Superpixels, Occlusion and Stereo

Graph-based energy minimization is now the state of the art in stereo matching methods. In spite of its outstanding performance, few efforts have been made to enhance its capability of occlusion handling. We propose an occlusion constraint, an iterative optimization strategy and a mechanism that proceeds on both the digital pixel level and the super pixel level. Our method explicitly handles occlusion in the framework of graph-based energy minimization. It is fast and outperforms previous methods especially in the matching accuracy of boundary areas

Modelling Sub-daily Latent Heat Fluxes from a Small Reservoir

Abstract Accurate methods of latent heat flux quantification are essential for water management and for use in hydrological and meteorological models. Currently the effect of small lakes in most numerical weather prediction modelling systems is either entirely ignored or crudely parameterized. In order to test methods for modelling hourly latent heat flux from small water bodies, this study compares results from several modelling approaches to values measured by the eddy covariance method at an agricultural reservoir in southeast Queensland, Australia. Mass transfer estimates of LE calculated using the theoretical mass transfer model and using the Tanny et al

Towards an art and science of decision aiding for water management and planning: a participatory modelling process

Planning and management of water resources are faced with increasingly high levels of complexity, uncertainty and conflict. Traditional technical and top-down management strategies have proved inadequate, forcing a move to more integrated forms of management, planning and decision making that can include stakeholders and communities, as well as technical experts and policy makers. These integrated forms of management require not only good technical or scientific ability, but a range of art-like skills including communication, creativity and the capacity to acknowledge and integrate diverse points of view. However, processes designed to aid such inter-organisational or multi-stakeholder decisionmaking are rare and in need of investigation. This paper proposes a process of participatory modelling using a series of semi-structured collective decision cycles which can aid decisions involving multiple stakeholders in water management and planning. The participatory modelling process outlined in this paper is designed to capture and integrate both tacit and explicit knowledge from stakeholders, right from the problem identification phase through to the final decision making, implementation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. A brief idealised example of the participatory modelling process testing in Montpellier, France, is highlighted, as well as further questions and identified priority research areas

Towards an art and science of decision aiding for water management and planning: a participatory modelling process

Planning and management of water resources are faced with increasingly high levels of complexity, uncertainty and conflict. Traditional technical and top-down management strategies have proved inadequate, forcing a move to more integrated forms of management, planning and decision making that can include stakeholders and communities, as well as technical experts and policy makers. These integrated forms of management require not only good technical or scientific ability, but a range of art-like skills including communication, creativity and the capacity to acknowledge and integrate diverse points of view. However, processes designed to aid such inter-organisational or multi-stakeholder decisionmaking are rare and in need of investigation. This paper proposes a process of participatory modelling using a series of semi-structured collective decision cycles which can aid decisions involving multiple stakeholders in water management and planning. The participatory modelling process outlined in this paper is designed to capture and integrate both tacit and explicit knowledge from stakeholders, right from the problem identification phase through to the final decision making, implementation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. A brief idealised example of the participatory modelling process testing in Montpellier, France, is highlighted, as well as further questions and identified priority research areas

Modelling sub-daily latent heat fluxes from a small reservoir

Accurate methods of latent heat flux quantification are essential for water management and for use in hydrological and meteorological models. Currently the effect of small lakes in most numerical weather prediction modelling systems is either entirely ignored or crudely parameterized. In order to test methods for modelling hourly latent heat flux from small water bodies, this study compares results from several modelling approaches to values measured by the eddy covariance method at an agricultural reservoir in southeast Queensland, Australia. Mass transfer estimates of LE calculated using the theoretical mass transfer model and using the Tanny et al. (2008) and Sacks et al. (1994) bulk transfer coefficients showed the best relationship with measured values under a range of meteorological conditions. The theoretical model showed the strongest correlation with measured values, while the Tanny et al. (2008) and Sacks et al. (1994) models had regression equation slopes with the closest proximity to 1. Latent heat fluxes estimated using the Granger and Hedstrom (2011) evaporation model, that was specifically developed for use at small reservoirs, showed a poor relationship with measured values, particularly in stable atmospheric conditions. The 1-dimensional hydrodynamics model, DYRESM, was used to obtain predictions of hourly latent heat flux without the use of water surface temperature measurements. DYRESM estimates of latent heat flux showed a slightly worse relationship with measured values than those predicted using the traditional mass transfer models (which used measurements of water surface temperature). However, DYRESM performed considerably better than the Granger and Hedstrom (2011) model

Co-engineering participatory water management processes: theory and insights from Australian and Bulgarian interventions

Broad-scale, multi-governance level, participatory water management processes intended to aid collective decision making and learning are rarely initiated, designed, implemented, and managed by one person. These processes mostly emerge from some form of collective planning and organization activities because of the stakes, time, and budgets involved in their implementation. Despite the potential importance of these collective processes for managing complex water-related social-ecological systems, little research focusing on the project teams that design and organize participatory water management processes has ever been undertaken. We have begun to fill this gap by introducing and outlining the concept of a co-engineering process and examining how it impacts the processes and outcomes of participatory water management. We used a hybrid form of intervention research in two broad-scale, multi-governance level, participatory water management processes in Australia and Bulgaria to build insights into these coengineering processes. We examined how divergent objectives and conflict in the project teams were negotiated, and the impacts of this co-engineering on the participatory water management processes. These investigations showed: (1) that language barriers may aid, rather than hinder, the process of stakeholder appropriation, collective learning and skills transferal related to the design and implementation of participatory water management processes; and (2) that diversity in co-engineering groups, if managed positively through collaborative work and integrative negotiations, can present opportunities and not just challenges for achieving a range of desired outcomes for participatory water management processes. A number of areas for future research on co-engineering participatory water management processes are also highlighted

Co-engineering Participatory Water Management Processes: Theory and Insights from Australian and Bulgarian Interventions

Broad-scale, multi-governance level, participatory water management processes intended to aid collective decision making and learning are rarely initiated, designed, implemented, and managed by one person. These processes mostly emerge from some form of collective planning and organization activities because of the stakes, time, and budgets involved in their implementation. Despite the potential importance of these collective processes for managing complex water-related social-ecological systems, little research focusing on the project teams that design and organize participatory water management processes has ever been undertaken. We have begun to fill this gap by introducing and outlining the concept of a co-engineering process and examining how it impacts the processes and outcomes of participatory water management. We used a hybrid form of intervention research in two broad-scale, multi-governance level, participatory water management processes in Australia and Bulgaria to build insights into these coengineering processes. We examined how divergent objectives and conflict in the project teams were negotiated, and the impacts of this co-engineering on the participatory water management processes. These investigations showed: (1) that language barriers may aid, rather than hinder, the process of stakeholder appropriation, collective learning and skills transferal related to the design and implementation of participatory water management processes; and (2) that diversity in co-engineering groups, if managed positively through collaborative work and integrative negotiations, can present opportunities and not just challenges for achieving a range of desired outcomes for participatory water management processes. A number of areas for future research on co-engineering participatory water management processes are also highlighted