Climate Change Strategy and Sustainable Power Technologies in China

Global warming is likely to be the greatest environmental challenge among various known climate changes that related with many aspects of land use and water management in the 21st century. In general, the phenomenon of global warming is almost proportionally related with the pace of industrialization, which has to be resolved with high priority. Fossil fuel production and consumption is primarily responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), into the environment, increasing the level of global warming. In this research, a policy mix as a kind of climate change strategy is proposed, imposing carbon tax in China. Based on available data, an eco-conscious socioeconomic framework model is built and several scenarios of energy use and CO2 emission are developed in order to evaluate comprehensively the effect of carbon tax on CO2 emission curtailment and introduce suitable alternative energy in China. Sustainable power technologies mean solar power technology and wind power technology in the research. The main target is to form a low carbon sustainable society in China, using a multi-sectoral macro-economical model including Input-Output (I-O) table. Then an optimum carbon tax rate is derived endogenously by running the simulation model under CO2 emission restrictions.

Merging spatially variant physical process models under an optimized systems dynamics framework.

The complexity of water resource issues, its interconnectedness to other systems, and the involvement of competing stakeholders often overwhelm decision-makers and inhibit the creation of clear management strategies. While a range of modeling tools and procedures exist to address these problems, they tend to be case specific and generally emphasize either a quantitative and overly analytic approach or present a qualitative dialogue-based approach lacking the ability to fully explore consequences of different policy decisions. The integration of these two approaches is needed to drive toward final decisions and engender effective outcomes. Given these limitations, the Computer Assisted Dispute Resolution system (CADRe) was developed to aid in stakeholder inclusive resource planning. This modeling and negotiation system uniquely addresses resource concerns by developing a spatially varying system dynamics model as well as innovative global optimization search techniques to maximize outcomes from participatory dialogues. Ultimately, the core system architecture of CADRe also serves as the cornerstone upon which key scientific innovation and challenges can be addressed

FROM RECHARGE TO REEF: ASSESSING THE SOURCES, QUANTITY, AND TRANSPORT OF GROUNDWATER ON TUTUILA ISLAND, AMERICAN SAMOA

Ph.D.Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 201

Assessing vulnerability and modelling assistance: using demographic indicators of vulnerability and agent-based modelling to explore emergency flooding relief response

Flooding is a significant concern for much of the UK and is recognised as a primary threat by most local councils. Those in society most often deemed vulnerable: the elderly, poor or sick, for example, often see their level of vulnerability increase during hazard events. A greater knowledge of the spatial distribution of vulnerability within communities is key to understanding how a population may be impacted by a hazard event. Vulnerability indices are regularly used – in conjunction with needs assessments and on-the-ground research – to target service provision and justify resource allocation. Past work on measuring and mapping vulnerability has been limited by a focus on income-related indicators, a lack of consideration of accessibility, and the reliance on proprietary data. The Open Source Vulnerability Index (OSVI) encompasses an extensive range of vulnerability indicators supported by the wider literature and expert validation and provides data at a sufficiently fine resolution that can identify vulnerable populations. Findings of the OSVI demonstrate the potential cascading impact of a flood hazard as it impacts an already vulnerable population: exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities, limiting capabilities and restricting accessibility and access to key services. The OSVI feeds into an agent-based model (ABM) that explores the capacity of the British Red Cross (BRC) to distribute relief during flood emergencies using strategies based upon the OSVI. A participatory modelling approach was utilised whereby the BRC were included in all aspects of the model development. The major contribution of this work is the novel synthesis of demographics analysis, vulnerability mapping and geospatial simulation. The project contributes to the growing understanding of vulnerability and response management within the NGO sector. It is hoped that the index and model produced will allow responder organisations to run simulations of similar emergency events and adjust strategic response plans accordingly