11,522 research outputs found
The impact of agricultural activities on water quality: a case for collaborative catchment-scale management using integrated wireless sensor networks
The challenge of improving water quality is a growing global concern, typified by the European Commission Water Framework Directive and the United States Clean Water Act. The main drivers of poor water quality are economics, poor water management, agricultural practices and urban development. This paper reviews the extensive role of non-point sources, in particular the outdated agricultural practices, with respect to nutrient and contaminant contributions. Water quality monitoring (WQM) is currently undertaken through a number of data acquisition methods from grab sampling to satellite based remote sensing of water bodies. Based on the surveyed sampling methods and their numerous limitations, it is proposed that wireless sensor networks (WSNs), despite their own limitations, are still very attractive and effective for real-time spatio-temporal data collection for WQM applications. WSNs have been employed for WQM of surface and ground water and catchments, and have been fundamental in advancing the knowledge of contaminants trends through their high resolution observations. However, these applications have yet to explore the implementation and impact of this technology for management and control decisions, to minimize and prevent individual stakeholder’s contributions, in an autonomous and dynamic manner. Here, the potential of WSN-controlled agricultural activities and different environmental compartments for integrated water quality management is presented and limitations of WSN in agriculture and WQM are identified. Finally, a case for collaborative networks at catchment scale is proposed for enabling cooperation among individually networked activities/stakeholders (farming activities, water bodies) for integrated water quality monitoring, control and management
2011 Strategic roadmap for Australian research infrastructure
The 2011 Roadmap articulates the priority research infrastructure areas of a national scale (capability areas) to further develop Australia’s research capacity and improve innovation and
research outcomes over the next five to ten years. The capability areas have been identified through considered analysis of input provided by stakeholders, in conjunction with specialist advice from Expert Working Groups
It is intended the Strategic Framework will provide a high-level policy framework, which will include principles to guide the development of policy advice and the design of programs related to the funding of research infrastructure by the Australian Government. Roadmapping has been identified in the Strategic Framework Discussion Paper as the most appropriate prioritisation mechanism for national, collaborative research infrastructure. The strategic identification of Capability areas through a consultative roadmapping process was also validated in the report of the 2010 NCRIS Evaluation.
The 2011 Roadmap is primarily concerned with medium to large-scale research infrastructure. However, any landmark infrastructure (typically involving an investment in excess of $100 million over five years from the Australian Government) requirements identified in this process will be noted. NRIC has also developed a ‘Process to identify and prioritise Australian Government landmark research infrastructure investments’ which is currently under consideration by the government as part of broader deliberations relating to research infrastructure.
NRIC will have strategic oversight of the development of the 2011 Roadmap as part of its overall policy view of research infrastructure
Participatory Patterns in an International Air Quality Monitoring Initiative
The issue of sustainability is at the top of the political and societal
agenda, being considered of extreme importance and urgency. Human individual
action impacts the environment both locally (e.g., local air/water quality,
noise disturbance) and globally (e.g., climate change, resource use). Urban
environments represent a crucial example, with an increasing realization that
the most effective way of producing a change is involving the citizens
themselves in monitoring campaigns (a citizen science bottom-up approach). This
is possible by developing novel technologies and IT infrastructures enabling
large citizen participation. Here, in the wider framework of one of the first
such projects, we show results from an international competition where citizens
were involved in mobile air pollution monitoring using low cost sensing
devices, combined with a web-based game to monitor perceived levels of
pollution. Measures of shift in perceptions over the course of the campaign are
provided, together with insights into participatory patterns emerging from this
study. Interesting effects related to inertia and to direct involvement in
measurement activities rather than indirect information exposure are also
highlighted, indicating that direct involvement can enhance learning and
environmental awareness. In the future, this could result in better adoption of
policies towards decreasing pollution.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 1 supplementary fil
Aerosol Data Sources and Their Roles within PARAGON
We briefly but systematically review major sources of aerosol data, emphasizing suites of measurements that seem most likely to contribute to assessments of global aerosol climate forcing. The strengths and limitations of existing satellite, surface, and aircraft remote sensing systems are described, along with those of direct sampling networks and ship-based stations. It is evident that an enormous number of aerosol-related observations have been made, on a wide range of spatial and temporal sampling scales, and that many of the key gaps in this collection of data could be filled by technologies that either exist or are expected to be available in the near future. Emphasis must be given to combining remote sensing and in situ active and passive observations and integrating them with aerosol chemical transport models, in order to create a more complete environmental picture, having sufficient detail to address current climate forcing questions. The Progressive Aerosol Retrieval and Assimilation Global Observing Network (PARAGON) initiative would provide an organizational framework to meet this goal
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