15,769 research outputs found
On green routing and scheduling problem
The vehicle routing and scheduling problem has been studied with much
interest within the last four decades. In this paper, some of the existing
literature dealing with routing and scheduling problems with environmental
issues is reviewed, and a description is provided of the problems that have
been investigated and how they are treated using combinatorial optimization
tools
Waste management strategies during post disaster phase: A case of Sri Lanka
Natural or man made disasters cause serious negative impacts on life, property, livelihood and industries often resulting in permanent changes to societies and environments. In disasters, creation of waste due to damaged buildings and infrastructure is unavoidable. If these wastes are not properly managed, serious environmental and economic burdens will fall on general living conditions, reconstruction and as well as general waste collection processes. Therefore, management of disaster waste has emerged as a critical issue and poses a significant challenge to governing bodies in responding to a disaster. This is not unique to Sri Lanka which is prone to frequent natural disasters such as floods, landslides and droughts apart from the Asian Tsunami of 2004. This paper addresses post disaster waste management strategies adopted and issues and challenges encountered at both national and local levels in Sri Lanka during post - Indian Ocean Tsunami period. A comprehensive literature review and a field survey were conducted to gather information. Accordingly, most affected six districts were selected based on three types of disasters namely floods, landslide and the Tsunami. Seven national institutes responsible for managing disasters were selected for collection of data at national level. Semi-structured interviews were used as the main method of data collection at each stage and content analysis was used to analyze data that was collected. Local level findings revealed that strategies, issues and challenges vary according to the type of disaster, magnitude and location. Unavailability of a centralized body, poor implementation of rules and regulations; poor standards of local expertise and capacities, inadequate funds, lack of communication and coordination were identified as key issues at national level
Remote sensing information sciences research group
Research conducted under this grant was used to extend and expand existing remote sensing activities at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the areas of georeferenced information systems, matching assisted information extraction from image data and large spatial data bases, artificial intelligence, and vegetation analysis and modeling. The research thrusts during the past year are summarized. The projects are discussed in some detail
Political ecology of health in the Land of Fires: a hotspot of environmental crimes in the south of Italy
Environmental crimes, if they are perceived as victimless, have not received the appropriate governmental response and have been frequently ranked low on the law enforcement priority list, punished with lenient or no administrative sanctions. This has contributed to an underestimation of the immediate consequences of environmental crimes, which can go undetected for lengthy periods. On the contrary, the mismanagement and illegal trafficking of waste in the Land of Fires, an area in the Campania region in the South of Italy, has been experienced as a 'victimful' crime. Using a political ecology of health approach, and integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, we investigate how the perception of being a victim of waste-related environmental crimes has been magnified by evidence of serious disease outcomes . Health concerns have become a central issue in the resurgence of grassroots movements against waste mismanagement in Campania
Environmental Law, Governance, and Management- the Need for Environmental Management Systems for Cities
Human activities damage the environment. They deplete natural resources, generate pollution and wastes, accelerate the loss of forests and biological diversity, as well as threaten the water supply. As populations increase, these problems are exacerbated. Cities bear the brunt of increased human activities on limited land space with limited resources. It is therefore essential that cities adopt a system of environmental governance that will help ensure sustainability. As each city has its own mix of geographic, social, economic, political and environmental problems, it would be simplistic to suggest that there is a formula for sustainability that would fit every city. What is clear is that every city needs an effective environmental management system (EMS) to manage its many activities, to ensure that development is controlled, environmental damage is minimized, natural areas are preserved and its citizens have an enhanced quality of life.
This paper examines the ingredients for sound environmental management in cities, particularly cities in the developing world. It submits that a sound EMS for a city must first start with sound environmental policies, land use planning and good environmental laws. It emphasizes that the best environmental laws will not work if it is not integrated with sound management policies and implementation, starting with the building of the environmental infrastructure, both physical and institutional. This paper then looks at ISO 14001 certification, in the context of a city and asserts that environmental management systems in their current context, focus largely on resolving problems of pollution. There is a clear lack of ecological dimensions in environmental management systems as exemplified by the ISO 14000 series. This paper submits that environmental stewardship and ecological sustainability is at the heart of sustainable development, and the integration of the natural environment within the city has been largely overlooked. It advocates bringing the natural environment back to our cities and the incorporation of this dimension into environmental management systems. The paper introduces the Singapore Index on Cities\u27 Biodiversity, adopted at the CBD\u27s COP-10 Meeting in Nagoya, Japan, 2010
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