Synthesized technical and socio-economic efficient evaluation of water quality improving devices and technologies: an example of the lake Kasumigaura Basin

In this study, we analyze an optimal policy and evaluate new devices and technologies to improve the water quality of Lake Kasumigaura, considering both - the total ecological system in and around the lake and the socio-economic situational changes over a certain period of time. The optimal policies are derived so as to maximize the objective function (GRP) subject to the structural equations, which describe both the ecosystem and socio-economic system.

An Optimal Investment Policy to Control the Land-based Water Pollutant into the Sea of Japan

Northeast Asia countries (e.g. around the Sea of Japan area) cooperate in economic and environmental policies, etc., because the comprehensive problems like the climate change and global warming occur in recent years. The ring Sea of Japan area consists of Japan, Republic of Korea, China, and Far East Russia in Northeast Asia, and the countries have to join forces in order to control the ocean environment and attain the sustainable development in the region. In this study, we try to evaluate the policy measure to control the land-based water pollutant into the Sea of Japan through a system simulation approach. The system simulation model is formulated a definition of an objective function and the structure of water pollutants inflow and the socio-economic system of the target countries and regions of the ring Sea of Japan. We present an optimal international policy for environmental investment taking account of economic situations and environmental influences of this area over a certain period of time through the dynamic simulation.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Environmental Policy for Water Pollutants and Greenhouse Gases Reduction in Jiaxing city, China

Recently, various environmental problems have been generated with the rapid economic development in China. That’s because China currently over-emphasized economic development beyond environmental issues; therefore, now it is important to enforce optimal environmental policies in order to achieve economic development as well as environmental improvement. In this study, we selected Jiaxing city as research area for that the environmental pollution problem has become prominent with economic high growth, and we constructed environmental system model and social economic model to establish the scenarios. Through computer simulation, we can evaluate the efficiency of the comprehensive environmental policies from both environmental preservation and social economic development aspects. While the social-economic model shows the socioeconomic activities which are vital events, fortune and service, such as production, finance and budget; the environmental system model shows the water pollutants and the greenhouse gas movement in the region. The dynamic optimization simulation is accomplished based on this environmental and socio-economic system model. In view of the restriction on water pollutants, greenhouse gas total exhausted amount, and economic activity in the catchment area, the simulation we practiced can provide concrete inner-generating optimal policies which can achieve the best economic and environment improvement with the consideration of policy, regional and timing choice in Jiaxing City, China.

Using Remote Sensing for Identifying Suitable Areas for Flood Shelter: A Case Study of Thatta, Sindh Pakistan

The most recurring type of disaster in the world these days is flood because of the spread and extent of its effect on people, among all-natural disasters of the world. Human activities have paved the way for many of these flood behavior to change as they used to be in the past. Pakistan experienced one of the most devastating natural disasters in its history all across the country in 2010, but Thatta district in southern part got severely affected during this flood. For the research, a simple yet efficient methodology Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) by using remote sensing images for identifying flood hazard areas was utilized. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) helps in finding shelter areas with a minimum effect of floods. It is essential to realize the importance of mapped results in consideration of manual flood management in future. The method used in this study is robust enough to explain the flood hazard for suggesting suitable shelter sites in case of flooding events. This would help disaster management bodies and other related agencies to formulate the development plans while keeping the hazard areas, which are unsuitable for development due to flood risk in the future

Evaluation of Integrated Air Pollution and Climate Change Policies: Case Study in the Thermal Power Sector in Chongqing City, China

The cost of environmental degradation has already had a dramatic impact on the Chinese economy. In order to curb these trends, the government of China has introduced stricter regulations. With this in mind, it is important to quantify the potential co-benefits of introducing air pollution and climate change mitigation policies. This study proposes relevant scenarios ranging from the current trends (baseline) to the introduction of different policies in the thermal power sector, including different carbon tax rates, technology innovation promotion, and technology cost reduction methods. We aim to comparatively evaluate the impact of the proposed policies within the thermal sector and within the entire socio-economic system. To this end, we used a dynamic input–output (I-O) model, into which high-efficiency technologies were incorporated as new thermal power industries in order to estimate policy impact during the time period 2010–2025. The results of this study demonstrated that the introduction of one or more of the following policies: carbon taxes, subsidies, technology innovation, and technology cost reduction, has no notable impact on the environment or the economy without the implementation of environment regulations. In contrast, the strong support of a government subsidy coupled with strict environmental regulations will promote technological innovation, for example through the natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) and the integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC). Our study also showed that the reduction of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy consumption would curb economic development to a certain extent. Taking this into consideration, innovation must also be promoted in other economic sectors. This research provides a strong reference for policy-makers to identify effective polices under different types of environmental regulations

The Potential Benefits of Introducing Informal Recyclers and Organic Waste Recovery to a Current Waste Management System: The Case Study of Santiago de Chile

Chile has experienced rapid economic growth in recent decades. However, this economic growth has been accompanied by a huge increase in waste generation. Although the country has historically put emphasis on appropriate final disposal of waste through landfill, the environmental problems generated by this activity have shown that it is necessary to improve the national solid waste management approach. Santiago, the capital of Chile, generates about 43% of the national solid waste. A study conducted by the Ministry of the Environment in 2011 found that 14% of the waste generated in the capital is recycled, mostly thanks to local campaigns and collection by the informal sector (scavengers). While in 2009 the government set a target to recycle 25% of municipal inorganic waste by 2020, there is no information on the implementation process to reach this target. Most importantly, the law has not established specific recycling rates for target materials, and, has not taken into consideration organic waste recovery, which accounts for 48% of the total waste stream. In order to meet the government target and at the same time promote organic waste recovery, this study proposes and evaluates the environmental impacts of different viable alternatives for municipal solid waste collection, treatment and recovery by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The proposed scenarios range from the current situation to the introduction of organic waste recovery and the inclusion of informal recyclers in the collection process. By considering the investment and treatment costs of each alternative, the study identifies the most effective scenario in terms of avoided pollutants per cost ratio. Finally, the study analyzes the feasibility of the implementation of the selected scenario by indicating benefits and challenges. The results of the scenario evaluation suggest that the scenario with the highest recovery of inorganic and organic materials, coupled with the participation of the informal collectors, will have a positive impact not only in terms of meeting and surpassing the government goal, but also in the reduction of CO2eq emissions. This scenario can reduce by approximately 3.5% the national CO2eq generated, with a cost of $14.1/ton. Moreover, the potential reductions of CH4 account for 8.5% of the national CH4 emissions and 24.5% of the national waste sector CH4 emissions

Exploring the potential of introducing technology innovation and regulations in the energy sector in China: a regional dynamic evaluation model

The Chinese government has introduced stricter environmental regulations to address the rapid increase in Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental deterioration associated with energy demand. In this research we analyze the potential environmental and socio-economic benefits of introducing such regulations coupled with the promotion of advanced technological innovation for power generation. We selected Chongqing city, one of the most polluted cities in China, as the case study. The study proposes 5 scenarios that range from baseline to technology promotion through the introduction of carbon tax and subsidy schemes and the implementation of regulations for regional air emissions reduction. We constructed a dynamic evaluation model based on an Input–Output (I/O) analysis for the period 2010–2025. The results show an overall benefit on the quality of the environment and energy conservation efforts. The study demonstrates that the introduction of regulations without promotion of technological innovation will dramatically affect economic growth. The results also show that innovations in the energy sector alone will reduce both air pollutants and energy intensity to a certain extent. In this regard the promotion of innovation in other economic sectors is necessary. Another important finding is the fact that the introduction of regulations will actually curb air emissions and energy consumption. This research provides a strong platform for policy makers to realize the urgency and importance of promoting technology innovation through environmental regulations

Improving Water Quality in the Citarum River through Economic Policy Approaches

This study examines the upper basin of the Citarum River in West Java, Indonesia, to analyze the optimal environmental policy and issues affecting the balance between economic activities and water environment conservation, for example, controlling water quality while maximizing economic activities in the region. The quantitative results derived using model simulation analysis clarifies the study’s issues. An integrated model linking two sub-models describing socio-economic activities and the dynamics of water pollutants was simulated. The model incorporates government subsidies for sewerage system maintenance and septic tank installation as economic policy variables for water quality control. Further, the optimal amount of these subsidies and changes in local economic activities according to water pollution load constraints are derived in a time-series structure for each region from 2015 to 2030. The gross regional product (GRP) maximization problem is solved under the inflow constraints of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand into the river. The results showed that the most favorable balance between water environment conservation and local economic activities can be achieved by setting the inflow constraint for 2030 at +3% of the 2015 level and the maximum annual cost of the measures at 10 times the current environmental budget of the West Java Province

Sustainability Assessment Model of the Buriganga River Restoration Project in Bangladesh: A System Dynamics and Inclusive Wealth Study

The Bangladesh government initiated the Buriganga River Restoration Project in 2010 to clean the heavily polluted Turag-Buriganga River. This study assessed the dynamic impact of the project on intergenerational well-being and developing a sustainable river system. The project outcomes were modeled for three future scenarios—varying waste control, streamflow, and migration control levels. System dynamics modeling—based on Streeter-Phelps’ water quality model and inclusive wealth (IW) index—was applied to secondary data (including remotely sensed data). The simulation model indicated that the project (with increasing streamflow up to 160 m3/s) will not ensure sustainability because dissolved oxygen (DO) is meaningfully decreasing, biological oxygen demand (BOD) is increasing, and IW is declining over time. However, sustainability can be achieved in scenario 3, an integrated strategy (streamflow: 160 m3/s, waste control: 87.78% and migration control: 6%) that will ensure DO of 8.3 mg/L, BOD of 3.1 mg/L, and IW of 57.5 billion USD in 2041, which is equivalent to 2.22% cumulative gross domestic product by 2041. This study is the first to use combined modeling to assess the dynamic impacts of a river restoration project. The findings can help policymakers to achieve sustainability and determine the optimal strategy for restoring polluted rivers