Coastal Priority Ranking in Oil Spill Response Decision Support Mechanism

Millions of tons of oil are produced in the world every year and over half of it is transported to the users by means of marine routes. Based on statistics, a best estimate of oil spill is more than 3 million tons per year. Oil spills cause disastrous impacts on the environment, ecology and socio-economic activities. The right decision has to be made in the event of an oil spill to facilitate prompt action, considering the priorities of protection, to prevent environmental damages. Interest in having modern, technological management system in semi-structured fields such as disastrous incidents is increasing rapidly. Response decision support is a mechanism utilizing a knowledge-based plan to choose the most suitable method of response by analyzing the various sensitivity factors, parameters affecting oil spill impacts, environmental concerns in oil spill response, and consequence monitoring and clean-up operations in the shortest time. Environmental sensitivity index (ESI), a traditional scale, is mostly a static scale for evaluation of coastal situation. It requires calibration along with oil nature and impact in each spill case to be able of priority displaying in action. This study aimed to develop a semiautomatic knowledge-based decision support mechanism to retrieve experts’ knowledge for prioritization in responding to oil spill events. A tool was needed to classify information about knowledge and expertise in this field and follow the rational logic of master minds and could be transferable. The knowledge and expertise from knowledgeable participants were obtained through questionnaires and direct interviews as well as information from literatures. Three objectives were covered by the study including ranking of sensitivity-oil-response criteria, development of coastal priority ranking (CPR) scale, and establishment of a validated computer-based mechanism for oil spill response (OSR-DSM). Analyses of questions were conducted using Delphi method, Likert scaling, and repertory grid analysis. The evaluation of knowledge level provided the normalized weights (from 0.09 to 1.0) for respondents’ knowledge and these weights were applied to criteria ranking. Considering two objects of environment and oil, priority ranking matrix was established and CPR scale was calculated based on the fact that various “low/ medium/ high” impacting scenarios of oil can affect the corresponding “low/ medium/ high” sensitive resources. One program was designed to visualize DSM with computation of ESI, coastal sensitivity, oil impact, and CPR values as well as reporting on response alternatives. The advantage of CPR scale method was its ability for a more dynamic quantitative evaluation of priorities in application time rather than only explaining sensitivity indices of area. The scale for CPR was evaluated ranging from 35 to 469 and the values were qualitatively categorized from low priority to medium, high, very high and extremely high priorities. Three major categories were renowned for responses alternatives - on-sea response or preventive activities, shoreline protective activities, and on-coast response or cleanup activities. Results were verified to present the inclusiveness, accuracy, and system algorithm. The verification activity involved exploring the knowledge base, coding of reasoning processes / inference engine, technical performance, ability for development, and interface. A total of 80 percent of users in the verification phase believed that development of such mechanism was a right approach for supporting the right decision in oil spill responses, either by increasing the speed and accuracy in evaluation or reducing the cost. Verification research could attain rates of over 50 percent in all five categories. General rates given to the mechanism by two groups of users were 82 and 85 percent with a + 3.66 percent of uncertainty that was issued a high verification value. This study has resulted in two main products: - coastal priority ranking scale (CPR) and oil spill response decision supporting mechanism (OSR-DSM). It is intended to facilitate the oil spill response process while at the same time improves the decision-making quality by applying the effective knowledge and expertise in oil spill response procedures. Definition of knowledge criteria leading to classification of knowledgeable participants, as well as numerical verification frame for qualitative knowledge-base mechanism were two significant outputs of this study

Knowledge-based marine conservation in oil spill risk management

Maritime transport is an efficient way to ferry goods, oil, and chemicals but shipping poses a threat to marine ecosystems. Oil spills have a potential to extinguish or debilitate fish and wildlife populations and habitat types important to the marine ecosystem. In this thesis, I study the resources and methods for collecting data and knowledge about the adverse impacts of oil on sensitive species and habitat types. Furthermore, I study how ecological knowledge could be passed to decision-makers and how the risks should be communicated. Finally, I discuss future policy improvements and scientific needs for ecological knowledge in oil spill risk management. This forms a synthesis of what kind of ecological information is required for the environmental risk management and conservation of marine ecosystems under oil spill threat. The thesis includes five papers, where we develop methods to assess the environmental impacts of oil spills and the effectiveness of management practices to mitigate their adverse ecological effects. Improved strategies combine theoretical disciplines, such as population biology with practical oil spill response. The results demonstrate that environmental risk assessment models can be used to structure problems, integrate knowledge and uncertainty, and persuade decision-makers by visualizing the results. Since the objective of risk assessment is to synthesize information for environmental management and policy design, which should rely on the extensive use of scientific evidence, communication between academia and decision-makers is of great importance. The use of Bayesian networks would improve the current oil spill risk management in the Baltic Sea, since all the variables affecting oil spill risk can be presented in one framework in a transparent manner. Many geospatial services work as tools of informative policy instruments, as they deliver ecological data and knowledge for oil spill risk management. Researchers could also participate more often in the contingency planning or practical management of oil spills as experts. Thus, all the relevant knowledge could be integrated into the decision-making process. This thesis offers new insights into oil spill risk management in the Baltic Sea and provides examples showing how evidence-based management actions should be chosen and carried out in order to minimize the risks. Policy recommendations are also provided. First, in oil spill risk management, the marine ecosystem should be prioritized based on its conservation value, recovery potential and protection effectiveness. Second, because preventive measures against oil accidents are considered cost-effective, maritime safety should be increased, with stricter and regional ship inspection practices. The effects of policy innovations should be assessed using probabilistic policy-support tools.Rannikon luonto tulee priorisoida sen suojeluarvon, öljyn aiheuttaman tappion, lajien ja luontotyyppien palautumiskyvyn ja suojattavuuden perusteella. Meriliikenne on tehokas tapa kuljettaa tavaroita, kemikaaleja ja öljyä. Merenkulku kuitenkin uhkaa meriekosysteemejä, sillä alusonnettomuuksista aiheutuvat öljyonnettomuudet voivat heikentää tai hävittää lajeja ja niiden elinympäristöjä. Karttapohjaiset sovellukset voivat toimia neuvoa-antavina työkaluina suojelutoimien kohdistamisessa. Väitöskirja arvioi öljyonnettomuuksien aiheuttamia haitallisia vaikutuksia Itämeren luontoon ja tarkastelee millaisilla toimintamalleilla niitä voidaan pienentää. Työn viisi osajulkaisua pyrkivät vastaamaan kysymyksiin siitä, millaisin menetelmin öljyonnettomuuksien haittoja voidaan tutkia, miten tieto saaduista tuloksista voidaan siirtää päätöksentekoon ja kuinka riskinarviointia kannattaa kehittää. Väitöskirjatutkimuksessa on erityisesti arvioitu rannikon uhanalaisten lajien ja luontotyyppien palautumiskykyä ja suunniteltu työkaluja riskinhallintaan. Tulokset osoittavat, että todennäköisyyspohjaisten verkkomallien avulla tehty riskinarviointi voi auttaa jäsentämään ongelmia, huomioimaan epävarmuutta ja vakuuttamaan päätöksentekijöitä. Öljyonnettomuusriskien hallintaan tulee luoda uusi viestintäkulttuuri, jossa tutkijat voivat osallistua entistä enemmän torjunnan suunnitteluun. Tämä edistää merkittävästi tietoon perustuvaa päätöksentekoa. Onnettomuusriskiä tulee myös hallita entistä tiukemmilla ja paikallisilla keinoilla. Itämeri on ainutlaatuinen ekosysteemi. Sen pohjoinen sijainti, pieni vesitilavuus, hidas veden vaihtuvuus ja pohjan hapettomuus tekevät alueesta herkän öljyn vaikutuksille. Suomen rannikon mataluus ja saariston rikkonaisuus lisäävät öljyn haitallisia vaikutuksia: matala vesisyvyys lisää eliöiden altistumistodennäköisyyttä ja öljyn pitoisuutta meressä, ja rannikon muoto tekee siitä haasteellisen öljyntorjunnalle. Itämeressä monet lajit elävät sopeutumisensa äärirajoilla ja ovat siksi herkkiä ympäristömuutoksille kuten öljyonnettomuuksille. Kansainvälinen merenkulkujärjestö onkin nimennyt Itämeren erityisen herkäksi merialueeksi

Ruumiliste otsustustugede arendamine võimaldamaks merede jätkusuutlikku majandamist

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneMeremajanduse teostamiseks on vaja eri tüüpi ruumilist infot, millele tuginevad tööriistad on hädavajalikud kriisiolukorras reageerimiseks ja erinevate stsenaariumipõhiste analüüside läbiviimisel. Doktoritöös arendati veebipõhiseid operatiivseid otsustustugesid, mis võimaldavad koguda ja analüüsida andmeid ja teadmisi ning edastada tulemusi sidusrühmadele arusaadaval viisil, et hõlbustada kokkulepete sõlmimist. Sellist lähenemist illustreerib Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW), mis võimaldab hinnata naftareostusega seotud keskkonnariske ja leida hädaolukordadele paremaid lahendusi. Naftalekke ruumilise leviku modelleerimine ja selle visualiseerimine võimaldab hinnata võimalike meetmete eeliseid, et kujundada sobiv reageerimisstrateegia. Lisaks valmis doktoritöö käigus PlanWise4Blue (PW4B) tööriist, millega hinnatakse erinevate survetegurite kumulatiivset mõju mereelustikule. PW4B tööriista saab kasutada inimtegevuste eraldi- ja koosmõjude prognoosimiseks nii tänapäevaste kui ka tuleviku kliimamuutuste tingimustes. Tööriista katsetati Läänemere piirkonnas Eesti mereala ruumilise planeerimise protsessis uurimaks erinevate meremajandamisstsenaariumite mõju erinevatele loodusväärtustele. Tulemused julgustavad kasutama modelleerimisel põhinevaid stsenaariumarvutusi otsustusprotsessides, et uurida inimtegevuse mõju ja/või kasu ökosüsteemi teenuste osutamisele ja vastupidi. Stsenaariumianalüüse kasutades saame teada ühiskonna eelistusi selle kohta, millist tulevikku nad eelistaksid ning paraneb otsustusprotsesside läbipaistvus.The maritime economy requires different types of spatial information, on which spatial decision support tools are essential to respond to crisis situations and to carry out different scenario-based analyses. This doctoral study developed web-based operational decision support tools to collect and analyse data and insights as well as to facilitate communication and discussion with stakeholders. Such an approach is illustrated by the Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW), which enables the assessment of environmental risks associated with oil spills and the identification of better solutions to emergencies. By integrating the analysis and visualization of dynamic spill features, the benefits of potential response actions are compared to develop an appropriate response strategy. In addition, PlanWise4Blue (PW4B), a tool to assess the cumulative impact of different human pressures on marine life, was developed during the PhD. The PW4B tool can be used to predict the individual and combined effects of human activities under both current environmental conditions and future climate change. The tool has been tested in the Baltic Sea region in the Estonian marine spatial planning process to investigate the impacts of different marine management scenarios on different nature values. The results encourage the use of modelling-based scenario calculations in decision-making processes to explore effects and/or benefits of human activities to ecosystem services provision, and vice versa. Scenario analysis can be used to include society preferences of what future would they prefer and can improve transparency in decision-making processes.https://www.ester.ee/record=b550706

How to value biodiversity in environmental management?

Biodiversity is globally recognised as a cornerstone of healthy ecosystems, and biodiversity conservation is increasingly becoming one of the important aims of environmental management. Evaluating the trade-offs of alternative management strategies requires quantitative estimates of the costs and benefits of their outcomes, including the value of biodiversity lost or preserved. This paper takes a decision-analytic standpoint, and reviews and discusses the alternative aspects of biodiversity valuation by dividing them into three categories: socio-cultural, economic, and ecological indicator approaches. We discuss the interplay between these three perspectives and suggest integrating them into an ecosystem-based management (EBM) framework, which permits us to acknowledge ecological systems as a rich mixture of interactive elements along with their social and economic aspects. In this holistic framework, socio-cultural preferences can serve as a tool to identify the ecosystem services most relevant to society, whereas monetary valuation offers more globally comparative and understandable values. Biodiversity indicators provide clear quantitative measures and information about the role of biodiversity in the functioning and health of ecosystems. In the multi-objective EBM approach proposed in the paper, biodiversity indicators serve to define threshold values (i.e., the minimum level required to maintain a healthy environment). An appropriate set of decision-making criteria and the best method for conducting the decision analysis depend on the context and the management problem in question. Therefore, we propose a sequence of steps to follow when quantitatively evaluating environmental management against biodiversity.Peer reviewe

Green knowledge exchange Turkey-The Netherlands : priority issues identified for cooperation in the field of biodiversity protection and conservation : interviews with experts from Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations based in Turkey and based in The Netherlands

As a consequence of its geographical location Turkey is very rich in biodiversity; its flora is richest, both in terms of overall plant diversity and level of endemism compared to Europe, North Africa, or countries in the Middle East. This report gives an overview of important biodiversity issues in Turkey and priorities for cooperation selected by Turkish and Dutch parties. The project aimed to facilitate the set up of a long-term cooperation between Turkey and The Netherlands in a structural ‘Green Knowledge Exchange’ between officials and experts of the two countries. Reports of interviews with (non)governmental organizations (Netherlands and Turkey) form the backbone of this publication. It also provides a SWOT analysis and comparison of the information obtained from Turkish side and the information provided by organisations based in The Netherlands

Global Impacts Report 2017

Our fifth Global Impacts Report reflects on the progress of the MSC over the past 20 years, examines the sustainability performance of certified fisheries around the world and highlights areas of future interest

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia

Draws on detailed information to analyze current threats to coral reefs across Southeast Asia and provides an economic valuation of what will be lost if destructive fishing, over-fishing, and marine based and inland pollution coastal development continue

Spatial Planning in the Coastal Zone of the East Asian Seas Region: Integrating Emerging Issues and Modern Management Approaches

This regional resource document, produced for the East Asian Sea region, integrates emerging issues such as climate change and sea-level rise, and new management concepts such as ecosystem-based management, disaster risk reduction and results-based management into spatial planning and coastal zone management procedures and processes. It is intended to be used as the basis for individual country consultations on their national needs and priorities for capacity building in spatial planning, which may be in the area of mapping and scenario exercises on climate change vulnerability, risk analysis and planning exercises, or perhaps a more basic understanding of how to integrate the principles of ecosystem-based management into existing national spatial planning regimes