A 5D Building Information Model (BIM) for Potential Cost-Benefit Housing: A Case of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

The Saudi construction industry is going through a process of acclimatizing to a shifting fiscal environment. Due to recent fluctuations in oil prices, the Saudi construction sector decided to adjust to current trade-market demands and rigorous constitutional regulations because of competitive pressures. This quantitative study assesses and compares existing flat design vs. mid-terrace housing through cost estimation and design criteria that takes family privacy into consideration and meets the needs of Saudi Arabian families (on average consisting of seven members). Five pilot surveys were undertaken to evaluate the property preference type of Saudi families. However, Existing models did not satisfy the medium range family needs and accordingly a 5D (3D + Time + Cost) Building Information Modelling (BIM) is proposed for cost benefiting houses. Research results revealed that mid-terrace housing was the best option, as it reduced land usage and construction costs. While, 5D BIM led to estimate accurate Bill of Quantities (BOQ) and the appraisal of construction cost

Assessing the vulnerability of agriculture systems to climate change in coastal areas: A novel index

This study proposes a novel index to evaluate agricultural vulnerability to climate change in coastal areas, using the case of Andhra Pradesh, the state with the second longest coastline in India. Field data was collected from more than 1000 farmers (involved in over 50 varieties of crops) in 22 riverine and coastal case study areas. Data was collected through site visits, surveys and five workshops conducted between November 2018 and June 2019. Based on the collected data sets, a new Agricultural Coastal Vulnerability Index (AGCVI) was developed and applied to the 22 sites located in two districts (Krishna and Guntur) of Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The analysis revealed that the areas with three crop seasons (Kharif, Rabi and Zaid) per year are highly vulnerable to climate change. On the other hand, sites with one crop season (Kharif) per annum are the least vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, grains (particularly rice), flowers and fruit crops are more susceptible to climate change and its induced impacts. Rice is no longer a profitable crop in the case study areas partly as a result of unfavourable weather conditions, inadequate insurance provision and lack of government support for farmers. Cumulatively, all these circumstances impact farmers’ incomes and socio-cultural practices: this is leading to a marriage crisis, with a reduction in the desirability of matrimony to farmers. These findings provide valuable information that can support climate and agriculture policies, as well as sustainable cropping patterns among farmers’ communities in coastal areas of India in the future

The transformation of agro-climatic resources of the Altai region under changing climate conditions

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This research examines the transformation of the agro-climatic conditions of the Altai region as a result of climate change. The climate of the Altai region in Russia is sharply continental and characterized by dry air and significant weather variability, both in individual seasons and years. The current study is determined by the lack of detailed area-related analytical generalizations for the territory of the Altai region over the past 30 years. Most of the published data dealing with an integrated analysis of the agro-climatic conditions in the Altai region date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s; in most cases, this data is from climate reference-books based on the generalized data from the first half of the 20th century. To make accurate forecasts and to efficiently manage agricultural production in the Altai region, area-related data on the state and dynamics of agro-climatic changes have been analysed. The results reveal that in the period between 1964 and 2017, significant climatic changes occurred in the territory of the Altai region. These climatic changes affected the growing season length, which increased due to a shift in the dates of the air temperature transition above 10 °C, to earlier dates in spring and to later dates in autumn. Furthermore, the current study also revealed that the foothills of the Altai Mountains are the most moistened parts of the region and the Kulunda lowland is the most arid part. In the Altai region, the accumulated temperatures and amounts of precipitation during the growing season increased significantly, and the values of integrated coefficients and indices that reflect the moisture supply conditions for the territory also changed significantly. Based upon the results, a schematic map of the current precipitation distribution on the Altai region’s territory has been generated. These results and this map may be used to conduct more detailed studies in the field of agro-climatology and to update the current borders of agro-climatic areas and revision of the agro-climatic zonation scheme

Endocrine disrupting compounds removal methods from wastewater in the United Kingdom: A review

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are contaminants with estrogenic or androgenic activity that negatively impact human and animal communities. These compounds have become one of the significant concerns for wastewater treatment in recent decades. Several studies have evaluated EDC removal methods from wastewater across the globe including the United Kingdom (UK). Accordingly, the current study reviews EDC removal methods from municipal/domestic wastewater in the United Kingdom (UK) for the period of 2010–2017. The research highlights that despite the relative efficacy of existing chemical and physical methods for removing certain EDCs from wastewater there is emerging evidence supporting the need for more widespread application of nature-based and biological approaches, particularly the use of biofilms. The analysis reveals that there have been relatively few research studies on EDC removal methods have been carried out in the UK in the 2010–2017 period and none of the research focused on EDC removal using biofilms. Finally, this review suggests that more research is needed to remove EDCs, particularly through the application of biofilms, from municipal wastewater in current scenarios

Mapping Fire: The Case of Matopiba

This article examines fire as a political tool to advance the expansion of the agricultural frontier in Brazil and proposes a methodology for working with affected communities to protect their territories. Historically, fire has been used by communities as a traditional resource management strategy. However, it has also been associated with environmental degradation and agribusiness expansion. Our analysis focuses on the territories of black rural communities in Matopiba and shows how territorial conflict is now shifting to the productive spaces of these communities, indicating a politicisation of these spaces and implications for the regional agri-food system. Using satellite imagery and participatory methods, the authors worked with community members and activists to create an integrated map documenting and assessing the extent of fires in the area. The methodology developed can support the protection of areas and communities in other parts of this region and help gather evidence that can be used in court cases and support whistleblowing to the authorities.Newton Fund Researcher Links Workshops grant, ID 2019-RLWK11-10177UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial StrategyFundação de Apoio a Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (FAPDF), BrazilBritish CouncilUK Economic and Social Research Council, ID ES/R00658X/

Mangroves' role in supporting ecosystem-based techniques to reduce disaster risk and adapt to climate change: A review

Variations due to climate change like rising sea levels, recurring storm surges and changing wave conditions coupled with unsustainable development along the coast are exacerbating coastal populations' vulnerability to coastal dangers globally. The ecosystem based solution to achieve sustainable development is increasingly advocated in the last two decades to leverage nature's robust adaptive capacity to change and protect people against its negative consequences. Mangroves protect and maintain a rich marine biodiversity in the tropics and subtropics and are crucial carbon sinks. The present study thus analyses mangroves' role as ecosystem-based technique to reduce disaster risk and adapt to climate change using Mauritius, a small island state, as case study, particularly the coastal protective and climate change adaptive capacities of the two local species Rhizophora mucronata Lam. and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were used to retrieve resources from Google Scholar, Web of Science and ScienceDirect for the 2002 to 2022 period. A total of 41,789 records were identified and through a robust screening and filtering process only 50 studies were deemed relevant to the present study. In this context, key attributes of mangrove forests were found to be in reducing coastal flood risk, sheltering coastal regions during storms and stabilizing the coast. This study lays the foundation to consider Rhizophora and Brugueira as robust nature based solutions for Mauritius which will be of key importance to decision makers, researchers and the public at large to consider restoring degraded mangrove sites and promote ecosystem-based approaches to reduce disaster risk, adapt to climate change, enhance marine spatial planning and better coastal zone management

Investigating how COVID-19 has challenged the Eurocentric concept of ‘development’: a case for sustainable food systems in the UK

The COVID-19 health crisis has imposed extensive shocks to many global systems, particularly the UK food production chains, further challenging Eurocentric development discourses and stereotypes. Thus, this paper investigates how the pandemic has challenged the UK's development status by analysing how the pandemic has impacted the country's food industry. A literature review was conducted and used to identify, select and critically appraise publications between 2000 and 2021 discussing the challenges in the UK food system. The findings reveal that the UK's food industry is unsustainable as there are significant flaws in the system, that is food insecurity and food waste that go unaddressed. The impact of the pandemic has exacerbated the social and economic impacts of operating with such a system. Compounded with the geopolitical adjustments caused by Brexit, the UK is faced with the challenge of restructuring and developing new frameworks such as policies, regulations, schemes and partnerships to support the food industry's sustainability. Lastly, the findings reinforce that ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations encounter similar food challenges, which manifest differently in various landscapes and contexts. Therefore, the world (not just the UK) needs to shift away from Eurocentrism, moving towards a universal but equally personalised development outlook. This review provides an outline of the major problem areas in the UK food system and presents potential solutions aimed at helping guide the government's decision-making process

Mapping Fire: The Case of Matopiba

This article examines fire as a political tool to advance the expansion of the agricultural frontier in Brazil and proposes a methodology for working with affected communities to protect their territories. Historically, fire has been used by communities as a traditional resource management strategy. However, it has also been associated with environmental degradation and agribusiness expansion. Our analysis focuses on the territories of black rural communities in Matopiba and shows how territorial conflict is now shifting to the productive spaces of these communities, indicating a politicisation of these spaces and implications for the regional agri-food system. Using satellite imagery and participatory methods, the authors worked with community members and activists to create an integrated map documenting and assessing the extent of fires in the area. The methodology developed can support the protection of areas and communities in other parts of this region and help gather evidence that can be used in court cases and support whistleblowing to the authorities

A Systematic Review Investigating the Use of Earth Observation for the Assistance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Disaster Response and Recovery

The use of Earth observation technology such as satellites, unmanned aircraft, or drones as part of early-warning systems and disaster risk reduction plans is a widely researched and established area of study. However, the use this technology can have in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services in the response and recovery phases of a disaster is not widely researched. A systematic literature review was undertaken assessing relevant literature to identify Earth observation technology and methods that can be applied to the context of water, sanitation and hygiene in disaster response and recovery. Whilst there were many water-related studies, there was a lack of studies looking at the potential uses of Earth observation for sanitation. This is an area that requires further research. Three main common uses of Earth observation technology were identified as relevant: (1) Monitoring of surface water quality; (2) Groundwater Sensing; and (3) Mapping and monitoring of hazards and infrastructure. Whilst the studies of Earth observation in these areas highlight that this technology could be usefully applied to assist with water, sanitation and hygiene during disaster response and recovery, more research is needed and there are limitations to consider—predominantly that funding, communication and integration between many agencies and technologies are required. Additionally, some technologies are subject to local regulations which can cause restrictions to their use over contested or private areas, or trans-national boundaries—common situations in disasters. This review was largely influenced by the search strings inputted during the identification of relevant literature; changing the search strings would likely result in a different combination of literature available for review and subsequent variations in the findings