. It integrates Earth Observation (EO) and information collected in situ for generating essential information such as building stock and indirectly population distribution in hazard affected areas. The database can also be used for generating damage assessment in the immediate aftermath of a disaster based on information on the hazard location and its intensity. Damage information can in turn improve the information content of the database to support more accurate risk assessments in the future. The information layers could then become important information that supports the development and urban planning projects.JRC.G.2-Global security and crisis managemen

    Research design of mobile based decision support for early flood warning system

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    Flooding has become one of the most rapidly growing types of natural disaster that has spread around the globe. It is one of the major natural hazards in many countries and mostly affected in the low-lying or flood prone areas. In order to minimize loss of life and economic losses, a detailed and comprehensive decision-making tool is necessary for both flood control planning and emergency service operations. In this paper, we demonstrate our research design for mobile based decision support of Flood Early Warning System (FEWS). We outlined four research objectives. Firstly, critical criteria for flood risk assessment will be identified and the second step will involve develop measurement model for relative flood risk using Geographic Information System (GIS), Multi Attribute Decision Making (MADM) and data mining technique. In the third objectives, the holistic architectural design is developed by incorporating the communication technology and other related ICT requirements for the mobile decision support. The fourth objective is to validate the mathematical model and architectural design. Case study approach is chosen in order to understand the flood event and validate the decision support model. Following well-defined procedures, flood maps were drawn based on the data collected from expert responses to a questionnaire, the field survey, satellite images, and documents from flood management agencies. It anticipates that by integrating of mathematical model, GIS and mobile application in flood risk assessment could provide useful detailed information for flood risk management, evacuation, communication. The decision support design from this study is perhaps to improve the warning system and contribute to reduction of casualties

    J Emerg Manag

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    Objective:Emergency management and operations (EMO) personnel require up-to-date information to make informed decisions during natural and man-made disasters. However, information gaps present challenges for accessing human health risk assessment and risk management strategies for dermal exposure. This article describes the development of a decision support system, the Dermal Exposure Risk Management and Logic (DERMaL) eToolkit.Design:The DERMaL eToolkit provides information on key resources used in emergency incidents. Resources were classified according to response phase, resource categories, and information category and evaluated on reliability, accessibility, and preference by subject matter experts in emergency management fields. These rankings were used to generate a value of information score, unique for each resource, which aids in developing reference lists for users during each incident phase.Results:This tool will identify and prioritize information resources on dermal risks, and can readily find the most relevant information to suit EMO needs.Conclusion:The DERMaL eToolkit can be used as an aid in finding information resources targeted to scenario-driven needs by providing well-vetted and prioritized resources related to dermal hazards, exposure, and risk assessments for EMO.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2018-10-10T00:00:00Z30044489PMC6179145vault:3097

    Modelling public risk evaluation of natural hazards: a conceptual approach

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    International audienceIn recent years, the dealing with natural hazards in Switzerland has shifted away from being hazard-oriented towards a risk-based approach. Decreasing societal acceptance of risk, accompanied by increasing marginal costs of protective measures and decreasing financial resources cause an optimization problem. Therefore, the new focus lies on the mitigation of the hazard's risk in accordance with economical, ecological and social considerations. This modern proceeding requires an approach in which not only technological, engineering or scientific aspects of the definition of the hazard or the computation of the risk are considered, but also the public concerns about the acceptance of these risks. These aspects of a modern risk approach enable a comprehensive assessment of the (risk) situation and, thus, sound risk management decisions. In Switzerland, however, the competent authorities suffer from a lack of decision criteria, as they don't know what risk level the public is willing to accept. Consequently, there exists a need for the authorities to know what the society thinks about risks. A formalized model that allows at least a crude simulation of the public risk evaluation could therefore be a useful tool to support effective and efficient risk mitigation measures. This paper presents a conceptual approach of such an evaluation model using perception affecting factors PAF, evaluation criteria EC and several factors without any immediate relation to the risk itself, but to the evaluating person. Finally, the decision about the acceptance Acc of a certain risk i is made by a comparison of the perceived risk Ri,perc with the acceptable risk Ri,acc

    Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) for Managing Risks and Providing Ecosystem Services at Contaminated Sites

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    Soils are a non-renewable resource and comprise a key component of the world\u27s stock of natural capital. Due to industrialisation, urbanisation and other patterns of unsustainable development, widespread land degradation in the form of contamination, soil sealing, compaction, etc. has impaired the capacity of soils to perform their essential functions and provide humans with vital ecosystem services. Brownfields are typically urban or peri-urban sites that have been affected by the former uses of the site, are or are perceived to be contaminated, and require intervention to bring them back to beneficial use. They also constitute an important and underutilised land and soil resource to provide ecosystem services in urban areas as an element of green infrastructure through the use of nature-based solutions such as gentle remediation options (GRO). Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) are remediation measures involving plants, fungi, bacteria, and soil amendments that can be applied to manage risks at contaminated sites. Several studies and decision-support tools promote the wider range of benefits provided by GRO, including improving soil function to provide ecosystem services, but there is still scepticism regarding GRO implementation. Interviews with a small group of experts have elucidated some of the main possibilities and challenges for GRO implementation in Sweden. As a result, a risk management framework for GRO has been developed to strengthen the decision basis for GRO implementation in practice and address some of the key issues that need to be better communicated, including the various risk mitigation mechanisms, the required risk reduction for an envisioned land use, and the time perspective associated with the risk mitigation mechanisms. The framework is envisioned to be used as a tool for risk communication with stakeholders, decision-makers and regulatory agencies to identify GRO strategies for managing risks at contaminated sites and supporting phytomanagement for sustainable remediation and development. Two case studies are used to demonstrate the application of the risk management framework: Polstj\ue4rnegatan and Kolleberga

    Drivers and New Opportunities for Woody Vegetation Use in Erosion Management in Pastoral Hill Country in New Zealand

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    Increases in the magnitude and frequency of rainfall events in New Zealand due to climate change, coupled with existing concerns about sediment and nutrient contamination of waterways, are changing policy and practice around erosion management and land use. We describe the challenges around slope erosion reduction, cover current legislation and management practices, illustrate how modeling can inform erosion management and describe new opportunities, whereby native species can become a new active management tool for erosion control. Passive erosion management depending on natural revegetation by slow growing woody species is used on land retired from grazing but is much less effective than active erosion management in reducing shallow slope erosion. Active erosion management using exotic fast-growing poplar and willow trees strategically placed on hillslopes is effective in reducing erosion, but these trees can be hard to establish on drier upper slopes. An endemic woody tree, Kanuka, grows on drier slopes and is being tested as an erosion control tool. Kanuka seedlings have been successfully established on pastoral slopes, including drier slopes. A spatial decision support tool developed to identify pastoral hillslopes at high risk of erosion has improved decision-making when positioning appropriate trees on these slopes

    Project risk screening matrix for stream management and restoration

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    The ‘Project Risk Screening Matrix’ derives from a broader effort to assist US government agency staff in reviewing proposed stream management and restoration projects more efficiently and effectively. The River Restoration Analysis Tool (RiverRAT) developed through this effort provides a thorough, comprehensive and auditable approach to review and evaluation of proposed stream actions and projects (www.restorationreview.com). The matrix was initially developed as the first step in applying the RiverRAT, its purpose being to assist reviewers in assessing the risk to natural resources associated with a particular proposal and matching the intensity of their review to the severity of that risk. Hence, the primary application of the matrix to date has been to identify and screen out low risk projects that may be dealt with expeditiously, and so freeing the time and technical resources needed to allow deep reviews of higher risk projects. A second form of screening emerged from this primary function because the matrix proved adept at identifying the minimum level of site and project characterization required to support initial risk assessment. On this basis, proposals lacking adequate information can also be screened out, being referred back to the proponent with a request for additional information. More recently, new and novel versions of the matrix, featuring modification and refinement of one or both of the original axes, have emerged to widen and refine its application to linear infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, roads, and electrical transmission lines), instream structures (e.g. large wood placement and culvert removal), and pre-application, regulatory, decision-support tools

    Project risk screening matrix for stream management and restoration

    Get PDF
    The ‘Project Risk Screening Matrix’ derives from a broader effort to assist US government agency staff in reviewing proposed stream management and restoration projects more efficiently and effectively. The River Restoration Analysis Tool (RiverRAT) developed through this effort provides a thorough, comprehensive and auditable approach to review and evaluation of proposed stream actions and projects (www.restorationreview.com). The matrix was initially developed as the first step in applying the RiverRAT, its purpose being to assist reviewers in assessing the risk to natural resources associated with a particular proposal and matching the intensity of their review to the severity of that risk. Hence, the primary application of the matrix to date has been to identify and screen out low risk projects that may be dealt with expeditiously, and so freeing the time and technical resources needed to allow deep reviews of higher risk projects. A second form of screening emerged from this primary function because the matrix proved adept at identifying the minimum level of site and project characterization required to support initial risk assessment. On this basis, proposals lacking adequate information can also be screened out, being referred back to the proponent with a request for additional information. More recently, new and novel versions of the matrix, featuring modification and refinement of one or both of the original axes, have emerged to widen and refine its application to linear infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, roads, and electrical transmission lines), instream structures (e.g. large wood placement and culvert removal), and pre-application, regulatory, decision-support tools

    Enhancing integrated coastal management decision making in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa through knowledge transfer and information sharing.

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    Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal. Pietermaritzburg.Coastal environments are complex systems being sought-after for a myriad of environmental, socioeconomic and cultural activities, supporting an estimated 44% of the world’s population. The demand for coastal space and resources has created extreme pressure in coastal areas, leading to reduced coastal functionality and amplified risk of natural hazards. These stresses and changes require proactive management, in particular through policies and legislation that ensure protection and longterm sustainability, thus the emergence of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) as a ‘holistic’ approach. South Africa, being a country of high marine and coastal biodiversity, recognised the need for better coastal management in the 1970s; however, it was only in 2009 that an Integrated Coastal Management Act (ICM Act) was promulgated. The Act attempts to tackle the interlinked problems of coastal development and conservation; however to date implementation has been frustratingly slow, with capacity constraints and knowledge gaps being the primary limitations. If ICM is to be effective, coastal managers require a broad range of scientific and social information, modelled data and environmental indicators, meaning that the scope and complexity of coastal management is strongly dependent upon capacity. However, in South Africa, these functions do not rest with such experts, but are assigned to various government departments at the local municipality level. Thus ICM initiatives, that integrate natural and social sciences and empower managers with best available knowledge, are required. This research focused on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, one of four coastal provinces in South Africa grappling with ICM implementation. Consequently, the KZN provincial government committed financial resources to improving knowledge transfer, information sharing and capacity building. KZN-specific barriers to ICM implementation were identified through a series of interviews and surveys, from which requirements for an information support tool were determined. The tool, devised from a coastal management perspective, enables continued knowledge acquisition and retention, thereby acting as an ‘institutional knowledge bank’. Development followed a participatory approach that ensured the needs of target users were met, however while such tools can improve understanding and lead to improved decision-making, their effectiveness depends on continued use by managers. Additionally, this research shows the value-add of such a tool in conjunction with traditional capacity building sessions and how these complementary approaches assisted ICM implementation. Lessons learned from KZN can be up-scaled to inform Government on the value of the information support tool by incorporating national data and information sharing for ICM capacity building
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