Post-disaster recovery linked with pre-disaster land development and damage density of Typhoon Yolanda: Toward better land-use planning in Tacloban City, the Philippines

Coastal cities in Asia face increasing risks of extreme climate events and urgently need to develop risk-reduction plans to mitigate the harmful socioeconomic consequences of such events. In this study, we undertook geographical analyses and conducted interviews with stakeholders in the Tacloban City area, the Philippines, to investigate the relationships among building types, storm-surge inundation and post-disaster recovery after 2013 Typhoon Yolanda. Squatter settlements in low-lying urban and coastal areas were destroyed by the typhoon, but were rapidly rebuilt by squatters using debris from the typhoon. Government programs relocated some of the affected squatter populations to new socialized housing developments on safe higher ground that were some distance from the squatters\u27 former urban and coastal livelihoods, thus causing reluctance to relocation. Our GIS analysis of available geo-spatial data, coupled with extensive stakeholder interviews, showed that there were enough vacant lots within pre-existing housing subdivisions to house more than 7000 squatters and provide them with plots for urban vegetable farming that would provide their livelihood. Interviews with stakeholders suggested that this approach would not encounter excessive resistance. Thus, our study demonstrated that comprehensive GIS analyses and stakeholder involvement can contribute to effective land-use planning for community resilience

Transfer hydrogenation of cellulose to sugar alcohols over supported ruthenium catalysts

Ru/C catalysts are active for the conversion of cellulose using 2-propanol or H2 of 0.8 MPa as sources of hydrogen, whereas Ru/Al2O3 catalyst is inactive in both reactions, indicating that the Ru/C catalysts are remarkably effective for the cellulose conversion

Simultaneous formation of sorbitol and gluconic acid from cellobiose using carbon-supported ruthenium catalysts

A carbon-supported Ru catalyst, Ru/BP2000, is able to simultaneously convert cellobiose into sorbitol and gluconic acid. This reaction occurs as the result of hydrolytic disproportionation in water at 393 K under an Ar atmosphere, without bases or sacrificial reagents. In-situ XANES measurements suggest that the active Ru species involved is composed of partially oxidized Ru metal

Catalysis and characterization of carbon-supported ruthenium for cellulose hydrolysis

Ru catalyst supported on mesoporous carbon CMK-3 shows high activity and durability for the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose in hot compressed water at 503 K. The Ru/CMK-3 catalyst also hydrolyzes cellobiose to glucose in water at 393 K. Several physicochemical methods such as XRD, TEM, XPS, H2-TPR, O2-titration, and XAFS were used to characterize active Ru species on CMK-3 and to clarify the formation pathway of the active species. From these studies, we conclude that hydrous Ru oxide RuO2・2H2O is formed on CMK-3 after H2-reduction of RuCl3/CMK-3 at 673 K and subsequent passivation at room temperature, and that the Ru oxide nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 1.1 nm are highly dispersed on CMK-3

Synthesis of sugar alcohols by hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose over supported metal catalysts

Cellulose is converted into sorbitol and related sugar compounds over water-tolerant and durable carbon-supported Pt catalysts under aqueous hydrogenation conditions. Pre-treatment of cellulose with ball-milling effectively reduces the crystallinity and particle size of cellulose, which results in high conversion of cellulose to sorbitol and mannitol. The selectivity of sorbitol increases by using Cl-free metal precursors in the catalyst preparation as residual Cl on the catalysts promotes the side-reactions. The transformation of cellulose to sorbitol consists of the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose via water-soluble oligosaccharides and the successive hydrogenation of glucose to sorbitol. The hydrolysis of cellulose is the rate-determining step, and the Pt catalysts promote both the hydrolysis and the hydrogenation steps