Developing a Measurement Framework for Ethiopian Dry Port Sustainability: An Empirical Study

In the context of a dry port, sustainable operations involve developing and implementing policies and procedures that reduce adverse effects on the environment, advance economic viability, and strengthen social responsibility. Several factors contribute to achieving environmental, economic, and social sustainability, making it critical to identify the factors influencing the sustainability of dry port operations. This research aims to identify decisive factors associated with economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and to develop a framework for measuring sustainability in dry port operations. The research utilises exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) to develop a measurement framework for assessing the sustainability of Ethiopian dry ports. EFA is an effective method with which to identify factors that contribute to sustainable dry port operations. To provide a frame for the critical sustainability performance metrics for dry ports, the AHP approach was used. Data were collected from 300 stakeholders using surveys to identify key factors, and 20 senior experts were involved in validating and rating the most influential factors determining dry port sustainability. This research asserts the most pertinent factors guiding dry port sustainability operations, resource allocation, and decision-making. From an environmental sustainability perspective, critical factors include minimising business-partner impacts, reducing waste, addressing climate change, providing environmental planning education to teams, and implementing measures to protect the national environment. From a social perspective, the factors identified include a resettlement policy, employment opportunities for the community, workplace safety, stakeholder consultation, and top-management guidance. From an economic standpoint, critical factors include value-added services, reduced transportation costs, decreased time, enhanced productivity in the trade supply chain, and profit orientation. The research provides valuable insights with which to guide the development of practices and policies aimed at ensuring sustainable dry port operations, a critical domain of the trade supply chain

Risk Assessment and Mitigation Model for Overseas Steel-Plant Project Investment with Analytic Hierarchy ProcessFuzzy Inference System

This paper presents an analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-fuzzy inference system (FIS) model to aid decision-makers in the risk assessment and mitigation of overseas steel-plant projects. Through a thorough literature review, the authors identified 57 risks associated with international steel construction, operation, and transference of new technologies. Pairwise comparisons of all 57 risks by 14 subject-matter experts resulted in a relative weighting. Furthermore, to mitigate human subjectivity, vagueness, and uncertainty, a fuzzy analysis based on the findings of two case studies was performed. From these combined analyses, weighted individual risk soring resulted in the following top five most impactful international steel project risks: procurement of raw materials; design errors and omissions; conditions of raw materials; technology spill prevention plan; investment cost and poor plant availability and performance. Risk mitigation measures are also presented, and risk scores are re-assessed through the AHP-FIS analysis model depicting an overall project risk score reduction. The model presented is a useful tool for industry performing steel project risk assessments. It also provides decision-makers with a better understanding of the criticality of risks that are likely to occur on international steel projects.11sciessciscopu

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF CRITICAL OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN THE NIGER DELTA

Oil and gas infrastructures are being severely impacted by extreme climate change-induced disasters such as flood, storm, tidal surges, and rising temperature in the Niger Delta with high. There is a high potential for disruption of upstream and downstream activities as the world climate continues to change. The lack of knowledge of the criticality and vulnerability of infrastructures could further exacerbate impacts and the assets management value chain. This thesis, therefore, applied a criteria-based systematic evaluation of the criticality and vulnerability of selected critical oil and gas infrastructure to climate change impacts in the Niger Delta. It applied multi-criteria decision-making analysis (MCDA) tool – analytic hierarchy process (AHP), in prioritising systems according to their vulnerability and criticality and recommended sustainable adaptation mechanisms. Through a critical review of relevant literature, seven (7) criteria each for criticality and vulnerability assessment were synthesised accordingly and implemented in the assessment process. A further exploratory investigation, physical examination of infrastructures, focus groups and elite interviews were conducted to identify possible vulnerable infrastructures and scope qualitative and quantitative data for analysis using Mi-AHP spreadsheet. Results prioritised the criticality of infrastructures in the following order: terminals (27.1%), flow stations (18.5%), roads/bridges (15.5%), and transformers/high voltage cables (11.1%) while the least critical are loading bays (8.6%) and oil wellheads (5.1%). Further analysis indicated that the most vulnerable critical infrastructures are: pipelines (25%), terminals (17%) and roads/bridges (14%) while transformers/high voltage cables and oil wellheads where ranked as least vulnerable with 11% and 9% respectively. In addition to vulnerability assessment, an extended documentary analysis of groundwater geospatial stream flow and water discharge rate monitoring models suggest that an in-situ rise in groundwater level and increase in water discharge rate (WDR) at the upper Niger River could indicate a high probability of flood event at the lower Delta, hence further exacerbates the vulnerability of critical infrastructures. Accordingly, physical examination of infrastructures suggests that an increase in regional and ambient temperature disrupts the functionality of compressors and optimal operation of Flow Stations and inevitably exacerbate corrosion of cathodic systems when mixed with the saltwater flood from the Atlantic. The thesis produced a flexible conceptual framework for the vulnerability assessment of critical oil/gas infrastructures, contextualised and recommended sustainable climate adaptation strategies for the Niger Delta oil/gas industry. Some of these strategies include installation of industrial groundwater and water discharge rate monitoring systems, construction of elevated platforms for critical infrastructures installations, substitution of cathodic pipes with duplex stainless and glass reinforcement epoxy pipes. Others include proper channelisation of drainages and river systems around critical platforms, use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for flood monitoring and the establishment of inter-organisational climate impact assessment groups in the oil/gas industry. Climate impact assessment (CIA) is suggested for oil and gas projects as part of best practice in the environmental management and impact assessment framework

Prioritizing CSR barriers in the Indian Service Industry: A Fuzzy AHP Approach

The present study identifies and prioritizes the barriers pertaining to implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies in Indian service industries. The 10 most important barriers related to CSR implementation have been first identified and then evaluated for the ranking process using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based methodology. The outcome of the study clearly presents that lack of top management commitment, lack of significant benefit of CSR, and financial constraints are the most important barriers in effective implementation of sustainable CSR initiatives among organizations belonging to the Indian service industry. These results may be used by decision makers to understand and these barriers, and identify critical success factors for the CSR process, which will help them to ensure that CSR is effectively implemented in their respective organizations.JEL Codes - C35; L80; M1

ASSESSMENT OF FLOOD HAZARD SUSCEPTIBILITY IN SOUTH SUDAN’S UPPER NILE STATE USING GIS-BASED MULTICRITERIA ANALYSIS

openLe alluvioni sono tra i rischi naturali più rovinosi. I loro effetti avversi comprendono danni alle strutture fisiche, sociali ed economiche, ed un deterioramento dei mezzi di sussistenza. Allo stesso tempo, attribuito alle variazioni climatiche ed eventi estremi causati dal cambiamento climatico, è stato registrato un incremento nella frequenza di alluvioni a livello globale, aumentando la necessita di comprendere gli aspetti spazio-temporali di questi fenomeni. Questo studio esamina la dimensione spaziale del rischio di inondazione nell’Alto Nilo, Sudan del Sud, regione con una riconosciuta vulnerabilità verso le inondazioni, causata principalmente dal suo posizionamento geografico all’interno di una pianura alluvionale caratterizzata da una notevole variabilità della portata di piena. L’obiettivo di questa indagine è quello di mappare la potenziale estensione spaziale degli allagamenti all’interno dell’area di studio in uno scenario di inondazione. La mappa del rischio di inondazioni, fondata su diversi indici, è stata sviluppata utilizzando una decisione d’analisi multicriteriale (MCDA) basata su GIS, ed il analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Gli otto fattori d’influenza per le alluvioni utilizzati per lo studio sono: distanza da fiumi, indice di umidità topografica, densità di drenaggio, copertura del suolo (LULC), precipitazioni medie annue, pendenza, altitudine, e tipo di suolo. La mappa del rischio di inondazione sviluppata per l’area di studio è composta da cinque zone di suscettibilità: molto alta, alta, moderata, bassa, molto bassa. Queste zone coprono rispettivamente il 12%, 26%, 29%, 22%, e 9% dell’area di studio. La mappa è stata ulteriormente validata tramite un confronto con la mappa satellitare dello storico delle inondazioni, ed è risultata soddisfacente nello stimare la probabile estensione spaziale degli allagamenti. Il modello della mappa è potrà risultare strumentale per le misure di preparazione alle inondazioni, e come guida per future indagini specifiche nella dimensione spazio-temporale di eventi alluvionali nella regione dell’Alto Nilo.Floods are among the most ruinous of all natural hazards. Its adverse effects include damages to the physical, social, and economic structures, and disruption of livelihoods. contemporary, attributed to climate change-induced climate variations and extreme weather events, the frequency of flood occurrence has increased all around the globe. This has therefore, augmented the necessity to comprehend the spatial and temporal dimension of flood phenomena. The current study examines the spatial dimension of flood hazard in the Upper Nile state, South Sudan, a region acknowledged to be highly vulnerable to inundation, mainly due to is geographical position within a flood plain characterized by a notable variability in discharge. The objective of this investigation is to map the potential spatial extent of floodwater within the boundaries of study area under flood scenarios. The index-based flood hazard map was developed using GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Eight flood influencing factors were used in this study, namely; distance to rivers, topographic wetness index, drainage density, land-coverage (LULC), annual average rainfall, slope, elevation, and soil types. The flood hazard map developed for study area consist of five flood hazard susceptibility zones: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. These zones encompass proportions of 12%, 26%, 29%, 22%, and 9% of the study area, respectively. The flood hazard map was further validated using satellite historical inundation map and determined to be satisfactory in depicting the probabilistic spatial extent of inundation. The flood hazard model developed is anticipated to be instrumental in pre-flood preparedness measures as well as a guide for future detailed investigations on the spatial–temporal dimension of flood incidents in the Upper Nile state

Grid Scale Battery Energy Storage Investment Potential - Analysis and Simulations of Frequency Control Markets in Germany and the UK

The need for energy storages in future power systems is acknowledged both in literature and in industry. Simultaneously battery energy storage technologies, especially Lithium-ion, are seen technologically relatively mature with favorable cost development. Whereas frequency control markets provide exploitable commercial and technical framework for battery investment. Nevertheless, true commercial viability is still uncertain in leading European markets in Germany and the UK. The purpose of the study was to provide complete and comparative market analysis and demonstrated prospective investment profitability outcomes for grid scale battery energy storages in Germany and the UK. In addition, the study aimed to show required conditions for desired investment performances. The study explored investment potential in primary frequency control market in Germany and enhanced frequency response market in the UK by analyzing market attractiveness from multiple aspects. The countries were ranked based on the analyzed aspects by Analytical Hierarchy Process. Finally, financial Monte Carlo investment simulations with revenue and cost uncertainties were performed. Simulations also provided required conditions for profitability. Analyzed data was based on historical market data, performed online market research and literature. Key findings of the study revealed that the chosen markets form suitable commercial framework for battery investments, but Germany shows clearly higher potential. However, the potential was questionable since both markets face significant challenges especially in financial sense. The concerns were confirmed by the simulations which suggested around 1–5 % and -3–3 % internal rate of return levels for Germany and the UK respectively. In addition, reaching 6 % return was seen very challenging whilst over 10 % return levels seemed unrealistic in the UK and extremely optimistic for Germany. The overall conclusion was that battery energy storage investment in either of the markets cannot currently be justified primarily by financial returns but needs strategic support.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format