Climate Services for Resilient Development (CSRD) Partnership’s work in Latin America

The Climate Services for Resilient Development (CSRD) Partnership is a private-public collaboration led by USAID, which aims to increase resilience to climate change in developing countries through the development and dissemination of climate services. The partnership began with initial projects in three countries: Colombia, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) was the lead organization for the Colombian CSRD efforts – which then expanded to encompass work in the whole Latin American region

Precision Agriculture and Financial Management: A Profitable Synergy

This comprehensive study explores the dynamic interplay between Precision Agriculture and Financial Management, shedding light on their pivotal roles in the contemporary agricultural landscape. Precision Agriculture, underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and tools, delivers a host of compelling benefits, including amplified crop yields, judicious resource allocation, and robust environmental stewardship. Financial Management in agriculture anchors its foundations on two critical pillars: the pursuit of financial sustainability and the proficient utilization of financial metrics and analysis. These multifaceted domains are instrumental in ensuring the enduring viability of farming operations, underscoring their intrinsic value in agricultural practices. The symphony between Precision Agriculture and Financial Management significantly amplifies the financial dynamics of farming. Their convergence cultivates an environment that nurtures profitability, upholds cost-efficiency, and champions ecological responsibility. This confluence is poised to address the burgeoning global food demand, charting a course toward optimal resource utilization, sustainable agricultural practices, and the safeguarding of the environment. This chapterembarks on a comprehensive exploration of this synergistic relationship, elucidating the profound impact of data-driven decision-making, advanced technology integration, and meticulous resource management on the farm's bottom line. The outcome of this partnership holds the potential to redefine the agricultural landscape, ensuring not only the prosperity of farming operations but also the responsible stewardship of the earth's resources

ARM Based Easy water Distribution and Data Recording System

ARM based easy water distribution system is used to distribute water from centre system. This system includes various sensors like humidity sensor, water level sensor and moisture sensor. Humidity sensor is used to measure humidity of environment at field and there is another sensor to measure water capacity in the tank. These sensors are attached with the raspberry pi board. These sensors sense the data and automatically send it to central controller. System has capability to control water pump to release water in farm but when after some threshold level reached in water tank. Sensors at field continuously send the data to central system. This central system monitor the data related to water and humidity and send the water whenever it required on the field .In this System no user interaction required directly. These all sensed data are recorded at central system and user can monitor this data whenever he wants in future. This System helpful to automatic management of water distribution and monitoring of it and it also saves the time and water. This is an embedded system. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15054

Design and management of image processing pipelines within CPS: Acquired experience towards the end of the FitOptiVis ECSEL Project

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) are dynamic and reactive systems interacting with processes, environment and, sometimes, humans. They are often distributed with sensors and actuators, characterized for being smart, adaptive, predictive and react in real-time. Indeed, image- and video-processing pipelines are a prime source for environmental information for systems allowing them to take better decisions according to what they see. Therefore, in FitOptiVis, we are developing novel methods and tools to integrate complex image- and video-processing pipelines. FitOptiVis aims to deliver a reference architecture for describing and optimizing quality and resource management for imaging and video pipelines in CPSs both at design- and run-time. The architecture is concretized in low-power, high-performance, smart components, and in methods and tools for combined design-time and run-time multi-objective optimization and adaptation within system and environment constraints

Underlying Indicators For Measuring Smartness Of Buildings In The Construction Industry

Purpose: The introduction of the Smart Buildings Technology (SBT) concept (which incorporates elements of the Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) concept) could be a measure in ensuring efficient energy consumption and high performance in buildings. Smart buildings provide solutions to improve building efficiency, and reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions and concomitant energy costs. In order to adopt SBT in the construction industry, it is important to identify the indicators of smartness of buildings, even though such may differ from region to region or even country to country. However, there have been inefficient studies identifying the indicators of smartness of buildings, especially in developing countries such as Ghana. This study investigates the underlying indicators for measuring the smartness of buildings in the construction industry. Methodology: An overarching post-positivist and empirical epistemological design was adopted for this research to analyse primary quantitative data. Data was collected via a structured questionnaire survey with 227 respondents including project managers and construction design teams in Ghana. The mean ranking analysis and one sample t-test were employed to analyse the data. Findings: Research findings revealed that the level of knowledge of smart building indicators is averagely high in the Ghanaian construction industry. With regards to the indicators of smart building, ‘sensors implementation to manage light level, air quality, temperature, fire alarm and smoke detector’ is regards as the most significant measure of smart buildings in the Ghanaian construction industry. Also, ‘remote implementation monitors building conditions and occupancy’, ‘implementation of any software that can talk to legacy equipment from many different manufactures’ and ‘data analytic’ are statistically insignificant in measuring smartness of buildings. Practical Implication: Practically, policy makers and practitioners can use the study’s results as blueprint guidance to appreciate and utilise the idea of smartness of buildings because it can improve building performance therefore, promoting the adoption of SBTs. To the body of knowledge, this study has identified the significant indicators for measuring the smartness of buildings, which can further influence SBTs adoption. Originality: Using the results, a model consisting of significant indicators for measuring building smartness was developed to help improve building performance. Recommendation: The study recommends future research to evaluate the awareness level of Smart Building Technologies (SBTs) by construction professionals and identify barriers to its adoption

Mapping a Better Future: How Spatial Analysis Can Benefit Wetlands and Reduce Poverty in Uganda

Analyzes and maps data on Uganda's wetlands and poverty rates to show where sustainable wetland management may be most effective in reducing poverty while protecting the ecosystem. Outlines lessons learned as well as policy and research recommendations

Underlying indicators for measuring smartness of buildings in the construction industry

Purpose: This study investigates the underlying indicators for measuring the smartness of buildings in the construction industry; where the Smart Building Technology (SBT) concept (which incorporates elements of the Zero Energy Building (NZEB) concept) could ensure efficient energy consumption and high performance of buildings. Design/methodology/approach: An overarching post-positivist and empirical epistemological design was adopted to analyze primary quantitative data collected via a structured questionnaire survey with 227 respondents. The mean ranking analysis and one-sample t-test were employed to analyse data. Findings: Research findings revealed that the level of knowledge of smart building indicators is averagely high in the Ghanaian construction industry. Future research is required to evaluate the awareness level of Smart Building Technologies (SBTs) by construction professionals and identify barriers to its adoption. Originality/value: A blueprint guidance model (consisting of significant indicators for measuring building smartness) was developed to help improve building performance and inform policymakers

The safety case and the lessons learned for the reliability and maintainability case

This paper examine the safety case and the lessons learned for the reliability and maintainability case

Toward a sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Cybersecurity issues constitute a key concern of today’s technology-based economies. Cybersecurity has become a core need for providing a sustainable and safe society to online users in cyberspace. Considering the rapid increase of technological implementations, it has turned into a global necessity in the attempt to adapt security countermeasures, whether direct or indirect, and prevent systems from cyberthreats. Identifying, characterizing, and classifying such threats and their sources is required for a sustainable cyber-ecosystem. This paper focuses on the cybersecurity of smart grids and the emerging trends such as using blockchain in the Internet of Things (IoT). The cybersecurity of emerging technologies such as smart cities is also discussed. In addition, associated solutions based on artificial intelligence and machine learning frameworks to prevent cyber-risks are also discussed. Our review will serve as a reference for policy-makers from the industry, government, and the cybersecurity research community